DC-100 kHz Driver for Dual Stage NanoSpeed™ Switches

Download Product Spec PDF

The NS switch driver provides a convenient way to use the NS series electro-optical switches, which act as a pure capacitive load.   Each driver is tuned to a specific device mounted on the PCB.    To operate, the customer only needs to plug in the accompanying DC power supply and input a control signal through the golden SMA connector.  The switch will be activated as the input voltage exceeds 3V with less than 1µA  draw, compatible with  3.3V CMOS/TTL .   We produce boards to control multiple NS switches with individual SMA connectors.   No computer-based control software is available for such a high-speed operation.

DC-100 kHz Driver for Dual Stage NanoSpeed™ Switches

The NS switch driver provides a convenient way to use the NS series electro-optical switches, which act as a pure capacitive load.   Each driver is tuned to a specific device mounted on the PCB.    To operate, the customer only needs to plug in the accompanying DC power supply and input a control signal through the golden SMA connector.  The switch will be activated as the input voltage exceeds 3V with less than 1µA  draw, compatible with  3.3V CMOS/TTL .   We produce boards to control multiple NS switches with individual SMA connectors.   No computer-based control software is available for such a high-speed operation.
  Specs Min Typical Max Unit
Rise Time (Tr)[1] 85 100 ns
Fall Time (Tf)[2] 85 100 ns
Repetition Rate DC 100 kHz
Pulse Width 1.0 ms
Control Input (TTL pulse) 0 5 V
Power Consumption 5 W
Power Current 0.08 0.4 A
Power Supply 12 V
Operating Temperature -5 70 ºC
Storage Temperature -40 80 ºC
Electrical Connector SMA
Board Size 3.5(L)x1.25(W) Inch

Note:

[1]: Optic Intensity Change from 10% to 90% intuits;

[2]: Optic Intensity Change from 90% to 10% intuits;

[3]: Switch Speed (Rise): Duration from begin of electronic signal to end of optic intensity change;

[4]: Switch Speed (Fall): Duration from begin of electronic signal to end of optic intensity change.

Spec Sheet (PDF)

Mechanical Drawing

Driver Software


Q: Does NS device drift over time and temperature?
A: NS devices are based on electro-optical crystal materials that can be influenced to a certain range by the environmental variations.  The insertion loss of the device is only affected by the thermal expansion induced miss-alignment.  For extended temperature operation, we offer special packaging to -40 -100 0C.   The extinction or cross-talk value is affected by many EO material characters, including temperature-dependent birefringence,  Vp, temperature gradient, optical power, at resonance points (electronic).  However, the devices are designed to meet the minimum extinction/cross-talk stated on the spec sheets.  It is important to avoid a temperature gradient along the device length.

Q: What is the actual applying voltage on the device?
A: 100 to 400V depending on the version.

Q: How does the device work?
A: NS devices are not based on Mach-Zander Interference, rather birefringence crystal’s nature beam displacement,  in which the crystal creates two different paths for beams with different polarization orientations.

Q: What is the limitation for faster operation?
A: NS devices have been tested to have an optical response of about 300 ps.  However, practical implementation limits the response speeds.    It is possible to achieve a much faster response when operated at partial extinction value.  We also offer resonance devices over 20MHz with low electrical power consumption.

Drivers