Hi,
I am trying to generate 350V or 400V on an electrolitic capacitor from a +12V power supply in order to flash a xenon lamp, but would like to minimise the current consumption of the device, to speed up the charging process etc... I am analyzing two different schematics I have, the principle is similar in both of the schematics,you have a switching transistor which switches the low voltage coil(+12V) of the transformer and produces high voltage pulses on the secondary side and they through a diode charge the capacitor. But, in one schematic an ordinary 50Hz 4VA 220V to 12V mains tranformer is used and in the other schematic a pulse transformer is used. In the first schematic a 50Hz signal from an NE555 is switching the transistor, but in the other one an 20kHz signal with a very low duty cycle ratio, the pulses are 10 microseconds wide. My question is: is it possible to describe what are the main differences in these two schematics regarding the currents which flow through the low voltage windings of the transformer, how do the primary inductances influence the currents through the transistors, which schematic is better regarding the current consumption, which one is faster in charging the capacitor on the high voltage side, I hope you understand me, I would like to understand the main and most important differences in physics which is present in these similar circuits which operate on different frequencies and use different transformers. It is easier to find an mains transformer then a pulse transformer, but which schematic is the better hardware design?