Panther hardware specifications
The complete hardware specification for the Panther vibration control and analysis system: input, output and system performance, with every dynamic range figure published under its own name and its conditions stated.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| ADC / DAC | 24-bit / 20-bit |
| System dynamic range | >110 dB |
| Spurious-free dynamic range | 128 dB |
| Sampling rate | 262,144 S/s |
| Phase match | ±0.1° to 100 kHz |
| Amplitude accuracy | ±0.05% |
| Input channels | 8 to 128 |
SYSTEM FIGURES · Measured on the complete Panther signal path, not taken from component data sheets.
Measured performance, honestly labeled
These are system specifications: the performance of a complete Panther channel, from the BNC connector through the analog front end, converter and digital filtering.
spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR)
system dynamic range, broadband, single input range
channel-to-channel phase match to 100 kHz
amplitude accuracy at full scale of each range
samples per second per channel, simultaneous
phase-synchronized input channels with STAR Sync Box
Inputs
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Input channels | 8 per chassis; expandable to 128 phase-synchronized channels |
| ADC resolution | 24-bit |
| System dynamic range | >110 dBBroadband, single input range, complete signal path |
| Spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) | 128 dBFull-scale tone to largest spur or harmonic |
| Maximum sampling rate | 262,144 samples/s, simultaneous on all channels |
| Input ranges | ±0.5 V to ±12 V in 8 steps, auto-ranging |
| Maximum rated input signal | ±35 V peak |
| Amplitude accuracy | ±0.05% of value at full scale of each rangeCalibrated system, measured at BNC |
| Amplitude linearity | ±0.05 dB from 0 to −70 dB; ±0.20 dB from −70 to −110 dB |
| Channel-to-channel match | ±0.01 dB amplitude at full scale; ±0.1° phase to 100 kHzAcross synchronized units |
| Anti-aliasing filters, analog | Fixed at 524 kHz; >105 dB alias attenuation; ±0.10 dB passband ripple |
| Anti-aliasing filters, digital | Variable; >96 dB at Nyquist; ±0.15 dB passband ripple |
| Frequency range selection | Digital decimation and filtering in on-board FPGA and DSP |
| Offset removal | Digitally controlled; better than ±0.5% of full scale per input range |
| Overload detection | Full scale on all channels; analog and digital detection |
| Coupling | AC, DC or GND |
| IEPE power | 4 mA (24 V maximum into open circuit) |
| TEDS | IEEE 1451.4 compliant |
| Input impedance | 1 MΩ |
| Connection type | Pseudo-differential, 10 Ω to system ground (low-side return) |
| Connector | BNC |
Drive outputs
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Output channels | 1 per chassis; up to 6 phase-synchronized drive outputs with STAR Sync Box |
| DAC resolution | 20-bit |
| Output dynamic range | >110 dB |
| Maximum output rate | 262,144 samples/s |
| Maximum output amplitude | ±12 V peak |
| Maximum output current | 16 mA |
| Amplitude accuracy | ±0.05% of value at full scale of each rangeCalibrated system, measured at BNC |
| Amplitude linearity | ±0.05 dB from 0 to −70 dB; ±0.20 dB from −70 to −110 dB |
| Channel-to-channel match | ±0.01 dB amplitude at full scale; ±0.1° phase to 40 kHzAcross synchronized units |
| Reconstruction filters | 1 kHz to 40 kHz, selectable; >96 dB image attenuation; ±0.15 dB ripple |
| Harmonic distortion | < −100 dB |
| Crosstalk | < −100 dB |
| Offset removal | Digitally controlled; accuracy ±0.5% of full scale |
| Output impedance | 60 Ω |
| Output type | Pseudo-differential, 10 Ω to system ground (low-side return) |
| Output cable | Drives up to 50 ft of shielded 50 Ω coax |
System and calibration
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Frequency accuracy | ±5 ppm |
| Channel synchronization | ±0.1 µs on a single DAQ clock |
| Calibration | Automatic internal digital calibration, NIST referenced, inputs and outputs |
| Calibration constants | Stored in ASCII file |
| Host communication | USB or Ethernet; optional Wi-Fi |
Start at 8 channels. Grow to 128.
| Configuration | Inputs |
|---|---|
| 1 chassis | 8 |
| 8 chassis | 64 |
| 9 chassis, one STAR Sync Box | 72 |
| 16 chassis, two cascaded STAR Sync Boxes | 128 |
Every chassis added stays phase-synchronous with the rest. Sixteen chassis is the configuration Spectral Dynamics has tested; talk to your sales representative about larger systems.
Two dynamic range figures, each under its own name
"Dynamic range" is used for several different measurements. Some specifications quote the largest one available without saying which it is. Panther publishes both of the figures that matter and says exactly what each one measures.
The distance from a full-scale tone to the largest spur or harmonic the channel produces. It tells you how clean the channel is: whether a small real signal can be confused with distortion.
Full scale compared with the broadband noise floor, on a single input range, across the measurement bandwidth, with the complete signal path in place. It tells you the smallest signal a channel can measure while it is set up for the largest.
What Panther's figures do not use
- No per-line noise floor. Reading noise in a single FFT line instead of across the band adds 30 to 50 dB at common line counts without changing the hardware.
- No range stacking. Panther's input ranges span 27.6 dB. Adding that span to the figure for one range would be arithmetic, not performance.
- No component figures. Converter word length and chip data sheet ratings describe parts, not the system.
The physics behind the numbers
- An ideal 24-bit converter is limited to about 146 dB. Real wideband converters and analog front ends are lower.
- Panther's 20-bit DAC has an ideal range of about 122 dB, matched to what the output stage, reconstruction filter and power amplifier actually deliver.
- A test can be no cleaner than the noisiest part of the chain: accelerometer, conditioning, controller, amplifier and shaker.
When comparing controllers, ask any vendor which measurement a dynamic range figure is, on which input range, and across what bandwidth.
Frequently asked
What is the dynamic range of the Panther vibration controller?
Panther publishes two figures, each under its own name: greater than 110 dB system dynamic range, measured broadband on a single input range with the complete signal path in place, and 128 dB spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR), the distance from a full-scale tone to the largest spur or harmonic.
What is the difference between dynamic range and spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR)?
Dynamic range compares full scale to the channel's broadband noise floor across a stated bandwidth. SFDR compares a full-scale tone to the largest spurious tone or harmonic. Both are useful, but they measure different things, so a specification should always say which one it is.
Can a 24-bit vibration controller have 150 or 160 dB of dynamic range?
Not on a single input range measured across its bandwidth. An ideal 24-bit converter is limited to about 146 dB, and real wideband converters and analog front ends are lower. Figures above that limit usually come from reading noise in a single FFT line, adding the span of several input ranges together, or leaving the bandwidth unstated.
Why does Panther use a 20-bit DAC instead of a 24-bit DAC?
A closed-loop controller can only correct what its inputs can measure, and the output stage, reconstruction filter and power amplifier set the drive's real noise floor. A 20-bit DAC has an ideal range of about 122 dB, which is matched to what the complete drive path delivers. Additional word length does not reach the shaker.
How many channels can a Panther system have?
Each Panther chassis has 8 input channels. With two cascaded STAR Sync Boxes, 16 chassis run as one phase-synchronized system with 128 input channels and up to six drive outputs.
What is Panther's maximum sampling rate?
262,144 samples per second per channel, simultaneous on all channels, with channel-to-channel phase match of ±0.1° to 100 kHz.
Specifications apply to Panther V14 hardware and are subject to change without notice.
See the numbers on your own test.
Ask your sales representative for a demonstration on your shaker, with your fixture and transducers.
