induced voltage killed dimmable wall switch

[bolob]

Hi,

I am looking for the solution for the follwing problem:

I bought a dimmable wall switch which is controlable by the built in push button. I thought I can connect paralelle several push buttons and I will be able to dimm/switch the light from several places in the living room. the push button itslef making connection between neutral and one of the pin of dimmer IC.

I have installed the slim wire in the wall pipe to the multiple push buttons. I have only 1 pipe in the wall, so the slim wire together with the 3 phase power lines. This wire connected to the pin of the dimmer IC, and the other end(s) are connected to one of the terminal of the push buttons. The other terminal of the buttons connected to neutral.

After I connected the dimmer to this network it just simply died. I guess the dimmer IC died due to the induced voltage on a slim wire, which is open circuit. it is only connected to neutral if the button pushed.

I would be happy if somebody could giveme a solution for this problem.
I know the shilded wire could do the job, but unfortunately I can not replace the wire, without damaging the wall paper. So it is not a solution currently.

Thanks in advance

 

[Harald Kapp]

You should use dimmers that are rated for this kind of operation. See this thread.

 

[(*steve*)]

I would be happy if somebody could giveme a solution for this problem.

Get a wireless dimmer

 

[bolob]

Sorry guys,

My point of registering this thread was not get alternative solutions, but give help to eliminate/block induced voltage reaching the unit. With small relay installed, it is working fine. However I am looking for the elecrtical solution and not a mechanical

 

[(*steve*)]

OK, show us the circuit diagram and we'll try to suggest something.

If you don't have that, what are the electrical specs for the signal that is switched?

 

[bolob]

Hi Steve,

Thanks in advance for any suggestion !.

Basically the original circuit was a russian model, and contains a dimmer IC, which is not replacable with any Europian model.
So, I decided to not deal with that old stuff, but instead of that create a new dimmer based on 16F628 PIC. Several schematic existing in the net from this, but I decided to write a code by myself and desig the circuit. Basically I have a Capacitive powersupply in the pahse line which is creating 5V for the pic, and I am using the neutral as the GND for the PIC. The Zero corssing detection is done by a 20Mohm serial resistor to the input of the PIC from the phase line.

As I explained before I already have installed the neutral wire and the slim other wire for control. I don't want to put phase voltage to this slim wire, therefore I decided the push button need to create electrical contat to neutral. So the idea was, just make 1 pin as input in the PIC, use 10K pull-up resistor to 5V and connect the push button.

The ciruit is operating well in the test PCB, but considering the problem what I had with the russian dimmer, I just want to protect my circuit to not be die or not be disturbed by the iduced voltage.
I have attached the file which is theoritically matching with my circuit. (dimmer_sch.gif)
And here is the other circuit, (wireless-dimmer-circuit-using-remot.gif) where the PIC using the phase voltage as a GND. I think from noise/induced voltage point of view this would be better, but as I mentioned I don't want to switch the phase voltage in the button, The neutral is more safer...