12 V xenon flasher circuit project

A very simple xenon flasher circuit project can be designed using this circuit diagram . This xenon flasher circuit is designed to trigger a high voltage xenon flashtube using a 12V DC input from a power supply. The flash rate can be varied between 1 and 2 flashes per second using an onboard potentiometer.
This circuit is composed from three parts : an oscillator centered around T1 transformer which charges the capacitor C3 , an RC network C2, R2 and P1 which controls the flashrate and the flash circuit itself .
The turns ratio between the primary winding (pins 1 & 4) of T1 and the secondary winding (pins 2 & 3) is high (25turns to 600turns resp.) So the voltage induced at pin 2 is high. This alternating voltage is half-wave rectified by diode D2. This produces a DC voltage across C3 of about 300V.
Capacitor C2 is charged at a rate determined by resistor R2 and potentiometer P1. This charging rate determines the flash rate.
The voltage across C2 is also applied across the Q2 via pins 1 and 2 of the trigger transformer T2. When this voltage reaches about 130V Q2 conducts and delivers a current pulse into the trigger transformer T2 from the discharge of C3.
This produces a voltage of hundreds of volts on to the surface of the flash tube. The electric field inside the tube initiates a breakover and the tube flashes.