Multiple location load control system
A multiple location load control system comprises a main device and remote devices, which do not require neutral connections, but allow for visual and audible feedback at the main device and the remote devices. The main device and the remote devices are adapted to be coupled together via an accessory wiring. The main device can be wired on the line side and the load side of the load control system. The main device is configured to enable a charging path to allow the remote devices to charge power supplies through the accessory wiring during a first time period of a half cycle of the AC power source. The main device and the remote devices are configured to communicate with each other via the accessory wiring during a second time period of the half cycle, for example, by actively pulling-up and actively pulling-down the accessory wiring to communicate using tri-state logic.
1. A load control device for use in a load control system for controlling an amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, the load control system comprising a remote control device adapted to be coupled to the load control device via an electrical wire, the load control device comprising:
a controllably conductive device adapted to be electrically coupled in series between the AC power source and the electrical load;
a control circuit configured to control the controllably conductive device to control the amount of power delivered to the electrical load using a forward phase control technique, the control circuit configured to render the controllably conductive device conductive at a transition time during a present half cycle of the AC power source and to render the controllably conductive device non-conductive at approximately the end of the present half cycle; and
a communication circuit adapted to be coupled to the electrical wire, the communication circuit configured to conduct a charging current for a power supply of the remote control device through the electrical wire, the communication circuit responsive to the control circuit to control the electrical wire between an active pull-up state and an active pull-down state to transmit a digital message to the remote control device via the electrical wire;
wherein the control circuit is configured to control the communication circuit to generate a high impedance state on the electrical wire when the communication circuit is not transmitting a digital message to the remote control device, the control circuit further configured to control the communication circuit to provide the active pull-up state on the electrical wire before or during the transition time of the controllably conductive device when the communication circuit is not transmitting a digital message to the remote control device.
2. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuit comprises a first switching circuit adapted to be coupled between the AC power source and the electrical wire, the first switching circuit configured to conduct the charging current for the power supply of the remote control device through the electrical wire during a charging time period of the half cycle of the AC power source.
3. The load control device of claim 2 , wherein the communication circuit comprises a second switching circuit adapted to be coupled between the electrical wire and a circuit common, the control circuit configured to render the first switching circuit conductive and the second switching circuit non-conductive to generate the active pull-up state, and to render the first switching circuit non-conductive and the second switching circuit conductive to generate the active pull-down state, the control circuit configured to render the first and second switching circuits conductive and non-conductive on a complementary basis to transmit the digital message to the remote control device via the electrical wire during a communication time period of the half cycle of the AC power source.
4. The load control device of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is configured to render the first and second switching circuits non-conductive to generate the high impedance state on the electrical wire.
5. The load control device of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the high impedance state on the electrical wire outside of the charging time period and the communication time period of the half cycle of the AC power source.
6. The load control device of claim 3 , wherein the charging time period and the communication time period occur during positive half-cycles of the AC power source.
7. The load control device of claim 1 , wherein a length of the transition time is approximately 200 microseconds.
8. A method for a main load control device to control an amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, to power a power supply of a remote control device, and to communicate between the main load control device and the remote control device, the method comprising:
controlling an electrical wire coupled to the remote control device between an active pull-up state and an active pull-down state to transmit a digital message to the remote control device via the electrical wire during a present half cycle of the AC power source;
generating a high impedance state on the electrical wire when the main load control device is not transmitting the digital message to the remote control device during the present half cycle;
controlling the electrical wire to be in the active pull-up state during the present half cycle when the main load control device is not transmitting a digital message to the remote control device and before or while rendering conductive a controllably conductive device of the main load control device, the controllably conductive device adapted to be electrically coupled in series between the AC power source and the electrical load;
rendering the controllably conductive device conductive during the present half cycle to conduct a charging current to charge the power supply of the remote control device through the electrical wire; and
controlling the amount of power delivered from the AC power source to the electrical load using a forward phase control technique, wherein the controllably conductive device is rendered conductive at a transition time during the present half cycle of the AC power source.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
controlling the electrical wire between the active pull-up state and the active pull-down state to transmit the digital message to the remote control device when the controllably conductive device is non-conductive during the present half cycle of the AC power source;
generating the high impedance state on the electrical wire when the main load control device is not transmitting the digital message to the remote control device when the controllably conductive device is non-conductive during the present half cycle of the AC power source.