Pendulum Instruments · High Voltage Linear Amplifiers
A600
Single-channel ±300 V fixed-gain high voltage linear amplifier, linear from DC to 350 kHz at the full 600 Vpp swing
The defining number on the A600 is its gain: x100, with a maximum input of only ±3 V. That tells you what it expects upstream. Not a ±10 V function generator, but the DAC output of a motion controller, the analog output of a data acquisition card, or any source that is small-signal by nature, with no attenuator or preamplifier inserted to suit the amplifier. The output is ±300 V bipolar; bandwidth is DC to 350 kHz at the full 600 Vpp swing, and the upper limit rises as you reduce the output amplitude. If your control system only puts out a few volts and the device needs 300 V class drive, this unit removes the entire front-end stage.
Overview
Every stage in a signal chain adds noise and nonlinearity. Driving a 300 V device with a x20 amplifier calls for a 15 V input, which most control cards cannot deliver, so a preamplifier goes in between, and its noise is then multiplied by 20 on the way to the device. The x100 gain of the A600 removes that stage: the ±3 V from the control card comes straight in and is amplified once to ±300 V. For closed-loop positioning this also shortens the loop delay. The trade-off is input sensitivity. At x100, 1 mV of noise at the input becomes 100 mV at the output, so source quality and cable shielding matter more than they do with lower-gain models; keep the input cable away from mains wiring. Bandwidth is 350 kHz at the full 600 Vpp output and rises as the amplitude is reduced, the usual high-voltage compromise: a full-scale swing demands more current, so the upper frequency limit drops.
Key specifications
| Channels | 1 channel (single-channel) |
|---|---|
| Voltage gain | x100 (fixed) |
| Output voltage | ±300 V (bipolar) |
| Input voltage range | max. ±3 V |
| Bandwidth | DC to 350 kHz (full 600 Vpp swing) |
| Slew rate | 500 V/µs (no load) |
| Continuous output current | 75 mA (with current-limit protection) |
| Max output power | ca. 30 W |
| Output impedance | <0.1 Ω |
| Input impedance | 1 MΩ (30 pF) |
| Power supply | 100 V, 120 V or 230 V factory set, 50/60 Hz, or a 110/220 V line voltage selector |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 257 x 102 x 262 mm |
| Weight | 4 kg |
Features
x100 gain
Drive it directly from the ±3 V of a control card or DAC and drop a whole preamplifier stage, along with the noise it adds.
±300 V bipolar
The drive range for high-voltage piezo elements and electrostatic transducers; the negative half lets you pull the element back actively.
A shorter signal chain
Closed-loop positioning loses one stage of delay, which helps both loop bandwidth and stability.
Keep the input clean
x100 amplifies input noise too, so source quality and shielding matter more than on lower-gain models.
Bandwidth depends on amplitude
DC to 350 kHz at the full 600 Vpp swing, with a higher limit at reduced amplitude; size it for the amplitude you will actually run.
Dual-channel available
For synchronous or differential drive of two loads, the A600D packs two independent A600 channels on a common ground and supply, so the signal chain design stays the same.
Typical applications
Piezo positioning
Driving piezo actuators for nanometer-scale positioning
In atomic force microscopes, active optics and precision vibration control, a piezo actuator needs a stable bipolar high-voltage signal to use its full travel. The A600 delivers ±300 V of linear output from a ±3 V arbitrary waveform generator or controller signal at a fixed gain of 100, so engineers can drive stacked piezo actuators without distortion and reach nanometer-level displacement resolution and repeatability.
MEMS testing
Electrostatic drive characterization of MEMS devices
In semiconductor R&D labs, measuring the pull-in voltage of an electrostatic comb drive or a thin-film structure means sweeping bias voltages of several hundred volts. Engineers program a low-amplitude sweep on a signal generator, amplify it through the A600 to the required range, and record displacement and capacitance change at the same time. No separate high-voltage supply is needed to verify the device electrically at wafer level or after packaging.
Display materials
Electro-optic characterization of liquid crystal cells and OLED materials
Flat-panel materials research applies precise AC or pulsed signals of several hundred volts to measure liquid crystal switching voltage and OLED carrier injection. Because the A600 is linear from DC to several hundred kHz, researchers define the drive waveform on an arbitrary waveform generator, amplify it, and apply it to the sample while an optical setup records the electro-optic response. That shortens material screening and process tuning.
Options and configuration
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Standard equipment (included)
Hardware options
Other models in the series
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