Hi Joe,
I place a resistor on each side of the smoothing
caps so the reverse discharge / charge current is limited.
As the battery feed / supply reverses to the cap, it ramps.
As the charge / discharge from the patient viewpoint tries
to meet the reverse charge, it ramps in either direction.
Using a single battery but needing to have current over
a longer path (say leg to leg) sometimes requires a small
reduction in these surge control resistors, with the the two
1 microfarad caps wired in parallel always between them.
I can bring more battery in line but the best "bump" filtering
is when there is a pot on each side of the caps and these
can also serve as the main current limits.
When I switch to microcurrent mode at .4 microamps, I have
the spare set of contacts in that timer or switch take the cap
(one side) right out of the circuit as it is no longer needed.
With 12.96 volt battery, 10 meg ohms series R of the volt meter
(acting as a micro current meter) that in itself will limit the current
to 1.296 micro amps. Adding another 22.4 meg ohms in series
with the patient loop takes the current to .4 microamps.
You know you are there when the meter reads 4.00 volts.
As the 2 microfarad filter cap usually sits across the two wires
to the patient loop and with all that resistance for low current
switched in, the time constant just for these external values is
64.8 seconds.
That is too long to ramp each way plus you can not feel the curent
switch plarity at (point 4) .4 microamps anyway.
So, I remove it in that mode.
It is nice to use the voltmeter as part of the low current limit resistance
and leave it in DC volts mode, so you have a 1.2 microamps and
less meter, (with 12 volts battery, point 6 microamps max with 6 volt
battery, all the way down to 1 millivolt, which reading equals
100 picoamps.
You figure the clear day earth to sky current is 2 picoamps DC
per square meter.
Maybe that's one reason we feel good to be outside on a nice day
Vs a real cloudy day when there is no fair weather current.
Mike
p
meter) plus
----- Original Message -----From: aubug3Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 1:38 PMSubject: [microelectricitygermkiller2] Re: Why I'm doing it this way>
> It's my aim to determine and eliminate every variable I can think of
so I
> can get back into electrification. One of those variables is polarity
> reversal timing, trying to maintain some comfort while still trying
to use
> DC at as slow a rate as possible, not into the hertz ranges.
>
My recent observations show a factor of x 6 the inrush
current during polarity switching using 24 square inch pads
on belly / back.
You seem to have vastly increased skin sensitivity which
shows as excess sensitivity after treatment.
Your 'equivalent circuit' [lumped component values resulting
in identical load to the power source] is a resistor in
parallel w a capacitor. My values [at wrist] are 4.7 K &
0.14 microfarads. Since you have a tolerance problem - best
guess is you have thinner skin & your equivalent resistance
is closer to 1.5 K ohms as indicated by the lower currents.
This makes you subject to 2 complications.
1. Replace your 36 Vdc pad supply with about 6 Vdc at the
pads. Result will be lots less ability to puncture your
skin insulation at switch time.
2. I expect you will need a 'low pass filter' between the
pad supply & your pads. It will need a much longer time
constant than bG has indicated to prevent high transient
currents.
3. My skin capacitance varies a lot w electrode location;
assume yours does too. Consequence is - takes longer [by x
10] for the current transient to die out by completing the
tissue charge change. There is a substantial fat layer in
the belly area so assume that's the primary difference.
4. Selection of a large nonpolarized capacitor will be a
problem. Electrolytics won't work [nor tantulums] due to low
reverse voltage & excess current leakage. Disc ceramics or
polypropylene or mylar can be used but needs a lot of them
in parallel to get the capacitance total high enough; will
likely have to live with that or find a speaker crossover
nonpolarized part that doesn't leak much. At 6 Vdc, this
becomes easier. You need enough to get about 4 seconds
for the t = RC time constant.
O_______________/\/\/\____O_______
R | |
6 V cap, C | you
| |
O_________________________O_______|
If your parallel R = 2 K, your pad area = 1 sq inch [each] &
you want 0.1 mA, then your pad voltage becomes V = I R = .1 x 2
= .2 volts so the remaining drop has to be due to the
series R = 5.8/0.1 mA = 58 K ohms which includes whatever
leakage current the new cap = C does.
Then C = t/R = 4 sec/58K = 69 microfarads [at 6 Vdc];
might wind up w a batch the size of both fists.
This WILL look like overkill. You may find you don't have
to add that much but gives some idea what you're up
against. It also allows lots longer time between switches &
should get you pain free results. The lower currents will
need proportionately longer treatment times. Any change in
pad area will need a corresponding change in the R & C.
5. If you do manual switching - get a double pole double
throw center off switch. This allows you to do 1/2 the
charge change at a time & further eases switch transients.
Good luck. Joe.