Fast photoflash capacitor charger

17 July 2002 Power Electronics / Power Management

Linear Technology's LT3420 is a complete, high efficiency, low quiescent current photoflash capacitor charger, designed as a standalone device. It can charge high voltage (typically 320 V) photoflash capacitors and uses a flyback topology to achieve efficiencies up to four times better than industry standard flash modules. With a controlled peak current of 1,4 A, the LT3420 in conjunction with a standard flyback transformer, is claimed to be able to charge any size capacitor with greater than 75% efficiency - and charge a 220 µF capacitor to 320 V in under 3,7 seconds from 5 V. A unique adaptive off-time control algorithm maintains current-limited continuous mode transformer operation through the entire charge cycle. The capacitor is held fully charged without excessive power consumption since the output voltage-sensing indirectly monitors flyback voltage to regulate output - no resistor divider or discrete Zener needed. Comes in MSOP-10 package.

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