Pendulum Instruments · Dual-Channel High-Voltage Linear Amplifiers
F20AD
Two channels, fixed ×20 gain, ±150 V bipolar output, sized for XY piezo stages
The F20AD is the two-channel version of the F20A: each channel gives ×20 gain, ±150 V bipolar output, 150 mA continuous and about 30 W. Against the dual-channel F10AD it adds 50 V of swing; against a single F20A it adds a second channel built on the same board. The usual reason to buy it is an XY piezo positioning stage, where both axes need identical drive behavior and a defined common-mode relationship that two separate instruments cannot give you. Both channels share ground and power supply.
Overview
Two-axis piezo stages place a requirement on the driver that is easy to miss: both axes must be driven the same way, or a diagonal move comes out skewed. With two separate amplifiers, even of the same model, gain error, offset and temperature drift are independent per unit. In a dual-channel instrument the two channels sit on one board and share one supply and one reference, so a large part of those errors is common-mode and cancels instead of adding. The F20AD gives ×20 gain and ±150 V bipolar output per channel, 150 mA continuous and about 30 W per channel, with the same frequency behavior as the single-channel F20A. In practice the two stage axes go to the two channels and are fed by two DAC outputs on the same controller card, so the signal chain is symmetric from end to end. For three-axis systems, two F20AD units giving four channels is a common layout; the spare channel can serve as a backup or as coarse drive for the Z axis. Selection is still decided by the capacitive current the load draws at your highest operating frequency.
Key specifications
| Channels | 2 channels (shared ground and power supply) |
|---|---|
| Voltage gain | ×20 (fixed) |
| Output voltage range | ±150 V (bipolar) |
| Max continuous output current | 150 mA per channel (current-limit circuit fitted) |
| Max output power (per channel) | About 30 W |
| Frequency response | DC to 1 MHz at 100 Vpp; DC to 500 kHz at the full 300 Vpp swing |
| Slew rate | 400 V/µs (up to 400 pF load) |
| Input voltage range | ±7.5 V (nominal), ±10 V maximum |
| Input impedance | 1 MΩ (30 pF) |
| Output impedance | <0.1 Ω |
| Power supply | 100/110 V or 220/230 V, 50/60 Hz |
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 257 × 102 × 262 mm |
Features
Matched drive on both axes
One board, one supply: gain and drift errors are largely common-mode and cancel, so diagonal moves stay straight.
±150 V and ×20 per channel
Same rating as the single-channel F20A; a standard ±7.5 V source drives it to full swing.
150 mA, about 30 W per channel
Enough for synchronized two-axis drive of mid-sized piezo elements.
Symmetric signal chain
Two DACs into two channels, from controller card to actuator, cuts systematic offset between axes.
Three-axis layouts
Two units give four channels; the spare one can be a backup or coarse drive for Z.
Capacitive loads to 400 pF
Piezo actuators, MEMS, OLED and liquid-crystal cells all sit inside the design envelope, the usual loads in materials research and precision positioning.
Typical applications
Piezo actuators
Driving piezo actuators and precision positioning systems
Piezo actuators need tens to hundreds of volts, while a signal generator gives a few volts. Engineers put the F20AD between the generator and the element: its fixed ×20 gain turns a ±7.5 V input into ±150 V while staying linear and low in distortion, which is what nanometer-level displacement control depends on.
MEMS testing
MEMS device characterization and reliability testing
Characterizing MEMS sensors and micro-actuators calls for high-voltage excitation from DC into the MHz range. The two F20AD channels can drive two devices at once or supply a differential pair; the shared ground keeps both measurements consistent and simplifies the wiring on a probe station or test fixture.
Display materials
Electrical characterization of OLED and liquid-crystal materials
New display materials, such as OLED emitter layers and LC alignment films, are evaluated with accurate high-voltage waveforms for response and lifetime. Researchers use the F20AD to raise an arbitrary waveform generator output to the required drive level; the two channels can apply different frequencies or phases so two material properties are compared in one run.
Options and configuration
Tick the options you need; we collect them into a configuration list and carry it into the quotation form.
Standard equipment (included)
Model selection
Extended options
Downloads
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