Relay Board

[RedOwen1177]

I am making a board for switching on and off Christmas lights.

Images below.

Please give me tips and advice!

Name blotted out image relayTop.png, to preserve privacy.

The autorouter may have been a bit dumb, I can re-route myself.

Thanks,

RedOwen1177

Edit: Are there really only 2 EEs on this forum?

[Kalle Hänninen]

Why R2 has no connection at all?

 

Also I don't see any benefit of having so many AC's connected. You might want to use only one and add a fuse to your design. You might want to solder it, or make it really wide, depending on wattage.

[johnny5c]

In the last few years I've switched my display over to pre-built Light-O-Rama DC RGB controllers but did build quite a few controllers and relay packs in the past.  Two sites that my be helpful to you are http://doityourselfchristmas.com/ and http://forums.planetchristmas.com/.

 

If you ever want to try building a computer controlled controller and synchronize your lights to music, parts for a 8 channel Renard run about $50-$60US and are a lot of fun to build.

Bare Renard board - http://renard-shop.com/home/25-renard-plus-tr-8flex.html

[RedOwen1177]

Why R2 has no connection at all?

Also I don't see any benefit of having so many AC's connected. You might want to use only one and add a fuse to your design. You might want to solder it, or make it really wide, depending on wattage.

  

R2 actually does have a connection, it's just that my Gerber renderer flips the backside. And with the fuse, would I use like a 10 amp relay and put a fuse after it?

If you ever want to try building a computer controlled controller and synchronize your lights to music, parts for a 8 channel Renard run about $50-$60US and are a lot of fun to build.

What about this one? http://www.amazon.com/JBtek®-Channel-Female-Female-Arduino-Raspberry/dp/B00R77PN1A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1447850334&sr=8-2&keywords=8-channel+5v+relay+boars

[Kalle Hänninen]

  

R2 actually does have a connection, it's just that my Gerber renderer flips the backside. And with the fuse, would I use like a 10 amp relay and put a fuse after it?

What about this one? http://www.amazon.com/JBtek®-Channel-Female-Female-Arduino-Raspberry/dp/B00R77PN1A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1447850334&sr=8-2&keywords=8-channel+5v+relay+boars

It'll do. (10 amps, slow.)

 

I don't know what you mean by flipping the backside, since it's not wired and Q4 connects to Relay 1.

(So, its mirrored, kk.)

 

Sry, I'm really tired.

 

So put only one AC on board, put it through 10Amp fuse and then connect all relays to it. No point in using 5 plugs, when one does the same.

 

If you're planning on using Arduino, then buy some kit that has demux, so you don't have to have so many wires. (and therefore outputs.)

[johnny5c]

  

What about this one? http://www.amazon.com/JBtek®-Channel-Female-Female-Arduino-Raspberry/dp/B00R77PN1A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1447850334&sr=8-2&keywords=8-channel+5v+relay+boars

 

You wouldn't have the dimming, ramp up/down functions that you'd get with a SSR based unit but for under $100 you'd have a cool little standalone controller.  For my display I use 16 channel AC and 24 channel DC controllers (656 channels total) networked to a dedicated PC so I've spent hundreds on Cat5 cable alone.

 

This is what I'm using,

DC controllers - http://store.lightorama.com/cmdedcca3.html

AC controllers - http://store.lightorama.com/ctascpa.html