of course you may not have or wish to carry around the computer,
but the circuits are still valid for use with stand alone controllers based
upon a 4017 or a PIC micro
First, it would help if you would post in the thread you started on this topic.
You need to provide a fairly detailed block diagram of what you want, with it partioned and labeled - I can do this block, I need help on that block. Your most recent description doesn't sound much like the original one.
Be aware that you still may not find anyone with the knowledge or time to solve all your problems.
The best way to get help on a project like this is to post a plan/ idea for how you think is should be done and get feedback from us or ask a more specific question about the implementation. Really broad questions are hard to answer.
To answer your question about mains switching: What you need is a triac and a triac opto isolator with a zero crossing detector. Triacs let you switch AC power. The opto-isolator keeps your digital circuit safe from the mains. If you google on triac circuits and triac opto isolators you should find tons of info. The zero crossing detector only turns on the triac when the voltage is low to keep from broadcasting tons of interfearance.
The diagram is fine BUT stop at the triac 100 VOLTS AND before the lamp.
I'm looking for an add on circuit to switch polarisation.
I NEED TO MAKE THE LIVE NEGITVE AND THE NEGITVE LIVE
I could use a relay to switch LIVE & NEGITIVE but wondered if there was another way using triac type switching so I don't have to use relay's
TRIAC == {LIVE TO NEGITVE SWITCHING AND VICE VERSA} == LAMP
IT COULD BE I STILL HAVE TO USE A RELAY TO DO THIS BIT BUT WONDERED IF THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY.
TO DO MAINS SWITCHING ?
The only sensible way would be to use a relay, but (more importantly) WHY do you want to this?.
Mains is AC, and not polarised - the two wires are LIVE and NEUTRAL, not positive or negative - the only difference is that the neutral wire is grounded at the substation, and is the common wire for three phase.
If I understand you correctly you want to have a control input that switches all the lights that would be on, off and all the off lights on. If this is what you want you should switch the control inputs not the triac circuit. An XOR gate will allow you to have a input that inverts (i.e. changes the on signal to an off signal and vice versa) the control signal.
I think the words you are using are confusing people. Live and negative are words used for two different things so when you put them together its quite confusing. The triac circuit lets you switch the lights on and off - if you stick to the words on and off for the lights, and high (positive voltage) and low(0 V) for the control signals people will understand you much better.