Building a custom pulsed laser diode driver requires significant electrical engineering expertise in high-speed current regulation, diode protection, and thermal management — a single design error can destroy expensive laser diodes. The Berkeley Nucleonics PCX-7401 and PCX-7421 provide professionally engineered, tested, and calibrated drivers with features that are difficult to replicate in custom builds: precision…
Each Heinzinger EVO Series high-voltage power supply ships with a high-voltage output cable featuring a male connector on one end and an unterminated end for custom connection to your load or instrument. The EVO unit itself has a female high-voltage connector. When you purchase an EVO together with a Berkeley Nucleonics PVX high-voltage pulser, the…
A laser diode driver is an electronic instrument that precisely controls the electrical current delivered to a laser diode, enabling stable, repeatable, and safe optical output. It regulates both current amplitude and voltage to protect the diode from overcurrent damage — even brief current spikes can permanently destroy a laser diode. Pulsed laser diode drivers,…
Material selection depends on what type of radiation you’re measuring, required energy resolution, operating temperature range, count rate, and cost constraints. NaI(Tl) is the most widely used general-purpose gamma detector. CeBr3 offers superior energy resolution without requiring cooling. LaBr3 provides excellent timing and resolution but is more expensive. CLYC and CLLBC are dual-mode gamma/neutron detectors…
A scintillation detector converts ionizing radiation (gamma rays, neutrons, or charged particles) into visible light pulses, which are then detected and measured by a photomultiplier tube (PMT) or silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). The material used for scintillation — such as NaI(Tl), CeBr3, or CLYC — determines the detector’s energy resolution, timing performance, and sensitivity to specific…
A radiation survey meter (like the BNC Model 907) measures overall radiation dose or count rate — it tells you how much radiation is present but not what type of isotope is causing it. An isotope identifier (RIID) goes further by analyzing the energy spectrum of the radiation to identify the specific isotope. Survey meters…
Isotope identification (RIID) is the process of determining not just the presence of radioactive material, but the specific isotope(s) — for example, distinguishing Cs-137 from Co-60 or U-235. This matters because different isotopes present different risks: some are medical or industrial sources with legitimate uses, while others are potential special nuclear material (SNM) or radiological…
Channel count depends on how many independent timing signals your experiment or system requires. Single-channel units work for simple trigger-delay applications, while multi-channel models (BNC offers up to 24 channels in the 588B) are used to synchronize cameras, lasers, shutters, detectors, and other instruments simultaneously. In multi-channel systems, outputs can typically be set with independent…
A digital delay generator (DDG) produces precise, programmable time delays between trigger inputs and output pulses — often with picosecond-level resolution. While a standard pulse generator creates pulses with defined width and repetition rate, a DDG adds precise, independent delay control on each output channel. This is essential for synchronizing multiple instruments in laser experiments,…
BNC’s pulsed power product line (DEI division) is designed to drive resistive, inductive, and capacitive loads across a wide range of impedances. Common loads include laser diodes, Pockels cells, plasma chambers, solenoids, and spark gap electrodes. Models are available with bipolar output and high-current output for demanding laser diode driver applications. Specify your load impedance…
