What Is Continuity, and Why Is It Important?

The term continuity means that there is a complete electrical connection between the igniter and the cue on the firing module. Before firing your show, it's important to verify that all igniters are correctly connected and have a complete circuit. Performing a continuity check ensures your system is ready, helps prevent misfires, and gives you confidence in your setup.

What happens during a continuity check?

When you run a continuity check by pressing "Check Igniters", the module sends a very small electrical current through each connected igniter. This signal is too weak to fire anything (less than 10mA) — it's just checking the connection. While we adhere to all NFPA standards with IGNITE, you will want to ensure you are a safe distance from the fireworks when doing this.

If the electricity makes it through the igniter, that means:

• The igniter is properly connected.
• The circuit is complete.
• The IGNITE app marks it as "good", indicated by a green cue
• This does not mean the module has enough power to fire what is connected. Be sure to stay within the module's max firing capability. For max firing information for the i18 and i36, check out How many fireworks can I shoot with IGNITE?

If the electricity doesn’t make it through, it means:

• The igniter is disconnected, damaged, or burned out.
• The circuit is broken somehow.
• The IGNITE app will mark it as "bad" with no continuity, either indicated by a red or grey cue, depending on which screen you're checking from.
   

What happens if there is no continuity?

Ultimately, no continuity means that your firework won’t launch, even if the module sends electricity to fire. To fix this, swap out your igniter with a fresh one and see if that shows continuity. If you're using a Breakout Board, swap out the harness connecting the Breakout Board to the module and see if that fixes the issue. 

To learn how to check continuity, please see the following articles:

• How to Check Connected Igniters for Continuity with IGNITE
• How to Check Connected Igniters for Continuity with IGNITE Lite

Need more help? Contact us, we're always happy to assist!