COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

SCORE

TRIAC

GROUP NO. 9 ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS AND DESIGN LAB Tuesday 7:00-10:00AM

NAME OF STUDENTS STUDENT No. SIGNATURE

Rada, Bernanette T. 201813491

Reyes, Rom Patrick 201811084

Rosal, Cherry Gin B. 201810348

Samalca, Kimberly Ann 201813630

Engr. ALAIN BERNARD RAÑOLA, PECE

Instructor
 EXPERIMENT IV

TRIAC

I. OBJECTIVE:

After completing and performing the laboratory experiment, you will able to:

• Define and discuss the important electrical parameters of triac.

• Discuss the equivalent circuit and bias conditions.
• Show how to test a TRIAC for conduction in both directions.
• Demonstrate how the TRIAC conducts in both directions, and how it can be
triggered with positive and negative.
• Explain the characteristic curve.

INTRODUCTION:

A TRIAC is like a diac with a gate terminal. It can conduct current in either direction
when it is triggered on, depending on the polarity of the voltage across the triac. A triac can be
tested with an ohmmeter similar to testing an SCR or PUT. The positive lead of the ohmmeter
is placed on T2 and the negative lead is placed on T1. The meter should read infinite resistance.
A clip lead is placed from the positive lead to gate, which should trigger on the TRIAC. The
meter should now continue to indicate low resistance if the lower source is sufficient to
produce the required holding current. The meter leads are reversed on the main terminals of
the TRIAC and a clip lead is placed from the negative lead to the gate to test for conduction in
the reverse direction. This is a go/no go test.
There are four modes of triggering a TRIAC.

1. Positive terminal voltage with positive trigger voltage.

2. Positive terminal voltage with negative trigger voltage.
3. Negative terminal voltage with positive trigger voltage.
4. Negative terminal voltage with negative trigger voltage.

II. MATERIALS NEEDED

1 15-V dual power supply

1 Standard or digital voltmeter
1 2N5754 TRIAC or equivalent (2N6073BG)
1 100- resistor at 0.5 W (RL)
1 1-k resistors at 0.5 W (RA and RB)
1 10-k resistor at 0.5 W (RG)
1 TPST switch (S1) (a single wire may be used)
1 DPST switch (S2)
1 Breadboard for constructing circuit

III. PROCEDURE:

PART I: TESTING A TRIAC WITH AN OHMETER

1. Set the ohmmeter to the low-range scale.

2. Connect the ohmmeter to the TRIAC as shown in figure 8.1a and record the meter reading in
table 8.1
3. Connect the clip lead as shown in figure 8.1b and record the reading.
4. Remove the clip lead as shown in figure 8.1c and record the reading.
5. Connect the ohmmeter to the TRAIC as shown in figure 8.1d and record the meter reading.
6. Connect the clip lead as shown in figure 8.1e and record the reading.
7. Remover the clip lead as shown in figure 8.1f and record the reading.

Figure 8.1 Testing a TRIAC with an ohmmeter: (a) Without clip lead; (b) with lead;

(c) again, without clip lead; (d) without clip lead;

(e) with clip lead; (f) again without clip lead

PART II: TRIGGERING MODES OF A TRIAC

1. Construct the circuit shown in figure 8.2.

2. Open and close S2 to make sure that the TRIAC is off.
3. Measure and record VG and VT2 in the first line of the data table 8.2.
4. Indicate on the same line of the data table if the TRIAC is on or off.
5. Move S1 to position B. Measure and record data on the second line as done in steps 3 and 4.
6. Move S1 to position A and again measure and record the data on the third line of the data
table.
7. Move S2 to position B and then back to position A. Measure and record on the fourth line
of the data table.
8. Move S1 to position C. Measure and record data on the fifth line of the data table.

Figure 8.2

Figure 8.
 9. Move S1 to position A. Measure and record the data on the sixth line of the data table.
10.Move S2 to position B and then back to position A. Measure and record the data on the
seventh line of the data table.
11.Reverse the power supply voltages as shown in figure 8.3 to test the TRIAC for
conduction in other direction.
12.Repeat the steps 1 through 10, but record the data in table 8.3.

DATA SHEET:

PART I: TESTING A TRIAC WITH AN OHMMETER

Table 8.1:

Firgure 8.1 Reading (H or L)

Circuit (a) H
Circuit (b) L
Circuit (c) H
Circuit (d) H
Circuit (e) L
Circuit (f) H
FILL-IN QUESTIONS:

1. A TRIAC will have high resistance in either direction before being triggered.
2. A TRIAC will have low resistance in either direction after being triggered.
3. A TRIAC is being tested with an ohmmeter. When the clip lead is removed, the meter
indicates high resistance. This does not prove that the TRIAC is defective, but that the power
source of the meter is not sufficient to produce the necessary gate voltage and current for
triggering through the device.
4. If the ohmmeter shows low resistance before the TRIAC is triggered, this indicates that
the TRIAC is off.
5. If the ohmmeter shows infinite resistance after the TRIAC is triggered, this indicates that
TRIAC is on.

