Calculator Inputs
Use the mode selector to calculate pulse width or related timing values from common waveform inputs.
Formula Used
Pulse width describes the high-state duration of a repeated pulse. The calculator uses these waveform relationships:
Where T is period, f is frequency, PW is pulse width, D is duty ratio, and t_low is the low-state duration.
How to Use This Calculator
- Select the calculation mode that matches the data you already know.
- Enter the timing values and choose the correct units.
- Add duty cycle when your selected mode requires it.
- Optionally enter voltage, current, resistance, or pulse count for deeper analysis.
- Press Calculate Pulse Width to display the results above the form.
- Use the CSV or PDF buttons to export the result table.
Example Data Table
| Scenario | Known Inputs | Pulse Width | Period | Frequency | Low Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency + Duty | 1 kHz, 25% | 250 µs | 1 ms | 1 kHz | 750 µs |
| Period + Duty | 20 µs, 60% | 12 µs | 20 µs | 50 kHz | 8 µs |
| Duty + Low Time | 40%, 3 ms | 2 ms | 5 ms | 200 Hz | 3 ms |
| Frequency + Width | 2 MHz, 120 ns | 120 ns | 500 ns | 2 MHz | 380 ns |
FAQs
1. What is pulse width?
Pulse width is the time a signal stays in its high state during one cycle. It is often measured in seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, or nanoseconds.
2. How is pulse width related to duty cycle?
Duty cycle shows what portion of the full period remains high. Multiply the period by the duty ratio to get pulse width for a repeating rectangular waveform.
3. Can I calculate duty cycle from pulse width?
Yes. Divide pulse width by period, then multiply by 100. This calculator does that automatically in the frequency plus pulse-width mode.
4. Why do units matter so much here?
Pulse timing often spans many orders of magnitude. A value in milliseconds is one thousand times larger than the same number in microseconds.
5. What happens if pulse width exceeds the period?
That condition is physically inconsistent for a repeating pulse train. The calculator blocks it because the high-state duration cannot be longer than one complete cycle.
6. What do average voltage and average power mean?
They are duty-weighted values. If a pulse is active only part of each cycle, the long-term average quantity becomes the peak value multiplied by duty ratio.
7. When should I use the duty plus low-time mode?
Use it when you know how long the signal stays low and what percentage of the period stays high. It helps reconstruct the full cycle.
8. Does this calculator work for PWM analysis?
Yes. It is suitable for many PWM, gating, trigger, and timing problems where rectangular pulses repeat with a known period, frequency, or duty cycle.