"Ted Edwards" wrote in message
...
Vaughn wrote:

I don't think that those "electronic ignitions" for lawnmower
engines are
anything more than a hefty zener diode.

Now, why would a Zenner diode create the KV necessary for a spark?

It can act just like a set of points. It allows the voltage to rise to
a certain point, where it suddenly conducts, which collapses the magnetic
field. The collapsing field cuts the turns in the coil creating a spark. (I
think)

I run a communications shop and we have drawers full of parts, some
of
which would likely do the job just fine.

Do you use Zenner diodes for RF generation too?

Used mostly in DC power supply circuits and in circuit protection, come
in many voltages and physical sizes depending on power.

Vaughn



Ted