Pendulum Instruments · Single-Channel High Voltage Linear Amplifiers
P200
Wideband high voltage, high current linear amplifier for piezo positioning and electrostatic transducer drive
Within the P series the P200 is the balanced one: ±100 V bipolar, 1 A continuous, about 128 W, with x10 gain and ±10 V input. Its place in the range is clear: twice the voltage of the P100, and far more current than the A series. When the load is neither a small pure capacitance (A series) nor a low-impedance resistive load at 50 V (P100), but something with mixed character that needs amperes at the 100 V level, this spec set fits best. Pendulum specifies the P series for resistive and capacitive loads only; the manual states it must not drive an inductive load. Small-signal bandwidth is DC to >200 kHz, DC to 60 kHz at the full 200 Vpp swing, slew rate 30 V/µs.
Overview
Many real loads do not fit textbook categories. A piezo stage with mechanical damping, a transducer with significant series resistance, or a composite actuator with both capacitive and resistive components all ask the driver for voltage swing and sustained current at the same time. The ±100 V / 1 A / 128 W combination of the P200 is for those loads: enough voltage for mid-sized piezo elements and transducers, enough current for the resistive part and for higher operating frequencies. Bipolar output supports drive in both directions and active pull-back. The DC to >200 kHz small-signal bandwidth and 30 V/µs slew rate show its design intent: this is not built for the fastest edges but for stable power in the mid-frequency range. If you need 500 V/µs class edges, look at the PV series. Gain is x10 with current-limit protection. Note that Pendulum specifies the P series for resistive and capacitive loads only; do not connect inductive loads. The most useful selection data is the load's actual impedance at the operating frequency, including the imaginary part: the real part sets the continuous current, the imaginary part sets how voltage and frequency relate, and only both together show whether this unit is enough.
Key specifications
| Fixed gain | 10x |
|---|---|
| Output voltage range | -100 V to +100 V (bipolar) |
| Max input voltage | ±10 V (nominal) |
| Continuous output current | 1 A (with current limiting) |
| Max output power | approx. 128 W |
| Bandwidth (large signal) | DC to 80 kHz at 100 Vpp; DC to 60 kHz at the full 200 Vpp swing |
| Bandwidth (small signal) | DC to >200 kHz |
| Slew rate | 30 V/µs (factory setting) |
| Max capacitive load | 100 nF |
| Input impedance | 1 MΩ (30 pF) |
| Output impedance | 1 Ω (linear mode) |
| Power supply | 100/110 V or 220/230 V, 50/60 Hz |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 257 x 102 x 262 mm |
| Weight | 6 kg |
Features
Balanced voltage and current
±100 V with 1 A continuous, for composite loads that have both capacitive and resistive components; not for inductive loads.
About 128 W
Ampere-level output at the 100 V level, not just small-signal lab loads.
Bipolar, two-direction drive
Supports active pull-back, so reciprocating moves settle faster than with unipolar drive.
Stable mid-band output
Small signal DC to >200 kHz, 30 V/µs: designed for steady power rather than the fastest edges. For very fast edges, see the PV series.
Select by complex impedance
The real part sets current demand, the imaginary part the voltage-frequency relationship; evaluate both together.
Where it is used
Anywhere ampere-level current is needed at the hundred-volt level: drive stages for precision positioning platforms, transducer excitation, and material characterization under high electric fields. Resistive and capacitive loads only.
Typical applications
Precision positioning
Piezo actuator drive and nanometer positioning control
In scanning probe microscopy, semiconductor optical alignment and active vibration suppression, engineers output a ±10 V signal from an arbitrary waveform generator and the P200 amplifies it by a fixed factor of 10 to ±100 V at up to 1 A. That gives precise control of a stacked piezo actuator's displacement and frequency response, solving the usual problem that a signal source alone cannot excite the element.
MEMS testing
Characterization and functional verification of electrostatic MEMS devices
MEMS comb drives, electrostatic micromirrors and sensors need high-voltage bias to reach pull-in or to sweep resonance during development. The bipolar ±100 V output of the P200, with low distortion and a small-signal bandwidth above 200 kHz, connects directly to a signal analyzer for impedance and frequency-response measurement. University labs and device manufacturers use it as the excitation source.
Display devices
Drive-signal simulation for OLED and liquid crystal panels
Panel makers and materials institutes evaluating OLED electroluminescence efficiency or liquid crystal phase transitions need stable high-voltage AC or DC bias waveforms. The P200 raises a standard function generator's low-voltage sweep to the device's required range, and its short-circuit protection keeps samples safe, speeding up electrical verification of new emissive materials and alignment films.
Options and configuration
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Standard equipment (included)
Model and specification options
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