Insulating Boards (was Homemade PCBs!)

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: Matthew Smith <matt-at-kbc-dot-net.au> 

Eric writes:
>I'm going to try something soon...any tips on making a PCB insulated to
>15000 volts?

Matthew replies:

1) Keep traces as far apart as possible.
2) Pot the PCB.  Commercial potting compounds that I've seen are a two-part 
mix that leaves your board in a lump of black yuk.  Virtually impossible to 
service.
3) Look up "conformal coating" on your vendor's Web site - these are spray 
or paint on coatings of acrylic/silicone/etc.  These insulate and protect 
the board from environmental attack.
4) Put it in an oil bath.  If you're working with power devices, this can 
also help with cooling.

If you're building an MMC or any multi-stage device, you may not need any 
form of extra insulation provided that you make the whole thing linear and 
observe appropriate spacing of the traces.

Cheers

M

-- 
Matthew Smith
Kadina Business Consultancy
South Australia
http://www.kbc-dot-net.au