The present invention relates to an electromagnetic acoustic transducer excitation system comprising a tone burst generator, the tone burst generator comprising: an oscillator device configured to produce a radio frequency signal; an analog switch configured to produce an output based on the radio frequency signal produced by the oscillator device and a control signal; a pre-amplifier configured to amplify the output of the analog switch and produce a tone burst output signal; and a control module configured to produce the control signal for providing to the analog switch.

The present invention relates to an electromagnetic acoustic transducer excitation system comprising a tone burst generator, the tone burst generator comprising: an oscillator device configured to produce a radio frequency signal; an analog switch configured to produce an output based on the radio frequency signal produced by the oscillator device and a control signal; a pre-amplifier configured to amplify the output of the analog switch and produce a tone burst output signal; and a control module configured to produce the control signal for providing to the analog switch.

The present invention relates to an electromagnetic acoustic transducer excitation system comprising a tone burst generator, the tone burst generator comprising: an oscillator device configured to produce a radio frequency signal; an analog switch configured to produce an output based on the radio frequency signal produced by the oscillator device and a control signal; a pre-amplifier configured to amplify the output of the analog switch and produce a tone burst output signal; and a control module configured to produce the control signal for providing to the analog switch.

Some embodiments include a high voltage waveform generator comprising: a generator inductor; a high voltage nanosecond pulser having one or more solid state switches electrically and/or inductively coupled with the generator inductor, the high voltage nanosecond pulser configured to produce a pulse burst having a burst period, the pulse burst comprising a plurality of pulses having different pulse widths; and a load electrically and/or inductively coupled with the high voltage nanosecond pulser, the generator inductor, and the generator capacitor, the voltage across the load having an output pulse with a pulse width substantially equal to the burst period and the voltage across the load varying in a manner that is substantially proportional with the pulse widths of the plurality of pulses.