• Cap voltage barely sags

• Peak current high and instantaneous

• Plasma forms but does not fully expand

• MOSFET stays in switching-dominant regime (low heat)

• Electrodes see minimal thermal load per pulse

Behavior

• Sharp “impact” character

• Distinct, snappy, discrete hits

• No lingering arc

• Sound profile: crisp crack, no sustain

Use when

• You want maximum control over thermal load

• You want clearly separated pulses

• You want strong per-event effects without continuous heating

This is the high-peak-power, low-average-power mode.

2. Longer pulses (hundreds of µs → few ms)

Electrical reality

• Cap voltage drops substantially within the pulse

• Arc becomes fully established

• Plasma column expands

• MOSFET is in conduction regime (major heating)

• Electrodes accumulate thermal load rapidly

Behavior

• Looks and sounds like a short “burst” or mini-arc

• More luminous, more sustained plasma

• Per-pulse energy feels heavier and more massive

• Not as “snappy,” more “burn-like”

Use when

• You want visibly sustained events

• Peak power is less important than overall arc duration

• You accept higher thermal load per pulse

This is the lower-peak-power, higher-average-power mode.

3. Repetition rate determines how events stack over time

Low repetition rate (<1–3 Hz)

• Each pulse is isolated

• System resets thermally

• You only care about single-pulse behavior

• Mechanical/audible events are totally distinct

Use for: single shots, demonstrations, high-energy hits without cumulative heating.

Moderate repetition (5–30 Hz)

• Feels rhythmic: “ticks,” “strobe”

• Average heating becomes relevant

• Component temperature ramps over time

• Pulses remain distinguishable

Use for: stable repetitive operation where events need to be counted or perceived individually.

High repetition (50–200+ Hz)

• Individual pulses blur together

• Acoustic signature becomes buzzing or continuous

• Average power dominates everything

• Thermal limits become the governing constraint

• Discharge may transition into quasi-continuous arc behavior if pulse width is long enough

Use for: continuous-effect systems, but requires tight thermal management.

4. The 3D design space is real and fundamental

Think of operation as a coordinate:

• X-axis = pulse width (short → long)

• Y-axis = repetition rate (low → high)

Each region behaves like:

Bottom-left: short, low-rate

• Max peak impact

• Zero cumulative heating

• Sharp, isolated events

Top-left: short, high-rate

• Buzzing, strobing

• Peak power preserved

• Average heating rises sharply

Bottom-right: long, low-rate

• Heavy, dense, slow pulses

• Full plasma events with time to cool

• High per-pulse thermal load but safe average

Top-right: long, high-rate

• Nearly continuous discharge

• Arc-like behavior

• Thermal limits dominate

• Highest component/electrode stress

This grid is the actual map you’re working inside.

5. Practical way to choose operating point

Define three things:

1. Character of a single pulse
   Sharp hit vs sustained burst

2. How the sequence should feel over time
   Isolated vs strobing vs continuous

3. How much thermal budget you’re willing to spend
   Low vs moderate vs high average load

Once those factors are chosen, the pulse width and repetition rate fall out automatically.