pic16f84 to control ac appliances

[vortech1]

pic16f84 with solid state relays to control ac appliances ---

what i need -- circuit to make pic16f84 to turn on or off using solid state relays.have'nt used ssr's yet so i need help. if it is possible, can anyone teach tell me if it is possible for the pic to know if there is an appliance plugged in or none using some sort of a sensor.as simple as possible please.

appliances to control --
lighting flo-lamps and flo bulbs
tv
fridge
electric fans
etc...

i need maximal ac protection from all dc components such as the pic.

when i was using mechanical relays to switch on or off ac lines i used optoisolator. with ssr's should i still use one???

thanks -vortech

 

[Oznog]

Relays don't need optoisolators, as long as the coil can be driven off of 5V. They do need a diode to catch the inductive kickback. You don't need optoisolators or protection diodes with an SSR.

 

[Exo]

Oznog, He's talking 'bout solid state relays, they don't work with coils... Its a purely electronic solution...

vortech1. Many solid state relays have opto-isolation built in, check the datasheet of the part you're using.
In this case you can just drive it directly from the pic