Need 100 Times Gain at 2GHz

Thread Starter

slavano

Joined May 10, 2016
7
Hello,

I am working on a project and need some assistance. I am try to take a pulse that, at max, has a 2GHz frequency. The pulse is about 30mV and I need it to be at about 2.2V for it to be picked up by an arduino's digital pin (max tolerance is 3.3V). I have been searching on Digikey for an op amp that would work but have had no success. Does anyone know of a chip or circuit that could do this for me? Thank you in advanced!
 

Thread Starter

slavano

Joined May 10, 2016
7
We are getting the pulses from a Sibm which is receiving photons from a sintilator. At the moment we are getting that high of frequencies from a control source which is much stronger than what the end aplication will be. So the arduino probably won't read that fast however we do have plans for that issue moving forward.

Also, that chip looks fast enough however it does not state the level of gain that we require. Do you think it can boost as high as we need?
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,159
I believe the Arduino has no chance of seeing such a pulse. Where do such bizarre notions come from? Beats the hell out of me!
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,159
The Mini-Circuits monolithic gain blocks have gains of 20dB, which is a gain of 100.
To get that gain at that frequency you will need to employ careful layout and diligent impedance matching techniques. Do you have the equipment to characterize the devices?
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,152
The input circuitry on a AVR ("Arduino" to some) is like a low pass filter, I guess around 50 MHz, and the fastest legitimate clock rate for an AVR is 20 MHz. A good approach might be to make a fast detector using a comparator (Like the LM710 or a newer one) and use the comparator's output to drive the controler's input pin.

How many scintillations per second do you expect to have to handle? The counter on AVR's can handle up to 10 MHz. If you need faster, either add an outboard counter or use a PIC (because PICs don't have the same input clocking restrictions).
 

SLK001

Joined Nov 29, 2011
1,549
To get that gain at that frequency you will need to employ careful layout and diligent impedance matching techniques. Do you have the equipment to characterize the devices?
Yeah, I was going to mention that, but I believe that this thread is going nowhere but absolute failure on the TS's part.
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
Yeah, I was going to mention that, but I believe that this thread is going nowhere but absolute failure on the TS's part.
The problem with a first-year graduate student learning a bunch of technical words and not understanding the physical limitations of technology or the practical solutions scientists before him/her used to solved these problems. He/she will soon be working rotating shifts at an QC lab in a chemical factory or, if he/she gets a swift kick from a professor, they might get a degree.
 

Lestraveled

Joined May 19, 2014
1,946
Do you need to simply detect the presence of the pulse? A Mini-Circuits, ZX47-40+, is a power detector that works from 10 Mhz to 8 Ghz.

Minicircuits.com
 
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