Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Low cost programmable signal generator

G

Guest

Jan 1, 1970
0
I am a student and electronics is my hobby.

I want to buy a programmable signal (square, sin, triangle, sawtooth)
generator. I want to be able to enter frequency, duty cycle and optionally
signal amplitude, either manually, through the generator's panel keys or
optional computer interface. I want to frequency range 0.1Hz - 100MHz.

Can you recommend a student-priced one ?
 
F

Frank Bemelman

Jan 1, 1970
0
I am a student and electronics is my hobby.

I want to buy a programmable signal (square, sin, triangle, sawtooth)
generator. I want to be able to enter frequency, duty cycle and optionally
signal amplitude, either manually, through the generator's panel keys or
optional computer interface. I want to frequency range 0.1Hz - 100MHz.

What is the difference between a 100MHz sin and 100MHz triangle?
Can you recommend a student-priced one ?

You'll be happy if you can find a megabuck one.
 
J

John Devereux

Jan 1, 1970
0
Frank Bemelman said:
What is the difference between a 100MHz sin and 100MHz triangle?


You'll be happy if you can find a megabuck one.

As Frank says, I don't think there are any. The low cost "function"
generators seem to stop at around 20MHz.

It would probably be cheaper to get a low cost function generator
(sine, sawtooth, square) up to 20MHz, and a separate low cost "signal
generator" (sine only) up to 100MHz+.

Of course there are new things coming out all the time, so I may be
out of date. There are reasonably priced DDS chips capable of this, so
perhaps someone has packaged one into a modern, low cost instrument.

I have been looking at the new Tektronix arbitrary function generators

<http://www.tek.com/products/signal_sources/afg3000/>

These would do what you want and much more, and are competitively
priced for their product class. But hardly student priced (thousands
of $) :(
 
I

Ian Bell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Frank said:
What is the difference between a 100MHz sin and 100MHz triangle?

Same as the difference between a 1Hz sine and 1Hz triangle.

Ian
 
L

Leif Holmgren

Jan 1, 1970
0
Frank said:
<D.N. Scalbile> schreef in bericht

What is the difference between a 100MHz sin and 100MHz triangle?

At least a 200Mhz and a 400MHz overtone, likely more.
 
F

Frank Bemelman

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ian Bell said:
Same as the difference between a 1Hz sine and 1Hz triangle.

I'd say that a 100Mhz triangle does not exist, except on
graph paper...
 
D

David L. Jones

Jan 1, 1970
0
D.N.Scalbile said:
I am a student and electronics is my hobby.

I want to buy a programmable signal (square, sin, triangle, sawtooth)
generator. I want to be able to enter frequency, duty cycle and optionally
signal amplitude, either manually, through the generator's panel keys or
optional computer interface. I want to frequency range 0.1Hz - 100MHz.

Can you recommend a student-priced one ?

You'll have a hard time finding a commercial unit that does 100MHz, and
if you did you can't afford it. Why do you need 100MHz?

2 to 20MHz is about the upper limit for most general purpose function
generators.

The ones with a keypad to enter the frequency will be a DDS (Direct
Digital Synthesis) type.

There are some low cost function gens on eBay like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Brand-New-Fu...oryZ1504QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
This is by far the best you'll get for that sort of money.

If you want to roll your own for not much cost then you can try the
MAX038 chip for an analog solution, like this one:
http://alternatezone.com/electronics/hsfg.htm

Or there are a few DDS chips around for a digital solution like this
one:
http://alternatezone.com/electronics/dds.htm

Analog devices have "demo boards" for their high frequency DDS chips
that will give you 100MHz if you *really* need sort of frequency, they
cost a couple of hundred dollars and are PC driven only unless you
design you own interface.

At $1300, the new Goodwill GFG-3015 is an excellent example of a low
cost fully optioned function generator:
http://www.emona.com.au/catalogue/Section_7/index.html
Fine for the lab, but not exactly a hobbyist price.

Dave :)
 
E

Ed-

Jan 1, 1970
0
for such a wide range, look at the range of NCO's available, you will
have to also use a micro to drive them and other odds & sods

enjoy

<D.N. Scalbile> wrote in message
:I am a student and electronics is my hobby.
:
: I want to buy a programmable signal (square, sin, triangle, sawtooth)
: generator. I want to be able to enter frequency, duty cycle and
optionally
: signal amplitude, either manually, through the generator's panel keys
or
: optional computer interface. I want to frequency range 0.1Hz - 100MHz.
:
: Can you recommend a student-priced one ?
:
:
:
:
 
S

Sagaert Johan

Jan 1, 1970
0
Have a look around on ebay

You can find some good stuff there ,i got me a working hp3325A ( 0.1hz
20Mhz sine,square,triang,..) )once for 100$
Then i bought a gpib interface from NI ,and now im having fun using it.

Johan
 
Top