High Voltage Multiplier Design Guidelines

What is a Multiplier?

Voltage multipliers are AC-to-DC power conversion devices typically comprised of diodes and capacitors. Voltage multipliers produce a high potential DC voltage from a lower voltage AC source.

Common Multiplier Applications
Originally used for television CRT's, voltage multipliers are used in laser systems, x-ray systems, traveling wave tubes, ion pumps, electrostatic systems, copy machines, scientific instrumentation, oscilloscopes, and many other applications that utilize high voltage DC.

For more information about multipliers, please select from the list below:

NEW! Multiplier Calculator (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet) - Enter your design parameters, and calculate ripple voltage, regulation, needed capacitance, etc. for a half wave and full wave multiplier.

Multiplier Design Guidelines

Design Steps - Information the user must determine & specify.

Reasonable Ranges - A chart of reasonable ranges for VMI multipliers utilizing rugged epoxy encapsulation and single layer ceramic capacitors.

Regulation Voltage - Assistance in calculating and understanding Regulation Voltage

Ripple Voltage - Assistance in calculating and understanding Ripple Voltage

Stray Capacitance - Assistance in calculating and understanding Stray Capacitance

Leakage Currents - Explains factors which effect multiplier efficiency.

Corona - Understanding causes to minimize the problem.

Half-Wave Series Multiplier Variations - Design options and flexibility.

Multiplier Circuit Comparison - Compares features of each multiplier style.

Efficiency Comparison - Graphs to compare series and parallel multipliers with perfect multiplication.