Timing Amplifiers by Application                  Ranked in order of desirability (1 = optimum solution)

Detector Application

Amplifier Model Number

Alternate Methods

FTA820A

VT120

9301

9305

9306

9302

474

579

863

Feed Detector
Output Directly to Timing Discriminator

Use Timing SCA with Spectroscopy
Amplifier Output

Single Photon Counting

2

3

2

2

1

3

Single Photon Timing

1

2

1

Microchannel Plates, Microchannel
Plate PMTs, and Channeltrons

2

1

Fast Plastic or Liquid Scintillator

2

2

4

4

4

1

5

NaI(Tl) and Slow Scintillators

4

4

2

5

3

1

4

Proportional Counters

3

2

3

1

Si Charged-Particle Detectors

1

1

2

2

4

4

3

4

5

Si(Li) Detectors

2

1

2

3

Ge Planar & LO-AX Detectors

2

1

3

Ge Coaxial Detectors (GEM, GAMMA-X)

2

1

3

Timing Filter Amplifiers

Model
No.

Number of Channels

Output Minimum Rise Time

Shaping Time Constants

Gain (for each channel)

Baseline Restorer

Output Range

Comments
(Package-width)

Integration

Differentiation

474

1

≤10 ns

Out, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 ns

Out, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 ns

±2 to ±250

time-invariant

0 to
±5 V

(1-wide NIM)

579

1

<5 ns

Out, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 ns

Out, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 ns; also 50-W cable clip

±0.9 to ±500

gated

0 to
±5 V

(1-wide NIM)

863

4

<10 ns

Out, 50 ns, and optional

Out, 200 ns, and optional; also 50-W cable clip

±2 to ±250

time-invariant

0 to
±5 V

Requires ±6 V power
(1-wide NIM)

For all models:
100-W input impedance to match 93-W cable from preamplifier. For 50-W cables add a tee and 100-W terminator to the input.
Outputs drive a 50-W  load.
Differentiator includes adjustable PZ cancellation.

Wideband Timing Amplifiers

Model

 Number of Channels

Output Rise Time

Output Range

ac/dc Coupling

Gain (for each channel)

rms Equivalent Input Noise

Comments
(Package Width)

FTA820A Fast Timing Amplifier

8

≤1 ns

0 to
-5 V

ac

A: +200

<20 µV

(1-wide NIM)

VT120 Fast Timing Preamplifier

1

≤1 ns

0 to
-5 V

ac

A: +200
B: -200
C: +20

<20 µV

(Preamp)

9301 Fast Preamplifier

1

<1.5 ns

0 to ±0.7 V

ac

+10

<25 µV

(Preamp)

9302 Amplifier and Discriminator

1

3 ns

0 to
-500 mV

ac

+20 or +200

≤10 µV

Amplifier Z_out = 50 W. Incorporates fast discriminator and rate monitor. (1-wide NIM)

9305 Fast Preamplifier

1

<3 ns

0 to
±5 V

dc

+5 to +10

<30 µV

Excellent gain and dc stability. Adjustable gain. (Preamp)

9306 1-GHz Preamplifier

1

0.35 ns

0 to
-2 V

ac

100

<100 µV

Optimized for microchannel plates and microchannel-plate PMTs. (Preamp)

9326 Fast Preamplifier

1

<1 ns

0 to
-1 V

ac

5, 10, or 20

<100 µV

10-kHz low-frequency roll-off, optimized for use with FastFlight

For all models:
50-W input impedance
Outputs drive a 50-W load

Detector Application

460

570

572A

575A

590A

671*

672*

673*

855

PMTs, Microchannel Plates, Microchannel Plate PMTs, Channeltrons

1

2

3

1

1

3

3

1

Scintillation Detectors

1

2

3

1

1

3

3

1

Proportional Counters

4

2

3

1

1

3

3

1

Si Charge-Particle Detectors

2

3

2

4

3

3

2

Si(Li) Detectors

4

3

2

1

Ge Planar and LO-AX Detectors
   Up to 3000 counts/s
   Up to 100,000 counts/s
   Up to 300,000 counts/s

2

3
3

4
2
2

4
1
1

3

Ge Coaxial Detectors (GEM, GAMMA-X)
   Up to 3000 counts/s
   Up to 30,000 counts/s
   Up to 100,000 counts/s

1

1
3

1
2

1
1

2
3
1

Linear Pluse-Shaping Amplifiers

Model No.

Differential Input

Gain

Pulse Shaping

Shaping Time Constants

Baseline Restorer

Pile-Up Rejector

PZ Adjust

Comments
(Package-Width)

460 Delay Line Amplifier

No

±3 to ±1000

Single and double delay-line shaping (unipolar and bipolar)

1-µs delay-line clip. Separate 0.04, 0.1, and 0.25 µs RC integration

Time-invariant

NO

Manual

Selectable 1 µs unipolar output delay (1-wide NIM)

570 Amplifier

No

±1 to ±1500

Semi-Gaussian unipolar

0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6, and 10 µs

Gated; auto or manual noise discriminator

NO

Manual

(1-wide NIM)

572A Amplifier

No

±1 to ±1500

Semi-Gaussian unipolar; bipolar

0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6, and 10 µs

Gated; auto or manual noise discriminator

PUR noise discriminator level set by BLR noise discriminator

Manual

(1-wide NIM)

575A Amplifier

No

±5 to ±1250

Semi-Gaussian unipolar; bipolar

0.5, 1.5, and 3 µs (PWB Switched)

Gated, with auto noise discriminator

NO

Manual

(1-wide NIM)

590A Amplifier and Timing SCA

No

±5 to ±1250

Semi-Gaussian unipolar or bipolar

0.5, 1.5, and 3 µs (PWB Switched)

Gated, with auto noise discriminator

NO

Manual

Incorporates timing single-channel analyzer (1-wide NIM)

671* Spectroscopy Amplifier

Yes

±2.5 to ±1500

Semi-Gaussian and quasi-traiangular unipolar; bipolar

0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6, and 10 µs

Gated, with auto noise discriminator. Auto or high BLR rate.

PUR with separate auto noise discriminator and % rejection LED

Manual

Auto overlaod protection for pulsed-reset preamplifiers (1-wide NIM)

672* Spectroscopy Amplifier

Yes

±2.5 to ±1500

Semi-Gaussian and quasi-traiangular unipolar; bipolar

0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6, and 10 µs

Gated, with auto noise discriminator. Auto or high BLR rate.

PUR with separate auto noise discriminator and % rejection LED

Auto** or manual

Auto overlaod protection for pulsed-reset preamplifiers (2-wide NIM)

673* Spectroscopy Amplifier and Gated Integrator

No

±1 to ±1500

Gated-integrator and semi-Gaussian unipolar

0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 6 µs semi-Gaussian prefilter

Gated; auto or manual noise discriminator

PUR noise discriminator level set by BLR noise discriminator

Coarse and fine; manual

Combines semi-Gaussian and gated-integrator amplifiers in one module (2-wide NIM)

855 Dual Amplifier

No

±5 to ±1250

Semi-Gaussian unipolar; bipolar

0.5, 1.5, and 3 µs (PWB jumpers)

Gated, with auto noise discriminator

No

Manual

Two Model 575A amplifiers in a single module (1-wide NIM)

*The models 671, 672, and 673 are required when using a reset type preamplifier (-PLUS, TRP, and POF).
**U.S. Patent No. 4,866,400