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Component Inputs

Component Input Parameters

This page details all input parameters used across the VIC Matrix Calculator modules. Understanding what each parameter means and how to determine its value is essential for accurate calculations.

Choke Design Inputs

Core Parameters

Parameter Symbol Units Description
Core Type — — Toroid, E-core, rod, bobbin, or air-core
Core Material — — Ferrite mix, iron powder, or air
Relative Permeability μᵣ — Material permeability (1 for air, 2000+ for ferrite)
AL Value Aₗ nH/turn² Inductance factor (from core datasheet)
Outer Diameter OD mm Core outer diameter (toroids)
Inner Diameter ID mm Core inner diameter (toroids)
Height H mm Core height/thickness

Finding Core Parameters:

  • Check manufacturer datasheet for Aₗ and μᵣ
  • Measure physical dimensions with calipers
  • For unknown cores, estimate μᵣ from material type

Wire Parameters

Parameter Symbol Units Description
Wire Gauge AWG AWG American Wire Gauge number
Wire Material — — Copper, aluminum, silver
Number of Turns N turns Total turns wound on core
Number of Layers nlayers — Winding layers (affects parasitic C)
Winding Style — — Single, bifilar, or multi-filar

Bifilar-Specific Parameters

Parameter Description
Choke Role Primary (L1), Secondary (L2), or Bifilar Set
Coupling Coefficient k value between bifilar windings (typically 0.95-0.99)
Inter-winding Insulation Thickness and material of insulation between wires

Water Profile Inputs

Electrode Geometry

Parameter Symbol Units Description
Electrode Type — — Parallel plates, concentric tubes, tube array
Electrode Area A cm² Active electrode surface area
Electrode Gap d mm Distance between electrodes
Inner Radius ri mm Inner tube radius (cylindrical)
Outer Radius ro mm Outer tube radius (cylindrical)
Tube Length L cm Submerged tube length
Number of Tubes n — Tube pairs in array

Water Properties

Parameter Symbol Units Description
Water Conductivity σ µS/cm Electrical conductivity of water
Water Temperature T °C Operating temperature
Dielectric Constant εr — Relative permittivity (~80 for water at 20°C)

Measuring Conductivity:

  • Use a TDS or conductivity meter
  • Distilled water: 1-10 µS/cm
  • Tap water: 200-800 µS/cm
  • If unknown, 500 µS/cm is a reasonable tap water estimate

Circuit Profile Inputs

Component Selection

Parameter Description
Primary Choke (L1) Select from saved choke designs or enter values
Secondary Choke (L2) Select from saved choke designs or enter values
Water Profile (WFC) Select from saved water profiles or enter values
Primary Capacitor (C1) Capacitance value for primary resonance
Tuning Capacitor Optional capacitor in parallel with WFC

Operating Parameters

Parameter Symbol Units Description
Operating Frequency fop kHz Pulse generator frequency
Input Voltage Vin V Peak pulse voltage
Duty Cycle D % Pulse on-time percentage
Source Resistance Rs Ω Driver output impedance

Direct Value Entry

If you have measured values for components (rather than designing from scratch), you can enter them directly:

For Chokes:

  • Inductance (measured at low frequency)
  • DC Resistance (measured with ohmmeter)
  • Self-Resonant Frequency (if known)

For WFC:

  • Capacitance (measured with LCR meter)
  • ESR or solution resistance

Best Practice: When possible, measure actual component values and compare to calculated values. This helps identify measurement errors and improves your understanding of the calculator's accuracy for your specific components.

Next: Simulation Tab Explained →

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