Slow fade-in circuit...

[amdx]

On 9/25/2020 1:49 AM, rhor...@gmail.com wrote:

On Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 7:24:18 AM UTC-5, amdx wrote:
These show some promise, the size seems good, it has the 0 to 10 volt
control. I have now idea what the impedance of

the 0 to 10 volt control is, so not sure how easy it would be to control
with an RC. Price is right.

Not sure how it reacts to applying AC with the control held at zero.

Might need a big resistor or see if these can be modified for 12V operation

https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/25-36-volt-hardwire-constant-current-led-drivers/
12v-36v unit
https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/209386/HAT-10032.html
Here\'s a 12V unit, but it\'s a little longer, 4.25\" x 1.5\".

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/100980/LEDF-ACA12V12H10M.html
Mikek


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No, those are all LED drivers. There are a number of inexpensive fade-up solutions for low voltage DC LED strips. I need a solution for 120VAC bulbs.

You said,
\"I want a simple circuit compatible with 110 volt dimmable LED lights\"
\"but none for 110VAC dimmable LED lights.\"

Now your discussing 120VAC bulbs. What type lights are you driving.
Mikek

 

[Ricketty C]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 3:22:38 AM UTC-4, rhor...@gmail.com wrote:

On Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 10:35:28 AM UTC-5, Ricketty C wrote:

A 120 VAC circuit does not require any special clearances. That would be for isolating high voltage and low voltage circuits. This entire design can be treated as a high voltage circuit.

Correct. A dimmer capable of handling up to 1000 watts can easily fit in a case smaller than a brownie.

It has to go in the housing of the fan so it isn\'t stuck someplace even more crowded like the wall switch box.

Well, in this case, it is more a matter of needing to go inline between the switch lead and the light lead, both of which are in the bell housing.

That said, if a commercial product would do the job, but not fit in a match box (as if that were remotely likely) it would be very reasonable to add a box next to the fan mounting box which could then house a commercial circuit more easily.


That\'s possible, but not bery convenient. It\'s not the main issue, however.


But it does seem reasonable to simply add a wall dimmer switch in place of the toggle switch.


Not when there is no toggle switch. The fan and light are entirely controlled wirelessly by the module in the bell housing. There is no switch box, at all.


But maybe the lights are being brought up automatically by the \"theater\" system rather than manually switched on.


Actually, they are being brought up by a Google Home Mini.


The automatic effect would be nice though.


Manual fading would not be practical, really.

If you have a remotely controlled switch actuated by a smart device, why can\'t you just replace the smart switch with a smart dimmer and have the smart controller manage the dimming? Are you saying you can\'t find those at all? Is the switch an integral part of the fan?

--

Rick C.

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[Ricketty C]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 12:14:48 PM UTC-4, Ricketty C wrote:

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 3:22:38 AM UTC-4, rhor...@gmail.com wrote:
On Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 10:35:28 AM UTC-5, Ricketty C wrote:

A 120 VAC circuit does not require any special clearances. That would be for isolating high voltage and low voltage circuits. This entire design can be treated as a high voltage circuit.

Correct. A dimmer capable of handling up to 1000 watts can easily fit in a case smaller than a brownie.

It has to go in the housing of the fan so it isn\'t stuck someplace even more crowded like the wall switch box.

Well, in this case, it is more a matter of needing to go inline between the switch lead and the light lead, both of which are in the bell housing..

That said, if a commercial product would do the job, but not fit in a match box (as if that were remotely likely) it would be very reasonable to add a box next to the fan mounting box which could then house a commercial circuit more easily.


That\'s possible, but not bery convenient. It\'s not the main issue, however.


But it does seem reasonable to simply add a wall dimmer switch in place of the toggle switch.


Not when there is no toggle switch. The fan and light are entirely controlled wirelessly by the module in the bell housing. There is no switch box, at all.


But maybe the lights are being brought up automatically by the \"theater\" system rather than manually switched on.


Actually, they are being brought up by a Google Home Mini.


The automatic effect would be nice though.


Manual fading would not be practical, really.

