What Is a Remote Dimmer Switch?

The dimmer switch was developed to meet people's different needs for light brightness at different times. In principle, the electronic dimmer switch controls the degree of conduction by controlling and changing the phase angle of the thyristor.

From the "safe dimmer" invented by Woods in 1890, it greatly stimulated people's curiosity for dimming and the desire to explore dimming technology. In 1961, Joel Pila invented the solid-state dimmer. Use thyristors to replace the varistor used in previous safety dimmers to overcome the light defect in the conversion of electrical energy into heat rather than into electric lights. Dimming by interrupting the power flow to the electric lights, so that the size of the dimmer Reduced to the extent that it fits into a standard wall box, here are a few of the early dimmers.

Resistance dimmer

The resistor is connected in series between the incandescent light source and the power source, and the current in the light source can be adjusted by changing the resistance value to achieve the purpose of dimming. Its disadvantages are high energy consumption, low efficiency, large size, and inconvenient control. The advantage is that AC and DC power sources can be used without radio interference. Can be used in laboratories, e-learning demonstrations, and marine navigation equipment.

Voltage regulator dimmer

An autotransformer. The secondary voltage is changed by adjusting the contact position of the brush and the coil wound around the transformer yoke. It has the advantages of less energy consumption, high efficiency, and increasing the load within the rated power does not affect the original dimming level. The disadvantage is that it is only suitable for AC power, heavy and heavy non-ferrous and ferrous metals, and cannot be controlled from a distance.

Magnetically amplified reactance dimmer

By changing the current in the DC winding wound on the iron yoke, the inductive reactance of the AC winding is changed. It has good dimming performance and easy control, but it is bulky and bulky and has been replaced by electronic dimmers.

Electronic dimmer

In the early days, thyristors were used as switching elements, and later, thyristors were used. This kind of dimmer has the advantages of light weight, small size, high efficiency, easy remote operation, etc., and is widely used. The foundation of modern dimming switches is laid. Its disadvantages are that radio interference will occur if effective filtering measures are not taken, and it is difficult to achieve dimming for gas discharge light sources such as fluorescent lamps and high-intensity gas discharge lamps. Dimmers using high-power transistors or field-effect transistors can overcome this disadvantage. ^[2]

After the development of the dimmer switch, there are many varieties and complete specifications, which can be classified according to the operation mode and the dimming mode.

First, the dimmer switch is divided into:

1) Knob dimmer switch

2) Touch the dimmer switch

3) Button dimmer switch

4) Remote dimmer switch

5) Inductive dimmer switch

Second, the dimming switch is divided into:

1. Triac Dimmable Switch

2. PWM dimmer switch

3. 0-10V dimmer switch

4. Thyristor dimmer switch ^[3-4]

   The dimmer switch can meet people's different needs for light brightness at different times, and can directly replace the existing wall switch. Suitable for family rooms, apartments, hotels, hospitals and other public places. With the improvement of living standards, people are inseparable from light, and more importantly, the quality of light. The needs for dimming can be broadly divided into three categories: 1) the need for functional adjustment of light, such as entrance halls, meeting rooms, etc .; 2) the expression of comfort and living style in home life, such as the combination of light and dark, and color temperature The heating and cooling can be adjusted according to the needs of the environment and can also play a role in setting the atmosphere; 3) The need for environmental protection and energy saving, such as the energy saving needs in public places. Such as parking lot lighting, shopping mall lighting, road lighting, etc. ^[5]

   There are two types of energy-saving lamps: one is integrated. This type of energy-saving lamp is generally a screw cap, which is convenient to replace incandescent lamps. There is a ballast built into the bulb, which cannot be dimmed. Problems can arise with a pressure-adjustable rotary switch. The other is split, that is, the bulb needs to be connected with a separate ballast. There are two types of ballasts, inductive and electronic. The energy-saving lamp pins of this split type are mainly pin type, generally divided into two types, a two-pin type and a four-pin type. The two-pin type has a built-in trigger (a starting device for the light source), which can only be connected to an inductive ballast, and certainly cannot be dimmed. The four-pin can be connected to either an inductor or an electronic ballast. Professional energy-saving lamp dimming is to be equipped with electronic ballasts, and it is one of the dimming electronic ballasts. This ballast has two control voltage connections. There are mainly 1-10V control, and digital. In summary, the energy-saving lamp dimming must be selected: four-pin energy-saving light source + electronic dimming ballast (1-10V, digital) + dimming switch (1-10V) analog or digital.