EL wire need special power and normal battery DC cannot power it.
EL wire is thin, bright and flexible and people use it in art projects, clothing, signs and decorative lighting, also it requires a high-voltage AC supply of 100 to 200V at a frequency of 1–5 kHz.
So, need EL wire inverter circuit where it changes low voltage DC to high voltage AC, as it uses 555 timer to make high frequency signal and transformer makes it stronger.
Designing an EL Wire Power Supply Circuit is cheap, small and easy and it is good for beginner and hobby person; also this circuit is with simple parts and easy to build.
Also, we should remember to power EL wire well.
Circuit Working:
Parts List:
| Components | Values | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Resistors | 1.2k, 3.3k, 560Ω 1/4 watt | 1 each |
| Capacitors | Ceramic 0.01μF, 0.1μF | 1 each |
| Semiconductors | IC 555 | 1 |
| NPN Transistor BC547 | 1 | |
| Transformer Audio Transformer | 1 | |
| 9V DC Battery | 1 |
First, 9V battery gives power and 555 IC1 work in astable mode and make square wave nonstop.
Then R1, R2 and C2 control wave frequency and square wave goes to Q1 transistor base through R3.
After that, R1, R2, R3 set wave speed and stable work and then C1 and C2 help smooth wave and remove noise.
Now Q1 make signal strong which is enough power for transformer and then this transformer get strong signal in primary coil and it changes low DC to high AC for EL wire.
EL wire connect to transformers high AC output and high AC excite phosphor in EL wire and it glow.
Formulas and Calculations:
1: Frequency of Oscillation:
R1, R2 and C2 set the 555 IC wave speed (frequency) in astable mode.
Formula:
f = 1.44 / ((R1 + 2 × R2) × C2)
Values:
R1 = 1.2k = 1200Ω
R2 = 3.3k = 3300Ω
C2 = 0.1μF = 10⁻⁷ F
Values:
f = 1.44 / ((1200 + 2 × 3300) × 0.1 × 10⁻⁶)
f = 1.44 / (7800 × 0.1 × 10⁻⁶)
f = 1.44 / 7.8 × 10⁻⁴
f = 1846 Hz = 1.86 kHz
2: Duty Cycle
Duty cycle (%) = ((R1 + R2) / (R1 + 2 × R2)) × 100
Values:
= ((1200 + 3300) / (1200 + 6600)) × 100
= (4500 / 7800) × 100
= 57.69%
So wave runs at 1.86 kHz with 57.69% duty.
How To Build:
For Designing an EL Wire Power Supply Circuit following are the below mentioned steps to follow:
- First, take all parts shown in circuit diagram.
- Next, connect pin 1 of 555 IC1 to GND.
- After that, connect pin 2 to pin 6 and also connect to GND using capacitor C2.
- Now connect pin 3 to base of transistor Q1 using resistor R3.
- Then connect pin 4 and pin 8 to +9V DC.
- Further, connect pin 5 to GND using capacitor C1.
- Connect pin 6 to pin 7 through resistor R2 and then connect pin 7 to +9V DC through resistor R1.
- Now connect collector of Q1 go to one wire of audio transformer of primary side, connect other primary wire of transformer to +9V DC and connect emitter of Q1 to GND.
- Finally, connect secondary wires of transformer to EL wire.
Conclusion:
Overall, this Designing an EL Wire Power Supply Circuit is useful to light up EL wires, as it uses 555 timer and simple transformer to change low DC to high-frequency AC.
Hence, this circuit helps students and hobbyists learn basic electronics and understand how DC converts into AC.