From: Phil Hobbs on
On 2/7/2010 12:29 PM, JosephKK wrote:
> On Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:51:29 -0500, Phil Hobbs<pcdhSpamMeSenseless(a)electrooptical.net> wrote:
>
>> On 2/6/2010 3:13 PM, Joerg wrote:
>>> Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>>> On 2/6/2010 12:41 PM, Joerg wrote:
>>>>> miso(a)sushi.com wrote:
>>>>>> On Feb 5, 2:20 pm, Joerg<inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>>>>>> Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 2/5/2010 2:13 PM, m...(a)sushi.com wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On Feb 5, 8:56 am, Phil
>>>>>>>>> Hobbs<pcdhSpamMeSensel...(a)electrooptical.net>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> I need a fast IR LED (> 20 MHz,< 50 pF) for an optical feedback
>>>>>>>>>> gizmo.
>>>>>>>>>> I have some Stanley DN310s, but they've been discontinued. Other
>>>>>>>>>> possibilities are:
>>>>>>>>>> Vishay TSFF5410 -- 870 nm, 0.% W/A typ 15 ns rise/fall, 125 pF typ
>>>>>>>>>> Vishay VSLB3940 -- 940 nm, 0.4 W/A typ 15 ns rise/fall, 70 pF typ
>>>>>>>>>> Panasonic LNA4905L -- 880 nm, 0.3 W/A min 30 MHz typ, no other
>>>>>>>>>> specs
>>>>>>>>>> Osram SFH4550 -- 850 nm, 0.5 W/A typ 12 ns rise/fall, no C spec
>>>>>>>>>> It would be really nice to find something with a flat front
>>>>>>>>>> facet and
>>>>>>>>>> (especially) lower capacitance, because it has to work at quite low
>>>>>>>>>> currents (5-10 uA).
>>>>>>>>>> Any suggestions?
>>>>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>>>>> Phil Hobbs
>>>>>>>>> Isn't low current and high speed mutually exclusive, like
>>>>>>>>> intelligence
>>>>>>>>> and Republicans?
>>>>>>>> Nice try, Soup. ;) I enjoy talking electronics too much though.
>>>>>>> His "email address" always makes me crave miso soup and sushi. So, we
>>>>>>> just went to the Japanese restaurant in town ...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> But this time I had pork teriyaki after the miso soup. We usually have
>>>>>>> sushi in the evenings, I can't really work after that, it's so good
>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>> I tend to eat too much of it.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Regards, Joerg
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> http://www.analogconsultants.com/
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
>>>>>>> Use another domain or send PM.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sushi doesn't make for an evening meal. Just too light, even when
>>>>>> supplemented with miso soup. It's better for lunch.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 4-5 rolls (servings) with 4 people and I am really stuffed afterwards.
>>>>> But it's delicious.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Getting back to electronics., this is really an i=c*dv/dt issue. It
>>>>>> seems to me all you can do is reduce C if current is limited.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> If Phil has to switch constantly, yes. Otherwise there could be a
>>>>> "spiking circuit" that swings the C with gusto.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It's inside a feedback loop that needs to have>1 MHz bandwidth, so
>>>> it's more a loop stability vs bandwidth issue. There are alternatives,
>>>> but they're all more complicated than what we've got. I'd probably
>>>> prefer to trade off efficiency rather than speed and capacitance.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Then you'll probably be in the market for the good stuff. This is an
>>> example of one I've used in an optical feedback situation. I only needed
>>> a little under 100MHz BW but it could have given me a lot more:
>>>
>>> http://www.excelight.com/pdf/device/PD/SPT2400-x(revC).pdf
>>>
>>
>> Hopefully not--that's megahertz, not gigahertz. But I do want to be
>> able to work down at 500 nA or 1 uA.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Phil Hobbs
>

> You may wish to consider a laser diode operating below critical current.


Thanks, I know that trick. Thing is, I need a 5000:1 output power
range, or thereabouts--i.e. 3 uW - 15 mW. The bandwidth is going to
be way more than enough at the high end, and the problem is to keep the
feedback poles from crossing at a frequency where there's over-unity gain.

