HP / Agilent 8131A High-Speed Pulse Generator, 500 MHz

The HP/Agilent 8131A is a high-speed pulse generator engineered for precise characterization of advanced digital circuits and components. Operating at a maximum repetition rate of 500 MHz (1 GHz in Transducer Mode), it delivers sub-200 ps transition times and 10 ps timing resolution. The instrument generates variable-width pulses with configurable delay across a 20 ns to 99.9 ms range, supporting amplitudes from 100 mV to 5 Vp-p at 50 Ohm output impedance. Its six operational modes

Auto, Trigger, Manual, Gate, External Width, and External Burst - combined with an exclusive Transducer Mode for shaping external sinewaves into 1 GHz squarewaves, make it suitable for BiCMOS, ECL, GaAs, and CMOS device validation. The instrument excels at setup and hold time measurement, clock and data signal simulation, glitch testing down to 500 ps spike widths, and excess-voltage immunity characterization. Fully HP-IB programmable with single-channel architecture (dual-channel available via Option 020), it operates from 0°C to 55°C with a 30-minute warm-up requirement.

Technical Specifications

Maximum Repetition Rate: 500 MHz (1 GHz in Transducer Mode)

Pulse Transition Times: <200 ps (10%–90%), typically 150 ps (20%–80%)

Timing Resolution: 10 ps

Amplitude Range: 100 mV to 5 Vp-p, 10 mV resolution

Output Impedance: 50 Ohms

Pulse Width: Variable, 10 ps resolution

Pulse Delay: 20 ns to 99.9 ms, 10 ps resolution

Period: 2 ns to 99.9 ms

Minimum Spike Simulation Width: 500 ps

Operating Temperature: 0°C to 55°C

Warm-up Time: 30 minutes

Key Features

Single channel with complementary outputs

Six standard operation modes plus exclusive Transducer Mode

Transducer Mode converts external sinewaves to 1 GHz squarewaves with 200 ps transitions

Optional second channel (Option 020)

HP-IB programmable interface

Typical Applications

High-frequency circuit characterization and digital IC testing

Setup and hold time measurement on ECL and GaAs devices

Clock and data signal generation for cell characterization

Glitch and crosstalk analysis via spike simulation

Excess-voltage immunity evaluation

Production parametric and functional test environments

Compatibility & Integration

BiCMOS, ECL, GaAs, and CMOS technology support

HP-IB programmability for automated test systems

Available options: second channel (020), rear panel connectors (001), rack mount flange (908)