Wednesday, August 14, 2013

A little less Simple DIY TDCS circuit using CRDs

There has been some important points brought up about the benefits (easy to build, robustness) and drawbacks (turn on transients and lack of accuracy) of the Simple DIY TDCS circuit using CRDs. Considering the lack of accuracy, this is a characteristic of the diode not the circuit.

For the E-102, the the datasheet only gives a range of 0.88mA - 1.32mA. But I have seen that there is a higher probability of finding them near 1mA (for example if you test 100 of them most will be between 0.9mA - 1.1mA), with some outliers at the full range. And physiologically, it is still not clear whether 0.9mA will be much different than 1.0mA will be much different than 1.1mA.

Regarding the transients at turn on, that is a circuit issue. So to remedy, it is easy to add an LC filter at the output (see picture below for new schematic). The LC filter acts to dampen any transients. Bench testing shows the ramp up to be 500ms, which is plenty to dampen any turn on pulses, but unfortunately not enough to prevent any flash that occurs with certain montages. At mouser.com, the L can be 22R105C and the C can be UKL1E100KDDANA.







The above explanation is for informational purposes only, and I take no responsibility for the use or intended use of this information. TDCS is currently not FDA regulated, and there is no intention here in providing a TDCS device. Also I suggest you read, read, and read more about TDCS, particularly any safety considerations before undertaking any project like DIY TDCS and contact your health provider if you have any particular questions about your particular condition.

UPDATE

I always attach the electrodes and attach all connections before I turn on at the Battery. Make a switch at the battery and the switch at the battery should be turned on last after the electrodes are attached. If you turn the battery on first, not only will you be putting on hot electrodes but there will be a transient probably higher than 1mA.

For a simple, more foolproof circuit see the Simple DIY TDCS Circuit using CRD's below.

9 comments:

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  2. I decided to redo the comment because there were too many typos.

    I was able to build the circuit. No formal training. It worked right out of the box. No discomfort. A slight change of taste/sensation in my mouth. Possibly a little calmer. I am looking forward to continued experimentation. Thanks Keith for your blog. I will keep you posted on any positive (or negative ) developments.

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  3. Further observations.....
    20hrs later. I am in a better mood. Cigarettes have lost their mojo. And I have continued to have a slight headache. Normally I don't get headaches at all. I find all of this pretty darn fascinating.

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    1. The headaches are probably related to a chemical imbalance due to the change in state being recent. If it were me I would take one 5-HTP and one L-Theanine alongside of oatmeal with hulled hemp seeds and 16 ounces of water.

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  4. Strong calm after todays session. It kicked in about 3 hours after. Its almost a drug like effect. Cigarettes are worse than ever. I might have gotten my dopamine levels higher than normal. There was a drop in energy and angst at first and what felt like low blood sugar. This is still a little spooky. There was one glitch with the device. I had it electrified before I placed the electrodes. There was a little spark out of the cathode when I got near the skin...not sure why.

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    1. Hi John, Thanks very much for sharing your experience.
      Most definitely, you want to have the electrodes on first, then turn it on (even if it is just attaching and removing a croc clip as a switch). That way the LC will be allowed to do its damping.
      keith

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    2. Hey Keith, this is John. Its been awhile. I continue to practice with your tdcs design. It works great.
      Because it is so affordable, I made a version with a 2ma crd to see if it makes any difference. I really cannot tell any difference. I mostly use the 1ma one. I am so happy to be able to have this help. I feel happier and I am sleeping better. There really is not much more to it.

      I would love to know more about the mechanisms involved but that is mostly a guess. Feeling happier is the best I could ask for.

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    3. News Flash. tDCS has received FDA approval for treatment and prevention of migraine headaches http://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/Fulltext/2014/04170/Is_the_FDA_s_Newly_Approved_Transcutaneous.9.aspx .

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