Report #10

Digital Signal Driver

OBJECTIVE
 Understanding the generation of digital signals.
 Triggering TRIAC with a digital signal.

DISCUSSION:
Fig: 22-1 shows the circuit in this experiment. It consists of 555 astable multivibrator, photo-
coupler and TRIAC. A brief description for this circuit is made as follows.

The IC timer, NE555, is wired as an astable multivibrator to generate digital signals. When the
power is applied, the capacitor voltage at pin 2 is less than 1/3 Vcc and the output terminal (pin
3) is high. The capacitor (C2 or C3) charges through R1, R2 and VR1 from Vcc. When the
capacitor voltage reaches 2/3 Vcc, the discharging transistor conducts and the output level goes
low. The capacitor discharges through VR1, R2 and pin7 down to less than 1/3 Vcc. The
comparator in IC activates to force the output to go high level. The complete cycle repeats so
that a continuous digital pulse train appears at the output terminal. The charging period is
calculated by T1=0.7*(R1+R2+VR1)*C2 and the discharging period is
T2=0.7*(R2+VR1)*C2.Hence the period of oscillation T is equal to (T1+T2).

The digital pulse from 555 output is coupled by the photo-coupler through the driver Q1. When
a low level is applied to the base of Q1, Q1 cuts off and the LED is off. The phototransistor is off
and Q2 is off. The collector voltage of Q2 is high level to drive Q3 to conduct. The conducting
current triggers the TRIAC on. If a high level drives the base.Q1 conducts and LED on so that
phototransistor conducts. The conducting current drives Q2 to conduct. The emitter follower
Q3 is off since the collector to emitter voltages of Q2 is low. Thus there are no current to trigger
the TRIAC.

The TRIAC in this circuit operates in ac power source. If it is triggered to conduct, the
conducting TRIAC will turn off at the end of each half cycle of ac voltage.

Conclusion :

There are two objectives of this experiment. First is to understand the generation of digital
signals and the other one is to trigger TRIAC with a digital signal. When we applied 12V DC
voltage the capacitor C2 and C3 starts charging though resistors and VR1.when the
capacitor voltage reaches 2/3 Vcc, the discharging transistor conducts and the output level
goes low. The capacitor discharges through VR1, R2 and pin7 down to less than 1/3 Vcc. The
comparator in IC activates to force the output to go high level and a continuous digital pulse
train appears at the output terminal.
The digital pulse from 555 output is coupled by the photo-coupler through the driver Q1. At
the point when a low level is applied to the base of Q1, Q1 cuts off and the LED is off. The
phototransistor is off and Q2 is off. The collector voltage of Q2 is high level to drive Q3 to
conduct. The conducting current triggers the TRIAC on and lamp will glow.