F20A
High Voltage Linear Amplifiers
- Category: High Voltage Linear Amplifiers
- Manufacturer: Pendulum Instruments
- Voltage gain (fixed): ×20
- Output voltage range: −150 V to +150 V (bipolar)
- Maximum input voltage (recommended): ±7.5 V (±10 V maximum)
- Bandwidth: DC to 1 MHz (at a 100 Vpp output)
- Data sheet: Download PDF
- External link: Official product page
Overview
The F20A is the single-channel broadband high voltage linear amplifier in the Pendulum Instruments F series, built around a high-speed operational amplifier with a precision feedback network for a fixed voltage gain of 20 (×20). The output voltage range reaches ±150 V (bipolar) with 150 mA of continuous output current and an output power limit of about 30 W, handling capacitive load drive comfortably (up to 400 pF). Bandwidth extends from DC to 1 MHz (at a 100 Vpp output) and the slew rate reaches 400 V/µs, so fast signals are reproduced faithfully. An input impedance of 50 kΩ (in parallel with 30 pF) accepts the output of a function generator or arbitrary waveform generator directly, with no matching circuit needed. A built-in 15 mA microfuse and an output current limiting circuit give thorough short-circuit and overvoltage protection, extending instrument life and keeping testing safe. The F20A is widely used in high voltage precision measurement — piezo actuator control, MEMS characterisation, OLED drive test and liquid crystal device research.
Key features
- Fixed high gain ×20 high voltage output — A fixed feedback network sets the voltage gain precisely at 20, raising the ±7.5 V output of a standard signal source to a bipolar ±150 V — strong drive with high linearity.
- Broadband DC to 1 MHz with a high slew rate — Bandwidth spans DC to 1 MHz and the slew rate reaches 400 V/µs (into a 400 pF load), reproducing fast transients faithfully to meet the dynamic drive requirements of piezo and MEMS devices.
- Layered protection — A built-in 15 mA microfuse and an output current limiting circuit guard against input overvoltage (protection triggers above 300% of maximum) and output short circuits, keeping both the instrument and the device under test safe.
- Very low output impedance — An output impedance below 0.1 Ω maintains voltage-source behaviour across a wide frequency range, driving mixed capacitive and resistive loads effectively and reducing signal distortion.
- Broad application compatibility — Suited to drive testing of piezo actuators, MEMS devices, OLED displays and liquid crystal devices, it accepts the output of a function generator or arbitrary waveform generator directly with no matching circuit.
- General laboratory design — The low-cost entry model in the F series, compact (257 × 102 × 262 mm) and running from a 100 V, 110 V or 220 V (50/60 Hz) supply, integrates quickly into an existing measurement system and makes a cost-effective high voltage amplification solution.
Typical applications
- Piezo actuator drive and nanopositioning systems — In scanning probe microscopes (SPM/AFM), optical alignment stages and semiconductor wafer inspection equipment, a piezo actuator needs bipolar high voltage above ±100 V to reach nanometre displacement resolution. The F20A amplifies the low voltage signal of any function generator by 20 (up to ±150 V / 150 mA) from DC out to 1 MHz, so open-loop positioning control gets both the linearity and the bandwidth it needs.
- Electrical characterisation and functional verification of MEMS devices — Electrostatically driven MEMS devices — micromirrors, microswitches, RF MEMS filters — need programmable high voltage excitation during development and incoming inspection so that their mechanical response or switching behaviour can be measured. With a signal source, the F20A builds a high voltage excitation setup on the bench quickly, avoiding a dedicated high voltage supply and shortening the setup time that device characterisation takes.
- Electro-optic and PZT modulator drive for optical communication device test — The half-wave voltage (Vπ) of a lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) or PZT electro-optic modulator usually falls between tens and hundreds of volts, and measuring its insertion loss, frequency response and linearity in the laboratory calls for a low-noise, broadband high voltage drive signal. The F20A's 400 V/µs slew rate and low output impedance (< 0.1 Ω) make it an ideal amplification stage for optical communications R&D laboratories verifying modulator dynamics.
Key specifications
Key specifications for F20A, as published by Pendulum Instruments. For the full datasheet or a customized configuration, please get in touch.
| Voltage gain (fixed) | ×20 |
|---|---|
| Output voltage range | −150 V to +150 V (bipolar) |
| Maximum input voltage (recommended) | ±7.5 V (±10 V maximum) |
| Bandwidth | DC to 1 MHz (at a 100 Vpp output) |
| Slew rate | 400 V/µs (load ≤ 400 pF) |
| Continuous output current | 150 mA (current limiting included) |
| Maximum output power | about 30 W |
| Maximum capacitive load | 400 pF |
| Input impedance | 50 kΩ (in parallel with 30 pF) |
| Output impedance | <0.1 Ω (linear mode) |
| Power supply | 100 V, 110 V or 220 V, 50/60 Hz (a version with a 110/220 V selector switch is also available) |
| Overall dimensions (W x H x D) | 257 × 102 × 262 mm, weight 4 kg |
Frequently asked questions
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