Become a Member
Article

SCR Gate Pulse Generator

"Fire in the Gate!" for Thyristors and Triacs

SCR Gate Pulse Generator
SCR Gate Pulse Generator
The old-school semiconductor device family called "Silicon-controlled rectifiers," or SCRs, includes thyristors and triacs. As opposed to many other semiconductors that can be tested and characterized to an extent with a typical multimeter, SCRs require testing dynamically by applying "firing" pulses to their gate electrode. The simple but effective circuit presented here employs the mains voltage to obtain synchronized gate pulses.
Download article
 

Materials

Gerber file

CAM/CAD data for the PCB referred to in this article is available as a Gerber file. Elektor GREEN and GOLD members can exclusively download these files for free as part of their membership. Gerber files allow a PCB to be produced on an appropriate device available locally, or through an online PCB manufacturing service.

Elektor recommends the Elektor PCB Service service from its business partner Eurocircuits or AISLER as the best services for its own prototypes and volume production.

The use of our Gerber files is provided under a modified Creative Commons license. Creative Commons offers authors, scientists, educators and other creatives the freedom to handle their copyright in a more free way without losing their ownership.

PCB

Components

The BOM (Bill of Materials) is the technically exhaustive listing of parts and other hardware items used to produce the working and tested prototype of any Elektor Labs project. The BOM file contains deeper information than the Component List published for the same project in Elektor Magazine. If required the BOM gets updated directly by our lab engineers. As a reader, you can download the list here.
Want to learn more about our BOM list? Read the BOM list article for extra information.

Download the BOM list

Component list

Component List

Resistors

R1,R2,R4 = 100kΩ, 5%, 0.25W, 250V

R3 = 0Ω, 5%, 0.25W (or jumper wire). See text for important safety notices

R5,R6 = 1kΩ, 5%, 0.25W

R7,R8 = 2.2kΩ, 5%, 0.25W

R9 = 330Ω, 5%, 0.25W

R10,R11,R12 = 10kΩ, 5%, 0.25W

P1 = 1MΩ, trimpot, horizontal mounting

 

Capacitors

C1 = 15nF, 100V, 10 %, PET, 5.0/7.5mm pitch

C2 = not normally used, see text

C3,C4 = 100nF, 50V, 10%, X7R, 5.0/7.5mm pitch

 

Semiconductors

D1-D4 = 1N4007, DO-41

D5,D6 = 1N4148, DO-35

T1 = BC547B, TO-92

T2 = BC557B, TO-92

IC1 = CNY65, DIP-4 HV (L x W = 17.8mm x 9.6mm)

IC2 = LM393P, DIP-8

 

Miscellaneous

K1,K2 = 2-way PCB screw terminal block, 0.3’’ pitch, 630V rated

K3 = 2-pin pinheader, vertical, 0.1’’ pitch

K4 = 5-pin pinheader, vertical, 0.1’’ pitch

8-way DIL socket, 0.1’’ pitch, 0.3’’ wide (optional for IC2)

PCB no. 180611-1 v1.0 (Elektor Store)

We buy at:

botfactory
RS_logo
Digikey-BOM

Discussion (2 comments)

Embed Code