This actually has little to do with Particle - except that a Photon will be providing the logic control! However, this seems like something this audience would have met before, so I am hoping that someone on here has advice for me.
I am using a photon to control a bunch of stuff in the workshop I am kitting out. The locus of this question concern three 600mm square LED lighting panels which I want to switch on and off (no dimming, nothing fancy on or off is fine). Each panel is rated as using 40Watts.
Obviously inside the panels these run on DC(seemingly 48V), but the feed is from the mains (since, I am in the UK, 240 Volts AC) and so each one has a supplied transformer. I optimistically tried to switch power to these using one of those 4-way relay boards (with the blue relays) which allows logic level controls on the inputs. As I should have known this worked for one or two on/off cycles and then the contacts on the relays welded and the panels stay on, or never come on. The relays can supposedly switch up to 10 amps at 240Volts, so I think this is just caused by inrush currents to the transformers, not the steady load?
So, what better (and equally space effective) method can I use to power these on and off under s/w control? Is it all about bigger relays? Can I use a set of solid state relays…do I need to use big-ass contactors… I’m a bit lost with power stuff - so any advice gratefully received!
Thanks!
Alan T