There are other approaches possible that require different approaches,
but they require more tweaking--e.g. two ranges with two LEDs using
different optical coupling fractions.


Cheers

Phil Hobbs


--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal
ElectroOptical Innovations
55 Orchard Rd
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
845-480-2058
hobbs at electrooptical dot net
http://electrooptical.net
From: Joerg on
Phil Hobbs wrote:
> On 2/7/2010 12:29 PM, JosephKK wrote:
>> On Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:51:29 -0500, Phil
>> Hobbs<pcdhSpamMeSenseless(a)electrooptical.net> wrote:
>>
>>> On 2/6/2010 3:13 PM, Joerg wrote:
>>>> Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>>>> On 2/6/2010 12:41 PM, Joerg wrote:
>>>>>> miso(a)sushi.com wrote:
>>>>>>> On Feb 5, 2:20 pm, Joerg<inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>>>>>>> Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On 2/5/2010 2:13 PM, m...(a)sushi.com wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On Feb 5, 8:56 am, Phil
>>>>>>>>>> Hobbs<pcdhSpamMeSensel...(a)electrooptical.net>
>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> I need a fast IR LED (> 20 MHz,< 50 pF) for an optical
>>>>>>>>>>> feedback
>>>>>>>>>>> gizmo.
>>>>>>>>>>> I have some Stanley DN310s, but they've been discontinued. Other
>>>>>>>>>>> possibilities are:
>>>>>>>>>>> Vishay TSFF5410 -- 870 nm, 0.% W/A typ 15 ns rise/fall, 125
>>>>>>>>>>> pF typ
>>>>>>>>>>> Vishay VSLB3940 -- 940 nm, 0.4 W/A typ 15 ns rise/fall, 70 pF
>>>>>>>>>>> typ
>>>>>>>>>>> Panasonic LNA4905L -- 880 nm, 0.3 W/A min 30 MHz typ, no other
>>>>>>>>>>> specs
>>>>>>>>>>> Osram SFH4550 -- 850 nm, 0.5 W/A typ 12 ns rise/fall, no C spec
>>>>>>>>>>> It would be really nice to find something with a flat front
>>>>>>>>>>> facet and
>>>>>>>>>>> (especially) lower capacitance, because it has to work at
>>>>>>>>>>> quite low
>>>>>>>>>>> currents (5-10 uA).
>>>>>>>>>>> Any suggestions?
>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>>>>>> Phil Hobbs
>>>>>>>>>> Isn't low current and high speed mutually exclusive, like
>>>>>>>>>> intelligence
>>>>>>>>>> and Republicans?
>>>>>>>>> Nice try, Soup. ;) I enjoy talking electronics too much though.
>>>>>>>> His "email address" always makes me crave miso soup and sushi.
>>>>>>>> So, we
>>>>>>>> just went to the Japanese restaurant in town ...
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> But this time I had pork teriyaki after the miso soup. We
>>>>>>>> usually have
>>>>>>>> sushi in the evenings, I can't really work after that, it's so good
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> I tend to eat too much of it.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Regards, Joerg
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> http://www.analogconsultants.com/
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
>>>>>>>> Use another domain or send PM.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sushi doesn't make for an evening meal. Just too light, even when
>>>>>>> supplemented with miso soup. It's better for lunch.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 4-5 rolls (servings) with 4 people and I am really stuffed
>>>>>> afterwards.
>>>>>> But it's delicious.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Getting back to electronics., this is really an i=c*dv/dt issue. It
>>>>>>> seems to me all you can do is reduce C if current is limited.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If Phil has to switch constantly, yes. Otherwise there could be a
>>>>>> "spiking circuit" that swings the C with gusto.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> It's inside a feedback loop that needs to have>1 MHz bandwidth, so
>>>>> it's more a loop stability vs bandwidth issue. There are alternatives,
>>>>> but they're all more complicated than what we've got. I'd probably
>>>>> prefer to trade off efficiency rather than speed and capacitance.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Then you'll probably be in the market for the good stuff. This is an
>>>> example of one I've used in an optical feedback situation. I only
>>>> needed
>>>> a little under 100MHz BW but it could have given me a lot more:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.excelight.com/pdf/device/PD/SPT2400-x(revC).pdf
>>>>
>>>
>>> Hopefully not--that's megahertz, not gigahertz. But I do want to be
>>> able to work down at 500 nA or 1 uA.
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>>
>>> Phil Hobbs
>>
>
>> You may wish to consider a laser diode operating below critical current.
>
>
> Thanks, I know that trick. Thing is, I need a 5000:1 output power
> range, or thereabouts--i.e. 3 uW - 15 mW. The bandwidth is going to
> be way more than enough at the high end, and the problem is to keep the
> feedback poles from crossing at a frequency where there's over-unity gain.
>
> There are other approaches possible that require different approaches,
> but they require more tweaking--e.g. two ranges with two LEDs using
> different optical coupling fractions.
>

