Solid State Relay

A solid-state relay (SSR) is an electronic switch that, unlike an

electromechanical relay, contains no moving parts. Although EMRs
and solid-state relays are designed to perform similar functions,
each accomplishes the final results in different ways. Unlike
electromechanical relays, SSRs do not have actual coils and
contacts. Instead, they use semiconductor switching devices such
as bipolar transistors, MOSFETs, silicon-controlled rectifiers
(SCRs), or triacs mounted on a printed circuit board. All SSRs are
constructed to operate as two separate sections: input and
output. The input side receives a voltage signal from the control
circuit and the output side switches the load. SSRs are
manufactured in a variety of configurations that include both
“hockey-puck” and “ice-cube” types (Figure 7-8). Most often a
square or rectangle will be used on the schematic to represent the
relay. The internal circuitry will not be shown, and only the input
and output connections to the box will be given. Like
electromechanical relays, solid-state relays provide electrical
isolation between the input control circuit and the switched load
circuit. A common method used to provide isolation is to have the
input section illuminate a light-emitting diode (LED) that activates a
photodetector device connected to the output section. The
photodetector device triggers the output side, actuating the load.
Relays that use this method of coupling the two circuits are said to
be opto isolated.
Solid-state relays are constructed with different main
switching devices depending on the type of load being
switched. If the relay is designed to control an AC load, a
triac is commonly used as the main switching semiconductor. A
simplified diagram of an optically coupled solid-state
relay used to switch an AC load is shown in Figure 7-9. The
operation of the circuit can be summarized as follows.
• A current flow is established through the LED connected to the
input when conditions call for the relay to be actuated.
• The LED conducts and shines light on the phototransistor.
• The phototransistor conducts switching on the triac
and AC power to the load.
• The output is isolated from the input by the simple
LED and phototransistor arrangement.
• Since a light beam is used as the control medium,
no voltage spikes or electrical noise produced on the
load side of the relay can be transmitted to the control side of the
relay.

Solid-state relays intended for use with DC loads have

a power transistor rather than a triac connected to the load
circuit as shown in Figure 7-10. The operation of the circuit can be
summarized as follows.
• When the input voltage turns the LED on, the
photodetector connected to the base of the transistor turns the
transistor on, allowing current flow to
the load.
• The LED section of the relay acts like the coil of the
electromechanical relay and requires a DC voltage
for its operation.
• The transistor section of the optocoupler inside the
SSR is equivalent to the contacts in a relay.
• Because solid-state relays have no moving parts,
their switching response time is many times faster
than that of electromechanical relays. For this reason, when loads
are to be switched continually and
quickly, the SSR is the relay of choice.
Specifications
Applying the specified amount of pickup voltage activates the SSR
input control circuit of an SSR. Most SSRs
have a variable input voltage range, such as 5 V DC to
24 V DC. This voltage range makes the SSR compatible
with a variety of electronic input devices. Output voltage
ratings range from 5 V DC up to 480 V AC. Although
most SSRs are designed for a rated output current of
under 10 A, relays mounted on heat sinks are capable of
controlling up to 40 A.
The majority of SSRs are single-pole devices, as multipole relays
pose a greater power dissipation problem.
When multiple poles are required, a multipole solidstate module
can be used. Another solution is to wire
several SSR control circuits in parallel, as illustrated in
Figure 7-11, to provide the equivalent function as a multipole
electromagnetic relay. In this application, three
single-pole solid-state relays are used to switch current to
a three-phase load. The input section may receive a signal
from a variety of sources such as device contacts or sensorsignals.
When the control circuit contact closes, all three
relays actuate to complete the current path to the load.
The standard single-pole SSR configuration works
fine with two-wire control; however, when it becomes
necessary for it to be used in a three-wire control scheme,
the problem of the holding circuit arises. An additional
relay can be wired in parallel to the SSR to act as the holding
contact. Another solution is to use a DC control circuit
with a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) for latching the
load. Figure 7-12 shows a three-wire motor control circuit
utilizing a solid-state relay and an SCR. The operation of
the circuit can be summarized as follows.
• The SCR will not allow current flow from anode (A)
to cathode (K) until current is applied to the gate (G)
• When the start push button is pressed, current flows
through the gate, which triggers the anode-tocathode section of the
SCR and relay control circuit
into conduction.
• The SCR remains latched on after the start push
button is released, and the circuit must be opened
to stop the anode-to-cathode current flow. This is
accomplished by pressing the stop push button
SSRs operate with several different switching methods.
The type of load is an important factor in the selection of
the switching method.
• Zero-switching relay. A zero-switching relay is
designed to turn on an AC load when the control
voltage is applied and the voltage at the load passes
through zero. The relay turns off the load when the
control voltage is removed and the current in the
load crosses zero. This allows resistive loads such
as lamp filaments to last longer because they are not
subjected to high-voltage transients from switching
AC voltage and current when the sine wave is at a
peak. Figure 7-13 shows a simplified diagram of a
zero-switching SSR.
• Peak-switching relay. A peak-switching relay is an
SSR that turns the load on when the control voltage is present and
the voltage at the load is at its
peak. The relay turns off when the control voltageis removed and
the current in the load crosses zero.
Peak switching is preferred when the output circuit
is mostly inductive or capacitive and the voltage and
current are approximately 90 degrees out of phase.
In this case, when the voltage is at or near its peak
value, the current will be at or near its zero value.
• Instant-on relay. Instant-on relays are typically specified when the
controlled load is a combination of resistance and reactance. In this
case the voltage and current
phase angle vary, so there is no advantage to disconnecting the load
at any specific time on the sine wave.
Solid-state relays have several advantages over electromechanical
types:
• The SSR is more reliable and has a longer life
because it has no moving parts.
• It is compatible with transistor and IC circuitry
and does not generate as much electromagnetic
interference.
• The SSR is more resistant to shock and vibration,
has a much faster response time, and does not
exhibit contact bounce.
Like every device, SSRs do have some disadvantages.
The SSR contains semiconductors that are susceptible
to damage from voltage and current spikes. In addition,
unlike the EMR contacts, the SSR switching semiconductor has a
significant on-state resistance and off-state leakage current. As a
result, compared to electromechanical
relays they produce more heat during normal operation,
and if they are not properly cooled, this prolonged heat
can reduce the life of the relay.