Converting a sprinkler system's 24V AC outputs to 3.3V DC logic inputs





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I am working on a system that can detect which of the AC outputs on a sprinkler box is on and for how long. The sprinkler box has one common wire and then 18 connections that output 24V to open sprinkler valves. My plan is to use several full bridge rectifiers which connect to some transistors. The Base of the transistor connects to the positive end of the bridge rectifier, the collector connects to a 3.3V line, and then the emitter is connected to ground so that when one of the sprinkler leads turns on it grounds the corresponding transistor. I then have a micro controller looking at the voltage of the collector side of the transistor to see which lead is on.



The problem I am having is that when one of leads from the sprinkler box turns on it flip on all of the transistors and grounds all of the logical leads to the micro controller. I did some tests with a multi-meter and when one of the leads of from the sprinkler leads turns on it is at 24Vrms and all of the other outputs are at about 1.4Vrms. The Voltage after being rectified is 35V on the input which is currently on, and then 34V across the all of the other rectifiers.



I don't know much about rectifying AC current to DC current but I am thinking the issue is with the common wire. I think the common wire may be creating essentially a half bridge rectifier and outputting a lower voltage that is still causing the transistor to ground the input. Anyone have any ideas of either how to fix this problem, or of what is actually happening? Any help or ideas would be great!
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  • $begingroup$
    Perhaps by changing the voltages on the sprinkler controls you've created a situation where a sprinkler might not function as expected when needed and someone could die in the fire? Why are you messing with a fire protection system. STOP!
    $endgroup$
    – scorpdaddy
    3 hours ago








  • 3




    $begingroup$
    @scorpdaddy, this might be a garden irrigation system, not a fire safety system.
    $endgroup$
    – The Photon
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I would not be at all surprised if the sprinkler common wire was connected to ground.
    $endgroup$
    – Jasen
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    is there anything else connected to the outputs (like solenid valves, or lamps)?
    $endgroup$
    – Jasen
    2 hours ago


















4












$begingroup$


I am working on a system that can detect which of the AC outputs on a sprinkler box is on and for how long. The sprinkler box has one common wire and then 18 connections that output 24V to open sprinkler valves. My plan is to use several full bridge rectifiers which connect to some transistors. The Base of the transistor connects to the positive end of the bridge rectifier, the collector connects to a 3.3V line, and then the emitter is connected to ground so that when one of the sprinkler leads turns on it grounds the corresponding transistor. I then have a micro controller looking at the voltage of the collector side of the transistor to see which lead is on.



The problem I am having is that when one of leads from the sprinkler box turns on it flip on all of the transistors and grounds all of the logical leads to the micro controller. I did some tests with a multi-meter and when one of the leads of from the sprinkler leads turns on it is at 24Vrms and all of the other outputs are at about 1.4Vrms. The Voltage after being rectified is 35V on the input which is currently on, and then 34V across the all of the other rectifiers.



I don't know much about rectifying AC current to DC current but I am thinking the issue is with the common wire. I think the common wire may be creating essentially a half bridge rectifier and outputting a lower voltage that is still causing the transistor to ground the input. Anyone have any ideas of either how to fix this problem, or of what is actually happening? Any help or ideas would be great!
enter image description here










share|improve this question







New contributor




Parker owen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.







$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Perhaps by changing the voltages on the sprinkler controls you've created a situation where a sprinkler might not function as expected when needed and someone could die in the fire? Why are you messing with a fire protection system. STOP!
    $endgroup$
    – scorpdaddy
    3 hours ago








  • 3




    $begingroup$
    @scorpdaddy, this might be a garden irrigation system, not a fire safety system.
    $endgroup$
    – The Photon
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I would not be at all surprised if the sprinkler common wire was connected to ground.
    $endgroup$
    – Jasen
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    is there anything else connected to the outputs (like solenid valves, or lamps)?
    $endgroup$
    – Jasen
    2 hours ago














4












4








4


1



$begingroup$


I am working on a system that can detect which of the AC outputs on a sprinkler box is on and for how long. The sprinkler box has one common wire and then 18 connections that output 24V to open sprinkler valves. My plan is to use several full bridge rectifiers which connect to some transistors. The Base of the transistor connects to the positive end of the bridge rectifier, the collector connects to a 3.3V line, and then the emitter is connected to ground so that when one of the sprinkler leads turns on it grounds the corresponding transistor. I then have a micro controller looking at the voltage of the collector side of the transistor to see which lead is on.



