12
User ManUal
v1.6
Startup and Shutdown Procedure
A.
Start with no cables connected to your tinyTesla coil, and
AC power
cable UNPLUGGED.
B.
First, confirm that your interrupter is working by connecting it to a laptop and
verifying that it responds normally by observing the output of the fiber optic
transmitter. As you raise and lower the power, the output should become
brighter and dimmer accordingly. Set whatever computer program you’re
using to only slightly above its
lowest power setting
and pause output to
the interrupter.
C.
Connect the fiber to the coil and the interrupter, and space the interrupter
the full length of the fiber from the coil.
D.
FIRST plug the power cable into the coil, THEN plug it into AC power.
Ca
ution! The board is now energized.
Proceed with extreme caution.
Note that the coil can be loud when it turns on. This procedure ensures that you’re
not handling the coil at the moment you power it up, in case it behaves unexpectedly. If the fuse blows or you notice
something else unusual happen, UNPLUG THE COIL IMMEDIATELY and proceed to the troubleshooting steps ahead.
E.
Use your laptop to send a MIDI signal to the interrupter at low power. You should see and hear a small, clean-sounding spark
coming from the breakout point. If it looks OK, slowly increase the power while watching for any problems such as flashover
on the secondary, arcing to the antenna, arcing inside the coil, or any other strange behavior.
F.
To stop operation, use your control software to stop sending MIDI signals to the interrupter. Always stop your coil using the
interrupter rather than cutting AC power!
G.
WAIT 5 MINUTES AFTER TURNING OFF THE COIL TO ALLOW CAPACITORS TO DISCHARGE.
ADULT
SUPERVISION
REQUIRED
Every time you turn on the coil
Reference this startup procedure every time you
turn on the coil!
Every time you turn off the coil
To turn off the coil, FIRST cut the interrupter
signal first, THEN cut AC power. Cutting off the
coil from AC power while the interrupter is still
sending a signal can cause indeterminate states
in the logic circuitry as the voltage rails sag, and
can blow your IGBT bridge!
STEP 14:
Full-system troubleshooting
Do a Thorough Check
First do a visual inspection of your board. The vast majority of
problems are caused by faulty component installation, which can
be caught before you apply power to the coil. Thoroughly check
the following:
n
Signal diodes (1N4148s) and bridge rectifiers are
oriented correctly.
n
Electrolytic capacitors are oriented correctly.
n
5V and 15V regulators are in their correct locations and
have not been swapped.
n
Correct chips are in each socket, and chips are installed
in the proper direction.
n
Soldering looks neat and clean.
Next, let’s do a multimeter check of the IGBTs. If something
doesn’t check out here, DO NOT power up the board. Something
is wrong with your IGBTs or their installation.
n
Meter between pins 1 and 3 of each IGBT and verify that
you read a short.
n
Confirm that with the + probe of your multimeter on the
middle pin of Q1 and the - probe of multimeter on the
middle pin of Q2, you read open.
n
Meter between pins 1 and 3 of X1, the large 3-pin
connector. You should not read a dead short.
Finally, check a few important mechanical things:
n
There are about 450 ohms between the toroid and the
ground prong of the power plug.
n
The breakout point is mounted properly and is pointing in
a direction away from the antenna. You should never arc
to the antenna.
n
The wire at the top of the secondary is taut and not
sagging into the secondary tube. Likewise, there are no
drips of glue or stray bits inside the secondary tube.
n
The antenna and primary connector are plugged in. You’re
using the full length of the optical fiber to distance
yourself and the interrupter from your Tesla coil.
n
Your USB cable is short and/or coiled tightly to avoid
picking up noise. The control laptop is unplugged from
its charger.
You can now attempt to turn on the coil, as most failure modes
result in the coil doing nothing or underperforming, rather than
damaging the board. If you want to be more conservative, follow
the complete troubleshooting procedure in Step 15.
Before you follow the startup procedure, read through all of the
procedures and failure modes described in the next pages to
know what to expect!
