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Circuit Diagram Specifications

This document provides exact specifications for creating 7 circuit diagrams that require manual attention for professional quality.

Recommended tools: LTspice, CircuitLab, Inkscape, KiCad schematic editor, or professional drawing software.

Format: PNG, 150 DPI minimum, white background

Circuit 1: Geometry to Circuit Translation

Filename: lessons/01-fundamentals/assets/geometry-to-circuit.png Size: 1000 x 600 px Referenced in: fund-02 (Basic Circuit Model)

Description

Side-by-side diagram showing physical geometry on left, equivalent circuit on right.

Left Side: 3D Visualization (Conceptual)

[Sketch/photo showing:]
- Toroidal topload (or spherical)
- Cylindrical spark channel extending downward
- Ground plane at bottom
- Arrows/labels indicating:
  * C_mut (coupling between topload and spark)
  * C_sh (spark to ground)

Note: Can use simplified 2D side-view sketch if 3D is difficult.

Right Side: Circuit Schematic

Topology (CRITICAL - verify this is correct):

Topload node
    |
    +----[C_mut]----+
    |               |
    +----[R]--------+
    |
    (Spark tip node)
    |
    [C_sh]
    |
   GND

Component values to show:

R: Variable (or "R_spark")
C_mut: "~8 pF" (typical)
C_sh: "~6 pF" (typical)

Layout guidelines:

Vertical orientation
Clear node labels: "Topload", "Spark Tip", "GND"
R and C_mut in parallel (side-by-side, same start/end nodes)
C_sh in series below the parallel combination

Alternative if parallel is hard: Show as impedance block "Z_mut = R || C_mut"

Circuit 2: Current Paths Diagram

Filename: lessons/01-fundamentals/assets/current-paths-diagram.png Size: 1000 x 1200 px (vertical) Referenced in: fund-07 (Measurement Port)

Description

Complete Tesla coil schematic showing all current return paths.

Schematic Components

Primary circuit (left side):

[AC Source] -→ [IGBT/Switch] -→ [C_pri] -→ [L_pri] -→ GND

Secondary circuit (right side, magnetically coupled):

L_sec (coil symbol, coupled to L_pri via k = 0.1-0.2)
   |
   +-- [C_topload] --|
   |                 |
   +-- [Spark]       |
   |                 |
   +-- [C_stray] ----+
   |
  GND

Current paths to label (USE DIFFERENT COLORS):

I_spark (RED): Through spark resistance
I_displacement (BLUE): Through C_topload to ground
I_coupling (GREEN): Primary-to-secondary capacitive coupling
I_secondary (PURPLE): Distributed capacitance along secondary
I_base (BLACK, THICK): Total current at secondary base

Key annotation:

I_base = I_spark + I_displacement + I_coupling + I_secondary + ...

Mark measurement points:

Correct: "Measure here" at topload-to-ground (V_top / I_spark)
Incorrect: "NOT here" with X at base (V_top / I_base)

Layout Guidelines

Primary on left, secondary on right
Clear coupling indicator (dashed lines or k = 0.1-0.2)
Use arrows for current directions
Color code or use different line styles for each current path
Legend showing which color = which current

Circuit 3: Thévenin Equivalent Circuit

Filename: lessons/02-optimization/assets/thevenin-equivalent-circuit.png Size: 800 x 600 px Referenced in: opt-04 (Thévenin Calculations)

Description

Simple Thévenin equivalent driving a spark load.

Schematic

    +-------[R_th]-----[jX_th]------+
    |                                |
[V_th source]                   [Z_spark load]
    |                                |
    +--------------------------------+

More detailed Z_spark:

Z_spark can be shown as:
    [R_spark] in series with [jX_spark]
    OR
    [(R || C_mut) in series with C_sh]

Component labels:

V_th: "350 kV" (typical value)
R_th: "114 Ω" (typical)
X_th: "-j2424 Ω" (typical, capacitive)
Z_spark: "Variable"

Annotations:

"Thévenin Equivalent" label on left side
"Spark Load" label on right side
Formula below: P = 0.5|V_th|² Re{Z_spark} / |Z_th + Z_spark|²

Layout Guidelines

Horizontal orientation, left to right
V_th source on left
R_th and X_th clearly in series
Load impedance on right
Clean, minimal style

Circuit 4: Capacitive Divider Circuit

Filename: lessons/03-spark-physics/assets/capacitive-divider-circuit.png Size: 600 x 800 px (vertical) Referenced in: phys-07 (Capacitive Divider)

Description

Shows voltage division across C_mut and C_sh.

