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Design And Construction Of A Microcontroller Based SCR/TRIAC Tester

Electrical Electronics Engineering | Engineering

The design and construction of a microcontroller-based SCR/TRIAC tester involve creating a versatile device capable of accurately testing and analyzing these semiconductor devices’ functionality. By leveraging a microcontroller’s computational power, coupled with suitable sensor interfaces and display modules, the tester can assess SCR/TRIAC characteristics such as triggering voltage, holding current, and turn-off time. The device integrates various testing modes, including single-component testing and batch testing for efficiency. Key components encompass the microcontroller unit, sensor interfaces for voltage and current measurement, user interface elements like buttons and an LCD display, and output mechanisms for indicating test results. This comprehensive approach ensures the tester’s adaptability and reliability across different SCR/TRIAC applications, contributing to enhanced troubleshooting and quality assurance in electronic systems.

ABSTRACT

A tester is provided in which a test signal having a selected polarity and magnitude is applied across the main electrodes of a device under test. In the case of an SCR and TRIAC device under test, for example, pulses of a predetermined energy level and polarity are applied to the gate electrode to trigger the SCR or TRIAC into conduction. The tester operates to identify the anode and cathode terminals of the conducting device, as well as to determine without destructive failure of the device under test whether the device is open, shorted or exhibiting leakage through LCD with 89c51 controller.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The silicon controlled rectifier and the triac are both solid-state electronic components that turn electrical currents on and off. Unlike some switches, which return to a stable “off” state, SCRs and triacs “latch” on or off, and remain that way until certain conditions change. Because of their switching and latching actions, both devices are called thyristors. While they have many similarities, important differences exist between their operation and use.

The thyristor or as it is otherwise called scr (silicon controlled rectifier) is a silicon diode which consists of three or more pn junctions and can either be conductive (on) or not (off).

There are many different types of thyristors but the most common of all is the one which has three leads, the anode (a) the cathode (k) and the gate (g). The gate is what makes the thyristor so special because a relatively small current through its gate can control much heavier currents which pass through the device itself.

In general if there is a voltage across the anode and the cathode of a thyristor and we apply a low positive voltage at the gate the thyristor will turn on and even if we remove the trigger voltage it will stay on till the current which flows through it, is somehow interrupted. as you see the

Thyristor acts as an electronic switch. As it has already been mentioned the thyristor consists of a series of pn junctions and this gives it some of the characteristics of a silicon diode. From the moment the thyristor becomes conductive it behaves as a silicon rectifier and only allows current flow in one direction. Thyristors are used today in many devices such as ac rectifiers, dimmers, electronic car ignition circuits, overload protection devices, logic circuits, and also in industrial applications where they are used to control heavy currents with very much lower control currents.

The thyristor as we have already mentioned is sometimes referred at by the initials scr and its electronic symbol is the one you see in diagram 1. another similar to the thyristor device, is the triac. Its name comes from the tri-ode for alternating current. The triac as opposed to the thyristor will let the current flow in both directions without departing very much from reality. The triac can be considered as being two thyristors connected in parallel reversed with respect to each other and having a common gate.

The triac can be turned on by the application of either positive or negative pulses in its gate. Because of their ability to control ac the triacs are used in phase control to regulate the speed of ac motors, in dimmers, in heating applications and wherever it is needed to control ac current without rectifying it.

Occasionally with these components doubt arises we work correctly, especially when we are repairing an appliance and also sometimes when we try to recover any items of equipment already disused or damaged.

The problem is that with the multimeter We can only check if shorted or open not know you switch correctly in the case of thyristors is unidirectional check (CC) and checking the triac (CA) is bidirectional because the latter are designed to work with alternating current. The aim of this work is to design such an electronics instrument that measures the polarity as well as knowing the working condition of triac and scr.

In the testing of semiconductor SCR devices and triac, the testers apply a triggering signal or pulse to the gate electrode for turning on the device. However, when the polarity of the device and the power dissipating ability of the device are unknown, prior art testers tend to provide excessive power to electrodes of the device under test, destructively failing the device. Since the various devices to be tested have an unknown internal impedance, prior art testers tend to cause devices with relatively low internal impedance to draw excessive current burning out the device which otherwise might have been in acceptable condition. A tester of the type with which the focus of this is concerned should be able to identify not only the polarity of the electrodes of various devices under test whose characteristics are unknown, but also whether or not the devices meet or exceed certain minimum characteristics without destructive failure of the devices.

The in this work, 89c51 is the heart of the circuit while LCD is used as the output displaying device.

1.1 AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

The main aim of this work is to design an electronics instrument for testing THYRISTORS and TRIACS.

At the end of this work students involved will be able to:

Explain how explain the connection of LCD
Explain the differences and similarities between an SCR and a triac.

Explain the different operating modes of a triac and scr.

Explain the construction, operation, and applications of a scr and triac tester

1.2 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

The purpose of this work is to display the status SCRs and Triacs via LCD using 89c51 microcontroller as the heart of the circuit while LCD is used as the output displaying device.

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

This tester will put the component in a circuit which simulates its working conditions and will apply the right biasing voltages to trigger it and will also pass a current through the device to leave no doubt that it is working properly. One of the major advantage of this work is that it is digital in the sense that the status of the semiconductor under test is displayed on the LCD.

1.4 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

A tester for thyrister and triac semiconductor devices having three main electrodes and a control electrode includes first, second, third terminals adapted to be connected respectively to the main electrodes and the control electrode, and to a power source.

This device was constructed using 8951 microcontroller as the heart of the circuit along with a display unit

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen is an electronic display module and find a wide range of applications. A 16×2 LCD display is used to display the output of the device under test.

1.5 APPLICATION OF THE PROJECT

This instrument is mostly used

Electronics laboratory
Electronics hobbyist

And in industries for testing and troubleshooting electronics circuits such as motor circuits

1.6 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCR AND TRIAC

Following are main difference between SCR (Silicon controlled rectifier) and TRIAC (Triode for alternating current) :

SCR	TRIAC
SCR stands for silicon controlled rectifier	TRIAC stands for triode for alternating current.
The SCR is unidirectional device.	The TRIAC is bidirectional device.
It available in large ratings.	It available in smaller ratings.
The SCR control DC power.	The TRIAC control DC as well as AC power.
The SCR can be triggered by positive gate voltage only	The TRIAC control DC as well as AC power.
In SCR only one mode of operation is possible	In TRIAC four different modes of operation is possible.

1.7 PROJECT WORK ORGANISATION

The various stages involved in the development of this project have been properly put into five chapters to enhance comprehensive and concise reading. In this project thesis, the project is organized sequentially as follows:

Chapter one of this work is on the introduction to the study. In this chapter, the background, significance, aim/objective, scope, application, purpose of the study were discussed.

Chapter two is on literature review of this study. In this chapter, all the literature pertaining to this work was reviewed.

Chapter three is on design methodology. In this chapter all the method involved during the design and construction were discussed.

Chapter four is on testing analysis. All testing that result accurate functionality was analyzed.

Chapter five is on conclusion, recommendation and references.