Hey guys, the project I am currently working on only slightly has to do with audio. The goal is to syncronize lights to music. I am currently having a PIC control everything. I didn't have any triac's handy and was having a hard time finding good schematics for them for what I am trying to do, so instead decided to use MOSFETs to switch the mains voltage. The problem is that mains voltage is AC and MOSFETs can't switch AC. So I simply put a bridge rectifier on the mains source giving me a 120V 120hz pulsed DC. Since I am merely switching a light bulb, this is no big deal.
Enough background. I found that the MOSFET only worked when I tied the - side of the bridge rectifier to my +5v power supply ground. That supply is what is being used to switch the MOSFET. This causes a different problem though. Now, my ground is 60V higher than the ground in my wall and in all of my other electronics. I measured with a voltmeter my ground and the ground on a few of my amps as well as the ground in an outlet to confirm this. So now I can't connect my circuit to any others because the grounds are way off and would cause a short... I know there must be something simple I am missing, but I can't figure out what it is.
Thanks!
Zach Dwiel
Enough background. I found that the MOSFET only worked when I tied the - side of the bridge rectifier to my +5v power supply ground. That supply is what is being used to switch the MOSFET. This causes a different problem though. Now, my ground is 60V higher than the ground in my wall and in all of my other electronics. I measured with a voltmeter my ground and the ground on a few of my amps as well as the ground in an outlet to confirm this. So now I can't connect my circuit to any others because the grounds are way off and would cause a short... I know there must be something simple I am missing, but I can't figure out what it is.
Thanks!
Zach Dwiel