Test & Measurement Electro-Optics Timing Lasers Micromachining

Basics of Pulse Generators

Pulse generators usually allow control of the pulse repetition rate, pulse width, pulse delay and pulse amplitude. More-sophisticated pulse generators may allow control over the rise time and fall time of the pulses. A pulse generators delay is measured with respect to an internal or external trigger. The pulse generators rate may be determined by a frequency or period adjust (rep rate). Pulse generators may use digital techniques, analog techniques, or a combination of both techniques to form the output pulses. For example, the pulse repetition rate and duration may be digitally controlled but the pulse amplitude and rise and fall times may be determined by analog circuitry in the output stage of the pulse generator. With correct adjustment, pulse generators can also produce a 50% duty cycle square wave. Pulse generators are generally single-channel providing one frequency, delay, width and output. To produce multiple pulses, these simple pulse generators would have to be ganged in series or in parallel. A new family of pulse generators can produce multiple-channels of independent widths and delays and independent outputs and polarities. Often called digital delay/pulse generators, the newest designs even offer differing repetition rates with each channel, differing delays and differing widths. They can be produce timing signals in modes independent of the other channels. These digital delay/pulse generators are useful in synchronizing, delaying, gating and triggering multiple devices usually with respect to one event. One is also able to multiplex the timing of several channels onto one channel in order to trigger or even gate the same device multiple times. These pulses can then be injected into a device under test and used as a stimulus or clock signal or analyzed as they progress through the device, confirming the proper operation of the device or pinpointing a fault in the device. Pulse generators are also used to drive devices such as switches, lasers and optical components, modulators, intensifiers as well as resistive loads. The output of a pulse generator may also be used as the modulation signal for a signal generator
Applications - Laser triggering - Pulse Power - High Voltage - High Speed Camera - Radar - Lidar - General Triggering - High Speed Physics - Optics - Chemistry - Biology Imaging - ICCD - LIBS - PIV - High speed imaging - Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging - Flash X-ray

Quantum Composers, Inc. 212 Discovery Drive Bozeman, MT 59718 Toll Free: 800-510-6530 406-582-0227 FAX: 406-582-0237 http://www.QuantumComposers.com

Test & Measurement Electro-Optics Timing Lasers Micromachining

Pulse Generator Multiplexing

A common request among Pulse Generator users is the ability to sum outputs on a single channel to create even more diverse pulse trains. QC model 9520 Series Pulse Generator successfully achieves this function with the Mux feature described below.

Using the Output Multiplexer

Multiplexing allows for the combination of any or all channel settings to be output to any of the outputs. Channel multiplexing only combines timing events of the channels and not the actual output voltages or currents.

Pulse Generator Master/Slave mode

For Using a Common External Clock or operating in Master/Slave mode One may use an External Clock for every Quantum Composers model 9520 Series digital delay pulse generator or one 9520 that provides a Master Clock for the remaining units. One selects the Ext Clock source and what the Clock Out should provide. If you want to slave several units to one master clock, you have to connect the Clock Out of the first unit to the Clock In of the second. Then connect the Clock Out of the second to the Clock In of the third, and so on. First, select the master to be in the SOURCE: System Osc. Select the master's Ref Out: to be 100 MHz. Select the first slave to have Source: 100MHz Ext. Connect the Clock Out of the Master to the Clock In of the first slave. Select the first slave's Ref Out to be 100MHz and the second slave's Source: 100MHz Ext. Connect first slave's Clock Out to second slave's clock in and so on.

Pulse Generator for ICCD Applications

Intensified charge-coupled device ICCDs, intensified charge-coupled device, amplifies and gates light for fast timer-resolved measurements of transient phenomenon. Typical applications often involve lasers to ablate, illuminate, and initiate events in fields such as laser-induced fluorescence, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, fluid dynamics and combustion research. In some cases, even multiple lasers and multiple ICCDs are used when examining several windows in a single event. A single Pulse Generator can trigger flash lamps, switch lasers and delay/gate ICCDs simultaneously. The Pulse Generator provides multiple synchronized pulses for triggering, delaying and gating devices.

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Quantum Composers, Inc. 212 Discovery Drive Bozeman, MT 59718 Toll Free: 800-510-6530 406-582-0227 FAX: 406-582-0237 http://www.QuantumComposers.com