The XL2100 is a digital power supply and arbitrary waveform generator. It has an output range of 0 to 16 V with a maximum resolution of 1 mV and a maximum current of 1 A.
The system consists of a power board and a controller board. The power board is essentially a linear power supply whose reference voltage is generated by a 12 bit digital to analog converter ( DAC7611 ) and whose gain is set by 4 analog switches ( MAX4662 ). The DAC and gain switches are controlled by a microcontroller located on the controller board. The controller board consists of an Atmel AT90S8515 microcontroller, 32k SRAM, and an RS232 serial port.
The output can be controlled from a computer connected to the system via an RS232 serial line or the system can run in standalone mode by executing a program stored in memory. Programs are composed using a small programming language with commands for setting output levels and times. Output times can be set from 62.5 micro seconds to several hours. The 62.5 micro second minimum switching time means square waves with a maximum frequency of 8kHz can be generated. More complex waveforms can also easily be generated.
Programs are written and compiled on a computer and then downloaded to the microcontroller. The compiler and a program for controlling the output of the XL2100 and downloading programs to it are available for both Microsoft Windows and Linux. Both executables and source code are available.
| Output Range | Resolution |
| 0 - 4.095 V | 1 mV |
| 0 - 8.190 V | 2 mV |
| 0 - 12.285 V | 3 mV |
| 0 - 16.380 V | 4 mV |
| Maximum output current | 1.0 A |
| Required Input Voltage | 18 - 30 V unregulated DC |
| Minimum output switching time | 62.5 micro seconds |
| Maximum square wave frequency | 8 kHz |
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