Powerful High-Voltage Amplifier for Piezoelectric Actuators Provides 2000W, Energy Recovery

18 Aug 2006

The E-480 from piezo specialist PI (Physik Instrumente) LP is one of the most powerful four-quadrant DC high-voltage power amplifiers for piezoelectric actuators, currently available.

This bipolar high-voltage driver provides 2000 W of dynamic power in an output voltage range of 1000 V or +/-500 V. With source / sink currents to 2000 mA and a bandwidth of 5 kHz, the E-480 can achieve very high slew rates, even with large capacitive piezo loads. Differential Drive Mode Provides more Flexibility The amplifier can be operated in both inverting and noninverting mode, with a DC gain of +/-100. The differential design allows two piezo actuators to be driven in push/pull mode, a plus in dynamic positioning applications where a maximum of force and stroke are required. Innovative Energy Recovery Provides higher Efficiency The E-480 was specifically developed for reactive (capacitive) loads such as piezoelectric linear translators. It is based on a novel design employing energy-recovery technology. Instead of dissipating the reactive power in the heat sinks, it is recovered so that only the active power used by the piezo actuator has to be supplied. During discharge of the actuator, the energy not used is returned and reused to supply the amplifier. Applications Include: Precision machining, non-circular turning of optics, active vibration damping and cancellation, Smart structures (adaptronics), high-load precision positioning, Semiconductor manufacturing and testing, laser tuning, high-speed switching Options: The E-480 high-voltage amplifier can be upgraded with a computer interface and a variety of servo modules for closed-loop piezo operation. Features & Advantages