fireTEK Firing Technology & 20V @ 10A Physics
Deep engineering breakdown of capacitor discharge mechanics, Joule-Lenz thermodynamics, dual-band 2.4 GHz mesh & Sub-GHz telemetry, and sub-millisecond SMPTE LTC hardware sync.
20V @ 10A Capacitor Firing Bank
9.9A–10A PEAKUnlike consumer firing consoles operating on weak 9V or 12V batteries that collapse under load, every fireTEK module features dual high-current DC-DC boost converters charging industrial low-ESR capacitor banks up to 20 Volts with a massive 10 Amp instantaneous surge.
- Parallel Firing: Up to 8 standard e-matches simultaneously (total surge up to 8A) with zero bus voltage collapse.
- Series Firing: Up to 25 e-matches in series, overcoming cumulative lead-wire resistance.
- Adaptive Pulse Cut-Off: Real-time current sensing terminates pulse within 8ms–50ms at bridge break, conserving bank energy.
Dual-Band Wireless Architecture
fireTEK provides dual radio technologies tailored to physical venue constraints: 2.4 GHz dynamic Mesh for stadium-wide multi-hop routing, and dedicated Sub-GHz (868 MHz EU / 915 MHz US) for high-penetration Point-to-Point direct firing.
- 2.4 GHz Dynamic Mesh: Up to 30 hops; 150–200 m per hop with compact ANT-S24 antennas, scaling across arena perimeters and bypassing solid obstructions.
- Sub-GHz (868/915 MHz) Point-to-Point: Direct high-penetration RF link up to 1–2 km standard and up to 5 km line-of-sight (LOS) with external magnetic base antenna ANT-868CB (with 1-hop repeater capability).
- RF Immunity & Physics: Sub-GHz provides 100% immunity to venue Wi-Fi/Bluetooth crowds. 2.4 GHz propagates freely through pyrotechnic smoke (attenuation is driven by metal/concrete and crowd elevation, solved by mounting antennas at 2m+).
1ms Timecode Precision & GPS
Pyromusicals require microsecond alignment between audio beats and pyrotechnic bursts. The fireTEK ecosystem supports hardware-level SMPTE LTC timecode generation and listening, paired with GPS atomic clocks.
- Absolute 1 millisecond cue firing resolution across all networked modules.
- External SMPTE LTC input/output for audio consoles and laser desks.
- GPS atomic clock module for multi-barge displays without radio linking.
Native Finale 3D Workflow
Eliminate error-prone CSV spreadsheets and manual scripting. fireTEK is natively integrated with industry-standard choreography software: Finale 3D and FWsim.
- Direct export of choreography scripts directly onto a USB flash drive.
- Instant hardware cue assignment and continuous resistance checking.
- Full support for Steppers, Sweeps, DMX flame machines, and spark effects.
Understanding 20V @ 10A Firing Dynamics
Why voltage alone does not ignite pyrotechnics, and how fireTEK's 10A capacitor discharge bank prevents misfires and hangfires in high-density professional staging.
The Plumbing Analogy: Pressure vs Flow Rate
Imagine a water hose putting out a fire. Voltage (20V) is water pressure in the pipe, while Amperage (10A) is the water volume flowing per second. If you have high pressure but a pinhole opening (like a 9V alkaline battery), only a trickle of water comes out—incapable of heating a wire bridge before heat dissipates.
- • E-Match: Contains sensitive chemical pyrogen. Needs just 0.5A–0.9A for 10 milliseconds to pop instantly.
- • Talon Clip: Pure nichrome heating filament clamped onto a raw fuse. Needs 1.5A–2.0A of continuous heat for 500–1000ms.
- ✓ Up to 8 E-Matches in Parallel: Safe and certified. Total current sums to ~7–8A within the 10A bank limit.
- ✓ Up to 25 E-Matches in Series: Safe and certified. 20V overcomes the combined ~45Ω resistance.
- ⚠️ Talon Clips: Strictly 1 Talon clip per individual channel. Each Talon demands 1.5A–2.0A continuous current for ~1s; wiring multiple Talons to a single channel is strictly discouraged to avoid misfires. Never wire Talons in series.
Joule-Lenz Thermodynamics & Bus Impedance
Thermal energy generated in a bridge wire is governed by Joule's First Law: Q = I² · R · t. Because thermal power scales with the square of current (I²), a 10A instantaneous surge releases 100× more thermal energy per microsecond than a 1A supply, ensuring instantaneous, reliable ignition of the pyrogen bead in <1ms.
Simulate Your Cue Firing Circuit
Test cable lengths, conductor AWG gauges, and igniter counts with fireTEK's certified 20V @ 10A capacitor discharge model.
Firing Circuit Simulator20V @ 10A Bank
Calculate Joule-Lenz heating energy ($Q = I^2Rt$), loop resistance, and cable voltage drop in real time.
Fail-Safe Hardware Architecture
Physical Key Interlock
Armed mode can only be engaged with physical mechanical security keys. Removing the key immediately isolates the firing capacitor banks from field output terminals.
Live Resistance Telemetry
Real-time measurement of individual cue resistance (Ohms) reported back to the FTQ-99PX screen. Detect shorts or open circuits before arming without igniting sensitive squibs.
Instant Emergency Pause
Dedicated high-priority RF pause signal halts script execution within 5ms across all modules in the mesh if safety perimeters are breached during a live event.
Experience fireTEK on Your Next Display
Explore our certified firing units, field rails, and timecode sync gear with official European warranty and distribution by fireTEK.