Teardown of an Old Dimmer Switch
The 40+ year-old dimmer (made by Nortron Industries Limited in Milton, Ontario) in my attic broke down. Electronically, the dimming circuit still worked, but mechanically, the push button got stuck.
This is what's inside, for the curious.
The active component in the circuit is Q2006LT, a "quadrac" which, according to the datasheet, "is an internally triggered Triac designed for AC switching and phase control applications. It is a Triac and DIAC in a single package, which saves user expense by eliminating the need for separate Triac and DIAC components".
The "reversed-engineered" schematic looks like this:
For those who want to understand more on how the triac-controlled dimmer works, this article provides an in-depth explanation.
The 250V capacitors may be reused in a Nixie high-voltage (~170V) power source. For a hoarder, both the choke and the potentiometer (push button removed) look good.
I will report back on the internals of the replacement switch in 40 years or so, when it breaks down. I hope I/it last(s) that long.
This is what's inside, for the curious.
The active component in the circuit is Q2006LT, a "quadrac" which, according to the datasheet, "is an internally triggered Triac designed for AC switching and phase control applications. It is a Triac and DIAC in a single package, which saves user expense by eliminating the need for separate Triac and DIAC components".
The "reversed-engineered" schematic looks like this:
For those who want to understand more on how the triac-controlled dimmer works, this article provides an in-depth explanation.
The 250V capacitors may be reused in a Nixie high-voltage (~170V) power source. For a hoarder, both the choke and the potentiometer (push button removed) look good.
I will report back on the internals of the replacement switch in 40 years or so, when it breaks down. I hope I/it last(s) that long.
[original story: Wise time with Arduino]