Step 6 : SSR-2009D Circuit Board Info


The ExpressPCB layout file is available – send an email request to: dave@clubdata.com and I’ll email it to you. The finished etched board from www.expresspcb.com includes component placement information on the top side making them very easy and quick to assemble. For added electrical isolation on the bottom solder side of the board, the center pins of the triacs are offset from the normal in-line plane; simply bend the center pins forward slightly to fit the holes. At 8-amp capacity, the triacs should run cool up to 1 amp without a heat sink, and can probably handle 2amps each without a heat sink if you live in Minnesota like I do. Also note that the board shows RJ45 pin numbers (which also represent the channel numbers) and the four extra connection points. The actual dimensions of the SSR-2009D board are 3.650” long by 1.850” wide, just slightly longer and a bit narrower than a typical business or credit card.

Step 7 : DANGER


Both the top and bottom sides of the board carry dangerous, live 110vac current on uncovered traces or wires whenever the SSR is plugged into 110vac electrical power. Therefore, the board should NEVER be handled when plugged in. Two mounting holes are provided for mounting the board so that fingers cannot touch the back side during operation, but the triac pins are still exposed and “hot” on the top side of the board. Therefore, the SSR should be mounted inside a suitable non-conductive waterproof box to prevent the risk of accidental shock. The completed SSR fits easily inside an inexpensive plastic outlet box (available at Home Depot) and the outlet box can be made waterproof by sealing all entry points with silicone sealant.

If you use RJ45 connectors to plug Cat-5 control wires into the boards in your layout, you should always unplug the 110vac before connecting or disconnecting the RJ45 connector from the SSR board. Be safe!

Step 8 : Expanding to 32 channels

With eight control lines, a single K8055 board can control two, 4-channel SSRs. The GND connection of the K8055 is the only screw-in terminal that’s used (yellow wire in right edge of the photo in step 2) and it must be connected to the GND of each respective SSR the K8055 will control. Because the K8055 board’s USB address can be set to 0-3 by changing jumpers on the K8055 itself, up to four boards can be connected to the same computer for a total of 32 digital channels.

The K8055 board also has two 0-5vdc analog outputs that could be used for other controls but I haven’t figured out whether Vixen software can initialize them -- it works fine with the K8055 board otherwise using the proper K8055 plugin. It also has five digital and two analog inputs, but they’re unused in this application.

Admittedly, this isn't the most exotic of electronic solutions, but it's an easy way to get into controlling lights with a minimum of equipment, it's easy to do, uses stock electronic parts and might be just the right solution for anyone with the most basic soldering skills. It also makes use of a nice digital I/O board for a seasonal application, after which the board can be easily returned to its normal I/O mode.

Step 9 : Making the K8055 compatible with 595/Grinch boards

Elsewhere in these "how tos" is one by Gene Bass entitled "Control using a ULN2803A." To make the K8055 compatible with normal SSRs for Olsen 595 and Grinch boards, you will need to make one of Gene's ULN2803A adapters. The adapters will reverse the polarity of the signal from a positive to a negative pulse. Simply connect the eight wires that you soldered to the K8055 registers to pins 2-9 of Gene's ULN2803A board, and the ground to the ground pin (pin 9 of the ULN2803A chip). Then use ouputs A-H for the negative pulse to the SSRs, and connect +5vdc power to pin 10 of the ULN2803A. Review Gene's How-To for complete information and circuit board layouts.