STUDY

OF
TRIAC & DIAC
CHARACTERISTICS

8, Shrikant Kunj, M. N. Patankar Marg, Kurla (W), Mumbai – 400 070.

Tel. : (022) 2779 1263 * Mobile : 9869112159
Email : matrixel@gmail.com
 STUDY OF TRIAC CHARACTERISTICS

Aim: To study V-I characteristics of TRIAC & determine break over voltage, holding current, latching
current & behavior of TRIAC in ac circuit.
Material required: [1] Matrix trainer kit [2] CRO
Procedure:
Setup –

[1] Keep the POWER switch of your mains board in off condition.
[2] Connect power chord to mains (230 volt a.c.)
[3] Keep P1, P2 & R1 to fully anticlock position. Put S1 to R.H.S. (for +ve gate current) & S4
L.H.S. (for +ve mt2 to mt1 voltage). Put S5 to L.H.S. position to select Triac for experiment.
Experiment Procedure -
[4] Put the power switch of your mains board ON.
[5] Put S3 on Vmt2-mt1 (UP position to measure mt2 to mt1 voltage on voltmeter).
[6] Put S2 on Ig (down position to measure gate current on current meter).
[7] Set P1 vary slowly to get 13.9 ---- 50.0 mA gate current. ( Note down it as 1.39mA meter
showing x10 reading of gate current)
[8] Put S2 to Ia ( triac current) (up position to measure triac current on current meter).
 [9] Set P2 vary slowly in steps of 0.5V Vmt2-mt1 , Note Vmt2-mt1 & Ia for each setting
[10] Note the voltage at which TRIAC fire as break over voltage.
[11] Repeat the steps 6 to 10 for different gate current (Ig = 1.36, 1,37, 1.3.8, 1.40,
1.41,1.42mA…… set ig between 1.00 to 2.00mA)
[12] Put S4 to second position for –VE mt2 to mt1 voltage , ] Repeat the steps 6 to 10 .
(Ig = 4.80, 4.81, 4.82, 4.83, 4.88, 5.00, 5.33mA…… for this quadrant set ig between 4.7 to 6mA)
[13] Put S1 to L.H.S. (for - ve gate current) Repeat the steps 6 to 10
(Ig = 2.80, 2.81, 2.82, 2.83, 2.84, 2.86, 2.88mA…… for this quadrant)
[14] Put S4 to first position for +VE mt2 to mt1 voltage , ] Repeat the steps 6 to 10 .
(Ig = 2.50, 2.51, 2.52, 2.53, 2.54, 2.56, 2.58mA…… for this quadrant set ig between 2.50 to
3.00mA)
[15] Put S4 to L.H.S (4TH position for ac mt2 to mt1 voltage) Connect CRO across T7 &
T4 Put S1 to R.H.S. (for +ve gate current) , Put S2 on Ig , set 50.0mA gate current,
Observe the waveform on CRO and note it (TRIAC conducts for both half of AC voltage

Observation Table :-
Ig 1.38mA 1.39mA 1.40mA

Sr.No Vmt2-mt1 volts Ia mA Vmt2-mt1 volts Ia mA Vmt2-mt1 volts Ia mA

1
2

Latching current. The triac current Ia at which traic gets conducts.

[1] Keep P1, P2 & R1 to fully anticlock position. Put S1 to R.H.S. (for +ve gate current) & S4
L.H.S. (for +ve Vmt2-mt1 voltage).
[2] Put the power switch of your mains board ON.
[3] Put S3 on Vmt2-mt1 (UP position to measure Vmt2-mt1 voltage on voltmeter).
[4] Put S2 on Ig (down position to measure gate current on current meter).
[5] Set P1 vary slowly to get 5.0 mA gate current. ( Note down it)
[6] Put S2 to Ia (up position to measure triac current on current meter).
[7] Set P2 vary slowly in steps of 0.1V Vmt2-mt1 , Note Ia form which traic start conducting as
LATCHING current.
[8] Note it as latching current. Increase Vmt2-mt1 for few more volts.
Holding current: Without gate current ,The traic current Ia at which traic gets stop
conducting.
[9] Set P1 to zero for Ig = 0 ,
[10] Increase R1 (rotate R1 to clock position slowly by observing Ia & Vmt2-mt1 ), Note Ia form
which triac stop conducting as Holding current. (Holding current is slightly less the latching current.
Ia latching = Ia holding =
 Triac static characteristic

Operating quadrants for triacs

Triac triggering quadrants

 STUDY OF DIAC CHARACTERISTICS

Aim: To study V-I characteristics of DIAC & behavior of DIAC in ac circuit.

Material required: [1] Matrix trainer kit [2] CRO
Procedure:
Setup –

[1] Keep the POWER switch of your mains board in off condition.
[2] Connect power chord to mains (230 volt a.c.)
[3] Keep P2 & R1 to fully anticlock position. S4 L.H.S. (for +ve mt2 to mt1 voltage). Put S5 to
R.H.S. position to select diac for experiment.
Experiment Procedure -
[4] Put the power switch of your mains board ON.
[5] Put S3 on Vmt2-mt1 (UP position to measure mt2 to mt1 voltage on voltmeter).
[6] Put S2 to Ia ( triac current) (up position to measure diac current on current meter).
[7] Set P2 vary slowly in steps of 0.5V Vmt2-mt1 , Note Vmt2-mt1 & Ia for each setting
[8] Note the voltage at which DIAC fire as break over voltage.
[9] Put S4 to second position for –VE mt2 to mt1 voltage , ] Repeat the steps 6 to 8 .
[10] Put S4 to L.H.S (4TH position for ac mt2 to mt1 voltage) Connect CRO across T7 &
T4 Observe the waveform on CRO and note it (DIAC conducts for both half of AC voltage
Observation Table :-

Sr.No Vmt2-mt1 volts Ia mA Vmt2-mt1 volts Ia mA Vmt2-mt1 volts Ia mA

1
2

Diac static characteristic and circuit symbol

Observation: (Student should note here his/her observations).