ISSN:
1089-7623
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
,
Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
Notes:
A system design is presented which allows a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to be tuned to an arbitrary frequency between 78 and 94 MHz with an accuracy better than 1 kHz (10 ppm). The temperature coefficient is on the order of 1 kHz/K, giving a long-term stability better than 1 kHz in a controlled environment. The slew rate for frequency switching is ≈10 MHz in 50 μs. The system comprises a computer-controlled precision voltage source, a spline interpolation of the voltage versus frequency characteristic, and good isolation of the VCO electronics from the subsequent circuitry. It provides an extremely low-cost alternative to frequency synthesisers. In our application involving the launching of slow atoms at a target, we can achieve atomic velocities as low as 10 cm/s with 1 cm/s precision. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1147430
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