If you have a remotely controlled switch actuated by a smart device, why can\'t you just replace the smart switch with a smart dimmer and have the smart controller manage the dimming? Are you saying you can\'t find those at all? Is the switch an integral part of the fan?

Here is one rated for 400 watts LED/CFL/Incandescent, 2x2x4 inches. \"Works With Alexa, Google, INSTEON\"

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Insteon-In-LineLinc-400-Watt-Remote-Control-In-Line-Dimmer-Switch-Dual-Band-White-2475DA1/204380654

Here is a larger one at 300 watts, 4x4x2 inches. \"Works With Alexa, Google, INSTEON\"

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Insteon-300-Watt-DIN-Rail-Dimmer-White-2452-222/204380623

If these are too large for your fan housing you can simply install another box next to the one for the fan.

--

Rick C.

--- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
--- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[John Larkin]

On Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:08:07 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"
<rhorerles@gmail.com> wrote:

>I need a simple circuit design for a slow fade-in AC dimmer. In a dark theater, suddenly turning on the lights is a somewhat unpleasant experience. I want a simple circuit compatible with 110 volt dimmable LED lights that will slowly ramp the light output over a period of about 5 seconds or so. I have found a number of simple designs that would work for 12VDC LEDs, but none for 110VAC dimmable LED lights.

Given that this is an electronic design forum, we should design
something. I could start. Maybe some others can suggest circuits.

How much power are the LED lights, in total?

A triac dimmer typically won\'t see a low enough impedance when dimming
some LEDs. I have one string of LED spots, with one incandescent left
to make the dimmer work.

 

[Ricketty C]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 1:36:55 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:

On Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:08:07 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"
rhorerles@gmail.com> wrote:

I need a simple circuit design for a slow fade-in AC dimmer. In a dark theater, suddenly turning on the lights is a somewhat unpleasant experience.. I want a simple circuit compatible with 110 volt dimmable LED lights that will slowly ramp the light output over a period of about 5 seconds or so. I have found a number of simple designs that would work for 12VDC LEDs, but none for 110VAC dimmable LED lights.

Given that this is an electronic design forum, we should design
something. I could start. Maybe some others can suggest circuits.

How much power are the LED lights, in total?

A triac dimmer typically won\'t see a low enough impedance when dimming
some LEDs. I have one string of LED spots, with one incandescent left
to make the dimmer work.

I would design using modules. I already posted a link to two. Done and dusted!

Since when is Larkin actually concerned about discussing electronic design other than when he intends to use it as a put down for someone? That is a truly nasty individual.

It\'s no wonder that Larkin is not respected by many here. On a personal level he is the sort of person the world would be better off without. But he has a highly specialized skill in a corner of electronics design that still has some minimal demand, so the world pays him to do that.

--

Rick C.

--+ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
--+ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[John S]

On 9/25/2020 1:44 PM, Ricketty C wrote:

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 1:36:55 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:
On Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:08:07 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"
rhorerles@gmail.com> wrote:

I need a simple circuit design for a slow fade-in AC dimmer. In a dark theater, suddenly turning on the lights is a somewhat unpleasant experience. I want a simple circuit compatible with 110 volt dimmable LED lights that will slowly ramp the light output over a period of about 5 seconds or so. I have found a number of simple designs that would work for 12VDC LEDs, but none for 110VAC dimmable LED lights.

Given that this is an electronic design forum, we should design
something. I could start. Maybe some others can suggest circuits.

How much power are the LED lights, in total?

A triac dimmer typically won\'t see a low enough impedance when dimming
some LEDs. I have one string of LED spots, with one incandescent left
to make the dimmer work.

I would design using modules. I already posted a link to two. Done and dusted!

Since when is Larkin actually concerned about discussing electronic design other than when he intends to use it as a put down for someone? That is a truly nasty individual.

It\'s no wonder that Larkin is not respected by many here. On a personal level he is the sort of person the world would be better off without. But he has a highly specialized skill in a corner of electronics design that still has some minimal demand, so the world pays him to do that.

How many is many? Have you taken a census?

