SmartI: Fast and Multi-Channel Current Controller Series

In advanced experiments where magnetic field control is crucial, a simple current source is no longer sufficient to meet complex requirements. The SmartI current controller is designed as a comprehensive, integrated solution to drive magnetic coils with switching speeds that surpass the physical limitations of the coils themselves, while offering arbitrary waveform shaping and simultaneous, independent control of up to 10 channels. Utilizing a dedicated fast field zeroing circuit, the device can force the coil current—and consequently the magnetic field—to zero much faster than the coil's natural time constant, thus opening new possibilities for experiments demanding abrupt magnetic field jumps. The controller's flexibility extends further, allowing users to program complex sequences with precise timing through standard interface software like LabVIEW, MATLAB, or Python via USB or Ethernet connections; moreover, any arbitrary waveform can be sent to the controller, and the output current will precisely replicate that signal. The controller is available in configurations ranging from 1 to 10 isolated channels, each capable of independently and simultaneously driving a separate coil with its own specific waveform, amplitude, and timing. For user convenience, a front-panel display shows the instantaneous parameters of all channels both numerically and graphically, while manual control via buttons or touchscreen allows for quick setup adjustments and testing without a computer. This controller proves indispensable in any application demanding fast, precise, and flexible current and magnetic field manipulation, including magneto-optical traps (MOTs) and cold atom experiments for rapid switching and instantaneous field shutdown, active compensation of environmental stray fields, high-gradient magnetic traps requiring short, high-current pulses, magnetic measurements and sensor calibration using reference fields with arbitrary waveforms, and condensed matter physics experiments for controlled pulsed field applications.