EEVblog #469 - Cockcroft-Walton Multiplier

A new EEVblog segment, Fundamentals Friday!
How to generate high voltage DC with a Cockcroft-Walton Multiplier circuit.
a.k.a Cockcroft-Walton / Villard / Greinacher Cascade

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[deefdeefdeef]

I can't imagine why anybody would complain about a free education. Dave, keep up the good work. The vast majority of us appreciate your effort and understand your dedication to the craft. Keep 'em coming. I can't wait for anything else you have in store for us!

[jason]

Damn I wish you were around 10 years again when I started working on my electronic engineering degree.  Those professors would just fly-by subjects.  You explain everything with a purpose.  Good job!

[LynxBoiYiff]

A short-video Dave-Unit equals 25 "normal" Minutes.
I like your videos very much.

[iSolarSunrise]

Dave: "If I'm doing half-hour tutorials, I'm doing it wrong"...
Me: *Looks at the video duration*

[EEVblog]

A whole 5 minutes off 30 minutes! I want credit for that dammit :->

[alexb]

Thank you. Filled in all of the missing links in my head since teenage years on cascade multipliers.

[Tubie]

10 yrs later after watching a few clips and static explanations I was still confused at a - cycle instead of + to start with, then the C3 (the next cascaded stage). Then I came across your clip (subscribed) and assumed that it'd be confusing as well, but it was not. You did explain just enough and was on the right pace to understand the whole A to Z theory mathematically, Thank you!

[johnopalko]

The most impressive Cockroft-Walton multiplier I ever saw was at Fermilab. They used it to ionize hydrogen and start the protons on their journey. The insulators were a couple meters long, at least. They used four accelerators in series back then: the C-W multiplier, a linac, the small booster ring, and then the main ring. That was almost forty years ago, so I don't know what they're using now. I imagine it's even bigger.

[keesreuzelaar]

Excellent video! Nice balance between theory on the whiteboard and actual building and measuring. I hope to see Fundamentals Friday becoming a regular feature. Love it!

[NoMad]

No worries, please keep the "long" durations, if needed. You're educating people, take your time as needed. Really going into detail is what will make these videos successful. Keep up the good work, this is education for everybody.

[sahilsharmadec]

The only one video on YouTube that helps easily to understand voltage multipliers

[stephenw]

Love watching these videos while drinking my morning coffee, always learn something new and interesting. I actually just got my first set of lab equipment (scope, meter, function gen, bench psu), can't wait to start building and testing the circuits in your videos! Keep up the awesome work!

[purza]

Awesome video. Servicing Electron microscopes for a living I deal with this circuit variant a lot! 30 - 300 KV accelerating voltages, Photo-multiplier power supplies, etc. Anything over 10 KV are put in oil.

[stemben]

This video was a huge help when I reverse engineered a high voltage DC boost module and I even make mention of your video!

[GhostOfJulesVerne]

Seeing the caps charge and discharge on the scope really helped me understand how this thing works. Thanks!

[sallowsandy]

Absolutely adore this section, as welcomed with every other segment you provide for us to learn and hear from. Thank you. You explain it better than most, and I know it will get better as you go. Dave Rocks!

[richardsandwell]

Very well explained. Such a useful video to describe such a great circuit..

[brentsinger]

Dave you are still best source on internet/youtube for professional info. Thanks again.

[Ed]

Made a 2.5 kv multiplier once, fed directly from the grid. At the end a couple of megaohm resistors, leading to a blank needle. Worked perfect as air purifier, attracted lot of particles from the air

[drakonzebra]

Wow, i've worked with this circuit block for a while now, even had it as a part of my uni project, but never fully understood how it worked. Thanks, Dave!