 

[John S]

On 9/25/2020 1:44 PM, Ricketty C wrote:

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 1:36:55 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:
On Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:08:07 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"
rhorerles@gmail.com> wrote:

I need a simple circuit design for a slow fade-in AC dimmer. In a dark theater, suddenly turning on the lights is a somewhat unpleasant experience. I want a simple circuit compatible with 110 volt dimmable LED lights that will slowly ramp the light output over a period of about 5 seconds or so. I have found a number of simple designs that would work for 12VDC LEDs, but none for 110VAC dimmable LED lights.

Given that this is an electronic design forum, we should design
something. I could start. Maybe some others can suggest circuits.

How much power are the LED lights, in total?

A triac dimmer typically won\'t see a low enough impedance when dimming
some LEDs. I have one string of LED spots, with one incandescent left
to make the dimmer work.

I would design using modules. I already posted a link to two. Done and dusted!

Since when is Larkin actually concerned about discussing electronic design other than when he intends to use it as a put down for someone? That is a truly nasty individual.

It\'s no wonder that Larkin is not respected by many here. On a personal level he is the sort of person the world would be better off without. But he has a highly specialized skill in a corner of electronics design that still has some minimal demand, so the world pays him to do that.

You are a good contributor to the group, Ricketty, except when you\'re
not. There are not that many people here that dislike Larkin. He, too,
is a good contributor. He does not post the kind of diatribe as you have
done. You do much better at describing projects than you do at this kind
of attack. Please take my post as constructive criticism.

 

[rhor...@gmail.com]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 3:42:21 AM UTC-5, piglet wrote:

On 23/09/2020 5:08 am, rhor...@gmail.com wrote:
I need a simple circuit design for a slow fade-in AC dimmer. In a dark theater, suddenly turning on the lights is a somewhat unpleasant experience.. I want a simple circuit compatible with 110 volt dimmable LED lights that will slowly ramp the light output over a period of about 5 seconds or so. I have found a number of simple designs that would work for 12VDC LEDs, but none for 110VAC dimmable LED lights.

If a conventional triac based domestic dimmer will drive your lights
then you could try adapting it a bit like this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8ll9n5wjnzl21wh/dimmer_fade_up.pdf?dl=0

I thought of something like this, but the power dissipation seemed high. Thinking about it a bit more, maybe not so much.

It works like this: The diac/triac firing phase angle is
determined by the time it takes for the voltage across CT to reach the
diac trigger voltage, typically 20-30V. By robbing RT current from
charging CT the add-on circuit can extend the firing delay without
having to change RT. Finally because the voltage across CT is limited to
30V or so then the add-on parts can all be jelly bean low power devices.

You\'re right about that. I wasn\'t thinking straight. The highest power dissipation is across RT, and that will only be for the few seconds when the light is at minimum power. If performance using a leading edge dimmer is good enough, this may be a viable solution.

> In more detail: D1-D4 can be 1N4148/914 etc.

I would just use an SMD Full Wave Bridge. I have lots of them.

> Q1-Q4 can be 2N3904/BC847

I can get FMMT38C darlington transistors for under $0.10 to take care of Q3-Q4. That\'s actually a tiny bit less expensive than 3904s, but more importantly it is a single SOT23 package.

> Be interested to know if it actually works!

Let me take a look...

 

[Phil Hobbs]

On 2020-09-25 16:47, John S wrote:

On 9/25/2020 1:44 PM, Ricketty C wrote:
On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 1:36:55 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:
On Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:08:07 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"
rhorerles@gmail.com> wrote:

I need a simple circuit design for a slow fade-in AC dimmer.  In a
dark theater, suddenly turning on the lights is a somewhat
unpleasant experience.  I want a simple circuit compatible with 110
volt dimmable LED lights that will slowly ramp the light output over
a period of about 5 seconds or so.  I have found a number of simple
designs that would work for 12VDC LEDs, but none for 110VAC dimmable
LED lights.

Given that this is an electronic design forum, we should design
something. I could start. Maybe some others can suggest circuits.

How much power are the LED lights, in total?

A triac dimmer typically won\'t see a low enough impedance when dimming
some LEDs. I have one string of LED spots, with one incandescent left
to make the dimmer work.

I would design using modules.  I already posted a link to two.  Done
and dusted!

