How to safely connect High votage flash module and rpi?
Hi,
I'm building my own camera and I have a xenon flash module from a Braun Flash camera. I would like the flash to be triggered along with the camera via a Raspberry Pi. However, there are high voltages, transformers, etc., on the flash board, so I'm wondering how to do this safely and effectively without damaging the RPi and the camera.
I thought about using an OptoMOS in place of the contacts that were previously mechanically shorted to ionize the xenon, along with galvanic isolation for the power connection or a separate power supply, though I have very little space for this in the enclosure.
And here comes the second problem—space. Because I want to keep the dimensions compact, the components will be very close to each other. The question is, how do I isolate them from one another to avoid interference or electrical arcing? I thought about wrapping the entire board, including the charging and trigger transformers as well as the main capacitor, in Kapton tape, but I'm not sure if that will be enough. Also, how can I prevent signal interference?
This is my first project where high voltages and sensitive components will be packed so tightly together. I don't have enough expertise to just wire it up and be confident that nothing will break, so I'm looking for some advice to avoid a costly disaster.
I've attached photos of the flash circuit as well as the current enclosure design (the enclosure dimensions are 110x65x70mm).
Posted Aug 31, 2026, 2:18 AM UTC