A low voltage control circuit is provided for individually controlling high voltage
power provided over bus lines to a multitude of interconnected loads. An example
of a load is a drive for capillary channels in a microfluidic system. Control is
distributed from a central high voltage circuit, rather than using a number of
large expensive central high voltage circuits to enable reducing circuit size and
cost. Voltage is distributed to each individual load and controlled using a number
of high voltage controller channel switches connected to high voltage bus lines.
The channel switches each include complementary pull up and pull down photo isolator
relays with photo isolator switching controlled from the central high voltage circuit
to provide a desired bus line voltage. Switching of the photo isolator relays is
further controlled in each channel switch using feedback from a resistor divider
circuit to maintain the bus voltage swing within desired limits. Current sensing
is provided using a switched resistive load in each channel switch, with switching
of the resistive loads controlled from the central high voltage circuit.