ST offers diac devices designed to trigger triacs in AC switching applications. These voltage-triggered components play a crucial role in initiating conduction in triacs, making them ideal for use in home appliances, lighting systems, and variable-speed hand tools. Diacs provide reliable and consistent triggering performance, especially in phase control circuits. They are available in through-hole and surface-mount package versions, offering flexible integration options to meet diverse application requirements.
Applications
- Gas powered ignitors
- Furnace fire lighter
- Stove
- Computers
- Gas boiler
- Light dimmer
- Hallogen lamps
- Fluorescent lamp starter
- Variable speed hand tools
- AC drill
Product types
Diacs
ST diacs are widely used in consumer appliance applications, such as variable-speed hand tools and lighting (especially fluorescent lamps), electronic lamp ballasts, electronic transformers for halogen lamps, and light dimmers. Functioning as a trigger diode with a fixed voltage reference, the diac can be used in conjunction with triacs for simplified gate control circuits or as a starting element of power oscillators in fluorescent lamp ballasts.
The devices are available in surface-mount and axial leaded packages.
Application-specific ignitors
ST offers a wide range of application-specific ignitors designed to ensure high reliability and an extended lifetime for appliances and lighting systems. Fire lighter circuits (FLCs) are a central building block for igniting gas-powered furnaces, stoves, and similar appliances. Using very few passive components, ST light ignition circuits (LICs) and fluorescent tube lamp starters (TN22) generate spikes through capacitive discharges of 120/240 VAC mains supplies using high-voltage transformers to ensure reliable triggering.