The CEW circuitry boosts voltage to what range while reducing amperage?

• A. 20,000 to 150,000 volts
• B. 50 to 100 volts
• C. 1,000 to 5,000 volts
• D. 1,000,000 volts

Answer: (D)

CEW circuits are built to deliver a very high-voltage pulse while keeping the current deliberately low. This is done by charging energy storage components and then rapidly releasing it through a high-voltage stage, which creates pulses capable of arcing through clothing and skin impedance. The result is a peak voltage that can be on the order of a million volts, with the actual current kept small by design and the short pulse duration. That combination—high voltage to overcome barriers, low current to minimize harm—is what makes a range up to about one million volts the best fit. Lower voltages wouldn’t reliably penetrate barriers or reliably affect neural activity, while an extremely high voltage in this context reflects the device’s goal of producing a strong, non-lethal impulse with controlled current.