High Voltage Generating Circuits!

Updated slightly 3/22/2011, mostly by deleting known-obsolete links.

These are various circuits to generate voltages in the thousands of volts from low voltage DC.
Circuits generally useful for xenon flash applications (trigger circuits and circuits to charge flash energy storage capacitors) are not included here. For such circuits, go to the Xenon Flash Page.

Tesla coil stuff I have separately in my Tesla Coil Page, updated 3/6/2021.

This High Voltage Circuit Site is still under construction.

Meanwhile, you may want one of these circuits from Sam Goldwasser.

One of these, hvgen.ps, is in Post-Script format.

Download the PKZIPed version, hv555.zip.

If you can use something made to power He-Ne lasers, look in Sam Goldwasser's Giant Laser FAQ. (V. 9.10 as of 9/1 2009, over 7 meg broken into pieces generally under 600K plus approx. 250-300 GIFs and JPEGs.)

Another one from Sam Goldwasser using a flyback transformer.
This circuit typically uses voltages near 12 volts to maybe 24 volts. You have to put your own primary winding on the flyback transformer, but this is easy and lets you use almost any flyback transformer.

Newer version 1.20 as of 6/29/97) A newer version of Sam Goldwasser's high voltage inverter stuff!
(Added to this site 11/3/98.)

A 12 volt fly zapper circuit can be found on Page 40 of the June 1996 issue of the magazine "Electronics Now". The fly zapper article begins on Page 39.

The ignition coil circuit is here! This uses a 555 timer IC, a power MOSFET, and an ignition coil. It works at supply voltages from about 8 to 15 volts. Updated 10/24/2000.

Mike's Electric Stuff This has plenty of high voltage stuff including Marx generators.

A flyback transformer driver at Circuits City.

Sam Barros' Site, with lots of high voltage stuff of all sorts.

Sam Barros' Flyback Transformer Stuff.

Jochen's High Voltage Page.

Written by Don Klipstein.

Please read my Copyright and authorship info.

Please beware that these high voltage circuits may be capable of causing dangerous and possibly fatal electric shocks. Use these only at your own risk, and observe all due precautions.

Please read my Disclaimer.

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