SSR to replace physical push button

Hi all,

I'm struggling with something I assumed should be rather easy. I want to make or break contact between two points via software.

I have tried with transistors, darlington arrays and currently testing Solid state relays but I just can't get my head fully around it.

The idea is to make a sequencer for a bunch of circuit bent instruments. I have a number of devices from radios, guitar practice amps, toys, etc. already altered with the usual stuff (pots, ldrs, push buttons). What I need at the moment is to be able to control the connections made by the push buttons remotely so that I can load sequences and improvise on top of.

I thought relays would do the trick but my current tests have not worked. I assumed that just providing the required voltage should make a connection on the pins of the ssr but it is not working. All example circuits I've seen online assume that I want to turn things on/off so there is a shared ground connection to the arduino and additional circuitry. The bent instruments I am using all range from 5 to 9V and I don't want to feed a power source, just control the connection between random points in a circuit which depending on the instrument might be carrying a different voltage.

Is this feasible with SSRs?
Is there any other component that I don't know of that might do the job?

Any pointers welcome

Is this feasible with SSRs?
Is there any other component that I don't know of that might do the job?

Any pointers welcome

Your best bet is to use old fashion electromechanical relays and wire the contact outputs of the relays across the mechanical contacts of the switches you wish to emulate turning on and off. A prebuild relay board would probably get you going in minimum time.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Channel-5V-Relay-Module-With-Optocoupler-For-Arduino-DSP-AVR-PIC-ARM-/221168633917?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337ead883d

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Channel-5V-Relay-Module-With-Optocoupler-For-Arduino-DSP-AVR-PIC-ARM-/321057473068?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac084422c

http://www.ebay.com/itm/8-Channel-5V-Relay-Shield-Module-For-Arduino-UNO-2560-1280-ARM-PIC-AVR-STM32-/221173575541?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337ef8ef75

Lefty

I agree with retrolefty.

An SSR is used to switch a mains powered (AC) device.

Thanks lads,

I've ordered a board from the ones recommended by retrolefty and will report once I get it to see if it gets the job done.

Thanks a lot again

  • Miguel