Since when is Larkin actually concerned about discussing electronic
design other than when he intends to use it as a put down for
someone?  That is a truly nasty individual.

It\'s no wonder that Larkin is not respected by many here.  On a
personal level he is the sort of person the world would be better off
without.  But he has a highly specialized skill in a corner of
electronics design that still has some minimal demand, so the world
pays him to do that.


How many is many? Have you taken a census?

\"Not many\" translates as \"None of the cool kids _I_ hang out with\", as
used in middle school playgrounds the world over.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

 

[rhor...@gmail.com]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 11:14:48 AM UTC-5, Ricketty C wrote:

> If you have a remotely controlled switch actuated by a smart device, why can\'t you just replace the smart switch with a smart dimmer and have the smart controller manage the dimming? Are you saying you can\'t find those at all? Is the switch an integral part of the fan?

The fan controller handles three speeds for the fan and on / off for the light. If I remove the fan controller, then I no longer can control the fan..

 

[rhor...@gmail.com]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 12:36:55 PM UTC-5, John Larkin wrote:

On Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:08:07 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"

Given that this is an electronic design forum, we should design
something. I could start. Maybe some others can suggest circuits.

How much power are the LED lights, in total?

Four lights x 5 watts = 20 watts per fan

A triac dimmer typically won\'t see a low enough impedance when dimming
some LEDs. I have one string of LED spots, with one incandescent left
to make the dimmer work.

That wouldn\'t be horrible.

 

[rhor...@gmail.com]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 11:30:51 AM UTC-5, Ricketty C wrote:

If you have a remotely controlled switch actuated by a smart device, why can\'t you just replace the smart switch with a smart dimmer and have the smart controller manage the dimming? Are you saying you can\'t find those at all? Is the switch an integral part of the fan?
Here is one rated for 400 watts LED/CFL/Incandescent, 2x2x4 inches. \"Works With Alexa, Google, INSTEON\"

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Insteon-In-LineLinc-400-Watt-Remote-Control-In-Line-Dimmer-Switch-Dual-Band-White-2475DA1/204380654

Here is a larger one at 300 watts, 4x4x2 inches. \"Works With Alexa, Google, INSTEON\"

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Insteon-300-Watt-DIN-Rail-Dimmer-White-2452-222/204380623

If these are too large for your fan housing you can simply install another box next to the one for the fan.

Those ae very expensive, but there are less expensive ones. Of course, it means splitting the mains feed and bypassing the existing light controller.. That is doable, of course, but it is a bit of a waste and not a very good fit. I don\'t want to sit there and give a dozen instructions to get a slow fade-up. Those are Insteon controllers, by the way, not IFFT. I would have to buy an Insteon hub, and then it would require a different controller.

 

[John Larkin]

On Fri, 25 Sep 2020 14:37:11 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"
<rhorerles@gmail.com> wrote:

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 12:36:55 PM UTC-5, John Larkin wrote:
On Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:08:07 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"

Given that this is an electronic design forum, we should design
something. I could start. Maybe some others can suggest circuits.

How much power are the LED lights, in total?

Four lights x 5 watts = 20 watts per fan

Do you feel like building a circuit? It could be done with 5 discrete
parts, or possibly 3.

A triac dimmer typically won\'t see a low enough impedance when dimming
some LEDs. I have one string of LED spots, with one incandescent left
to make the dimmer work.

That wouldn\'t be horrible.

 

[John Larkin]

On Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:10:13 -0400, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

On 2020-09-25 16:47, John S wrote:
On 9/25/2020 1:44 PM, Ricketty C wrote:
On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 1:36:55 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:
On Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:08:07 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"
rhorerles@gmail.com> wrote:

I need a simple circuit design for a slow fade-in AC dimmer.  In a
dark theater, suddenly turning on the lights is a somewhat
unpleasant experience.  I want a simple circuit compatible with 110
volt dimmable LED lights that will slowly ramp the light output over
a period of about 5 seconds or so.  I have found a number of simple
designs that would work for 12VDC LEDs, but none for 110VAC dimmable
LED lights.

Given that this is an electronic design forum, we should design
something. I could start. Maybe some others can suggest circuits.

