Project

How to Use Relays to Control High-Voltage Circuits with an Arduino

June 11, 2015 by Jennifer A. Diffley

To control high-voltage or high-power circuits with an Arduino, you have to isolate them from the Arduino with a relay. Here's how!

To control high-voltage or high-power circuits with an Arduino, you have to isolate them from the Arduino with a relay. Here's how!

Circuits that operate at high voltages or at high currents cannot be controlled directly by an Arduino. Instead, you use a low-voltage control signal from the Arduino to control a relay, which is capable of handling and switching high-voltage or high-power circuits. A relay consists of an electromagnet that, when energized, causes a switch to close or open. Relays provide complete electrical isolation between the control circuit and the circuit being controlled. 

 

Pins in a Typical Relay

A relay typically has five pins:

  1. Coil input pin1. This is generally connected to the positive terminal of your signal source.
  2. Coil input pin2. This is generally connected to the negative terminal of your signal source.
  3. Normally Open pin(NO). This pin is normally not connected to the common pin, it is connected when the relay is activated.
  4. Normally closed pin(NC). This pin is normally connected to common pin and is disconnected when relay is activated.
  5. Common. In most of the cases, this pin is connected to the ground of the source we use to drive the appliance.

 

 

Contactor

Contactor

 

Project: Controlling High-Voltage Circuits with a Relay and an Arduino

 

In this tutorial, we will turn on a 12V motor using a relay. An optocoupler is added to provide even more isolation between the Arduino and the high-power load. 

 

Hardware Required

 

Click here for complete BOM.

 

Wiring Diagram

 

The circuit shown in the diagram below uses a relay to switch 12V across a DC motor. To turn on the motor, the program writes a HIGH value to pin 3, which activates the optocoupler which in turn switches on the transistor. When the transistor turns on, current flows through the relay coil causing the relay to close, which connects 12V across the motor, making it spin.

 

Circuit 1

 

Arduino Code

void setup() {
  pinMode(3,OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(3,HIGH);   // motor runs for one sec
  delay(1000); 
  digitalWrite(3,LOW);    // motor stops for one sec  
  delay(1000);
}

relays_with_arduino.ino.zip

Watch the Project Video

Give this project a try for yourself! Get the BOM.

5 Comments
  • D
    Diane253 October 18, 2015

    Can you supply resistor values and part numbers for diode and the transistor? Also I notice an IC you make no mention of

    Like. Reply
  • Dan Copeland June 22, 2016

    wow very informative, Im so glad a joined this site.  wtf you have an ic in there? if your gonna writing something then actually put some effort into it d-bag.

    Like. Reply
  • Ryan Bell August 29, 2016

    Seriously….thats the best you can do???? Soooooo here’s an obvious question a beginner may ask…....if your using the Arduino to control the relay which will control the motor, then why are you using a transistor? You make no mention of that or the reasoning behind it. Useless article with the most BASIC info on relays possible.

    Oh and whats even funnier, it was posted by “Editorial Team”......It took them a WHOLE TEAM to write this article….amazing….. lololol

    Like. Reply