I'm trying to build a circuit which allows an Arduino to control 6 channels of lighting from an old Strand Act 6 Dimmer.
These dimmers have 8-pin DIN connector on them like this specification. Pin 7 is +10V, Pin 8 is GND, and Pins 1-6 control the dimmers on channels 1-6. This is so that a variable resistor can be connected from GND to +10V, with its output going to one of the channels (so no powered controller is needed). However, I'd like to control 6 "variable resistors" from my Arduino using PWM.
I'm following this guide. My Arduino outputs PWM on 6 pins, each of which goes through its own filter circuit:
which produces a voltage between 0 and 10v at OUT. My question is: this 0-10V is relative to the Arduino's GND and +12V input power. Will simply connecting the OUT of each filter circuit and GND to the corresponding pin on the DIN connector work, or do I have to somehow make the 0-10V OUT correspond to the +10V/GND coming from the dimmer?
Best Answer
You should be fine connecting the signals directly, with GND tied to the DIN GND pin. You do not need to connect at all to the +10V coming from the dimmer.
The 12V supply (if regulated) should be okay to power the LM324.