How much power are the LED lights, in total?

A triac dimmer typically won\'t see a low enough impedance when dimming
some LEDs. I have one string of LED spots, with one incandescent left
to make the dimmer work.

I would design using modules.  I already posted a link to two.  Done
and dusted!

Since when is Larkin actually concerned about discussing electronic
design other than when he intends to use it as a put down for
someone?  That is a truly nasty individual.

It\'s no wonder that Larkin is not respected by many here.  On a
personal level he is the sort of person the world would be better off
without.  But he has a highly specialized skill in a corner of
electronics design that still has some minimal demand, so the world
pays him to do that.


How many is many? Have you taken a census?

\"Not many\" translates as \"None of the cool kids _I_ hang out with\", as
used in middle school playgrounds the world over.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

It\'s really easy to make some people angry and preachy. Just ask them
to design something.

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2020-09-25, rhor...@gmail.com <rhorerles@gmail.com> wrote:

On Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 9:53:12 AM UTC-5, Bill Sloman wrote:

It\'s rather unrealistic ambition. He wants to control ten watts or more at 110V AC - about 100mA - and wants the whole thing in a package smaller than a matchbox, and simple with it. You can get quite a lot of surface mount components into that sort of volume, but it would need some reactive components, and ones that can cope with that kind of power tend to be a bit on the bulky side.

--
Bill Sloman, Sydney
So I suppose I am dreaming when I look at this dimmer sitting in my hand that is smaller than a pack of cards and can handle 600 watts? Or the one below which handles 1000 watts AND includes WiFi?
https://www.amazon.com/DS-Wang-Module-90-250V-Automation-Intelligent/dp/B08HV6WXR6/ref=sr_1_45?crid=JOTC5FGUZFGB&dchild=1&keywords=wifi+fan+dimmer&qid=1601014148&sprefix=wifi+fan+dimmer%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-45

no. but terminals, strain-releif, and insulation will take up most of the matchbox
size leaving very little room for any active parts. those things scale
with wire-size and voltage, you have not indicated a willingness to
negotiate on those parameters.

--
Jasen.

 

[Ricketty C]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 4:58:36 PM UTC-4, John S wrote:

On 9/25/2020 1:44 PM, Ricketty C wrote:
On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 1:36:55 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:
On Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:08:07 -0700 (PDT), \"rhor...@gmail.com\"
rhorerles@gmail.com> wrote:

I need a simple circuit design for a slow fade-in AC dimmer. In a dark theater, suddenly turning on the lights is a somewhat unpleasant experience. I want a simple circuit compatible with 110 volt dimmable LED lights that will slowly ramp the light output over a period of about 5 seconds or so. I have found a number of simple designs that would work for 12VDC LEDs, but none for 110VAC dimmable LED lights.

Given that this is an electronic design forum, we should design
something. I could start. Maybe some others can suggest circuits.

How much power are the LED lights, in total?

A triac dimmer typically won\'t see a low enough impedance when dimming
some LEDs. I have one string of LED spots, with one incandescent left
to make the dimmer work.

I would design using modules. I already posted a link to two. Done and dusted!

Since when is Larkin actually concerned about discussing electronic design other than when he intends to use it as a put down for someone? That is a truly nasty individual.

It\'s no wonder that Larkin is not respected by many here. On a personal level he is the sort of person the world would be better off without. But he has a highly specialized skill in a corner of electronics design that still has some minimal demand, so the world pays him to do that.


You are a good contributor to the group, Ricketty, except when you\'re
not. There are not that many people here that dislike Larkin. He, too,
is a good contributor. He does not post the kind of diatribe as you have
done. You do much better at describing projects than you do at this kind
of attack. Please take my post as constructive criticism.

Fine, but it\'s not accurate. There have been any number of posts by Larkin responding to nothing in particular by others where he talks about his disfavored few being \"nasty\" and other choice terms. That was why I used the term.

It is rather un-evenhanded to call my two, short paragraphs as a \"diatribe\" but ignore the many ugly posts by Larkin.

That\'s on you.

--

Rick C.

