cap dump schematic questions

[Gary Hammond]

Hi Cmor,

Hi guys, ...........A quick question. The schematic shows a diode between the top of the power windings/battery positive and the 555 chip. Do all the power windings go through one diode or is there a separate diode for each winding?

All the power windings connect to the primary battery positive. There is only one diode between the 555 chip and the primary battery positive.

[Cmor]

Hi Gary,
Thanks.

I’m assuming the battery is never the source of current to the 555 chip, but that instead it's powered by current from the power windings (produced by the approach of each magnet). Is that right?

[Gary Hammond]

Hi Cmor,

Hi Gary,
Thanks.

I’m assuming the battery is never the source of current to the 555 chip, but that instead it's powered by current from the power windings (produced by the approach of each magnet). Is that right?

NO! The 555 is powered by the primary battery.

[Cmor]

Thanks Gary.

I'll confess, originally I thought it was the battery, but then I checked the max. supply current on the 555 datasheet and it was only 200 uA, not 100's of amps like the battery can deliver. But... I also read "HIGH INPUT IMPEDANCE : 10 Ω", and thought maybe that drops the amps down enough.

But...being a beginner (posting on the intermediate forum because cap dumps aren't a beginner topic) without a good grasp on current direction, I thought, if battery current flows from - to + perhaps it's not the source (though I also couldn't see a return path from the power windings).

Lots of room for error at my level.

So how is it that the battery doesn't cook the 555?

[Gary Hammond]

Hi Cmor,

I checked the max. supply current on the 555 datasheet and it was only 200 uA, not 100's of amps like the battery can deliver.

Check again. It's 200 ma, not 200ua. And it also says the following.

The output circuit is capable of sinking or sourcing current up to 200 mA. Operation is specified for supplies of
5 V to 15 V.

So how is it that the battery doesn't cook the 555?

The battery, at only 12.0 to 13.0 volts, is less than the 15 volt max supply voltage for the device. The output current of the device is controlled by the load (resistance) applied to it.

I=E/R P=EI

[Cmor]

Thanks, that helps.

Is the current powering the 555 flowing from the battery’s positive to negative post, or the reverse?

What is the function of the capacitor after the diode, before the chip?

[Gary Hammond]

Hi Cmor,

Thanks, that helps.

Is the current powering the 555 flowing from the battery’s positive to negative post, or the reverse?

What is the function of the capacitor after the diode, before the chip?

The "conventional" or Heavyside flow is from positive to negative. The "electron" current flow is from negative to positive.

I'm not sure the diode and capacitor are even really needed. I think they are there to filter out any voltage fluctuations or spikes from affecting the 555 input voltage.

[Darren Parrish]

Guys, this is Darren Parrish, I haven't posted much since long before the forum changed. Like everyone else here, I can't explain how bad it is that we lost John. I really wanted to make it to one of his rally's before but never had the money to make it there. Any way, I'm back in the game now and I've made a couple of simple circuits that I have questions about. And I would like to either hear from Tom C or John K if possible. Oh, BTW, I first apologize for posting this on the wrong place or whatever but as I said, I haven't been on here in a while and I'm not real familiar with how to post properly and I need help getting back into the swing of things. I made the very first ssg with only one battery and my resistor got hot no matter what resistor i used. It was 1/4w resistors so I got a 15w per resistor with a large aluminum heatsink and it still got hot so I sat that project on the back burner for a bit. It ran and didn't blow so it still works. I built a solidstate with a transistor a 2k,10k and 18k resistor and a trifilalar coil, except I left the cap dump end off and replaced it with a charge battery to simplify my first attempt at the circuit to be sure I get it right. You know, baby steps. Anyway, again, the 2k 2w resister gets hot. What am I doing wrong. Or is it right and the parts aren't large enough?

[Darren Parrish]

I have a pic of the latter circuit but dont know how to post it to show you my build.