DIY DRSSTC Music Tesla coil with Interrupter using cheap Driver Module
A simple and relatively inexpensive way to make an efficient DRSSTC (Dual Resonance Solid State) Tesla coil.
DRSSTC (Dual resonant solid state tesla coil) is a type of Tesla coil that uses solid-state components, typically Mosfets or IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), for switching. The primary circuit consists of a resonant inductor and capacitor, which together form a resonant tank circuit.
Output Driver Circuit typically consist a half-bridge or full-bridge configuration for controlling the Mosfets, and Feedback Circuit serves to monitor the output and adjust firing patterns dynamically. This type of Tesla Coil has several advantages, including higher energy efficiency, greater control over pulse frequency, width, and amplitude and quieter operation.
Now I will present you a relatively simple way to make such a device, thanks to a cheap driver module that I got at a very low price of about 15 dollars.
Along with the module, the package consist a description in the form of a circuit diagram of the module, as well as a schematic representation of how to connect the Power part, which should contain mosfet or igbt transistors.
The PCB is solidly built and also contains a staccato interrupter circuit with two adjustment potentiometers, as well as an audio modulator with a potentiometer to control the modulation of the input audio signal for musical Tesla coil operation.
As you can see, I placed the components on a small plastic board, the two power semiconductors are mounted on an aluminum heatsink and the other elements are directly soldered to them or glued to the board with double-sided adhesive. The transformer is wound on a toroidal ferrite core with a diameter greater than 2cm and consists of three windings, two of 12 and one with 8 windings.
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More detailed instructions for making it can be found at the given Labcoatz Instructables site . Actually this is a very similar configuration, but performed with different components and instead of a QCW interrupter it contains a regular interrupter with partial frequency and duty cycle control. To power the half-bridge configuration of mosfets, I use a simple half-wave rectifier consisting of a fast diode and a 1 microfarad capacitor. I control the voltage with a 2kW variac.
At the beginning during testing the tesla works worked normally, but with a gradual increase in voltage at about 100V I encountered a big problem.
Namely, the mosfets burned out very often unexpectedly. This is the result: manu death mosfets. I found that the reason for this was the very poor quality of the core of the gate driver transformer. Shortly, the output signal of the transformer should be as close as possible to an ideal square wave signal. The greater the deviation, the faster the mosfets burn. Now I will show you a simple way to test the characteristics of a gate driver transformer which depends on the quality and composition of the core. For this purpose, on all unknown types of cores that I had at the moment, I wound 10 turns with a double wire taken from a network cable. One color is the input and the other color is the output of the transformer. Now we need a square wave generator, an oscilloscope, and a gate driver IC, in my case a TC426, but you can use any gate driver. At the input of the IC we bring a signal from the generator, and at the output we connect the primary of the transformer, as you can see in the diagram. At the output of the transformer, we connect an oscilloscope to observe the shape of the signal.
If you do not own a signal generator and an oscilloscope, you can simply test them with an inductance meter. Wind the same number of windings on all cores (for example 10) and measure the inductance of the coils thus prepared. The one with the highest coil inductance should be the most suitable for this purpose.
Now let's see how the transformer works in real conditions. First we test with a very low voltage of 20--30V bringing the CFL close to the secondary. If the bulb lights up, it is a sign that the transformer is oscillating, and we can gradually increase the voltage of the half-bridge power configuration. After choosing a suitable driver transformer, I have no problems in functioning, with a note that the highest voltage with which I tested the device is 150V. Unfortunately, at the moment I didn't have any more spare Mosfets, so I didn't want to carry out tests to the extreme limits. I expect Mosfets to arrive soon, as well as more powerful IGBT transistors, so then I plan to update the project with a QCW Staccato controller. It is interesting that during long-term operation of this Tesla coil, the temperature of the Mosfets did not exceed 35 degrees Celsius, which you can see on the thermal analysis that I made with a thermal camera.
I also made a small Arduino project for generating rectangular music.
The following are video inserts of the operation of this Tesla coil with different settings of the interrupter.
And finally a short conclusion. The purpose of this project was primarily to test this inexpensive driver board, and this was also my first DRSSTC Tesla Coil with a half-bridge configuration. As you could see, the module works quite solidly and stably and meets the needs for simple making of such a transformer. There is also a place on the board where an external interrupter can be connected, so as I mentioned before, in the next project I plan to make a QCW Tesla Coil.
SAFETY NOTE: Please do not attempt to recreate the experiments shown on this video unless you are familiar with High Voltage Safety Techniques! Direct Current even above 60V maybe lethal, even when the AC supply voltage has been disconnected due to the stored energy in the capacitors.
/*
Super Mario Bros - Overworld theme
Connect a piezo buzzer or speaker to pin 11 or select a new pin.
