Time Tagger Series

Streaming time-to-digital
converters

The new standard in Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC).
The Time Tagger Series provides endless capabilities for single-photon counting and you unleash them with no efforts. Whether you use the Time Taggers' powerful software or derive from extensive code examples in Python, Matlab, LabVIEW, or C#/C++ - you get your experiments up and running within minutes.
Key features:
Frequency Stability Analysis made easy.
Are you looking for a versatile frequency counter or Continuous Time Interval Analyzer (CTIA)? Do you perform Allan Deviation, Modified Allan Deviation, or Hadamard Deviation measurements? Or do you test synchronization of 1 PPS signals? The Time Tagger Series lets you do this easier than ever.
Key features:
  • Allan Devation 8E-13 at 1 s
  • realtime ADEV, MDEV, HDEV, phase and frequency error measurements
  • up to 18 inputs simultaneously
  • easy 1 PPS testing and logging
  • log and post process your raw data
Take Dynamic Light Scattering to the next level.
Unsurpassed timing resolution paired with unlimited logarithmic histograms on a multitude of detectors. That's the Time Tagger's capabilities for dynamic light scattering.
Key features:
  • measure simultaneously at up to 18 different scattering angles
  • remove intensity spikes on-the-fly and in post processing with advanced data filtering tools
  • calculate particle size distributions with Cumulants and CONTIN analysis
  • resolve down to picoseconds
Documentation
Product Brochure
Application Notes
Software Downloads

Time Tagger Lab

Implement your ideas within minutes

What makes our Time Taggers unique is their powerful software engine that offers effortless data processing capabilities. You will implement your measurement ideas within minutes - promised.

Maximum flexibility

Run measurments independently using any combinations of your input channels. You can take data simultaneously from independent physical setups and run multiple measurements on the same channels at the same time.

High timing resolution

The low instrument jitter down to 2.0 ps RMS (4.7 ps FWHM) combined with exceptionally short dead time down to 1.5 ns makes sure that you achieve the highest timing resoltion for your application.

High data rate

The high data transfer rate of 80 M tags / s to your computer over USB 3.0 enables you to process huge amounts of events on the fly.

Versatile on-board event filter

A unique onboard event filter enables you to increase the effective time tag rate way beyond the streaming bandwidth by filtering out unneeded time tags right on the hardware.

Native software libraries

Run your measurements in your preferred programming language with our included native software libraries, covering Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, C#, C++, and even Mathematica.

Unlimited network capabilities

You can use the Time Tagger’s software engine to cast your Time Tag Streams into a network. On client computers you can fire up virtual Time Taggers and work with them as if they were physically attached to your computer, providing the full measurement and data processing capabilities of a hardware Time Tagger.

Low latency FPGA output

The Time Tagger X introduces a low latency FPGA interface with 1.2 G tags/s bandwidth to transfer your time tags into your own FPGA, enabling endless processing capabilities. Get started immediately with your own FPGA project with our free FPGA reference designs.

Hardware Options

Time Tagger 20
Compact.
USB powered.
34 ps
RMS jitter
9 M tags/s
data transfer rate over USB 2.0
8
input channels
Time Tagger Ultra
Flexible.
Powerful.
Performance
8 ps
RMS jitter
Value
42 ps
RMS jitter
80 M tags/s
data transfer rate over USB 3.0
min 4 and up to 18
input channels
Over-the-air upgrades
+ more input channels
+ Value to Perfomance
+ High Resolution option
Time Tagger X
X-treme resolution.
X-treme interfaces.
2 ps
RMS jitter
80 M tags/s and 1.2 G tags/s
data transfer rate over USB 3.0, and qSFP+ interface
min 4 and up to 18
input channels
Over-the-air upgrades
+ more input channels
+ High Resolution option
Synchronizer
Large scale systems.
Combined into one.
0.8 ppb
clock stability over 24h
combine up to 8
Time Tagger Ultra and Time Tagger X
up to 144
input channels total

