Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 3:35 pm
Producing a low delay igniton is not difficult and does not require the long runs of HV wires. Standard insulation for low voltage use is sufficient and voltages in the 100 to 300 volt range work fine for producing a high current discharge for low lag ignition.
Design with the high current portion having short leads so the wire resistance as well as inductance is minimal.
Using disposable camera flash units provides all the nessary circuitery to provide the hard to make high voltage generation and energy storage needed.
Remove the original flashtube and use just the inverter and flash cap. Add the high current SCR. the SCR triggering can be completed with the output of your timing circuit. The high voltage and current can heat a fine wire to incandescence in less than a few hundred nanoseconds.
A home made electric match can then be triggered with explosive speeds.
Standard low voltage wire can be used for the long runs from the timer sequencer and the CDI ignition used to trigger the events. If you use standard RF transmission line termination practices for the signal line, reliable propagation delays will provide trigger speeds with the absolute minimum delay.
Propagation delay in standard twisted pair network cable is in the order of 2/3 the speed of light, a minimum delay indeed.
Standard CAT 5 network cable can be used to initiate charging of the HV units, monitor the charge state, and trigger the discharge sequence of events.
Design with the high current portion having short leads so the wire resistance as well as inductance is minimal.
Using disposable camera flash units provides all the nessary circuitery to provide the hard to make high voltage generation and energy storage needed.
Remove the original flashtube and use just the inverter and flash cap. Add the high current SCR. the SCR triggering can be completed with the output of your timing circuit. The high voltage and current can heat a fine wire to incandescence in less than a few hundred nanoseconds.
A home made electric match can then be triggered with explosive speeds.
Standard low voltage wire can be used for the long runs from the timer sequencer and the CDI ignition used to trigger the events. If you use standard RF transmission line termination practices for the signal line, reliable propagation delays will provide trigger speeds with the absolute minimum delay.
Propagation delay in standard twisted pair network cable is in the order of 2/3 the speed of light, a minimum delay indeed.
Standard CAT 5 network cable can be used to initiate charging of the HV units, monitor the charge state, and trigger the discharge sequence of events.
makes me feel better about the massive "guinness burger" I consumed last night 
