Triac Lamp Dimmer Circuit.

The circuit for a triac controlled by an R-C phase-shift network and a diac is given in figure. This circuit is an example of a simple lamp dimmer. The triac conduction angle is adjusted by adjusting the potentiometer R. The longer the triac conducts, the brighter the lamp will be. The diac acts like an open-circuit until the voltage across the capacitor exceeds its breakover or switching voltage (and the triacs required gate trigger voltage).