Burleigh RC-46 Spectrum Analyzer Controller 110/220VAC BNC Photoamp HV Input

Burleigh RC-46 Spectrum Analyzer Controller 110/220VAC BNC Photoamp HV Input

The Burleigh RC-46 is a benchtop scan controller designed for use with Burleigh Instruments Fabry-Perot interferometer-based optical spectrum analyzer systems. It provides the drive and control electronics needed to sweep a Fabry-Perot etalon through its free spectral range, enabling high-resolution optical spectrum analysis of laser sources and other narrowband light sources. The RC-46 handles photodetector amplification, dispersion scaling, sweep timing, and synchronization output in one compact unit.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Burleigh Instruments, Inc. — Fishers, NY
• Model: RC-46
• Type: Spectrum Analyzer Controller (Fabry-Perot scan controller)
• Form Factor: Benchtop enclosure, approximately 11 × 9 × 4 in
• Power Input: 110VAC / 220VAC selectable (rear-panel voltage selector switch with fuse holders)
• PHOTOAMP Section: GAIN (MIN–MAX) and BIAS (MIN–MAX) front-panel rotary controls
• DISPERSION MULTIPLIER: Stepped switch — X1, X5, X10, X20 — plus OFF and continuously variable (MIN–MAX) position
• CENTERING: front-panel rotary control
• SWEEP: front-panel selector — 10 SEC / 21 SEC sweep period
• Rear BNC outputs: BLANKING, SWEEP, OUTPUT +100, H.V., PHOTOAMP OUTPUT
• Rear inputs: EXT. INPUT (BNC), PHOTOAMP INPUT (multi-pin circular connector)
• Includes: Gray 3-prong AC power cord

Applications

The RC-46 was produced by Burleigh Instruments — a company based in Fishers, New York that was well known for precision laser and optical instrumentation from the 1970s through the 1990s. It is the scan and control electronics companion to Burleigh Fabry-Perot interferometer spectrum analyzer systems, which use a piezoelectrically-driven etalon to resolve the longitudinal mode structure and linewidth of CW laser sources. In a typical setup, the RC-46 drives the piezo ramp voltage across the etalon while simultaneously amplifying the photodetector signal, allowing the spectral output to be displayed on an oscilloscope or chart recorder. The BLANKING and SWEEP BNC outputs synchronize an external display, while the DISPERSION multiplier and VARIABLE controls scale the ramp for different free spectral range settings. These controllers are still sought by researchers and institutions maintaining legacy Burleigh interferometer systems, as well as optical labs doing narrowband laser characterization work where a scanning Fabry-Perot remains the appropriate tool.