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Consider an LED setup where several modules are connected in series so their forward voltages (~20V each) add up to something around 200V. The setup is driven by a Mean Well HLG-480-C2100 driver.

Now I wonder if touching any one point in this setup is dangerous or not (I know that there is only voltage between two points). My assumption is that touching e.g. only the positive terminal of the led driver is harmless. Same principle as why birds can sit on a power line.

One concern that I have is that the capacity of a human body is large enough to cause a reasonable current flow right at the moment of contact, but I don't know and I'm not going to try.

In case it matters: there is no continuity between the negative output of the driver (LED-) and protective earth. My thought: if there was continuity between LED- and earth, then touching one point is in deed dangerous. Pretty much the same like touching one terminal of the mains, but with the difference that the residual-current device wouldn't protect you due ro the galvanic isolation from mains.

Sim Son
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    Depends on what is used as a ground reference in the circuit, if your body is electrically connected to the same ground, then it certainly will be dangerous – S.s. Nov 08 '20 at 03:26
  • `Same principle as why birds can sit on a power line` ... are you sitting on the positive terminal? – jsotola Nov 08 '20 at 03:30
  • See also https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/530455/understanding-differential-mode-voltage-of-a-floating-circuit/530458#530458 – mhaselup Nov 08 '20 at 04:37

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The output of that power supply is not referenced to ground, so if you touch only one end (doesn't matter which), you could effectively ground that end but will not complete a circuit and so no current will flow through you. You would have to touch both ends to complete a circuit and receive a shock.

user1850479
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