An ultra-low noise, high-voltage piezo driver

TL;DR

This paper introduces an ultra-low noise, high-voltage piezo driver with a flyback regulator, high slew-rate op-amp noise suppression, and digital control, suitable for precise piezoelectric applications.

Contribution

It presents a novel high-voltage driver design combining low noise, high voltage, and digital control, optimized for piezoelectric and low-current applications.

Findings

Achieves approximately 100μV RMS noise from 1Hz to 100kHz

Supports output voltages up to 1kV with small modifications

Consumes less than 150mA at ±15V supply

Abstract

We present an ultra-low noise, high-voltage driver suited for use with piezoelectric actuators and other low-current applications. The architecture uses a flyback switching regulator to generate up to 250V in our current design, with an output of 1 kV or more possible with small modifications. A high slew-rate op-amp suppresses the residual switching noise, yielding a total RMS noise of $\approx 100\mu$V (1 Hz--100 kHz). A low-voltage ($\pm 10$V), high bandwidth signal can be summed with unity gain directly onto the output, making the driver well-suited for closed-loop feedback applications. Digital control enables both repeatable setpoints and sophisticated control logic, and the circuit consumes less than 150mA at $\pm 15$V.