Or have an offset in there where the LED (or LD below lasing threshold
as Joseph suggested) runs at a regulated base power level. BTDT, but in
my case that was in order to remain above lasing threshold.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.
From: Phil Hobbs on
On 2/7/2010 4:10 PM, Joerg wrote:
> Phil Hobbs wrote:
>> On 2/7/2010 12:29 PM, JosephKK wrote:
>>> On Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:51:29 -0500, Phil
>>> Hobbs<pcdhSpamMeSenseless(a)electrooptical.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 2/6/2010 3:13 PM, Joerg wrote:
>>>>> Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>>>>> On 2/6/2010 12:41 PM, Joerg wrote:
>>>>>>> miso(a)sushi.com wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Feb 5, 2:20 pm, Joerg<inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On 2/5/2010 2:13 PM, m...(a)sushi.com wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> On Feb 5, 8:56 am, Phil
>>>>>>>>>>> Hobbs<pcdhSpamMeSensel...(a)electrooptical.net>
>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> I need a fast IR LED (> 20 MHz,< 50 pF) for an optical feedback
>>>>>>>>>>>> gizmo.
>>>>>>>>>>>> I have some Stanley DN310s, but they've been discontinued.
>>>>>>>>>>>> Other
>>>>>>>>>>>> possibilities are:
>>>>>>>>>>>> Vishay TSFF5410 -- 870 nm, 0.% W/A typ 15 ns rise/fall, 125
>>>>>>>>>>>> pF typ
>>>>>>>>>>>> Vishay VSLB3940 -- 940 nm, 0.4 W/A typ 15 ns rise/fall, 70
>>>>>>>>>>>> pF typ
>>>>>>>>>>>> Panasonic LNA4905L -- 880 nm, 0.3 W/A min 30 MHz typ, no other
>>>>>>>>>>>> specs
>>>>>>>>>>>> Osram SFH4550 -- 850 nm, 0.5 W/A typ 12 ns rise/fall, no C spec
>>>>>>>>>>>> It would be really nice to find something with a flat front
>>>>>>>>>>>> facet and
>>>>>>>>>>>> (especially) lower capacitance, because it has to work at
>>>>>>>>>>>> quite low
>>>>>>>>>>>> currents (5-10 uA).
>>>>>>>>>>>> Any suggestions?
>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>>>>>>> Phil Hobbs
>>>>>>>>>>> Isn't low current and high speed mutually exclusive, like
>>>>>>>>>>> intelligence
>>>>>>>>>>> and Republicans?
>>>>>>>>>> Nice try, Soup. ;) I enjoy talking electronics too much though.
>>>>>>>>> His "email address" always makes me crave miso soup and sushi.
>>>>>>>>> So, we
>>>>>>>>> just went to the Japanese restaurant in town ...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> But this time I had pork teriyaki after the miso soup. We
>>>>>>>>> usually have
>>>>>>>>> sushi in the evenings, I can't really work after that, it's so
>>>>>>>>> good
>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>> I tend to eat too much of it.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> Regards, Joerg
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> http://www.analogconsultants.com/
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
>>>>>>>>> Use another domain or send PM.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Sushi doesn't make for an evening meal. Just too light, even when
>>>>>>>> supplemented with miso soup. It's better for lunch.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 4-5 rolls (servings) with 4 people and I am really stuffed
>>>>>>> afterwards.
>>>>>>> But it's delicious.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Getting back to electronics., this is really an i=c*dv/dt issue. It
>>>>>>>> seems to me all you can do is reduce C if current is limited.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If Phil has to switch constantly, yes. Otherwise there could be a
>>>>>>> "spiking circuit" that swings the C with gusto.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It's inside a feedback loop that needs to have>1 MHz bandwidth, so
>>>>>> it's more a loop stability vs bandwidth issue. There are
>>>>>> alternatives,
>>>>>> but they're all more complicated than what we've got. I'd probably
>>>>>> prefer to trade off efficiency rather than speed and capacitance.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Then you'll probably be in the market for the good stuff. This is an
>>>>> example of one I've used in an optical feedback situation. I only
>>>>> needed
>>>>> a little under 100MHz BW but it could have given me a lot more:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.excelight.com/pdf/device/PD/SPT2400-x(revC).pdf
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hopefully not--that's megahertz, not gigahertz. But I do want to be
>>>> able to work down at 500 nA or 1 uA.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers
>>>>
>>>> Phil Hobbs
>>>
>>
>>> You may wish to consider a laser diode operating below critical current.
>>
>>
>> Thanks, I know that trick. Thing is, I need a 5000:1 output power
>> range, or thereabouts--i.e. 3 uW - 15 mW. The bandwidth is going to be
>> way more than enough at the high end, and the problem is to keep the
>> feedback poles from crossing at a frequency where there's over-unity
>> gain.
>>
>> There are other approaches possible that require different approaches,
>> but they require more tweaking--e.g. two ranges with two LEDs using
>> different optical coupling fractions.
>>
>
> Or have an offset in there where the LED (or LD below lasing threshold
> as Joseph suggested) runs at a regulated base power level. BTDT, but in
> my case that was in order to remain above lasing threshold.
>

