Dimmer with a power supply circuit

A dimmer system comprising:

• a lighting load;
• a hot conductor electrically coupled to a power source;
• a load conductor electrically coupled to the load;
• and
• a dimmer electrically coupled to the hot conductor and the load conductor, the dimmer comprising:
• a power supply circuit comprising a current limiter and a switch, the power supply circuit electrically coupled to a power source and the lighting load, wherein current is channeled to the lighting load via the current limiter during a power-on of the dimmer and via the switch during operation of the dimmer after the power-on;
• a triode for alternating current (TRIAC) control circuit electrically coupled to the power source and the lighting load, wherein the TRIAC control circuit is structured to control operation of a TRIAC configured to control an amount of power supplied to the lighting load;
• and
• a processing unit electrically coupled to the power supply circuit and the TRIAC control circuit, wherein the processing unit is structured to control the switch and the TRIAC control circuit after the power-on.

A method for providing power to a dimmer for use with a lighting load, the method comprising:

• channeling input current to the lighting load via a current limiter of the dimmer during a power-on of the dimmer;
• activating a processing unit of the dimmer based at least in part on the power-on of the dimmer;
• channeling the input current via a switch and by-passing the current limiter, for operation of the dimmer after the power-on, wherein the activated processing unit causes the switch to be closed;
• supplying power to the lighting load by controlling a triode for alternating current (TRIAC) control circuit of the dimmer.