Specifications

Timing PrecisionTime Tagger 20Time Tagger UltraTime Tagger X
RMS jitter (typical)34 ps8 ps (Performance)
42 ps (Value)		2 ps
RMS jitter (typical, HighRes)-3 / 4 / 6 ps1.5 ps
FWHM jitter (typical)80 ps19 ps (Performance)
100 ps (Value)		4.7 ps
FWHM jitter (typical, HighRes)-7 / 10 / 14 ps3.5 ps
digital resolution1 ps1 ps1 ps
Processing Capabilities
input channels84 to 184 to 18
dead time6 ns2.1 ns1.5 ns
data transfer rate (to PC)9 M tags/s80 M tags/s80 M tags/s
data transfer rate (SFP+, qSFP+ interface)--300 M tags/s, 1200 M tags/s
burst memory8 M tags512 M tags512 M tags
maximum input frequency167 MHz475 MHz700 MHz
Input Signals
input impedance50 Ω50 Ω50 Ω / 1M Ω
input signal range0 to 3 V-3 to 3 V-1.5 to 1.5 V
maximum input (no damage)-0.3 to 5 V-5 to 5 V-3 to 3 V
trigger level range0 to 2.5 V-2.5 to 2.5 V-1 to 1 V
minimum pulse width1000 ps500 ps350 ps
minimum pulse height100 mV100 mV100 mV
External Clock Input
frequency-10 MHz or 500 MHz10 MHz or 500 MHz
coupling-AC, 50 ΩAC, 50 Ω
amplitude-1 to 3 Vpp0.5 to 4 Vpp
General Parameters
data interfaceUSB 2.0USB 3.0USB 3.0, SFP+
size (L x W x H) in mm145 x 100 x 50190 x 140 x 60380 x 480 x 90 (2U)
Time Tagger 20Time Tagger UltraTime Tagger X
Timing Precision
RMS jitter (typical)
34 ps8 ps (Performance)
42 ps (Value)		2 ps
RMS jitter (typical, HighRes)
-3 / 4 / 6 ps1.5 ps
FWHM jitter (typical)
80 ps19 ps (Performance)
100 ps (Value)		4.7 ps
FWHM jitter (typical, HighRes)
-7 / 10 / 14 ps3.5 ps
digital resolution
1 ps1 ps1 ps
Processing Capabilities
input channels
84 to 184 to 18
dead time
6 ns2.1 ns1.5 ns
data transfer rate (to PC)
9 M tags/s80 M tags/s80 M tags/s
data transfer rate (SFP+, qSFP+ interface)
--300 M tags/s, 1200 M tags/s
burst memory
8 M tags512 M tags512 M tags
maximum input frequency
167 MHz475 MHz700 MHz
Input Signals
input impedance
50 Ω50 Ω50 Ω / 1M Ω
input signal range
0 to 3 V-3 to 3 V-1.5 to 1.5 V
maximum input (no damage)
-0.3 to 5 V-5 to 5 V-3 to 3 V
trigger level range
0 to 2.5 V-2.5 to 2.5 V-1 to 1 V
minimum pulse width
1000 ps500 ps350 ps
minimum pulse height
100 mV100 mV100 mV
External Clock Input
frequency
-10 MHz or 500 MHz10 MHz or 500 MHz
coupling
-AC, 50 ΩAC, 50 Ω
amplitude
-1 to 3 Vpp0.5 to 4 Vpp
General Parameters
data interface
USB 2.0USB 3.0USB 3.0, SFP+
size (L x W x H) in mm
145 x 100 x 50190 x 140 x 60380 x 480 x 90 (2U)

Typical Performance

Instrument response
1 MHz square wave, 1 Vpp, 1 ns rise, applied to two input channels, trigger 50%. The standard deviation of the distribution measures the jitter of two input channels. The RMS jitter of each individual channel is σ/√2. The FWHM jitter of each channel is 2.35σ/√2.
RMS jitter
The plots show the RMS jitter obtained from instrument response measurements with all pairs of the first 8 input channels.
Time Tagger 20
Time Tagger Ultra
Time Tagger X
Our customers are performing outstanding research with our instruments.

“Implement new research ideas more quickly”

Prof. Dirk Englund

Time Tagger 20 is enabling dramatically faster and more parallel digital data acquisition for my group. Its unique streaming architecture allows us to implement novel experiments with rather small coding efforts, thereby enabling us to implement our new research ideas very quickly.

“Very impressed, unrivalled flexibility and excellent value.”

Prof. Jason Smith

We have been very impressed with Time Tagger's specifications, unrivalled flexibility of use and excellent value for money. Swabian Instruments deserve considerable recognition not only for this innovative product, but for their user-oriented approach, and for their desire to develop instrumentation that will help to accelerate this field of research.