Arcflash Labs EMG-01 Alpha User manual

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Limited Warranty
EMG-01 Alpha
8 Stage IGBT Coilgun
User Manual
Arcflash Labs, LLC
8620 Belford Ave, Unit 603
Los Angeles CA 90045 - [phone]
Hwww.arcflashlabs.com [e-mail]

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Warranty: Arcflash Labs, LLC. (hereinafter referred to as “Arcflash Labs”) warrants to the original purchaser these products to be free from defects in
material and workmanship under normal conditions of use and service for a period of 30 days from date of shipment. Arcflash Labs will, as its option,
repair, replace or refund the purchase price of any products that prove defective within the warranty period, if such products are returned to Arcflash Labs
in accordance with the warranty claim procedures set forth below. REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF THESE PRODUCTS, OR REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICE
AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS WARRANTY, IS THE BUYER’S EXCLUSIVE REMEDY. This exclusive remedy will not be deemed to have failed of its essential
purpose so long as Arcflash Labs is willing and able to repair or replace any defective product, or refund the purchase price, in the prescribed manner. In
the event Arcflash Labs fails to provide the Buyer with free repair or replacement, or refund the purchase price as aforesaid, Arcflash Labs’ entire liability
shall not exceed the amount paid by the Buyer to Arcflash Labs for its purchase of the defective product. THIS WARRANTY IS EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF
ALL OTHER WARRANTIES NOT EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLED BY OPERATION OF LAW OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Limitations: Products which are purchased from other equipment manufacturers and sold by Arcflash Labs as part of a system or on a resale basis will bear
only the original manufacturer’s warranty. The above warranty shall not apply to fuses, lamps or other items which are expendable by nature, unless
otherwise provided.
IN NO EVENT SHALL ARCFLASH LABS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, TORT, PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY, CONSEQUENTIAL OR
OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGE TO OR LOSS OF PROPERTY OR EQUIPMENT, PHYSICAL INJURY, DEATH OR HARM TO
GOODWILL OR BUSINESS REPUTATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING FROM THE SALE, HANDLING, OR USE OF THE PRODUCT, OR FROM ANY OTHER
CAUSE RELATING THERETO. Arcflash labs shall not be liable to the Buyer for any claims, demands, injuries, damages, actions or causes of action
whatsoever based on negligence or strict liability. Arcflash Labs shall have no liability of any kind under this Limited Warranty unless the Buyer
commences an action against Arcflash Labs within 1 month of the date the cause of action accrues.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing by an authorized representative of Arcflash Labs at Arcflash Labs’ headquarters in San Diego, California, the products
sold hereunder are not intended for use in connection with any nuclear facility or activity. If so used, in the event any damage, injury or contamination
occurs, Arcflash Labs disclaims any responsibility of every kind, and the user of the products shall indemnify Arcflash Labs and hold Arcflash Labs harmless
from any and all liability for any such damage or contamination whatsoever arising out of any such use, including liability in tort or strict liability.
WARRANTY CLAIM PROCEDURE: In the event the products purchased hereunder prove defective, the Buyer shall notify Arcflash Labs’ Service Department
in writing at its offices in San Diego, California of the claimed defect, and such notice shall include the model and serial number of each such product, as
well as the number and date of invoice therefore. Upon receipt of this information, Arcflash Labs will send notification to the Buyer as to the service
arrangements and will provide written authorization and shipping instruction, and the Buyer shall return the products to Arcflash Labs, transportation
prepaid, in accordance with such shipping instructions. If, after inspection, Arcflash Labs determines the defect is a result of misuse, mishandling,
installation, abnormal condition of operation, unauthorized repair or modification, or due to Buyer’s failure to install, maintain or operate the products in
compliance with the written instruction, all necessary materials, labor and other expenses shall be for the account of the Buyer at Arcflash Labs’ standard
repair rates. Any products returned to Arcflash Labs for replacement shall become the property of Arcflash Labs.
The Buyer shall be responsible for all costs of shipping, customs clearance and other related charges in connection with Arcflash Labs’ repair or
replacement of products located outside the continental United Sates pursuant to this Limited Warranty.
The validity, performance and interpretation of this Limited Warranty shall be governed by the internal laws (and not the laws of conflicts) of the State of
California. All disputes arising in connection with this limited Warranty shall be resolved, if not sooner settled, by a court of competent jurisdiction located
in California, U.S.A.
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Copyright © 2018 by Arcflash Labs, LLC. All rights reserved. Under copyright laws, neither the documentation nor the software may be copied,
photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form, in whole or in part, without the prior written
consent Arcflash Labs, LLC except in the manner described in the documentation

