- Spectrum Instrumentation has announced the integration of a new software feature, Sequence Restart Mode, for its Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs).
- This mode, developed in response to a specific request from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the German metrology institute, is now available to all users of the affected product lines.
AWG generators traditionally use a “Sequence Mode” to produce long-duration signals. This method involves linking and repeating waveform segments of varying lengths to create complex signal chains without interrupting the data stream.
The new Sequence Restart Mode complements this architecture by enabling an automatic restart of the entire sequence upon receiving a trigger event. The key technical characteristic of this mode is the fixed delay between the trigger signal and the actual signal output (trigger-to-output). This temporal stability is necessary for automated testing processes where cycles must be reset with constant repeatability as soon as experimental conditions require it.
Technical Specifications and Compatibility
This update addresses the need for rigorous time synchronization, such as that encountered by applications using frequencies in the radio frequency (RF) range for, for example, laser cooling of atoms or fluorescence spectroscopy.
Technical Specifications Related to the Sequence Restart Mode Functionality:
- Hardware Compatibility: The mode is available for all 66 models in the M2p.65xx and M4i.66xx series of arbitrary waveform generators from the German manufacturer.
- Signal Architecture: Supports looping and linking of segments.
- Time Accuracy: Fixed latency between the trigger and the generation of the first sample in the sequence. Implementation: The function is activated via a simple driver update, without requiring any hardware modifications.
This software feature aims to reduce cycle times in industrial and research testing environments by optimizing instrument responsiveness to external stimuli. It is provided at no additional cost to owners of compatible arbitrary waveform generator cards from the Spectrum series.
