Ignition Coil Question

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- Bradford Hunter
  
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posted
20 years ago

Mon, Dec 15, 2003 6:49 AM

I'm building an ESD tester for integrated circuits (transmission line pulser). I need a high voltage power supply (2kV to 5kV). Unfortunately, our lab doesn't have a high voltage power supply so I want to use an ignition coil to feed current through a high voltage diode to charge a coaxial cable (blocked by an high voltage optically isolated relay on the other end). Old fashion automotive ignition coils seem unelegant. Does anyone know of inductor coil type products that can provide sharp high voltage spikes for short durations using a low voltage supply? What would such products be called? Anything designed specifically for PCBs would be ideal.

Thanks in advance, Brad

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- Louis Bybee
  
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posted
20 years ago

Mon, Dec 15, 2003 8:20 AM

Use a Surge Generator. Many have the voltage capability you are looking for, and can also output significant current. The event duration is typically very short, but might produce exactly what you are after.

Enter "Surge Generator" in your search engine, and hold on.

Louis--

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- Airy R. Bean
  
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posted
20 years ago

Mon, Dec 15, 2003 8:52 AM

What is important is the rapid collapse of the primary current, (di/dt) and an ignition coil is a nice cheap way of achieving this.

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- Repeating Rifle
  
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posted
20 years ago

Mon, Dec 15, 2003 9:20 PM

in article snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com, Bradford Hunter at snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on 12/14/03 10:49 PM:

What is inelegant about a old fashioned automotive ignition coil? It is cheap and reliable. These are desireable characteristics for an engineering projedt.

If that still upsets your sensibilities, get a photoflash trigger transformer.

Bill

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- Random Electron
  
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posted
20 years ago

Tue, Dec 16, 2003 5:03 PM

Repeating Rifle wrote in news:BC0365CD.1BE5% snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net:

Hi, While there is nothing inelegant about an auto ignition coil, one has to build the test circuit and calibrate it. One has to decide whether or not they are in the test equipment business or their mainstream business.

That being said, contact Dash Strauss and Goodhue. They make ESD testing equipment. If you will be doing alot of testing, you may want to buy it. If not, maybe they will rent the equipment to you. Alternatively, you may want to hire them to do the testing. BTW, UL also does this type of testing.

Good luck.