-+- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
-+- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Ricketty C]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 5:12:05 PM UTC-4, rhor...@gmail.com wrote:

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 11:14:48 AM UTC-5, Ricketty C wrote:

If you have a remotely controlled switch actuated by a smart device, why can\'t you just replace the smart switch with a smart dimmer and have the smart controller manage the dimming? Are you saying you can\'t find those at all? Is the switch an integral part of the fan?

The fan controller handles three speeds for the fan and on / off for the light. If I remove the fan controller, then I no longer can control the fan.

So don\'t remove it, just replace the light part.

Or find a remote that is intended for the fan and also dims the light. Silly of the original maker not to.

I installed a fan for a restaurant once. It was fairly high end, Hunter I think. It had a mode where it ran the speed up and down, dimmed the lights up and down and played music!

It is hard to imagine they aren\'t out there. Everything else is.

--

Rick C.

-++ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
-++ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Ricketty C]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 5:51:38 PM UTC-4, rhor...@gmail.com wrote:

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 11:30:51 AM UTC-5, Ricketty C wrote:
If you have a remotely controlled switch actuated by a smart device, why can\'t you just replace the smart switch with a smart dimmer and have the smart controller manage the dimming? Are you saying you can\'t find those at all? Is the switch an integral part of the fan?
Here is one rated for 400 watts LED/CFL/Incandescent, 2x2x4 inches. \"Works With Alexa, Google, INSTEON\"

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Insteon-In-LineLinc-400-Watt-Remote-Control-In-Line-Dimmer-Switch-Dual-Band-White-2475DA1/204380654

Here is a larger one at 300 watts, 4x4x2 inches. \"Works With Alexa, Google, INSTEON\"

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Insteon-300-Watt-DIN-Rail-Dimmer-White-2452-222/204380623

If these are too large for your fan housing you can simply install another box next to the one for the fan.

Those ae very expensive, but there are less expensive ones. Of course, it means splitting the mains feed and bypassing the existing light controller. That is doable, of course, but it is a bit of a waste and not a very good fit. I don\'t want to sit there and give a dozen instructions to get a slow fade-up. Those are Insteon controllers, by the way, not IFFT. I would have to buy an Insteon hub, and then it would require a different controller.

I don\'t follow your thinking. The waste has already happened, you bought a product that no longer suits your needs. Adding a follow on dimmer is no less a waste than replacing the light control with one that is effective in your new task.

I don\'t know what you are talking about \"dozen instructions\". If you don\'t understand how this stuff works then maybe it is a bit much. A dimmer should be able to bring up the lights slowly without multiple inputs from a person.

I don\'t know what IFFT is. Some acronym you like or a brand name??? They may have the Insteon name on them, but the point is they can do the job. I spent 2 minutes looking. If you spend a few more minutes I\'m sure you can find something that won\'t invalidate your homeowner\'s fire insurance like a home brew project would.

--

Rick C.

+-- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
+-- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[rhor...@gmail.com]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 4:56:32 PM UTC-5, John Larkin wrote:

Do you feel like building a circuit? It could be done with 5 discrete
parts, or possibly 3.

Yes, of course! I am having a little trouble imagining only 5 components, let alone 3, but I am game to look at anything.

I did find a nice, small buck converter module that is only 7mm x 4.5mm with up to 450V input and 300ma output. It only requires 13 external components, all of which can be 1206 SMDs except for a small inductor. This makes a trailing edge MOSFET based dimmer using a 555 practical. It\'s $2.24, but I can handle that.

 

[George Herold]

On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 2:39:51 AM UTC-4, rhor...@gmail.com wrote:

On Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 8:44:08 AM UTC-5, George Herold wrote:
Maybe hack one of the commercial triac AC dimmers? I get a ton
of hits for DIY triac dimmer. (lots with Arduino input.)
I didn\'t look at the details.

George H.
All of them I have seen with Arduino / Raspberry Pi inputs are PWM. That means something like a 555, which in turn means a low voltage DC supply. \'Possible, but a bit tricky given the space constraints.

Hmm, yeah my mind first assumes some DC supply.
Maybe ~120V DC supply and resistor divider... and then
something like a 555... integrator then comparator/ reset.

George H.