The problem I am having is that when one of leads from the sprinkler box turns on it flip on all of the transistors and grounds all of the logical leads to the micro controller. I did some tests with a multi-meter and when one of the leads of from the sprinkler leads turns on it is at 24Vrms and all of the other outputs are at about 1.4Vrms. The Voltage after being rectified is 35V on the input which is currently on, and then 34V across the all of the other rectifiers.



I don't know much about rectifying AC current to DC current but I am thinking the issue is with the common wire. I think the common wire may be creating essentially a half bridge rectifier and outputting a lower voltage that is still causing the transistor to ground the input. Anyone have any ideas of either how to fix this problem, or of what is actually happening? Any help or ideas would be great!
enter image description here










share|improve this question







New contributor




Parker owen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.







$endgroup$




I am working on a system that can detect which of the AC outputs on a sprinkler box is on and for how long. The sprinkler box has one common wire and then 18 connections that output 24V to open sprinkler valves. My plan is to use several full bridge rectifiers which connect to some transistors. The Base of the transistor connects to the positive end of the bridge rectifier, the collector connects to a 3.3V line, and then the emitter is connected to ground so that when one of the sprinkler leads turns on it grounds the corresponding transistor. I then have a micro controller looking at the voltage of the collector side of the transistor to see which lead is on.



The problem I am having is that when one of leads from the sprinkler box turns on it flip on all of the transistors and grounds all of the logical leads to the micro controller. I did some tests with a multi-meter and when one of the leads of from the sprinkler leads turns on it is at 24Vrms and all of the other outputs are at about 1.4Vrms. The Voltage after being rectified is 35V on the input which is currently on, and then 34V across the all of the other rectifiers.



I don't know much about rectifying AC current to DC current but I am thinking the issue is with the common wire. I think the common wire may be creating essentially a half bridge rectifier and outputting a lower voltage that is still causing the transistor to ground the input. Anyone have any ideas of either how to fix this problem, or of what is actually happening? Any help or ideas would be great!
enter image description here







bridge-rectifier






share|improve this question







New contributor




Parker owen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







New contributor




Parker owen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question






New contributor




Parker owen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 4 hours ago









Parker owenParker owen

211




211




New contributor




Parker owen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





Parker owen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






Parker owen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












  • $begingroup$
    Perhaps by changing the voltages on the sprinkler controls you've created a situation where a sprinkler might not function as expected when needed and someone could die in the fire? Why are you messing with a fire protection system. STOP!
    $endgroup$
    – scorpdaddy
    3 hours ago








  • 3




    $begingroup$
    @scorpdaddy, this might be a garden irrigation system, not a fire safety system.
    $endgroup$
    – The Photon
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I would not be at all surprised if the sprinkler common wire was connected to ground.
    $endgroup$
    – Jasen
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    is there anything else connected to the outputs (like solenid valves, or lamps)?
    $endgroup$
    – Jasen
    2 hours ago


















  • $begingroup$
    Perhaps by changing the voltages on the sprinkler controls you've created a situation where a sprinkler might not function as expected when needed and someone could die in the fire? Why are you messing with a fire protection system. STOP!
    $endgroup$
    – scorpdaddy
    3 hours ago








  • 3




    $begingroup$
    @scorpdaddy, this might be a garden irrigation system, not a fire safety system.
    $endgroup$
    – The Photon
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    I would not be at all surprised if the sprinkler common wire was connected to ground.
    $endgroup$
    – Jasen
    2 hours ago










  • $begingroup$
    is there anything else connected to the outputs (like solenid valves, or lamps)?
    $endgroup$
    – Jasen
    2 hours ago
















$begingroup$
Perhaps by changing the voltages on the sprinkler controls you've created a situation where a sprinkler might not function as expected when needed and someone could die in the fire? Why are you messing with a fire protection system. STOP!
$endgroup$
– scorpdaddy
3 hours ago






