Digitizer and AWG cards Digital pulse generator option for precise signal generation and control

Related Vendors

Spectrum Instrumentation GmbH

dataTec AG

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

Spectrum Instrumentation is expanding its digital pulse generator (DPG) option for high-speed products. The option is integrated into the FPGA and supports the entire range of over 200 products. It also provides three to four additional digital sources to generate pulses and pulse currents.

With the DPG option installed, the Digitizer and AWG products can generate digital pulses with a time resolution based on the sampling rate of the respective device. For example, in the flagship Digitizer series M5i.33xx, the four separate pulse currents have a time resolution of 3.2 ns. At the same time, the digitizer card can capture incoming signals with a resolution of 12 bits at sampling rates of up to 10 GS/s.

The pulse generator option is implemented in the integrated FPGA of the measuring card or the measuring device. This design allows the products to perform their regular tasks, i.e., the capturing or generating of analog waveforms, without any restrictions. The digital pulses are output via multipurpose I/O ports on the front (M5i series: four ports, M4i series: three ports). The digital signals from the pulse generator are suitable for use with today's most common digital circuits. The amplitude levels are 3.3 V TTL (LVTTL); TTL compatible for high impedance loads.

Flexible control and integration of DPG

The DPG is controlled via simple programming to set the pulse properties. This is independent of whether single pulses, pulse sequences, or continuous pulse currents are generated. All important parameters such as pulse width, period, phase, or the number of pulses in a pulse sequence are programmable. Once the DPG is activated, the preprogrammed pulses are output at the assigned universal I/O ports as soon as the respective valid trigger arrives.

For maximum flexibility, the trigger can be generated via software or come from one of the many possible sources. These include all regular internal and external trigger sources of the product or even one of the other DPG channels. Since the outputs of the pulse generator are intrinsically synchronized with the capture or playback function of the product, they are suitable for generating release or switching signals (for example, for signal control). In addition, the three to four channels of the pulse generator can be cascaded to transform the time scales of pulse repetitions, for example.

Available for all Spectrum's digitizers and AWGs

The DPG option can be installed on over 200 different PCIe, PXIe, or Ethernet/LXI products. The 137 different digitizers in the product range offer sampling rates from a low 5 MS/s to ultra-fast 10 GS/s and A/D resolutions of 8, 12, 14, and 16 bits. The 55 different AWGs have output rates from 40 MS/s to 1.25 GS/s, with all signal generators using a D/A resolution of 16 bits and capable of generating almost any waveform with low noise and highest precision. A single digitizer or AWG card has one, two, four, or eight channels. Using the Star-Hub module, multi-channel systems with up to 128 fully synchronized channels are possible. The standalone Ethernet/LXI devices offer 2 to 48 channels.

The DPG option (order code "PulseGen") is immediately available and can be supplied for all new and existing products. Adding this option to any product provides a precise timing interface between its capture or generation function and other external devices.