L0103DE

Thyristors - TRIACs: L0103DE Application Field and Working Principle

A TRIAC, short for Triode for Alternating Current, is a specialized form of thyristor often used as a semiconductor switch. A Triac is basically two SCRs coupled together in inverse anti parallel, providing bidirectional (ac) control. The L0103DE device is an example of such a semiconductor switch.

Application Field of L0103DE

The application field of L0103DE is quite wide because of its high switching capability, low power consumption and small response time. It is widely used in lighting control, rectifiers, AC motor control, switching regulators, HVAC, etc. Besides, it is the ideal switch for dimming, neutral line breaking and trigger control too.

Working Principle

The working principle of the L0103DE is essentially two SCRs connected in inverse anti parallel junction. When the gate signal is applied, the thyristor begins to conduct, allowing current to flow through it in both directions. Depending on the applied voltage, the L0103DE can switch at any position in the AC cycle. This gives it the ability to control how much current gets through and how long this current stays on, making it an ideal switch for dimming applications.

The latching current is a key feature of this thyristor. It determines how much current is needed to turn the device on and off. In the L0103DE device, the latching current is set to 10mA. This means that a current with greater than 10mA is needed to turn the device on, and once it is on, it will stay on until the current drops below the latching current, at which time it will turn off.

Conclusion

The L0103DE TRIAC is a popular semiconductor switch for bidirectional control of AC current. It is used for applications such as lighting control, rectifiers, AC motor control, switching regulators, HVAC, and others. Its latching current of 10mA is an important feature which keeps the device turned on until the current drops below this value.