Solid state relays will work, just as long as you get the right one. The relay you got used a triac, so once it was activated, it will stay on as long as you have current running through it. Get a relay that does not have an SCR or triac output an you should be fine. Also, I never saw solid state relays with this, but I might as well add this in just in case; make sure it is not a latching relay. Latching relays act like toggle switches, with an input for on, and an input for off. Once you activate the on/off state, it will remain in that state. --Nick --- Nick Veys wrote: > Ok, first I want to thank everyone who replied to > this... The responses > make perfect sense, I picked the wrong part. I > guess the next time I > need to switch a light bulb, I'll be ready! > > Here is what I am trying to do. > > I have a shorting block I want to control from a > PIC. I picked a relay > since it's basically able to mimic a momentary > pushbutton which is what > I am trying to do. I assumed a "relay is a relay" > so I thought a solid > state relay would behave like any other relay, I was > wrong! :) > > So basically I need some way to short a block > momentarily, preferably > without any additional hardware between it and the > PIC (which is why I > picked the previous relay, had 5V input, low low > amperage to switch). > > Speed isn't a big issue, it needs to be able to > switch on/off within > ~500ms. > > If anyone can perhaps show me the "correct" solid > state relay I would > really appreciate it, as I don't want to just try > again and see if I > pick a DC one this time! :) > > Thanks again for all the answers! > > nick@veys.com | www.veys.com/nick > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: pic microcontroller discussion list > > [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Ned > Seith > > Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2001 4:12 AM > > To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU > > Subject: Re: [EE]: Solid state relay difficulty > > > > > > Nick, > > > > The phototriac is intended to switch high voltage > AC currents > > from a low voltage DC source and to provide > dielectric > > isolation (7,500V insulation) between the DC and > AC sources. > > As per the pin out that you provided: Pin 3 is the > anode of > > the phototriac's internal LED. A DC current (+) of > 10mA to 25 > > mA should be applied to pin 3 to illuminate the > internal LED > > and to turn on the triac. Pin 4 is the cathode of > the > > phototriac's internal LED and is frequently > connected to the > > DC power supply's common (-). Pin 1 is typically > connected to > > the AC load. The other end of the AC load is > connected > > directly to the AC power source (excluding > fuses/circuit > > breakers). Pin 2 is connected to the AC common. A > true test > > of the triac's performance requires an AC power > source, an AC > > load and a low voltage DC power source. However, a > crude > > basic functional test may be performed using DC. > While not > > intended, nor conventional, the triac may be used > for certain > > DC applications, however, generally there are more > > appropriate DC devices. > > > > Vasile, > > > > A triac will turn off or interrupt DC current, if > the DC > > current is pulsed energy and decreases in > amplitude to near > > zero volts. As an example, a triac will > effectively control a > > half wave or full wave rectified DC signal. > However, an SCR > > would be a more appropriate control device. > > > > Good Luck! > > Sincerely, > > Ned Seith > > Nedtronics > > 59 3rd Street > > Gilroy, CA 95020 > > (408) 842-0858 > > > > > > > > > > At 09:22 AM 8/2/01 +0300, you wrote: > > >It seems you don't know how a thyristor or a > triac works. > > >If you supply A-K ( thyristor ) or A1-A2 ( triac > ) ( A = anode, K = > > >cathode ) in DC the AK or A1-A2 junction will > stay on after > > a gate or > > >opto command until the currrent through this > junction will > > go to zero ( > > >in fact must be less than sustain current) and > this will > > never hapened > > >in DC . Use a bulb for test and supply it in AC. > Will works. Cheers, > > >Vasile > > > > > > > > >On Thu, 2 Aug 2001, Nick Veys wrote: > > > > > > > Hi all, I'm using an Omron G3MB-202P solid > state relay, > > 5V flavor. > > > > It's a phototriac. It's not behaving how I > would expect though, > > > > hopefully someone can clear this up.. > > > > > > > > Pin definitions: > > > > > > > > 1 - load > > > > 2 - load > > > > 3 - (+) input > > > > 4 - (-) input > > > > > > > > Here's what I am seeing: > > > > > > > > Connections: to test this I just want to > light an LED... > > > > > > > > 5V to Anode of 5V LED > > > > pin 1 - cathode of LED > > > > pin 2 - ground > > > > pin 3 - ground > > > > pin 4 - ground > > > > > > > > This is how I start it up. > > > > > > > > Now when I apply power to this, of course > nothing happens as I > > > > expect. I then switch over the pin 3 to +5V, > the LED lights, as > > > > expected, I then switch the pin 3 back to > ground, the led > > stays lit. > > > > In fact, no arrangement of the input pins > (3,4) will make > > the damn > > > > LED shut off, I can't break the circuit once > it's made... > > Doesn't > > > > sound too useful of a relay! > > > > > > > > Hopefully I'm doing something obviously > wrong!! > > > > > > > > I've tried this with 3 different relays so I > doubt they are > > > > defective... > > > > > > > > Someone please smack me and tell me the simple > solution! :) > > > > > > > > Thanks all! > > > > > > > > -- Nick > > > > > > > > nick@veys.com | www.veys.com/nick > > > > > > > > -- > > > > http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is > archived > > three different > > > > ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives > for details. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >-- > > >http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is > archived three different > > >ways. 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