Question about triads that can be used instead of relays

[prathyks]

I was working on a home automation project. I was wondering if relays are the only option to switch AC appliances like light bulb, fan through a microcontroller.

I also heard about triads, solid state relays. can they be used instead of relays. The relays which i have chosen now are of 12v coil rating with 230vac 10amp switching.

So are there any triads, or solid state relays that can be used instead of the above mentioned relays. ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[betwixt]

Re: Regarding the Triads

Triads = Mafia like organizations, mostly based in and around China.
Triacs = solid state AC switches.

You can usually use a triac in place of a relay but you need to be aware of some limitations: they do not provide any voltage isolation between the control voltage (gate pin) and the circuit they are switching, they can be difficult to control with some types of load and finally, they drop a small amount of voltage and therefore generate some heat. All of these issues except the heat can be overcome with some additional support circuits, however, do not think of them as a "drop-in" replacement for a conventional relay.

Brian.