Xenon Stroboscopic Light (ART152E)

Common xenon lamps are used in photographic cameras, beacons, and in stroboscopic light sources such as the one described here.

To trigger a xenon lamp, very high voltage pulses are necessary, up to 4 kilovolts or more, and to produce the light pulses a large capacitor is needed to provide the necessary energy.

In the circuit shown in Figure 1, a voltage doubler is used to charge the capacitor C2 with a voltage near 300 volts when plugged into the 117 VAC power line.

The power will depend on the value of the capacitors. Values between 10 and 22 µF are recommended.

Figure 1 – Schematic diagram of the Stroboscopic Xenon Lamp

The pulse rate is determined by P1. This component controls the speed of the C3’s charging process.

When C3 reaches about 80 volts, the neon lamp turns on. Then C3 discharges across T1, generating a fast, high-voltage pulse of about 4 kilovolts, enough to trigger the xenon lamp.

When triggered, the gas inside the lamp becomes onductive, allowing the capacitor C2 to discharge across the lamp. The result is a powerful flash of light.

When the capacitor C2 discharges, the lamp turns off and a new cycle of operation begins.

Any small xenon lamp powered by a few joules can be used. The trigger transformer can be bought with the lamp, but if you intend to use a lamp found an a old-style flash attached to a camera, the transformer can be wound as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 – The high-voltage coil

According to the lamp, you can change the capacitors C1 and C2 to get more power.