Low-cost Arduino controlled dual-polarity high voltage power supply

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Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) provides low ppbv detection limits for gas-phase or aqueous analytes. These instruments rely an electric field to produce ion motion. This electric field is typically 200–600 V/cm with a 15 cm cell, requiring an HV source of 6–10 kV. In this work, we present a low-cost alternative for supplying this high voltage. Inexpensive, commercially available 0–20 kV HV modules are mapped to an analog 0–5 V input signal, controlled using an Arduino microcontroller and digital analog converter. Dual polarities are selectable through a front-panel switch and ramps potentials between settings to avoid damage to attached devices.