Method and apparatus of charging an engine ignition system

A method for controlling the operation of an ignition exciter comprising a rechargeable energy source supplying electricity to a solid-state switch, the method comprising:

• charging the energy source at a first rate when the voltage of the energy source is less than a first voltage reference value;
• charging the energy source at a second rate, greater than the first rate, when the voltage of energy source is greater than a first voltage reference value;
• and
• discharging the energy source through the switch to generate a spark when the voltage of the energy source satisfies a discharge voltage reference value,
• wherein the charging and the discharging the energy source are repeated, charging the energy source at the first rate occurs during a first period and charging the energy source at the second rate occurs during a second period between the repeated dischargings of the energy source, and the second period is minimized by charging the energy source at a maximum charging rate, and the first period is maximized relative to a total amount of time between the repeated dischargings of the energy source.