More songs available at https://github.com/robsoncouto/arduino-songs
Robson Couto, 2019
*/
#define NOTE_B0 31
#define NOTE_C1 33
#define NOTE_CS1 35
#define NOTE_D1 37
#define NOTE_DS1 39
#define NOTE_E1 41
#define NOTE_F1 44
#define NOTE_FS1 46
#define NOTE_G1 49
#define NOTE_GS1 52
#define NOTE_A1 55
#define NOTE_AS1 58
#define NOTE_B1 62
#define NOTE_C2 65
#define NOTE_CS2 69
#define NOTE_D2 73
#define NOTE_DS2 78
#define NOTE_E2 82
#define NOTE_F2 87
#define NOTE_FS2 93
#define NOTE_G2 98
#define NOTE_GS2 104
#define NOTE_A2 110
#define NOTE_AS2 117
#define NOTE_B2 123
#define NOTE_C3 131
#define NOTE_CS3 139
#define NOTE_D3 147
#define NOTE_DS3 156
#define NOTE_E3 165
#define NOTE_F3 175
#define NOTE_FS3 185
#define NOTE_G3 196
#define NOTE_GS3 208
#define NOTE_A3 220
#define NOTE_AS3 233
#define NOTE_B3 247
#define NOTE_C4 262
#define NOTE_CS4 277
#define NOTE_D4 294
#define NOTE_DS4 311
#define NOTE_E4 330
#define NOTE_F4 349
#define NOTE_FS4 370
#define NOTE_G4 392
#define NOTE_GS4 415
#define NOTE_A4 440
#define NOTE_AS4 466
#define NOTE_B4 494
#define NOTE_C5 523
#define NOTE_CS5 554
#define NOTE_D5 587
#define NOTE_DS5 622
#define NOTE_E5 659
#define NOTE_F5 698
#define NOTE_FS5 740
#define NOTE_G5 784
#define NOTE_GS5 831
#define NOTE_A5 880
#define NOTE_AS5 932
#define NOTE_B5 988
#define NOTE_C6 1047
#define NOTE_CS6 1109
#define NOTE_D6 1175
#define NOTE_DS6 1245
#define NOTE_E6 1319
#define NOTE_F6 1397
#define NOTE_FS6 1480
#define NOTE_G6 1568
#define NOTE_GS6 1661
#define NOTE_A6 1760
#define NOTE_AS6 1865
#define NOTE_B6 1976
#define NOTE_C7 2093
#define NOTE_CS7 2217
#define NOTE_D7 2349
#define NOTE_DS7 2489
#define NOTE_E7 2637
#define NOTE_F7 2794
#define NOTE_FS7 2960
#define NOTE_G7 3136
#define NOTE_GS7 3322
#define NOTE_A7 3520
#define NOTE_AS7 3729
#define NOTE_B7 3951
#define NOTE_C8 4186
#define NOTE_CS8 4435
#define NOTE_D8 4699
#define NOTE_DS8 4978
#define REST 0
// change this to make the song slower or faster
int tempo = 200;
// change this to whichever pin you want to use
int buzzer = 11;
// notes of the moledy followed by the duration.
// a 4 means a quarter note, 8 an eighteenth , 16 sixteenth, so on
// !!negative numbers are used to represent dotted notes,
// so -4 means a dotted quarter note, that is, a quarter plus an eighteenth!!
int melody[] = {
// Super Mario Bros theme
// Score available at https://musescore.com/user/2123/scores/2145
// Theme by Koji Kondo
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_E5,8, REST,8, NOTE_E5,8, REST,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_E5,8, //1
NOTE_G5,4, REST,4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4,
NOTE_C5,-4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_E4,-4, // 3
NOTE_A4,4, NOTE_B4,4, NOTE_AS4,8, NOTE_A4,4,
NOTE_G4,-8, NOTE_E5,-8, NOTE_G5,-8, NOTE_A5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_G5,8,
REST,8, NOTE_E5,4,NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,8, NOTE_B4,-4,
NOTE_C5,-4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_E4,-4, // repeats from 3
NOTE_A4,4, NOTE_B4,4, NOTE_AS4,8, NOTE_A4,4,
NOTE_G4,-8, NOTE_E5,-8, NOTE_G5,-8, NOTE_A5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_G5,8,
REST,8, NOTE_E5,4,NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,8, NOTE_B4,-4,
REST,4, NOTE_G5,8, NOTE_FS5,8, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_DS5,4, NOTE_E5,8,//7
REST,8, NOTE_GS4,8, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_C4,8, REST,8, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,8,
REST,4, NOTE_DS5,4, REST,8, NOTE_D5,-4,
NOTE_C5,2, REST,2,
REST,4, NOTE_G5,8, NOTE_FS5,8, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_DS5,4, NOTE_E5,8,//repeats from 7
REST,8, NOTE_GS4,8, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_C4,8, REST,8, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,8,
REST,4, NOTE_DS5,4, REST,8, NOTE_D5,-4,
NOTE_C5,2, REST,2,
NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_C5,8, REST,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,4,//11
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_G4,2,
NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_C5,8, REST,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,8, NOTE_E5,8,//13
REST,1,
NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_C5,8, REST,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,4,
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_G4,2,
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_E5,8, REST,8, NOTE_E5,8, REST,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_E5,4,