Schematic

V_topload (source)
    |
    +----[C_mut]----+
    |               |
    +----[R]--------+
    |
    V_tip (measurement point) ← mark this clearly
    |
    [C_sh]
    |
   GND

Component labels:

V_topload: "Input"
C_mut: "~10 pF"
C_sh: "~6.6 L (pF)" where L is in meters
R: "R_spark"
V_tip: Mark with voltmeter symbol or arrow

Key formula (below circuit):

V_tip = V_topload × [C_mut / (C_mut + C_sh)]

C_sh grows with spark length: ~6.6 pF/m

Layout Guidelines

Vertical orientation
Show V_tip measurement clearly (voltmeter symbol or highlighted node)
Annotate that C_sh increases with length
Clean parallel R||C_mut representation

Circuit 5: Lumped Model Schematic

Filename: lessons/04-advanced-modeling/assets/lumped-model-schematic.png Size: 800 x 600 px Referenced in: model-01 (Lumped Model)

Description

Clean, professional lumped spark model circuit.

Schematic (Same topology as Circuit 1, but cleaner)

Port (Topload connection)
    |
    +----[R]--------+
    |               |
    +----[C_mut]----+
    |
    (Spark tip - internal node)
    |
    [C_sh]
    |
   GND

Component values:

R: "50 kΩ (typical)"
C_mut: "8 pF (typical)"
C_sh: "6 pF (typical)"

Annotations:

"Port" or "Topload Connection" at top
"Internal Node" at spark tip
Box or note: "Typical values at 200 kHz for 3-foot spark"

Layout Guidelines

Very clean, professional appearance
Grid-aligned components
Perfect parallel alignment for R || C_mut
Clear port indication (terminal symbols)
Minimal, uncluttered

Circuit 6: Distributed Model Structure

Filename: lessons/04-advanced-modeling/assets/distributed-model-structure.png Size: 1200 x 600 px (horizontal) Referenced in: model-03 (Distributed Model)

Description

Shows n-segment distributed model with proper transmission-line style layout.

Schematic

Horizontal cascade layout (recommended):

Topload --[C_01]-- Node1 --[C_12]-- Node2 -- ... --[C_n-1,n]-- Node_n
           |                |                          |
         [R_1]            [R_2]                      [R_n]
           |                |                          |
        [C_1,gnd]        [C_2,gnd]                 [C_n,gnd]
           |                |                          |
          GND              GND                        GND

Alternative vertical cascade (if horizontal too wide):

Topload
   |
[C_01]
   |
Node 1 --[R_1]--
   |            |
[C_1,gnd]      (parallel)
   |
[C_12]
   |
Node 2 --[R_2]--
   |            |
[C_2,gnd]      (parallel)
   |
  ...

Component labeling:

Show first 2 segments explicitly
Use "..." for middle segments
Show last segment (segment n)
Label: "n = 5 to 20 segments (typically n = 10)"

Capacitance matrix note:

Annotation: "(n+1) × (n+1) capacitance matrix"
"Extracted from FEMM electrostatic analysis"

Layout Guidelines

Clear repeating pattern
Ellipsis (...) to indicate continuation
Symmetric, professional appearance
Not too cluttered

Circuit 7: Tesla Coil System Overview

Filename: assets/shared/tesla-coil-system-overview.png Size: 1400 x 1000 px Referenced in: Multiple lessons

Description

Complete DRSSTC system diagram showing all major components.

