Programmable Current Regulator for High-Voltage Operation

A current regulator for the operation of gas discharges is described, capable of delivering peak currents up to 1 ampere and average currents of up to 0.5 ampere with voltage excursions to 9 kV. Completely floating two-terminal operation accomodates different load configurations. By means of externally supplied timing pulses the output current can be programmed to generate rectangular or trapezoidal current waveforms. For rectangular output pulses, switching speeds of 5 μs into low-impedance loads and slewing rates of 500 V/μs for high-impedance loads can be obtained. The output resistance is in excess of 107 ohms, shunted by 50-250 pF, depending on regulator configuration.