Simple Slave Flash

F Roesky
+U

Current designs of slave flash units are, in R1

the opinion of the writer, too complicated C1 D1 2M2...4M7

and may be simplified without any prob-
lems and without losing any of their useful-
100n 6V2
ness as may be seen from the accompa- T1 R3

nying circuit diagram. This proposed cir- 16

10M
TH1
3 R5
cuit offers a number of advantages: 0 S1
10M
BP CTRDIV10/ 2
• no need for an additional power
1
103 DEC
4 C4 BRX45
2
source, since power is derived via the 15
CT=0 3
7
IC1 1n
sync contacts of the main flash unit; 4
10
1
• automatic reset (no need for a button); 14
&
5
6
5

• operates with new as well as older + 7

6

main flash units (contact voltage R2 13

8
9
1M

11
>100 V); 74HC4017
9
12
T2 CT≥5
R4

In spite of these proven practical prop-

10M
8
T3
erties, the design is simplicity itself. It is BC
controlled by a low-current CMOS dec- 548

imal counter IC1, a Type 74HC4017, C2

BSS89
C3

which enables the entire circuit to be 4n7 47n

powered directly via the sync contacts of 050047 - 11

the main flash unit via resistor R1 and
voltage limiter D1.
The control circuit based on transistor T1
also operates with minimal quiescent cur-
rent. When a flash is detected, T1 pro-
vides a clock pulse to IC1. Depending on
the position of switch S1, the low-power
thyristor fires on the second or third flash
pulse, so that it does not react to the pre-
liminary flash that prevents the red-eye
effect. After about 0.4 second, when the
main flash unit is discharged, IC1 is reset
via R4, C3 and T3. At that instant, the cur-
rent drain of IC1 increases briefly and the
voltage across C1 collapses. This is of no
consequence, however, since after at most
one second C1 is recharged to a level at
which the circuit is operational again.
If the circuit is to be polarity-sensitive,
connect a small bridge rectifier rated at
400 V between the contacts of the main
flash unit and terminals JP1 and JP2.
(050047-1)

2 elektor electronics - 7-8/2006