HP-8010A

Just a few notes on this fantastic pulse generator, built around 1970.




I bought this item around 2002 for about 80 EUR, used (obviously), in an almost working condition.
A fantastic investment ;-)

The HP-8010A Pulse Generator offers two independent channels, each of them capable of controlling:

  • pulse length (10ns..1s)
  • amplitude, including inverse operation (0..5V)
  • offset (-2..2V)
  • rise and fall times (10ns..1s)
  • repetition rate (1..10MHz; both channels at once)
In addition, each channel can create an identical second pulse, after a selectable time of 10ns..1s.


Both channel outputs can be combined to a single waveform:

f(out) = f(1) + f(2)

External trigger in- and outputs, a single shot mode and gated synchronous or asynchronous operation round out this heavyweight.


Standard operation. One channel, a single, lonely pulse.
Just a changed pulse length.
Same pulse with different, slower rise and fall times.
A faster, slew rate modified pulse with "double pulse" feature turned on. This is still channel A, only.
The second pulse can even be moved into the first one. Still only channel A turned on.
Second channel B can be added to the waveform (negative pulse).
Same as above with different rise and fall times.
Pulse B distorting the A waveform.
And another one...
And the same again...
A simple 270° potentiometer, controlling a repetition rate span of one decade of course creates some jitter. With a repetition rate of 1kHz (1ms), the jitter between two pulses is ~15ns (measured during 1 min).
Fastest rise or fall time is about 10ns.



ASkr 2/2008
ASkr 12/2010 found some time for an update...