you need a datasheet: e.g. 
http://www.st.com/stonline/books/toc/ds/336.htm
You can see the terminals A1 A2 and G in the picture :-).

Normally the gate threshold is approx 1 volt @25C (with my T1235 here).
Simply try it out. I think it depends on terminal voltage (can be 600V)
temperature and so on. Some of your parameters are fixed and known; so it
is not a big problem. 

Matthias

On Wed, Feb 12, 2003 at 12:56:19PM -0800, Robert Ritchey wrote:
> Hi Matthias,
> Sorry to bother you again with this but the Triacs I found in Digi-Key
> (which I am pretty much reliant on for prototyping) have gate thresholds
> of 0.2V at 110C to 2.0V at 25C.  Some are higher at 2.5V You mentioned
> a 1.0V threshold.  Also, I am not sure what A1 and A2 are connected to.
> Is A2 ground and A1 my input voltage?  Like I said, I know nothing about
> Triacs and have no literature on their operation.  The data sheet is not
> a lot of help.
> Thanks,
> 
> At 01:25 PM 2/11/03 -0800, Matthias Weingart wrote:
> >On Tue, Feb 11, 2003 at 12:39:12PM -0800, Robert Ritchey wrote:
> > > Thanks for the feedback on my options.  I am not familiar with the
> > > Triac/zener circuit.  In fact, I have never used a Triac. Is it just
> > > as you describe it below, Polyswitch in, Triac with a 4.5V (or close)
> > > zener on the gate with a 1nF cap?
> >
> >Right. (Low power) Zener between A2 and gate, 1nF between A1 and gate. Very
> >simple. Your circuit would never get killed; but however the wrong power
> >supply could be cooked.
> >  Dimensioning for 5 volts +-10% is difficult. Regulated power supplies
> >delivers 4.5 to 5.5 volts; choosing 5.1 zener +0.2...1.3 volts Triac
> >threshold will result in 5.3...6.4 volts for the triac getting fired. So
> >your device could be switched off from your normal supply too. I would
> >choose a 5.6 zener. (check the datasheets and the tolerances of zener and
> >triac).
> >
> >M.
> >
> > >
> > > At 12:14 PM 2/11/03 -0800, Matthias Weingart wrote:
> > > >On Tue, Feb 11, 2003 at 07:59:27AM -0800, Robert Ritchey wrote:
> > > >
> > > >My favourite solution is a combination of Polyswitch, Triac and Zener 
> > at the
> > > >gate of the Triac. This will protect from reverse power (<1.5V) and
> > > >overvoltage (zener voltage + 1V triac gate threshold). Do not forget a
> > > >capacitor (1nF?) from gate to ground, to protect from firing because 
> > of fast
> > > >rising input voltages or very short spikes. In case of fault, the current
> > > >flowing is only at the rated level of the Polyswitch and the power in the
> > > >triac is very low (1.5volts * polyswitch current).
> > > >
> > > >I remember there was a component called TRISIL that worked in this way.
> > > >But I think this is no longer available (why?).
> > > >
> > > >However I would always use a regulator on the board for the 5 volts +-10%
> > > >for a wide input voltage range and use a unregulated wall socket. That 
> > also
> > > >solves problems with the sometime quite high voltage drop over the poor
> > > >poor DC plugs.
> > > >
> > > >         Matthias
> 
> -Bob
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Robert Ritchey
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> 
> -- 
> Author: Robert Ritchey
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