High Voltage

Introduction

High voltage electronic equipment must have a high isolation barrier protecting and isolating the voltage from all exposed metal surfaces to ensure personal safety.  Also, if a malfunction should occur, the high voltage must immediately be shut down. The same criteria holds true whether the supply is portable, test fixtured or if test probes are used.

If a malfunction should occur, the high voltage power supply must shut down immediately. This means that the circuitry has to be disconnected and grounded. Under these conditions a set of contacts open the high voltage circuit and another set of contacts close, grounding the system.

Not too surprisingly, high voltage Reed Switches with hermetically sealed Tungsten contacts can serve as the best solution for these kinds of applications. The switching time of a Reed Switch is below 6 msec. and breakdown voltage levels up to 15 kVDC (depending on type of switch) are standard. The HE series relay is available in PCB mount or axial leads. The series offers a variety of contact configurations.