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1. Introduction
The Arcflash Labs EMG-01A (Electro-Magnetic Gun –01 Alpha) is an 8 stage, IGBT switched, low
voltage capacitor augmented fully automatic coilgun.
It features 8 IGBT stages, each with an independent infrared optical gate. The fire control and
sequencing of the coils is aided by microcontroller which provides nanosecond-precise timing signals to
the IGBT gates and allows for firing up to 4 rounds per second at >45m/s.
The EMG-01A is configured to ONLY fire 0.25x0.75” steel projectiles (dowel pins). Arcflash Labs
recommends the use of 2575 Magnetic Armatures (sold separately) but any 0.25x0.75” steel dowel pin
should work.
The EMG-01A is shipped standard with a 6 round coil spring magazine which can hold up to 9
rounds single stacked, and fire up to 6 rounds on full-auto. The gun is also shipped standard with a
1500mAh 6S Lithium Polymer battery (charger sold separately) which can provide power for over 100
shots before needing to recharge.
As an alpha tester of the EMG-01, you are privileged to join an exclusive community of
electromagnetic gun developers and enthusiasts around the globe. Until now, only a handful of
individuals have ever seen an electromagnetic gun, let alone fired one. Congratulations on being
selected to own a piece of history.

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1.1 Terminology and Safety
The list below and throughout this manual is a summary of the major hazards associated with
the device, but is NOT ALL INCLUSIVE. There are many other hazards associated with the device which
are not laid out in this manual. We recommend wearing high voltage, flame retardant gloves at all
times when using the device as well as goggles and thick clothing. Never use the device indoors or
around flammable materials and always have a fire extinguisher on standby.
The EMG-01A is NOT WATER RESISTANT AND NOT IMPACT SAFE. Exposure to water or
dropping from distances greater than 1 foot may cause irreversible damage to the gun, fire, explosion,
electrical shock or venting of toxic gas from the battery or capacitors. If the EMG-01A is dropped or
exposed to water: discontinue use immediately and return the gun to its manufacturer for repairs.
The following terminology is used throughout this manual for the purpose of denoting
important and safety critical information:
An operation, procedure, or practice which if not correctly followed could result in
personal injury or loss of life.
An operation, procedure, or practice which if not strictly observed, could result in
damage to the device and/or voiding of the device’s warranty.
A recommended procedure, suggested practice, or point of additional information which
may facilitate the ease of use for the operator, or point out a feature of particular
importance which is useful to know, but not safety-critical.

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2. Overview of components
2.1 Barrel
LiPo Battery
Compartment
Muzzle
Mounting rail
Drive coils (barrel)
Magazine with
chambered round
Injector solenoid
Battery
release lever
Trigger
Magazine release
Main fuse
Charge LED
Display/encoder
Capacitors
Injector solenoid
terminals
IGBT collectors
- Severe shock hazard: never touch the IGBT collectors or internal wiring of the gun,
especially when it is powered on.
- Muzzle energy is sufficient to break bones, cause serious injury or even death. It goes
without saying: never point the gun at anyone or anything you do not intend to destroy.
- Never fire projectiles longer than 0.75” – firing projectiles other than Arcflash 2575
Mangetic Armatures or 0.25x0.75” steel dowel pins could result in fire or explosion.

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The EMG-01A is a fully automatic electromagnetic gun –its core component is a
sequence of optically gated, IGBT switched driver solenoids. As a projectile passes through the
barrel, it triggers optical gates which send signals back to the microcontroller. The
microcontroller quickly interprets these signals and directs the coils to turn on in a precise
sequence. This accelerates the projectile down the barrel and out of the gun with an exit
velocity of roughly 45m/s.
While its muzzle energy is comparable to most bb-guns (around 5 joules or 3.7 ft/lbs), it
should be treated the same way as a firearm: with the utmost respect. While the muzzle
energy is roughly the same as a bb-gun, the projectile mass is far higher. Hazards from
accidental discharge include broken bones and severe injuries –in short, never point the device
at anything you don’t want to destroy. Treat it as loaded at all times.
The device operates on low voltage (25V), but carries extremely high amperage (300A+)
during a shot, which is immediately converted to high voltage (300V+) in the driver coils and is
discharged through freewheel diodes at the top of the driver coil stages. Never touch any
metal parts of the gun during a shot, especially those near the barrel. 300V is more than
enough to cause serious electrical shock, personal injury or death. The high voltage
components (IGBT collector pads) are covered in amber high voltage Kapton tape for your
protection and for the protection of the microcontroller from high voltage spikes. NEVER
REMOVE THIS ORANGE TAPE FROM THE IGBT COLLECTOR PADS. If it falls off for any reason,
discontinue use of the device and send the device back to Arcflash Labs, LLC for repairs if the
tape falls off for any reason. It is a simple repair. Firing the device with no tape on the pads will
almost certainly lead to severe shock and/or irreversible damage to the gun.
2.2 Injector
Projectiles are pushed out of the magazine by a small captive solenoid, known as the
injector. This solenoid is a very low power device. For comparison: the injector operates on
roughly 1 ampere while a single driver coils draws roughly 300 amps. This injector has a spring
loaded mechanism which allows it to return to its home position. It is this spring return
mechanism which sets the maximum rate of fire of the gun. 8 rounds per second is the
maximum safe rate of fire of the injector, and hence the maximum rate of fire of the EMG-01A.
- Never cover the end of the barrel or point the gun at any object closer than 1” from the
end of the barrel. Covering the end of the barrel could result in a jam which may result in
a serious fire or explosion of the IGBTs and/or driver coils.
- Never stick any object or any part of your body in between the injector and the breech.

