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Home | Product Categories | Kits | KIT-10684

Solid State Relay Kit

sku: KIT-10684 RoHS Compliant

Description: A solid state relay (SSR) is just what it sounds like; an IC that acts like a mechanical relay. They allow you to control high-voltage AC loads from lower voltage DC control circuitry. Solid state relays, however, have several advantages over mechanical relays. One such advantage is that they can be switched by a much lower voltage and at a much lower current than most mechanical relays. Also, because there's no moving contacts, solid state relays can be switched much faster and for much longer periods without wearing out.

This kit has everything you need to make use of an SSR in your next high-voltage project. After soldering together the through-hole kit, simply attach your AC load and switch it on and off using your microcontroller. This is a great kit for through hole soldering practice and is really handy for controlling lights, water pumps, fans or any other intermittent high-voltage device.

Note: These work with AC loads only. Great care, safety, and knowledge should be used with high current and voltage.

Dimensions: 28.5 x 33.3 mm

Features:

  • Max Signal Current: 50mA
  • Min Signal Current: 16mA
  • Control Voltage: 5V
  • Absolute Maximum Load: 125VAC @ 8A

Documents:

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Comments 26 comments

  • rsp | about 7 months ago * 4

    There are several problems with this design, some of which are significant because they are safety related.
    The PCB layout does not provide adequate creepage distances for the high voltages that one would expect this device to be used with. So if there’s a spike in your AC power line, it could arc over and find it’s way into your low voltage circuitry with disastrous results. And be really careful about the mounting hardware used on the AC power side of the PCB (especially the mounting hole near pin 1 of the SSR).
    Unless you add a heat sink, the SSR is only rated at to handle about 2.5A at room temperature.
    A SSR can be more difficult to work with than a conventional relay. When driving loads such as solenoids or motors a snubber circuit may be necessary in order to make the SSR work properly.
    And what’s with the complicated transistor control circuit? The SSR control input is rated at 16 mA, so just drive it directly (through an appropriate current limit resistor) from a microcontroller output pin. That way a 5V or 3.3V microcontroller could be used.

    • qandabe | about 7 months ago 1

      I agree completely here. What is with no heatsink on the SSR? This is super dangerous. Something like 10% of SSRs fail in the on state, and these are designed to fail at the “rated” current (8A).

    • mdot | about 7 months ago 1

      This comment needs to have a large font and something flashing around it.
      Notwithstanding all of the usual dangers of AC mains voltages, at the very minimum, do not connect this to whatever you’re using to control it directly. Always, always, always, use an opto-isolator to protect your DC circuitry from a mains voltage. Did I mention to always use an opto-isolator?
      I was actually interested in giving this thing a try, but the relay has a zero crossing detector circuit, so no dimming.

    • Member #208599 | about 7 months ago 1

      I’m really interested in using a SSR for controlling some appliances in the kitchen. If this one has some issue, could you (or someone else) recommend a safer design/how-to for me to follow? I don’t want to burn my kitchen down. :)

      • aMeyer | about 7 months ago 2

        Try this guy: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9842 – Super clean and simple.

      • RobertC. | about 7 months ago 1

        This would most likely not work well for a kitchen appliance, as they can easily draw more than 8 amps.

        • emihackr97 | about 3 months ago 1

          hi, i want to switch ON/OFF an audio amp, with a transformer, can I use this chip? I don’t know if this can handle inductive loads or if a transformer is considered an inductive load.

          • RobertC. | about 3 months ago 1

            i THINK it should work, but I’m not 100% sure. if it’s just a linear supply (transformer), it should work.

      • qandabe | about 7 months ago 1

        We have a kit to control kitchen appliances based on temperature (but could be used with any voltage/resistance sensor). It’s Arduino-compatible and completely open source: http://lowereastkitchen.com.

  • Lee | about 7 months ago 1

    Here are the gerbers, if you’re curious. The thermals on the load pins might not be needed — just as simple as un-checking the box on the polygon in Eagle to remove them.
    http://circuitpeople.com/ViewPackage.aspx?id=0feb0413-7886-435d-980a-31058c2ce25f

    • 48X24X48X | about 7 months ago 1

      If the thermal stays, I would opt to route thick fat tracks (bottom & top) together with the pour. I think, the board is relying on the thermal connection at the moment.

      • Chris | about 7 months ago 1

        I was curious if the skinny traces connecting the pads to the thicker trace would do 8 amps? I’m to tired to calculate it right now.

  • Member #164106 | about 7 months ago 1

    We’re wanting to use this for an application that is all logic, we have a 5V logic that needs to go into a 24V logic so we were thinking this would do the trick.
    Any idea on reaction times for this?

  • Minerva | about 7 months ago 1

    It should also be made more clear in the description of this product that a triac-based SSR does not work with a DC load, it will only work with an AC load.

  • vgrimard | about 7 months ago 1

    This is going to sound like a stupid comment but I’m just learning this stuff. Where are the instructions? I think I figured most of it out from the picture but my LED won’t light up so I’m wondering if I have it backwards and minor stuff like that. Can anyone help me out? I’m also wondering some other things.

    • ThinkerT | about 7 months ago 1

      You’re probably right. Having the LED backwards would cause it not to work. The rest of the relay should work regardless of the LED, though, judging by the the schematic. Other questions?
      Protip: The schematic is really useful in assembling the board. It doesn’t look like the board, but it shows polarities and connections.

  • vgrimard | about 7 months ago 1

    Thanks for the reply. I don’t really understand the schematics but I’ll give it a shot. I’m looking at JP2 and I’m guessing this is where I put my 5V source? Does the fact that I don’t have a CTL matter? I’m guessing that would be my trigger to turn the relay on? Actually, could you walk me through the schematic? I have questions pretty much all the way through, for example, what is the purpose of all the resistors? I understand the 330 but not the 10k or 150.

    • ThinkerT | about 7 months ago 1

      Do you want to email me instead? I think it’d be easier that way. I’m j (dot) thatcher (dot) c (at) gmail (dot) com.
      JP2 is where 5V will go. CTL is control, I’m assuming. Putting a high signal on there will turn it on.

  • ghjeng | about 3 months ago 1

    What would be extremely cool is a DPDT version…just saying :)

  • Member #226770 | last month 1

    A demo using mbed is available at http://mbed.org/users/4180_1/notebook/ssr-breakout-boards/