I was wondering if there's a circuit that will let me get some voltage (exact voltage isn't important) of sine wave output from a 9V battery designed for no more than about 50 mA, if that. The exact waveform isn't important, but it does need to have a negative bound, as in, if the amplitude is 100V, it needs to go to -100V and not to 0V (i.e. not mixed AC/DC). The wave itself can be dirty as long as I can get a halfway accurate voltage reading on a meter.

I tried using an EL-Wire inverter (which would be ideal), but they're designed for very specific load conditions and although I tried using a capacitor mimicking the capacitance of EL wire to keep the inverter happy, I still got the magic smoke. (though in retrospect I may not have limited the current enough.) In any case, I don't have time to get a new one and so I need to pull something together.

 

Generate a square wave ('555?) at 50/60 Hz and feed it into a mains transformer used backwards. You can decide what voltage you want by choice of transformer.

 

Mains transformer? Not sure I know what you mean. As in, a transformer normally used to step down voltage for AC to DC conversion run the other way?

 

Mains transformer? Not sure I know what you mean. As in, a transformer normally used to step down voltage for AC to DC conversion run the other way?

Yes. You would use, say, a 120V to 6V mains transformer and connect the square wave to the 6V side then the transformer would step that up.

 

Yes. You can run transformers backwards.

 

You can run transformers backwards.

Well I know that much, but I was unfamiliar with the distinction of "mains transformer" when I Googled the phrase I didn't get anything except larger transformers for stepping down to household line voltages and some fascinating information about the characters of a popular property owned by Hasbro and made into several Michael Bay movies.

 

A "mains" transformer just means one that plugs into a wall outlet.