Dismiss Notice
Join Physics Forums Today!
The friendliest, high quality science and math community on the planet! Everyone who loves science is here!

How to measure charging of Cockcroft Walton Multipliers?

  1. Nov 10, 2011 #1

    shrinky

    User Avatar

    How do you measure the voltage of a cockcroft walton multiplier over time to observe the charging behavior? Does measuring with oscilloscopes discharge the capacitor hence you cant observe the charging or not?
     
    shrinky, Nov 10, 2011
  2. jcsd
    Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories on Phys.org
  3. Nov 10, 2011 #2

    NascentOxygen

    User Avatar

    Staff: Mentor

    The oscilloscope doesn't impose much loading on the circuit. You are wanting to observe the actual pumping up? That will be a short term transitory waveform. Using a CRO with differential inputs might be handy, if you wish to observe all waveforms around the circuit.
     
    NascentOxygen, Nov 10, 2011
  4. Nov 11, 2011 #3

    shrinky

    User Avatar

    Yeah. Ideally I'd like to see the oscillation with amplitude offset increasing as time goes on.

    Right now I have a simple half wave multi stage multiplier set up. I can measure the rectification part, so the sine wave only goes to the positive and not negative, but I dont see the amplitude increase so that the dc offset is always zero essentially.

    It could be my driving frequency isnt correct perhaps?

    Rhetorical I guess but is it better to measure the voltage across the capacitor at the highest stage or measure the potential relative to ground.
     
    shrinky, Nov 11, 2011
  5. Nov 11, 2011 #4

    NascentOxygen

    User Avatar

    Staff: Mentor

    Well, it's a transient, so unless you have a storage CRO or a synchronised camera, you won't see it.

    Are you saying it's not working?

    It shouldn't matter.

    Can you post your circuit schematic?

    Unless your driving source is floating, you can't connect the CRO across any ungrounded element.
     
    NascentOxygen, Nov 11, 2011
Know someone interested in this topic? Share this thread via Reddit, Google+, Twitter, or Facebook

Have something to add?



Similar Discussions: How to measure charging of Cockcroft Walton Multipliers?

  1. How to measure (Replies: 2)

  2. How Wavelength is measured? (Replies: 9)

  3. How to measure Chaos? (Replies: 2)

  4. How does a cockroft walton multiplier work? (Replies: 4)

  5. How do you measure numerically central charge of the system ? (Replies: 3)

Loading...