Control/Dimming Contact Closure Conversion

[DoneInTheDark]

I know this is bass ackwards (trust when I say you don't want to know how these systems are designed) but does anyone know where to find a relay of sorts to convert a 0-10v signal into a voltageless contact closure? I'm sure I could do all the numbers and build something, but its not my responsibility and I'd like to be able to refer the client to a product they may purchase and I will install in line. Did a quick search and didn't find anything. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[hobbsies]

There probably a few people here who might know the answer to this, but another place to ask would be here Electronics on Reddit or possibly AskElectronics. There's a couple of links on the right side of the electronics subreddit titled "related subreddits" that might have the answers you seek.

 

[RickR]

The good folks at DFD.COM can probably put together something for you.

They make a lot of protocol converters and useful gadgets. If they make it they will support it and probably give you a warranty of some sort.

 

[n1ist]

Northlight Systems has a board that has 0-10v and DMX input and a relay output.
Northlight Systems DMX512 to Relay circuit board, includes relays and address switch.
/mike

 

[DoneInTheDark]

Thanks RickR, I love them. I've been rocking my "Got DMX?" shirt since I got it from him at LDI in 06. Anyways, he was actually my first stop. While I'm sure he could make something, they don't have anything sale ready on their website. (I think largely because what I'm looking for has extremely limited practical usages.)

Thanks Hobsies as well. Though i didnt find anything about contact closures per say it did give me an idea...

Perhaps what I need is just some gate? That would be in a constant open until 10v was applied at which point it would close, though I believe I would still need something to remove the voltage. Right? Beuller?

Give me a sensor rack, any console, and any hodge podge assortment of conventionals, accessories, and movers and I'm solid, but this is more of an electrical engineer project I feel. It's the curiosity and seemingly simple solution (somewhere) that keep me trying to fig something out.

 

[JD]

Thanks RickR, I love them. I've been rocking my "Got DMX?" shirt since I got it from him at LDI in 06. Anyways, he was actually my first stop. While I'm sure he could make something, they don't have anything sale ready on their website. (I think largely because what I'm looking for has extremely limited practical usages.)

Thanks Hobsies as well. Though i didnt find anything about contact closures per say it did give me an idea...

Perhaps what I need is just some gate? That would be in a constant open until 10v was applied at which point it would close, though I believe I would still need something to remove the voltage. Right? Beuller?

Give me a sensor rack, any console, and any hodge podge assortment of conventionals, accessories, and movers and I'm solid, but this is more of an electrical engineer project I feel. It's the curiosity and seemingly simple solution (somewhere) that keep me trying to fig something out.

Of course, that is really what an SSR does. Apply 10 to 12 volts to the gate, and it turns on. If your application is low voltage as compared to line voltage, and there are a couple of milliamps of gate current available on the 10 volt source, then it's really a one part project. If not, a simple emitter follower transistor could be added to buff the control voltage.

Now, if you are talking about something that will be running line voltage, then a DIY project is out of the question due to no UL approval.

 

[dps]

I used a pressure pad to for exactly the same thing as you're describing and I used an ETC I/O Gateway. Took some configuring, but it was good. ETC are pretty knowledgable on it too if you need their help. Also, Cueservers seem to do the trick, although I'm not sure I know how that exactly works.

ETC Net3 I/O Gateway: Lighting solutions for Theatre, Film & Television Studios and Architectural spaces : ETC

Interactive Online's Cueserver: Overview

 

[ejsandstrom]

What about a Bosch Automotive relay? They are $5 and while the coil is rated at 12VDC should work down to 9 or 10V.

 

[n1ist]

What are you switching with this relay?

The automotive relay by itself won't work - the coil likely draws too much current (0-10v sources are usually limited to a few mA) and the contacts are only rated at 12V DC.

A hockey puck (solid-state relay) , on the other hand, should be OK. May need a zener diode in series with the LED side to move the turnon away from the 1-2v point. It will also need an enclosure, conntectors or cable grips, and possibly a fuse depending on what you are switching. Oh, and that pesky NRTL listing issue...

/mike

 

[dj41354]

A PhotoVoltaic Isolator maybe? These are pretty interesting little devices that take a low level DC input signal and use a PhotoVoltaic process to generate an isolated DC voltage output. http://www.irf.com/technical-info/appnotes/an-1017.pdf page 3 of that pdf shows how to use a PVI5080N to provide enough voltage to directly drive the gate of a logic level FET. Replace the "load" in that diagram with a (DC) relay coil, and you'll get relay contact closure under the control of 10VDC input signal.. (the 10VDC needs to be able to source around 10ma). To make this work, you'll need a separate DC source that's switched by the FET to power the coil. It may seem an unnecessarily complex way of controlling a relay coil.. but it provides isolation between the 10V low current control voltage, and the higher current DC voltage that ultimately provides the current for the relay coil.
I guess after thinking about it, this is essentially the same thing as using a SSR with a DC output to trigger the relay coil, only using a PVI+FET instead.. cool component though with interesting application possibilities.