When I got a Philips PM5193 function generator, it had a Pen Lift output, and I wondered what it was.
I later found out that the output is used to lift the pen on a chart recorder between the high (end) sweep frequency and the low (start) sweep frequency, just like beam blanking when the scan reaches the rightmost part of the screen and returns to the leftmost part of the screen.
Attached is a graphical explanation of a 1kHz-2kHz sweep (Channel 1) and the Pen Lift output (Channel 2).
Note that there is some activity during the Pen Lift signal going high (when active), possibly to ensure tolerance of the sweep start and stop frequencies within user-set limits.
Before using the Pen Lift output, check the input (e.g. chart recorder) and output (e.g. function generator) specifications for this function, as outputs may vary from model to model.
I later found out that the output is used to lift the pen on a chart recorder between the high (end) sweep frequency and the low (start) sweep frequency, just like beam blanking when the scan reaches the rightmost part of the screen and returns to the leftmost part of the screen.
Attached is a graphical explanation of a 1kHz-2kHz sweep (Channel 1) and the Pen Lift output (Channel 2).
Note that there is some activity during the Pen Lift signal going high (when active), possibly to ensure tolerance of the sweep start and stop frequencies within user-set limits.
Before using the Pen Lift output, check the input (e.g. chart recorder) and output (e.g. function generator) specifications for this function, as outputs may vary from model to model.
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