Notice End Date: May 4, 2023

Vendor Name: Keysight Technologies, Inc M8194A Arbitrary Waveform Generator

Contract Amount: $250,682.00

Agency Procurement Manager: SC Young

Agency Procurement Manager Email: scy@clemson.edu

Agency Procurement Manager Telephone#: 8646562830

The Agency hereby provides notice that it intends to enter into a sole source contract per S.C. Code Ann. §11-35-1560 with Vendor for the following supplies, services, information technology, or construction:

Clemson University seeks to sole source a Keysight Technologies, Inc. M8194A Arbitrary Waveform Generator.  Due to our research into high-power specialty optical fibers here at Clemson, we are constantly looking at new and novel ways to improve the performance of laser systems. From this, we are constantly on the edge of encountering disastrous nonlinear effects that can destroy our amplifiers and create hard limits to our power-scaling efforts. To mitigate this, research has demonstrated over the past couple of years that modulating the frequency of our seed lasers using a phase modulator and arbitrary waveforms, such as pseudo-random bit sequencing (PRBS), etc., is the way to go to increase the ceiling when it comes to the limitations of high-power fiber lasers in their current state. To generate said arbitrary waveforms, we need an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG). Currently, our research group is interested in purchasing an AWG from Keysight technologies, the M8194A-002, because it provides seamless support for our laboratory by allowing us to send waveforms to it through MATLAB as well as offering a proprietary software that allows us to control the waveforms on the instrument to high precision. Other advantages of the M8194A-002 are in the form of waveform correcting for any impedance, voltage, etc. mismatch that may come in from scope to phase modulator connection of the coaxial cables. Finally, at around 120 GSa/s, the speed at which data is transmitted with the M8194A-002 leads to more control over the waveforms and more precision is what we are looking for when it comes to optical frequency modulation. This sole source purchase also includes the extended technical support for education, 3 year extended warranty, calibration, power cords & cabling and USB slot chassis. For these reasons, this is a sole source procurement.

Agency's justification for a sole source procurement may be viewed or immediately obtained at: Agency Procurement Manager (Listed Above)

PROTESTS:
Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract, shall notify the appropriate chief Procurement officer in writing of its intent to protest within five (5) business days of the date this notice is posted. Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract and has timely notified the appropriate chief procurement officer of its intent to protest, may protest to the appropriate chief procurement officer in the manner set forth below within fifteen days of the date this notice is posted; except that a matter that could have been raised as a protest of the solicitation may not be raised as a protest of the award or intended award of a contract.
A protest must be in writing, filed with the appropriate chief procurement officer, and set forth the grounds of the protest and the relief requested with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided. The protest must be received by the appropriate chief procurement officer within the time provided above. Days are calculated as provided in S.C. Code Ann. § 11-35-310(13).

Any Notice Of Intent To Protest And Protest Must Be Addressed To: Materials Management Officer