Dielectric materials — insulating ceramics, polymers, and composites under development for new electrical and electronic applications — present a specific test challenge: the driving voltage they need to characterise is very high, often in the multi-kilovolt range, but the frequency of interest is usually low, well under 50Hz. Aigtek's ATA-700 and ATA-7000 series exist specifically to fill this gap.
Why Standard Amplifiers Don't Fit This Application
Most amplifier lines trade off voltage for bandwidth — wide bandwidth generally means lower maximum voltage, and vice versa. Dielectric material testing sits at an extreme of this trade-off: essentially DC-to-low-frequency operation, but at voltages that would be unusual for any wideband amplifier. The ATA-700 and ATA-7000 series are purpose-built at this end of the spectrum rather than being a wideband amplifier pushed beyond its comfortable operating range.
ATA-700 vs ATA-7000
| Series | Max Voltage | Max Current | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATA-700 | 20kVp-p (±10kVp) | 40mAp | 5 |
| ATA-7000 | 40kVp-p (±20kVp) | 40mAp | 9 |
Both series share the same maximum current rating and low-frequency focus; the ATA-7000 series simply extends the voltage ceiling to 40kVpp and offers a wider spread of intermediate models (2kVpp through 40kVpp) for applications that don't need the full ATA-700 voltage range but want a closer match to a specific test voltage.
Practical Selection Notes
Because output current is limited to 40mA across both series, these amplifiers are sized for driving the capacitive charging current of a dielectric sample, not for any load requiring meaningful sustained current. Confirm your sample's capacitance and the sweep rate of your test voltage before assuming the available current is sufficient — at very low frequencies this is rarely a constraint, but it's worth checking for anything approaching the top of the specified frequency range.
Finch Electronic Solutions — Melbourne, Australia
Contact us | View ATA-700 Series | View ATA-7000 Series | Aigtek