Mini Maestro 12 Channel and AC Dimmer Circuit

Hello,
I enjoy using my Mini Maestro 12 Channel Servo Controller; and am wondering if there is a way to dim AC lights through a channel set to output. In a previous experiment, this servo controller was able to turn on and off a relay module when they were both connected to the same 5 volt power source and their signal lines were linked. I tried to duplicate this experiment with a RobotDyn AC Light Dimmer Module, but was only able to turn the light on and off with the servo controller (no dimming). The dimmer module has four ports: VCC, GND, Z-C (Zero-Cross), PWM; and also operates off of 5 volts. Again, I connected the VCC and GND ports to the same 5 volt power supply as the servo controller; and linked the PWM port to the signal line on Channel 8, which I defined as an Output. The one port that I am unsure of where to connect the servo controller to is the Z-C. Is there a better way that I can connect this dimmer module to the servo controller in order to achieve some level of AC dimming? Thank you for your help in advance!

Link to AC Dimmer Module: AC Dimmer Module, 1 Channel, 3.3V/5V logic, AC 50/60hz, 110V~400V

Hello.

Unfortunately, we are not very familiar with AC dimmer modules, so we do not have any specific examples we can point you to for controlling yours from a Maestro. I took a look at the documentation you linked to and it seems like you need to connect the zero-cross output to interrupt pin to use it properly. The Maestro does not have interrupts, so it might not be practical to use these together, but you could try contacting the manufactures of your dimmer module to see if they have any suggestions.

- Patrick

Thank you for responding to my question. I have reached out to the company, and am awaiting their response on the issue. In the meantime, I wonder if what I am trying to accomplish can be done with a transistor. Would it be possible for me to send a PWM signal from the Maestro to a transistor connected to the circuit in order to achieve some level of AC dimming? If so, do you have any information that might assist me in this project? I realize that this is very different from what the servo controller was originally designed for, but it can’t hurt to ask.

If you are asking about just making your own circuit to connect between AC power and the Maestro, please do not do that. That can be very dangerous and not something we can support you with. If you are still asking about a detail of working with your module made specifically for AC power control, that is more a question about that unit, so it would be best to hear what the support from that comes back with. Please let us know if you find out anything interesting.

- Patrick