NOTE_G5,4, REST,4, NOTE_G4,4, REST,4,
NOTE_C5,-4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_E4,-4, // 19
NOTE_A4,4, NOTE_B4,4, NOTE_AS4,8, NOTE_A4,4,
NOTE_G4,-8, NOTE_E5,-8, NOTE_G5,-8, NOTE_A5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_G5,8,
REST,8, NOTE_E5,4, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,8, NOTE_B4,-4,
NOTE_C5,-4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_E4,-4, // repeats from 19
NOTE_A4,4, NOTE_B4,4, NOTE_AS4,8, NOTE_A4,4,
NOTE_G4,-8, NOTE_E5,-8, NOTE_G5,-8, NOTE_A5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_G5,8,
REST,8, NOTE_E5,4, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,8, NOTE_B4,-4,
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_GS4,4,//23
NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_F5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_A4,2,
NOTE_D5,-8, NOTE_A5,-8, NOTE_A5,-8, NOTE_A5,-8, NOTE_G5,-8, NOTE_F5,-8,
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_G4,2, //26
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_GS4,4,
NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_F5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_A4,2,
NOTE_B4,8, NOTE_F5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_F5,-8, NOTE_E5,-8, NOTE_D5,-8,
NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_E4,4, NOTE_E4,8, NOTE_C4,2,
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_GS4,4,//repeats from 23
NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_F5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_A4,2,
NOTE_D5,-8, NOTE_A5,-8, NOTE_A5,-8, NOTE_A5,-8, NOTE_G5,-8, NOTE_F5,-8,
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_G4,2, //26
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_GS4,4,
NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_F5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_A4,2,
NOTE_B4,8, NOTE_F5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_F5,-8, NOTE_E5,-8, NOTE_D5,-8,
NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_E4,4, NOTE_E4,8, NOTE_C4,2,
NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_C5,8, REST,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,8, NOTE_E5,8,
REST,1,
NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_C5,8, REST,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_D5,4, //33
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_G4,2,
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_E5,8, REST,8, NOTE_E5,8, REST,8, NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_E5,4,
NOTE_G5,4, REST,4, NOTE_G4,4, REST,4,
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_GS4,4,
NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_F5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_A4,2,
NOTE_D5,-8, NOTE_A5,-8, NOTE_A5,-8, NOTE_A5,-8, NOTE_G5,-8, NOTE_F5,-8,
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_G4,2, //40
NOTE_E5,8, NOTE_C5,4, NOTE_G4,8, REST,4, NOTE_GS4,4,
NOTE_A4,8, NOTE_F5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_A4,2,
NOTE_B4,8, NOTE_F5,4, NOTE_F5,8, NOTE_F5,-8, NOTE_E5,-8, NOTE_D5,-8,
NOTE_C5,8, NOTE_E4,4, NOTE_E4,8, NOTE_C4,2,
//game over sound
NOTE_C5,-4, NOTE_G4,-4, NOTE_E4,4, //45
NOTE_A4,-8, NOTE_B4,-8, NOTE_A4,-8, NOTE_GS4,-8, NOTE_AS4,-8, NOTE_GS4,-8,
NOTE_G4,8, NOTE_D4,8, NOTE_E4,-2,
};
// sizeof gives the number of bytes, each int value is composed of two bytes (16 bits)
// there are two values per note (pitch and duration), so for each note there are four bytes
int notes = sizeof(melody) / sizeof(melody[0]) / 2;
// this calculates the duration of a whole note in ms
int wholenote = (60000 * 4) / tempo;
int divider = 0, noteDuration = 0;
void setup() {
// iterate over the notes of the melody.
// Remember, the array is twice the number of notes (notes + durations)
for (int thisNote = 0; thisNote < notes * 2; thisNote = thisNote + 2) {
// calculates the duration of each note
divider = melody[thisNote + 1];
if (divider > 0) {
// regular note, just proceed
noteDuration = (wholenote) / divider;
} else if (divider < 0) {
// dotted notes are represented with negative durations!!
noteDuration = (wholenote) / abs(divider);
noteDuration *= 1.5; // increases the duration in half for dotted notes
}
// we only play the note for 90% of the duration, leaving 10% as a pause
tone(buzzer, melody[thisNote], noteDuration * 0.9);
// Wait for the specief duration before playing the next note.
delay(noteDuration);
// stop the waveform generation before the next note.
noTone(buzzer);
}
}
void loop() {
// no need to repeat the melody.
}