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2.3 Display/encoder
The display shows the velocity of the prior shot and also allows for the user to select
various firing modes as well as the number of active driver stages. The display also allows the
user to set the gun on safe and displays a warning when the gun is set to safe.
2.4 Main fuse
The main fuse of the EMG-01A is a 40A automotive fuse which acts as a protection
against certain types of over-current and also serves as the primary power switch of the EMG-
01A. It may be used as the means to power up the gun rather than removing the battery. It is
recommended to leave the battery in place and remove the main fuse rather than removing the
battery after each use.
2.5 Battery
The EMG-01A contains a Lithium Polymer battery. As with any device containing a large
lithium battery, it presents a number of hazards including shock, fire, explosion or venting of
toxic gas. Always store the gun and battery in a cool, dry environment indoors, away from any
flammable materials.
2.6 Trigger
- The Main Fuse may be used as a power switch. It is always recommended to remove the
fuse before powering down the gun in preparation for storage.
- Small sparks may be observed when you first connect the main fuse after a long period of
inactivity. This is normal.
- Always insert the main fuse in one fluid motion. If the fuse breaks electrical contact during
startup, remove it, wait for the capacitors to fully discharge, and try again. Multiple fuse
connections during startup may result in problems with the encoder or secondary
microcontroller.
- The EMG-01A contains a large 6S Lithium Polymer battery. Never leave a charged
battery unattended and always store in a cool , dry environment.
- Take care not to pinch the wires when closing the battery compartment.
- Always pull back the release lever before closing the battery compartment. “Slamming”
the battery compartment closed without depressing the release lever will damage the
retaining mechanism and will shorten the lifespan of the gun.
- Do not exert excessive pressure on the trigger. It is a fragile component.

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The trigger of the EMG-01A is connected to a small microswitch internally and is
actuated by a small spring. The trigger only has roughly 0.25” of travel length and the spring
return is very fragile. If excessive pressure is exerted on the trigger, the spring return could
detach. If this occurs, discontinue use of the gun and immediately return to the manufacturer
for repairs. If further pressure is exerted on the trigger, damage to the microswitch could
result.
2.7 Magazine
The EMG-01A uses a proprietary magazine design which was designed to accommodate
a 9-round 3D-printed conformal magazine (the MG9-CS). The magazine uses a steel coil spring
to store up to 9 0.25x0.75” projectiles. However, the injector solenoid on the EMG-01A is only
capable of firing 6 out of the 9 rounds fully auto. This is due to the high spring pressure in the
magazine and the limitations of captive solenoid injectors.
An upgraded 20-round magazine and an upgraded high force injector are currently in
development and at least one of the two components should be available by the time the EMG-
01B is released.
2.8 Capacitors
The EMG-01A contains two very large electrolytic capacitors (360,000 uF total
capacitance) –at the time of construction these are the highest density electrolytic capacitors
in production. They are capable of delivering up to 300A burst current at 25V and storing over
100J of energy.
The capacitors remain charged for approximately ONE MINUTE after disconnecting all
power from the gun. During this time, the gun will still be fully functional and pressing the
trigger will still fire a round. To power down the gun we recommend the following procedure:
1) set the microcontroller to “SAFE”, 2) remove the Main Fuse from its socket – this
immediately removes the battery from the circuit, 3) remove the magazine from the gun, verify
that there is no round still remaining in the barrel, and 4) wait for ALL LEDs (especially the blue
LED near the handle) to extinguish before removing the battery.
The blue LED near the handle indicates the state of charge on the capacitors. If the blue
LED is active, the capacitors are charged.
- Always pull back the release lever before inserting a magazine. “Slamming” a magazine
into the gun without depressing the release lever will damage the retaining mechanism
and will shorten the lifespan of the gun.
- The EMG-01A contains two large 180mF capacitors capable of storing up to 100J of
combined energy.

