Switching and sense circuit

Question

The Below mentioned circuit switches 12V when the OPTO sense high voltage

The Strings of LEDs is connected to OUT1 and also an SPST switch is also connected externally (not shown in image). The Switch is connected to 12V on side and another side to OUT1.

When Switch(SPST) is ON, i.e 12V is short with OUT1 for short time, the OPTO senses High-level voltage and MCU turns on the MOSFET producing flashing effect at OUT1. The moment MOSFET is turned ON, there will be high voltage at the OPTO as well as at the OUT1. This won't have any effect until the OPTO continuously senses High Voltage for 5 secs and MCU will turn off the MOSFET, which will happen only when the switch (SPST) is short for 5 secs, the output from MOSFET will in switching state (1sec on/off), so it can't be continuous of 5 secs.

The 5 secs delay in sensing is used to differentiate between the Actual high voltage from the switch(SPST) and the output from MOSFET.

Now the issue is with 5 sec delay which is undesirable, 1sec can work but with the kind of switching pattern, it will overlap and the everytime pattern starts the MCU will shut it off.

How can the circuit be modified with very fewer components so that, the voltage from the MOSFET side does not go to OPTO and only goes to the OUT1 ? And Whenever Voltage comes from the OUT1 Connector, the Opto should sense that.

Answer 1

How can the circuit be modified with very fewer components so that, the voltage from the MOSFET side does not go to OPTO and only goes to the IN/OUT connector? And Whenever Voltage comes from the IN/OUT Connector, the Opto should sense that, doesn't matter if it goes to MOSFET drain or not.

My deciphering of this requirement is:

• I want to detect if LEDs are being powered from the MOSFET or from the manual switch.
• How can I signal this via opto-isolator to the MCU?

^{simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab}

Figure 1. (a) Original circuit. (b) By reconfiguring the opto isolator we can sense current direction.

How Figure 1b works:

• If MOSFET is on current flows to LEDs through D3. You will lose 0.7 V on the LED supply. 12 mA will flow through R2. Opto-LED will be reverse biased and will be off.
• If MOSFET is off and MANUAL switch is on then D2, the opto-LED is forward biased and Q2 will turn on.
• If MOSFET is on AND the manual switch is on then D2 will be off.

If the MOSFET is on and you want to detect whether the manual switch has been closed or not you will have to periodically switch the MOSFET off for long enough to detect the opto-isolator turn on. A short blink every 100 ms or so shouldn't be noticable.