Prescalar Circuit Extends Trigger Range Of Scopes And Counters To 16 GHz

July 24, 2000
Developed by Picosecond Pulse Labs of Boulder, Colo., the 5650 Trigger Countdown prescalar circuit extends the triggering-frequency range of high-speed oscilloscopes and frequency counters to 16 GHz. Most of these instruments can only accommodate...

Developed by Picosecond Pulse Labs of Boulder, Colo., the 5650 Trigger Countdown prescalar circuit extends the triggering-frequency range of high-speed oscilloscopes and frequency counters to 16 GHz. Most of these instruments can only accommodate 2-GHz and smaller signals.

The 5650 automatically finds the operating point, saving the user a lot of time. It also eliminates the painstaking and annoying tasks that normally are required when designers use manual-intervention methods common to many tunnel-diode prescalar devices. In fact, it doesn't need any adjustments to achieve synchronization.

This divide-by-8 unit extends the trigger range by dividing a 16-GHz signal down to 2 GHz for each of the target instrument's trigger inputs. It's compatible with many oscilloscopes and frequency counters, including those by Agilent Technologies and Tektronix.

Key specifications include a typical range of 200 MHz to 16 GHz, with a guaranteed range of 0.5 to 15 GHz. Typical sensitivity reaches −17 dBm at 1 GHz and −2 dBm at 16 GHz. Maximum continuous-wave input power is 10 dBm over the 0.5- to 12-GHz range and 4 dBm over the 12- to 16-GHz range.

Jitter is specified at less than 1 ps rms, typical. That's extremely low for a device with such a wide dynamic frequency range. The unit features a 50-Ω input/output impedance. It measures 1.25 by 1.75 by 0.625 in., not including the connector. Furthermore, on Agilent oscilloscopes, the 5650 utilizes the instrument's own power source by plugging into the scope's power connector.

The 5650 Power Countdown unit costs $950 each in small quantities. Availability is from stock to four weeks.

Picosecond Pulse Labs, P.O. Box 44, Boulder, CO 80306; (303) 443-1249; fax (303) 447-2236; www.picosecond.com.

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.

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