Question 1

There are no instructions that come with this - can someone provide how to wire it and some sample code for an arduino?

Accepted Answer

//ZERO----2
//DIMMER----11

int i;
int ZDpin=0;
void setup(){
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(A0,INPUT);
  pinMode(11,OUTPUT);
  pinMode(13,OUTPUT);
  pinMode(10,OUTPUT);
}

void light(){
  delay(3);
  digitalWrite(10,1);
}

void loop(){
  i=digitalRead(10);
  digitalWrite(13,0);
  digitalWrite(10,0);
  attachInterrupt(ZDpin,light,RISING);
  delay(20);
  if(i==1){
    delay(3);
      digitalWrite(13,1);
      pwm();

}
}

void pwm()
{
  for (int a=0; a=0;a--)             
  {
    analogWrite(11,a);
    delay(8);                             
  }
  delay(800);           
}

Question 2

can you also provide wiring diagram for a simple light? N L are not labeled???

Accepted Answer

Hello friend,
GND to GND
VCC to 5V

Simple sketch.
//ZERO----2
//DIMMER----11

int i;
int ZDpin=0;
void setup(){
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(A0,INPUT);
  pinMode(11,OUTPUT);
  pinMode(13,OUTPUT);
  pinMode(10,OUTPUT);
}

void light(){
  delay(3);
  digitalWrite(10,1);
}

void loop(){
  i=digitalRead(10);
  digitalWrite(13,0);
  digitalWrite(10,0);
  attachInterrupt(ZDpin,light,RISING);
  delay(20);
  if(i==1){
    delay(3);
      digitalWrite(13,1);
      pwm();

}
}

void pwm()
{
  for (int a=0; a=0;a--)             
  {
    analogWrite(11,a);
    delay(8);                             
  }
  delay(800);           
}

Question 3

is this UL listed?  does it need to?

Accepted Answer

Is it listed UL listed? .. it can't be, it's not a complete assembly. Would it pass even if it was? .. no, and neither does (nor do they even try) things like Sonoff modules.
Must it be? .. Legally speaking? .. no, and neither does anything else. UL is not a government agency, it's funded by insurance companies. The FCC has a say on the Sonoff's but hillariously, look up some of those certification numbers and the pictures, it's just the wifi module they submit, not the whole thing.

What's that mean for you? .. well,  in worst case something goes wrong, for example, since the ESP(*) modules aren't a RTOS (real-time) system, they might hang, and the zero-cross detection matters when you're trying to do A/C dimming in the way most devices expect. If your light bulbs are sourced from the same end of the spectrum, they'll at the very least stink, and perhaps blow the breaker. If you try and use it on a ceiling fan, it's a question of which one will shoot sparks first, unless you know how to design a VFD in Arduino, again, subject to the RTOS problem, as motors don't care for the sine wave to disappear half-way and come back full power before the windings have made it around. This is not hard, but do note that they're fibbing when they say this is a MOSFET unit (which would work for that), it's a standard triac one (their schematic for it is here .. note Q1, that's a triac if you're not familiar with circuit icons. The other ones are optocouplers that isolate the logic side from the triac and ZCD). https://robotdyn.com/pub/media/0G-00005677==Mod-Dimmer-5A-1L/DOCS/Schematic==0G-00005677==Mod-Dimmer-5A-1L.pdf

In general, my advice would be .. if you're asking this question, stick to brand-name units that are purpose built and delivered as finished modules. On the other hand, if you're perfectly capabible with a soldering iron and you're pretty sure that if things go south, the plastic box in the wall will contain whatever lets loose (yes, it usually does, at least for long enough to blow the breaker) .. but the smell of burnt Chineesium persists for a week in the house, regardless of what you do. If your SO/spouse is as understanding as mine, go for it, the code libraries are on RobotDyn's website .. practice with an incandecent bulb though.

Also note: Since every bulb these days is LED, there's a bunch you can buy that have wifi (always an ESP8266) already in them, many of which you can program with the likes of ESPEasy/Tasmota/etc .. then you just need to wire up the wall switch as a logic gate (eg: 10k resistor across GPIO and ground) to a (whatever little module you want) .. and have your MQTT broker tell the light how bright it needs to be. I will warn you not to put this in the ceiling fixture though, expect to need to get in and fiddle with it at least once a year when you fudge the flashing of whatever it is you're driving the thing with.

mosquitto_pub -h broker.local -t cmnd/gizmo/setoption -m "FailureSmoke 0"

Question 4

what is the purpose of the c-z pin? vcc, gnd and Pam all make sense, but I can't find the purpose of the c-z

Accepted Answer

It's not c-z it's Z-C which stands for Zero Cross. It's the signal that the ac line line voltage is a 0. On a 60hz system this occurs 120 times per second. It's an Input to your controller. The PWM is an output from the controller to the dimmer. Based on the dimming level that you select / program into your system after the Z-C activates the controller waits X milliseconds before it enables the PWM Line. Note: I have limited the dim setting from 30-90 any lower or higher causes the lights to flicker

ASIN	B072K9P7KH
Brand	RobotDyn
Brand Name	RobotDyn
Connectivity Protocol	Wi-Fi
Current Rating	8 Amps
Customer Reviews	4.0 out of 5 stars 31 Reviews
International Protection Rating	IP54
Item Dimensions	5.12 x 3.35 x 1.57 inches
Item Weight	24.6 Grams
Manufacturer	Zhuhai RobotDyn Technology Co.,Ltd (China)
Material	Stainless Steel
Material Type	Stainless Steel
Operating Voltage	220 Volts
Operation Mode	ON-OFF
Part Number	Mod-Dimmer-5A-1L
Switch Type	Dimmer Switch
Unit Count	1.0 Count

1 Channel Arduino Light Dimmer, Arduino Dimmer Module, Arduino AC Light Dimmer Controller, AC Dimmer Module for Arduino, STM32, ARM, AVR, 3.3V/5V Logic, AC 50/60hz, 220V/110V

Details

Details

Description

Specifications

Reviews

Common Questions