$begingroup$
Perhaps by changing the voltages on the sprinkler controls you've created a situation where a sprinkler might not function as expected when needed and someone could die in the fire? Why are you messing with a fire protection system. STOP!
$endgroup$
– scorpdaddy
3 hours ago






3




3




$begingroup$
@scorpdaddy, this might be a garden irrigation system, not a fire safety system.
$endgroup$
– The Photon
2 hours ago




$begingroup$
@scorpdaddy, this might be a garden irrigation system, not a fire safety system.
$endgroup$
– The Photon
2 hours ago












$begingroup$
I would not be at all surprised if the sprinkler common wire was connected to ground.
$endgroup$
– Jasen
2 hours ago




$begingroup$
I would not be at all surprised if the sprinkler common wire was connected to ground.
$endgroup$
– Jasen
2 hours ago












$begingroup$
is there anything else connected to the outputs (like solenid valves, or lamps)?
$endgroup$
– Jasen
2 hours ago




$begingroup$
is there anything else connected to the outputs (like solenid valves, or lamps)?
$endgroup$
– Jasen
2 hours ago










2 Answers
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$begingroup$

the problem with your circuit is that the input can cross-talk via the bridge diodes and the capacitors.



in1-d1-c1-ground-d2-in2 and in1-d1-ground-c2-d2-in2 etc.



try this, it should give better isolation between inputs.





schematic





simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$





















    1












    $begingroup$

    Optoisolators (AC input) would be an easy solution.



    Or half-wave rectify the inputs (just a diode rather than a bridge and increase the capacitor values.. but it will be slow, which probably doesn't matter in this case).






    share|improve this answer









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      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

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      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

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      2












      $begingroup$

      the problem with your circuit is that the input can cross-talk via the bridge diodes and the capacitors.



      in1-d1-c1-ground-d2-in2 and in1-d1-ground-c2-d2-in2 etc.



      try this, it should give better isolation between inputs.





      schematic





      simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$


















        2












        $begingroup$

        the problem with your circuit is that the input can cross-talk via the bridge diodes and the capacitors.



        in1-d1-c1-ground-d2-in2 and in1-d1-ground-c2-d2-in2 etc.



        try this, it should give better isolation between inputs.





        schematic





        simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$
















          2












          2








          2





          $begingroup$

          the problem with your circuit is that the input can cross-talk via the bridge diodes and the capacitors.



          in1-d1-c1-ground-d2-in2 and in1-d1-ground-c2-d2-in2 etc.



          try this, it should give better isolation between inputs.





          schematic





          simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$



          the problem with your circuit is that the input can cross-talk via the bridge diodes and the capacitors.



          in1-d1-c1-ground-d2-in2 and in1-d1-ground-c2-d2-in2 etc.



          try this, it should give better isolation between inputs.





          schematic





          simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 2 hours ago









          JasenJasen

          12.4k11733




          12.4k11733

























              1












              $begingroup$

              Optoisolators (AC input) would be an easy solution.



              Or half-wave rectify the inputs (just a diode rather than a bridge and increase the capacitor values.. but it will be slow, which probably doesn't matter in this case).






              share|improve this answer









              $endgroup$


















                1












                $begingroup$

                Optoisolators (AC input) would be an easy solution.



                Or half-wave rectify the inputs (just a diode rather than a bridge and increase the capacitor values.. but it will be slow, which probably doesn't matter in this case).






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$
















                  1












                  1








                  1





                  $begingroup$

                  Optoisolators (AC input) would be an easy solution.



                  Or half-wave rectify the inputs (just a diode rather than a bridge and increase the capacitor values.. but it will be slow, which probably doesn't matter in this case).






                  share|improve this answer









                  $endgroup$



                  Optoisolators (AC input) would be an easy solution.



                  Or half-wave rectify the inputs (just a diode rather than a bridge and increase the capacitor values.. but it will be slow, which probably doesn't matter in this case).







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 3 hours ago









                  Spehro PefhanySpehro Pefhany

                  215k5165440




                  215k5165440






















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