Hy guys!
I'd like to switch on-off a thyristor (BT151 or TIC106) with an Atmega328p to fire a film capacitor and I want to choose the proper value of the resistor between the I/O pin and the SCR gate. Can somebody help me with some tutorial (or newbie's guide) how to calculate this value?
I'd like to switch on-off a thyristor
You do realise that you can't switch a Thyristor OFF - don't you?
I want to choose the proper value of the resistor between the I/O pin and the SCR gate. Can somebody help me with some tutorial
Ohm's law?
the gate is about 0.7V and needs 10mA. At 5V this is (5-0.7) / 0.01 = 4300 Ohms. Make that 3k3 just to be sure.
If you're making something like a CDI unit, you want an scr like a C106, not a triac
I know I can't switch the thyristor via the avr. I "switch it off" with the help of a resistor between gnd and the gate.
Thank you! If you divide 4.3 with 0.01 the result is 430 Ohm so the formula or the result is wrong?
I know I can't switch the thyristor via the avr.
Yes, you can switch it ON - or "trigger" it!
But, once a thyristor (aka "SCR") is ON (or "triggered") the gate no longer has any control - so you can not "switch" it OFF!
I "switch it off" with the help of a resistor between gnd and the gate.
No - that won't work.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si...
Thanks your remark, you are right.
As for my dodgy calculation, i was on a train and it must've bumped when i was tapping it on the iphone. Honest! Yes, 430 is the correct answer. Note that the AVR output is less than 5V and there's a couple of other tolerances, so go a bit lower on the resistance.
Thank you! Does these parameters are actually in the datasheet as like gate trigger voltage and gate trigger current?
Yes! I read the tic106 datasheet.
Does these parameters are actually in the datasheet
You mean you haven't looked ??
But, yes - I looked in the BT151 datasheet.
UPDATE! I tested my circuit with TIC106M SCR. The AVR supply voltage is 4.39V. The voltage on the I/O pin, which "fires" the SCR is 2.7V. Refer to the datasheet (Igt=60-200uA, Vgt=0.4-1V), I calculated the gate-resistor value with the following formula: (2.7-0.7)/0.0001=20kOhm. I tried it first with 10kOhm and 4.7 kOhm, but nothing happened. With 100Ohm gate-resistor the SCR works. Can somebody explain it why is this big difference? The AVR I/O port is connected to the SCR through the gate resistor and a diode (to protect the AVR), and the I/O pin also connected to the ground with a 10k resistor.
Are you switching an AC voltage? 120/240 V Mains?
Can you post a schematic of your circuit?
Many old SCR circuits used a full wave bridge rectifier to convert an AC voltage to a voltage with all positive sin wave half periods, with no negative going half sin waves.
JC
It makes life a lot easier for others if you place the image in your post - so that everyone can see it in the thread:
The instructions are here: https://www.avrfreaks.net/wiki/em...
I dare say you trigger the scr at mains zero crossing otherwise there might be some smoke.
Scrs need current flowing through them to latch. With no load on the out terminal, there won't be much current flowing so it can't latch. If there was a transformer or something providing a load, then it has a better chance of working.
You also need to watch the i2t when the scr fires, if the current rises too rapidly, the scr will melt. So you need some inductance to ensure this spec is met.
The out pin goes to a transformer, which amplify the voltage to make spark. I think I forgot to say that I want to use this circuit as a CDI.
I forgot, that I supply my AVr with 3.3V. In that case 1.76V can "open" the thyristor. The AVR is an ATMEGA328P, but in the circuit editor I couldn't found it. Maybe the 10k resistor makes my calculation incorrect?
It should basically work. Your circuit does not show avcc connected or the other gnd pin. It would be wise to connect these. You haven't told us what the source of the high voltage is or how long you pulse the scr for.
Thanks your reply Kartman! I edited the above circuit cause I totally forgot that I supply my device with 3.3V. So to sum: My uC is an ATMEGA328P. I fires the scr with the PC1 I/O pin. AVCC is not connected to the VCC, but I don' use the ADC converter. I receive the pickup signal on an external interrupt pin (INT1). Please read again the #17 post, cause I added in it some more information.
I think you might find that AVCC powers the port. I would suggest you connect it. We've had a few people that have thought not to connect AVCC because they don't use the adc - the datasheet tells you to connect it. Also, you should have bypass capacitors as well.
You might want to use the capture feature for your pickup - it gives more precise timing compared to using an external interrupt.
How is the ATTiny26 detecting the zero crossing of the 100-200VAC?
Ross, i do hope the ac source is impedance limited. I'm guessing it is an alternator on a motorbike. You rarely see CDI on anything but a two stroke engine these days.
Agreed. But I don't see where the Tiny26 is monitoring the high voltage.... unless it is at the "pickup"
It is not a Tiny26, but a Mega328P. I wrote it in a post before, in my schematic editor there were no mega328p. The pickup contains voltage regulator and some other part, to convert the pickup signal to a measureable signal to the avr.
Your intuition is right, it is an alternator from my bike. What do you think? The resistor value is good and the problem is with the AVR hookup?
Its been a long time since I did any SCR projects...
But isn't the SCR going to just short the 200 V source to ground when it is on?
How much current can the SCR handle?
As already mentioned, AVcc Must be tied to Vcc, either directly, or through an LC filter.
The uC will definitely need By-Pass caps.
JC
Finally I solved the problem. I replaced the TIC106 SCR to a BT151 one, and works perfectly in the range of the parameters the datasheet mention. Thanks the tip for the AVcc
