This week I finished up the trigger circuitry. I am of the belief given the research and calculations which I have done that this will provide the appropriate output necessary to drive the MOSFET gate in such a way that class E operation of a solid state tesla coil will be properly achieved. I also had a bit of extra time this week so I began working with the coil. Using a program called JAVATC I have come up with what I believe will be reasonable and functional dimensions and build specifications for both the primary and secondary coils.
Team Status Report for 2/7/2026
Circuitry design is on track. The trigger setup has been fully designed, preliminary research has been done on power circuitry, and interrupter and signal output design are both on track to completion. We feel that the circuit designing process is coming along well and anticipate that it will be done by next week in order to move along to ordering circuit components and begin work on designing the coils.
Jayson’s Status Report 02/07/26
This week I designed the interrupter for the Musi-Coil, primarily focusing on component selection and circuit layout. After significant research, I decided that the best option was to modify a standard 555-timer based interrupter design, where the control voltage to the timer takes input from a 3.5mm audio jack with a series capacitor in order to offset bias voltage. I also was sure to add a capacitor between the 3.5mm audio jack’s output and ground to protect whatever device is being used as an audio input. I am still working out what the driving circuitry for this 555-timer will be, but the current plan is to have the 555-timer act as an amplitude modulator, where its output is a carrier signal for the musical audio. Next week will be spent primarily designing that circuitry.
Jack’s Status Update For 2/7/2026
I did plenty of research (at least one hour a day) to get myself more acquitted with analogue circuit. Since my task at this stage is mostly power circuit, this week was mainly spent reviewing the overall power section of the system and understanding how power is distributed to different parts of the circuit. I focused on identifying the main power paths, the role of the input supply, and how different voltage levels are provided for control and switching components. General considerations such as startup behavior, stability, and safety were explored at a conceptual level. I also spent time comparing possible approaches for supplying and regulating power and noting potential constraints based on component ratings. This work helped establish a clearer direction for future design decisions and implementation planning.
Caleb’s Status Report for 2/7/2026
I have worked out what I expect will be a functional output circuit that takes the signal from the interrupter and provides it to the primary. The trigger has been fully designed, and an IC has been selected for the MOSFET Driver, however some quantitative values of circuit elements such as resistances and capacitances have yet to be calculated for. Appear to be on schedule.