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3. Operation
3.1 Startup
1. Ensure battery is charged to its nominal voltage of 25.2V
2. Open battery compartment and connect battery XT-60 connectors
3. Stuff connector and wires into the battery compartment gently, ensure wires clear pinch
points and close the compartment, depressing the battery released lever before fully
closing the compartment.
- It is unsafe to power up the gun with a magazine inserted.
- Always check that there is nothing inside the barrel before powering up. Any rounds or
debris inside the barrel during startup could result in a misfire or explosion of the IGBTs.

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4. Insert fuse at an angle as shown below. Connect one terminal, then rotate to connect the
other terminal. Once both terminals are connected, do not remove the fuse –press in
firmly until the fuse is fully seated in its terminals. If you accidentally disconnect the fuse
during insertion, let the system fully power down before re-inserting.
5. Once the fuse is inserted, the primary computer should begin to boot up. Wait for the
message that says “press button to charge caps”. When you are prepared to use the gun,
press down on the rotary dial to energize the system. For safety: make sure there is no
magazine inserted.

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6. The blue LED near the handle should illuminate, indicating that the capacitors are charged
and the system is energized.
7. The computer should enter its normal operating mode, showing a display that looks similar
to the picture below. When the EMG-01A boots up, it will always boot in safe mode.
Pressing the trigger will not fire the gun when the safety is on, but the coils are still
energized and if a round is manually pushed into the barrel it may still fire.
8. To turn the safety off, simply use the rotary encoder dial to select a different firing mode
(“SINGLE”, “BURST”, or “AUTO”).
9. Pressing the trigger will now fire the gun in the operating mode you have selected.
a. SINGLE: Fires only one round per trigger-press.
Push to charge
Charge LED

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b. BURST: Fires up to three rounds per trigger-press. If the user releases the trigger
before the end of the three round burst, the rest of the burst will not fire.
c. AUTO: Fully automatic operation. Fires rounds continuously until the trigger is
released.
3.2 Inserting a magazine
1. Always ensure the gun is powered up and pointed in a safe direction before inserting a
magazine. There is no slide or chamber on the EMG-01A. The active round in the magazine
itself acts as the chambered round. Once the magazine is inserted and the charge LED is
illuminated, the gun is live.
2. Begin by inserting the magazine partially into the slide as shown below.
3. WHILE DEPRESSING THE MAGAZINE RELEASE LEVER, insert the magazine fully into the gun.
4. Ensure the magazine is well seated and the latch is fully engaged with the notch on the
magazine.
- Always pull back the release lever before inserting a magazine. “Slamming” a magazine
into the gun without depressing the release lever will damage the retaining mechanism
and will shorten the lifespan of the gun.

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3.3 Changing power level
1. One of the most interesting properties of electromagnetic guns is the ability to change the
muzzle velocity on the fly. The EMG-01A integrates this feature on the main menu. Simply
select the option: “P:********” and press down on the button to select the power level. By
default, the gun is set on maximum power at startup.
2. Use the encoder dial to select the desired power level: 1-8.
3. Press the encoder button a second time to lock in the desired power level.
3.4 Shutdown
1. Select “SAFE” on the display using the encoder dial and press down on the button.

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2. Remove the Main Fuse from its socket –this immediately removes the battery from the
circuit.
3. Remove the magazine from the gun and verify that there is no round still remaining in the
barrel.
4. Wait for ALL LEDs (especially the blue LED near the handle) to extinguish before storing the
unit

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4. Software
The software in this device is not intended to be user-serviceable. In fact, tampering with the EMG-
01A software is expressly discouraged and will immediately void any express or implied warranties.
Any attempt to modify the software may render the gun unusable or unsafe. Arcflash Labs, LLC
assumes absolutely no responsibility for units which have had their software modified by the end user.
5. Hardware Specifications
Accelerator Specifications
Primary power source
1x 6S LiPo –25.2V, 1500mAh
Power supply
1.5kW (battery direct drive)
Capacitors
2x 180mF/25V electrolytic
Switches
8x IGBT/opto triggered
Projectile
0.25x0.75” carbon steel, 4.6g
Capacity
9 rounds (standard)
20+ (extended)
Rate of fire
8.0 rounds/sec
Muzzle velocity
45 m/s
Muzzle energy
4.65J
Efficiency
6.5%
Physical Dimensions
Barrel length
10.0”
Bore
0.25”
Physical Dimensions
20.5”x 6.8” x 3.9”
Overall Weight
(unloaded, no battery)
2.5 kg

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