SCR stands for silicon controlled rectifier. It acts as a heavy-duty electronic switch that conducts current in only one direction once triggered by a pulse at its gate terminal. Once turned on, it stays latched in conduction until the current drops below a specific holding threshold, making it ideal for motor controls and power regulators.
The motor controller keeps blowing the main SCR when it tries to brake under full load.
Because an SCR latches on, you cannot turn it off simply by removing the gate signal. The main circuit current must be interrupted or driven to zero.
Also heard as
- thyristor
Related terms
Thyristor
A four-layer semiconductor device that acts as a bistable switch for high-power applications.
Triac
A three-terminal semiconductor device that controls alternating current in both directions.
Power electronics
The branch of electrical engineering focused on the conversion and control of electric power.