Introduction
Description
The PCX-7500 is an air-cooled, high-power current source designed to drive laser
diodes, bars, and arrays. The output current can be set from 10 A to 450 A; the
compliance voltage depends on the model. The pulse width is adjustable from 4
µs to 5,000 µs with a frequency range of 8 Hz to 10,000 Hz.
The PCX-7500 may be operated through its intuitive front panel controls. The color
QVGA LCD provides immediate visual confirmation of all operating parameters,
including pulsed current setpoints, internal trigger pulse width, internal trigger
frequency, and error/fault messages.
For automated applications, complete control of the instrument is provided through
RS-232, USB, and Ethernet computer interfaces. Up to four system configurations
may be stored in internal nonvolatile memory, providing instant recall of frequently-
used configurations.
The laser diode is connected to the PCX-7500 through a low-impedance stripline
cable designed to preserve the fidelity of high-speed current pulses. The output
connector is interlocked such that the PCX-7500 is disabled when the connector is
removed.
Conveniently-located front panel BNC connectors allow the PCX-7500 to be
externally triggered and synchronized for specialized interconnected equipment
applications. The impedance of the trigger input can be set to either 50
Ω
or
10,000
Ω
. The synchronization output pulse is synchronized to the leading edge of
the output current pulse and is active with an internal or external trigger. The delay
between the sync output signal and the main output current pulse is approximately
100 ns, measured from rising edge to rising edge.
The PCX-7500 has the ability to store four unique user settings, which include all
system configurations for operation of the PCX-7500.