This gizmo is an advanced photoreceiver that maintains
shot-noise-limited performance (2 dB above shot noise) from ~10 nA to
100 uA, with an honest 1 MHz bandwidth over (almost) the whole range.
Doing that down near the minimum photocurrent is a real genuine parlour
trick.

The ones uses two photodiodes wired in series (!) to get a
sub-Poissonian photocurrent to null out the primary photocurrent.
That's a trick I've never seen before, so I might have invented it. It
obviously requires some careful feedback to keep the currents in
balance, but the result is a nice linear photoreceiver with almost no
additional input capacitance.

Two photodiodes in series have the same photocurrent but *half the shot
noise*, so the cancellation current is actually quieter than the
photocurrent, without needing resistive degeneration. (I also manage to
keep all 300-kelvin resistors out of the signal path, which is key.)

The optical feedback is sort of a poor-man's photomultiplier: most of
the LED light goes to another photodiode, driving an ordinary TIA which
produces the output. It's a really sweet solution overall, with the one
disadvantage that it needs two tweaks.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal
ElectroOptical Innovations
55 Orchard Rd
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
845-480-2058

email: hobbs at electrooptical dot net
http://electrooptical.net
From: Joerg on
Phil Hobbs wrote:
> On 2/7/2010 4:10 PM, Joerg wrote:
>> Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>> On 2/7/2010 12:29 PM, JosephKK wrote:

[...]

>>>> You may wish to consider a laser diode operating below critical
>>>> current.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks, I know that trick. Thing is, I need a 5000:1 output power
>>> range, or thereabouts--i.e. 3 uW - 15 mW. The bandwidth is going to be
>>> way more than enough at the high end, and the problem is to keep the
>>> feedback poles from crossing at a frequency where there's over-unity
>>> gain.
>>>
>>> There are other approaches possible that require different approaches,
>>> but they require more tweaking--e.g. two ranges with two LEDs using
>>> different optical coupling fractions.
>>>
>>
>> Or have an offset in there where the LED (or LD below lasing threshold
>> as Joseph suggested) runs at a regulated base power level. BTDT, but in
>> my case that was in order to remain above lasing threshold.
>>
>
> This gizmo is an advanced photoreceiver that maintains
> shot-noise-limited performance (2 dB above shot noise) from ~10 nA to
> 100 uA, with an honest 1 MHz bandwidth over (almost) the whole range.
> Doing that down near the minimum photocurrent is a real genuine parlour
> trick.
>

Luckily I never had to do that. BW was always tens of MHz but they gave
me plenty of amplitude to work with. However, up there on that pedestal
it had to be super low noise because we had to extract modulation.


