I've done this before. The requirement was for a 1µs. Phosphor LEDs are variable. Some are fast and others are slow.
Attached is a schematic of the test set-up I used to drive LEDs with 1µs pulses of hundreds of amps, hence the low value current limiting resistor. It's possible to overdrive LEDs by a factor of 10, for short pulse lengths. Note transformers are used to drive the MOSFET and measure the current, to avoid large currents passing through the grounds of the test equipment.
![](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ultra-short-ultra-fast-led-flash/?action=dlattach;attach=669372;image)
I'm working on digesting all the idea's that have been suggested here. Zero999, I'm just making sure my flea brain is understanding the diagram, you use an inductor to drive the LEDs rather then using a Flash Capacitor.
No, C1 stores all the energy. None of the inductors are used for energy storage. T2 is a pulse transformer which drives the MOSFET. T1 is a toroidal current transformer, which measures the current through the LED. The current in the secondary is divided by the turns ratio. In the above schematic, the current through the secondary and R3 and R6 (the termination resistor at the oscilloscope end to match the 50Ω cable) is
1/
100 of that in the single turn primary. I used several different transformers, depending on the current. Firstly a small 4mm ferrite ring with a 10 turn secondary and a 0.1Ohm resistor for R3, which was fine for up to 5A or so, then the Murata 54100C (the one in the above schematic with both primary windings in parallel (datasheet linked below) and eventually a 10mm ferrite ring with 21 turns and 2R2 for R3. The reason for 21 turns was R1||R6 = 50||2Ω2 = 21, giving 0.1V per Amp in the primary.
https://docs-emea.rs-online.com/webdocs/0eb1/0900766b80eb1ad9.pdfhttps://www.grainger.com/content/supplylink-what-is-a-current-transformerI appreciate the lead on the LED you were testing. Vela mentions they spent a lot of time trying to find the right LED's for the job. I suspect this gets back to the issue of how long the phosphor stays excited. I'm fairly confident they are using white LED's, the images of the unit show the LED's and the yellowish tint characteristic of white LED's is clearly visible. This would simplify the circuit, as we wouldn't need to worry about white balancing the RGB LED's. Since LED's MFG's aren't typically concerned about the switching time of a White LED, I can image there is a lot of variation, possibly even from lot to lot.
I have used a Vela strobe before for another test a few years ago. Unfortunately it failed to meet our requirements. It was bright enough, the problem was there was a huge seemingly random delay 8µs to 24µs, if I remember rightly, between the trigger pulse and the strobe firing. It used lots of LEDs in series and a microcontroller-based control system, which I believe was responsible for its downfall. If the variable triggering delay isn't an issue for you, it's a perfectly good strobe, otherwise steer clear of it.
So we would want the MC to trigger on the pulse, with a programmable delay (just a few microseconds) before sending the trigger for the flash. By having a short delay, we can dial in the position of the bullet in the frame without physically moving the set up. I know I've tried to use an Ardiuno to create a short 500ns square wave but I seem to remember that it struggled. I don't think the code was fast enough to switch the I/O pin that quickly. It will be another problem I'll need to work through.
I would not recommend using an MCU to control the triggering, certainly not directly, without any additional protection. If there's a problem with the firmware, it could blow up all the LEDs. A CPLD or even discrete glue logic gates are ideal. Whatever you decide, another layer of hardware to protect against too longer pulses, at too higher repetition rate, is a good idea. A high pass filter can be used to limit the maximum pulse length and a monostable multivibrator to control the minimum delay between pulses. Connect both to an AND function, before the MOSFET driver: MCP14A0301 looks good because it has an enable function, so the AND isn't required. I'd go for the 74HC123 for the monostable. It needs to be negative edge triggered with an inverting output, so the MOSFET driver is enabled, when the input goes high, then disabled, after the input goes low and triggers the monostable.
![](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ultra-short-ultra-fast-led-flash/?action=dlattach;attach=673299;image)