ns pulse generator IC for low voltages

I am trying to make a pulse generator that will generate pulses as short as 1 ns, with voltages around 1V. It would be triggered by an external signal. I am wondering whether anyone makes a single chip solution for this type of thing, or if someone knows a communications IC that could be easily modified to do this? And it would be great if it came with an evaluation board, though I realize I am reaching on that point. (Still, unless you enjoy torture, soldering surface mount components is something I like to avoid.)

As I've searched on the net, most DIY pulse generator circuits involve avalanche circuits which seem to require relatively high voltages and are a little unstable. Linear has a circuit that uses comparators with an AND gate to produce a pulse, and that seems to be pretty workable. I've also thought it wouldn't be that hard to combine an inverter with an AND gate and a delay line IC to produce an output pulse, provided the transitions didn't excessively widen the pulse.

Reply to
O. P. E.
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Most logic family edge times are greater than 1ns so aren't going to work. You might look at ECL - there's a hint here

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There's an article "A recipe for homebrew ECL" by Chuck Hastings which is a good read, though I couldn't find it on the web. The avalanche pulser described in the appendix to Linear application note 79 might be what you want.
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Reply to
John McMillan

here

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want.http://www.linear.com/pc/downloadDocument.do?navId=H0,C3,P1012,D4168

I appreciate the link to the Linear App Note, as it also had many details on circuit construction that should really help. I also found a few other Linear app notes written by Jim Williams. I love how he has "cartoons" on the last page.

In searching around after I posted here I found Potato Semiconductor advertising "74 series GHz logic." I've never heard of them before, but the chips look like they would have the fast response I am looking for. Does anyone have any experience with them? I also found some fast chips from OnSemi.

Thanks

Reply to
O. P. E.

"O. P. E." wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@r56g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:

Potato chips? Isn't this a few days early? :)

Reply to
Lostgallifreyan

If you are going into high speed pulse electronics, you could do worse than read *everything* that Jim Williams has written.

High-Speed Digital Design: A Handbook of Black Magic

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241 is good too.

I'd never heard of them. Must admit I'd taken my eyes off this field a bit. The data sheets look great. Has anyone actually used the chips?

OnSemi were Motorola who invented ECL (or was it Plessey? or ICL? ...) Their stuff is good.

Reply to
John McMillan

here

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want.http://www.linear.com/pc/downloadDocument.do?navId=H0,C3,P1012,D4168

This app note and a few other app notes and web sites discuss making a pulse generator with a 2N2369 transistor. It looks like they are mostly referring to the TO-92 package instead of the surface mount. I notice that the surface mount usually have a lower power dissipation, but also would seem to have better RF characteristics due to the shorter leads. Does anyone have any experience with surface mount vs. TO-92 for avalanche pulse generation? While I don't like the idea of soldering surface mount components, I'll do it if I have to.

Thanks

Reply to
O. P. E.

What little experience I do have confirmed the standard RF maxim "long legs bad, short legs good". I have slightly more experience with hand soldering surface mount transistors (and other two and three legged components). Its not as difficult as it looks. After a day or two you've got completely used to it.

Reply to
John McMillan

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