Schematic Components

Primary tank circuit:

[DC Bus] → [H-Bridge / IGBT switches] → [C_pri (MMC)] → [L_pri] → GND
                  ↑
            [Gate Driver]
                  ↑
            [Feedback/Control]

Secondary resonator:

L_sec (large coil symbol, coupled to L_pri via k)
   |
[C_topload]
   |
[Spark gap or streamer symbol]
   |
[Strike point / GND]

Annotations:

Coupling coefficient: "k = 0.1 to 0.2"
Primary frequency: "f_pri = f_resonant"
Secondary resonance: "f_sec = 1/(2π√(L_sec × C_top))"
Power flow arrows
"DRSSTC" or "Double-Resonant Solid State Tesla Coil" title

Components to show:

DC power supply
Full bridge (4 IGBTs/MOSFETs) or half bridge
MMC (multiple capacitors in series-parallel)
Primary coil (few turns, heavy wire)
Secondary coil (many turns, fine wire)
Topload (toroid or sphere symbol)
Spark/streamer
Feedback path (CT or antenna back to controller)
Ground connections

Layout Guidelines

Primary on left or bottom
Secondary on right or top
Clear separation of power vs signal paths
Coupling indicated (dashed lines, double-headed arrow, or k annotation)
Professional, complete system view
Include legend if needed

General Guidelines for All Circuits

Style

Clean, professional appearance
Grid-aligned components
Consistent component symbols (IEEE or European standard)
Clear, readable labels (minimum 10pt font)
No overlapping text or components
White background

Components Symbols

Resistor: Standard zigzag (IEEE) or rectangle (IEC)
Capacitor: Two parallel lines
Inductor: Coil/loops
Ground: Standard ground symbol
AC source: Sine wave in circle
Voltage source: Circle with +/- or V label

Colors (if used)

Use sparingly, only for clarity
Current paths: different colors
Otherwise: black on white for print compatibility

Verification

CRITICAL: Before finalizing any circuit:

Verify topology matches spark-physics.txt equations
Check that parallel vs series connections are correct
Ensure component values are realistic (refer to physical-bounds.md)
Review against worked examples for consistency

Priority Order

High Priority (needed for core lessons):

Circuit 5: Lumped Model Schematic
Circuit 4: Capacitive Divider
Circuit 3: Thévenin Equivalent

Medium Priority: 4. Circuit 1: Geometry to Circuit 5. Circuit 6: Distributed Model

Low Priority (nice-to-have): 6. Circuit 2: Current Paths (complex, can use text description initially) 7. Circuit 7: System Overview (general reference, not lesson-critical)

Tools Recommendations

Easy (recommended for quick creation):

CircuitLab (web-based, clean output)
LTspice (free, professional, can export schematics)
Falstad Circuit Simulator (web-based, can screenshot)

Professional (for publication quality):

KiCad Schematic Editor (free, excellent output)
Inkscape (manual drawing with circuit symbols)
Adobe Illustrator / Affinity Designer (professional vector graphics)

Advanced (if familiar with LaTeX):

CircuiTikZ + LaTeX (publication-quality output)

Validation Checklist

Before considering a circuit "done":

Topology verified against spark-physics.txt
Component values realistic and labeled
No overlapping elements
Grid-aligned, professional appearance
Clear node labels where needed
Formula or key annotation included
150 DPI or vector format (scalable)
White background, high contrast
Filename matches specification
Placed in correct assets directory

Notes

These specifications are based on analysis of spark-physics.txt
Some topologies (especially parallel R||C_mut) are tricky - verify carefully
When in doubt, consult reference physics document
Can simplify complex parallel combinations as impedance blocks (Z = R||C) if clearer
Professional quality > programmatic generation

Created: 2025-10-10 Status: Awaiting manual creation Current: 0/7 circuits completed

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Circuit Diagram Specifications

Circuit 1: Geometry to Circuit Translation

Description

Left Side: 3D Visualization (Conceptual)

Right Side: Circuit Schematic

Circuit 2: Current Paths Diagram

Description

Schematic Components

Layout Guidelines

Circuit 3: Thévenin Equivalent Circuit

Description

Schematic

Layout Guidelines

Circuit 4: Capacitive Divider Circuit

Description

Schematic

Layout Guidelines

Circuit 5: Lumped Model Schematic

Description

Schematic (Same topology as Circuit 1, but cleaner)

Layout Guidelines

Circuit 6: Distributed Model Structure

Description

Schematic

Layout Guidelines

Circuit 7: Tesla Coil System Overview

Description

Schematic Components

Layout Guidelines

General Guidelines for All Circuits

Style

Components Symbols

Colors (if used)

Verification

Priority Order

Tools Recommendations

Validation Checklist

Notes

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