> The ones uses two photodiodes wired in series (!) to get a
> sub-Poissonian photocurrent to null out the primary photocurrent. That's
> a trick I've never seen before, so I might have invented it. It
> obviously requires some careful feedback to keep the currents in
> balance, but the result is a nice linear photoreceiver with almost no
> additional input capacitance.
>

Neat! But now you've spilled the beans and can't patent it :-(

Patents aren't worth much anyhow these days. Seems like most of what
they do is trigger patent trolls who then bog down whole businesses.


> Two photodiodes in series have the same photocurrent but *half the shot
> noise*, so the cancellation current is actually quieter than the
> photocurrent, without needing resistive degeneration. (I also manage to
> keep all 300-kelvin resistors out of the signal path, which is key.)
>
> The optical feedback is sort of a poor-man's photomultiplier: most of
> the LED light goes to another photodiode, driving an ordinary TIA which
> produces the output. It's a really sweet solution overall, with the one
> disadvantage that it needs two tweaks.
>

I assume you mean the balancing of the two PDs in series. Is there no
way to servo that? Maybe by occasionally interrupting the optical path?

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.
From: Jim Thompson on
On Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:10:48 -0800, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid>
wrote:

>Phil Hobbs wrote:
>> On 2/7/2010 4:10 PM, Joerg wrote:
>>> Phil Hobbs wrote:
>>>> On 2/7/2010 12:29 PM, JosephKK wrote:
>
>[...]
>
>>>>> You may wish to consider a laser diode operating below critical
>>>>> current.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks, I know that trick. Thing is, I need a 5000:1 output power
>>>> range, or thereabouts--i.e. 3 uW - 15 mW. The bandwidth is going to be
>>>> way more than enough at the high end, and the problem is to keep the
>>>> feedback poles from crossing at a frequency where there's over-unity
>>>> gain.
>>>>
>>>> There are other approaches possible that require different approaches,
>>>> but they require more tweaking--e.g. two ranges with two LEDs using
>>>> different optical coupling fractions.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Or have an offset in there where the LED (or LD below lasing threshold
>>> as Joseph suggested) runs at a regulated base power level. BTDT, but in
>>> my case that was in order to remain above lasing threshold.
>>>
>>
>> This gizmo is an advanced photoreceiver that maintains
>> shot-noise-limited performance (2 dB above shot noise) from ~10 nA to
>> 100 uA, with an honest 1 MHz bandwidth over (almost) the whole range.
>> Doing that down near the minimum photocurrent is a real genuine parlour
>> trick.
>>
>
>Luckily I never had to do that. BW was always tens of MHz but they gave
>me plenty of amplitude to work with. However, up there on that pedestal
>it had to be super low noise because we had to extract modulation.
>
>
>> The ones uses two photodiodes wired in series (!) to get a
>> sub-Poissonian photocurrent to null out the primary photocurrent. That's
>> a trick I've never seen before, so I might have invented it. It
>> obviously requires some careful feedback to keep the currents in
>> balance, but the result is a nice linear photoreceiver with almost no
>> additional input capacitance.
>>
>
>Neat! But now you've spilled the beans and can't patent it :-(
>
>Patents aren't worth much anyhow these days. Seems like most of what
>they do is trigger patent trolls who then bog down whole businesses.
>
>
>> Two photodiodes in series have the same photocurrent but *half the shot
>> noise*, so the cancellation current is actually quieter than the
>> photocurrent, without needing resistive degeneration. (I also manage to
>> keep all 300-kelvin resistors out of the signal path, which is key.)
>>
>> The optical feedback is sort of a poor-man's photomultiplier: most of
>> the LED light goes to another photodiode, driving an ordinary TIA which
>> produces the output. It's a really sweet solution overall, with the one
>> disadvantage that it needs two tweaks.
>>
>
>I assume you mean the balancing of the two PDs in series. Is there no
>way to servo that? Maybe by occasionally interrupting the optical path?

Sounds fascinating! More info please ;-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
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