PART II: TRIGGERING MODES OF A TRIAC

Table 8.2

S1 condition S2 condition VG VT2 Condition of TRIAC (on or off)

A A 0 15 Off
B A 4.59 0.6 On
A A 0 0.6 On
A A-B-A 0 15 Off
C A -4.59 0.6 On
A A 0 0.6 On
A A-B-A 0 0.6 On
Table 8.3

S1 condition S2 condition VG VT2 Condition of TRIAC (on or off)

A A 0 -15 Off
B A -4.59 -0.6 On
A A 0 -0.6 On
A A-B-A 0 -15 Off
C A 4.59 -0.6 On
A A 0 -0.6 On
A A-B-A 0 -0.6 On
FILL-IN QUESTIONS:

1. Before the TRIAC is triggered o, the voltage across its main terminal is equal to the
source voltage.
2. When the TRIAC is Triggered on, the voltage across its main terminals is about 15V.
3. Once the TRIAC is conducting, the gate loses control and the current starts to flow
through the TRIAC.
4. The TRIAC can be turned off by reducing the current through it below its holding
current.
5. The TRIAC can have positive or negative terminal voltage and be triggered on by
positive or negative voltage applied to the gate.
ANALYSIS

In the first part of the experiment, the resistance of the TRIAC was measured in both
polarities. Without the clip lead, the TRIAC was expected to give a reading with infinite or high
resistance and a low resistance with the clip lead on. Upon measurement for both polarities, the
TRIAC indeed gave a reading in GOhm without the clip lead on and a reading on base Ohm with
the clip lead on.
In the second part of the experiment, the TRIAC was able to conduct current in both
directions even after interchanging the polarity of the voltage across it. The only difference was
the measurement shown by the ohmmeter changed its sign. Switches were used in the circuits so
that the triggering modes of the TRIAC can be observed.
In table 8.2, first the TRIAC was off when the gate terminal was not connected to a
source and then was triggered after connecting the gate terminal and remained on even after
removal. The TRIAC turned off again when the terminal below was disconnected from the
ground. The TRIAC turned on again when the gate was connected to the negative of the source
only this time, the reading for the gate terminal voltage showed a negative reading. Lastly, in
table 8.3, the readings were expected to only change signs after interchanging the polarity for the
TRIAC can conduct in both ways. …………………………………………………………

QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS:

1. What is the difference between a triac and an SCR in terms of basic operation?
• RIACs vary from SCRs in that they allow both directions of current flow, while an SCR
can only conduct current in a single direction. By applying either a positive or negative
voltage to the gate, most TRIACs can be activated (an SCR requires a positive voltage).
They vary in the way they allow current to flow in both directions in terms of basic
operation, whereas an SCR can conduct current in a single direction, and triacs can be
triggered by applying a positive or negative voltage to the gate, while an SCR requires
only a positive voltage.
2. How does a triac differ from a diac?
• DIAC is a semiconductor bidirectional switch that can be turned on in both forward and
reverse directions. The system is part of the Thyristor family and is often used to activate
TRIAC and other circuits based on the Thyristor. If the applied voltage goes past its
break-over voltage, the DIAC begins to conduct electrical current. The DIAC break over
voltage appears to be much more symmetrical than the TRIAC causing voltage thresholds
(the same at one polarity as the other). The TRIAC is a semiconductor three-terminal
switching system that is used in a circuit to control current flow. It is one of the thyristor
family's most significant members; it is a bidirectional system that can transfer the
current in both forward and reverse direction, meaning that they can conduct positive and
negative in both the conditions of the gate signal.

3. Define VGT. What range of values does it have for a medium-sized traics?
• VGT is the voltage to be applied to enter the IGT current and then to activate the device
through the gate and cathode (or gate and electrode A1 for TRIAC). For most medium-
sized triacs, VGT = 0.6V - 2V.

4. Are traics inherently temperature stable? Explain.

• In the information, the VGT, IGT, and IL specifications are at 25 degrees C. At lower
temperatures, these parameters will increase, so the drive circuit must provide the lowest
predicted operating temperature with sufficient voltage and current amplitude and length.
A gate current must be applied to turn a thyristor (or triac) on before the load current is <
IL. At the lowest predicted operating temperature, this condition must be met. The load
current must be < IH for a sufficient amount of time to shut off (commutate) a thyristor
(or triac) to allow a return to the blocking state. At the maximum estimated operating
temperature, this condition must be met.