What's your function/arbitrary waveform generator - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 08:56:47 pm
content: I'm looking for a function generator and i am curious to see which function or arbitrary waveform generators people have do a quick review and talk about it a little,add a pic if you can.

author: jadew
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 09:06:15 pm
content: You forgot to add "home made", unless that's what "Other" is forIt's going to be an interesting poll.

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 09:07:57 pm
content: I will add home made

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 09:16:57 pm
content: HP?Wavetek?Oldies but goodies....

author: plesa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 09:31:25 pm
content: Ï have Agilent 33522B with 16M memory and it works like charm. It is slightly better due to large display than 33220A but it has faster power on :-)

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 09:38:52 pm
content: Analog Discovery Module from Digilent. I have an older BK Precision 4040, but it's stored away in a closet right now and I don't drag it out that often. I don't know whether to vote BK Precision or Other.

author: The_Penguin
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 09:47:34 pm
content: Quote from: electronics man on January 21, 2014, 08:56:47 pmMine is an Ebay fixer-upperhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/repairing-a-tek-cfg-280-function-generator/msg80557/#msg80557

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 09:58:00 pm
content: Couple of HP frequency gens up to 1GHz but home brew generators for 2, 5 and 10GHz gpsdo locked

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 10:57:19 pm
content: An Agilent 33120A kindly donated by Agilent to me.

author: willb
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 11:24:45 pm
content: Fluke 6060A 1Ghz RF Gen (meh, don't care for it)Waketek 182A 5Mhz Function GenKrohn-Hite 4200A 10Mhz Oscillator (Love it, my favorite)BNC 625A 21Mhz Arbitrary Function Gen (hate it, terrible interface, sluggish).

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 11:48:36 pm
content: Siglent SDG1025 - 125MSa/s 25MHz Sine/Square. Only 300kHz for ramp and 5MHz for pulse.It does arbitrary no problem, over USB, and all kind of modulation too. High Frequency counter is a handy built in utility.Basically, I couldn't have made a DDS gen cheaper myself. Apparently the top of the SDG10xx range is SDG1050 which gives 50MHz sinewave upper limit, all other specs the same. I wonder if there is a software or simple hardware way to unlock?Was something like £250 delivered from China.

author: wilheldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 12:04:09 am
content: Quote from: Macbeth on January 21, 2014, 11:48:36 pmDitto.I like it, but I realize it doesn't produce the cleanest waveforms in the world. The square wave in the MHz range is embarrassing, but I haven't had a need for that yet. The sine waves are fairly clean, though.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 12:25:05 am
content: Leader 1300SHP 3312A - the favoriteWavetek 166All good old inexpensive analog ebay specials.

author: MarkL
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 12:39:25 am
content: HP 8116A w/001 burst option - 50MHz analog function gen with digital control. An oldie but goodie. Does pretty much everything I need.Tektronix FG504 - 40MHz function gen, all analog. Has handy phase lock input and slew rate control. I've had to repair it more times than I can remember, but it's always been fairly simple to fix.WAVEGEN arb on an Agilent MSOX. Ok for simple waveforms, but lacks many features (like trigger and modulation input), so I tend not to use it very often.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 12:48:05 am
content: Older Philips PM 5131 0.1 Hz-2 MHz FGNew Siglent SDG1010 AWG 1 uHz-10 MHz Sine & Square Wave specUse them both, the Phillips faster to set up for simple waveforms but nowhere as versatile as the Siglent.

author: Selectech
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 01:17:59 am
content: Rigol DG4162, got it to replace a Siglent SDG1010. Siglent was ok, but always bugged me that the 2 channels were not the same. The Rigol was a big upgrade but glad I did it as projects came along that needed the extra features, functions and range. I've had the Rigol for about a year now.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 01:36:55 am
content: Quote from: Selectech on January 22, 2014, 01:17:59 amWhy would you want the two channels to be the same? Surely use a BNC splitter?Or do you mean than the amplitude is max 6V on CH2 vs 20V on CH1?I have to admit I never really need signals beyond 10V p-p, 99% of stuff is way below, so as long as I know this is a problem on CH2 (and the gen warns me), it really means nothing.

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 01:49:37 am
content: I have a Rigol DG2021. it's been discontinued.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 01:58:25 am
content: My eBay specials are a Protek B8055 and Leader LG 1301.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 02:53:59 am
content: Wavetek representin'!Have a '193 (20MHz function generator, with aux. gen. for sweep and modulation), sadly the output stage died so I had to replace it with inferior (but also better heatsinked) transistors.Tim

author: calin
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 02:58:27 am
content: Tek FG504 40MHz - got it broken and fixed for 25$. I really like it .. rock stable and yess it has a ton of knobs

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 03:26:44 am
content: Exact 7060 and Trio AG-202. One came from ebay broken the other working out of a skip.

author: Selectech
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 03:33:02 am
content: Why would you want the two channels to be the same? Surely use a BNC splitter?Or do you mean than the amplitude is max 6V on CH2 vs 20V on CH1?I have to admit I never really need signals beyond 10V p-p, 99% of stuff is way below, so as long as I know this is a problem on CH2 (and the gen warns me), it really means nothing.Wanted the same capabilities on each channel. I do a lot of testing to 10V p-p, but each channel separate freq, noise etc.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 03:51:04 am
content: HP 3325AAnd a 5 MHz sine/sq/triangle turd crapped out by Simpson, as well as a Heathkit sine oscillator.

author: don.r
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 03:52:10 am
content: 2 Waveteks. A 143 and a 162. They are OLD... and they look it.

author: TiN
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 04:50:27 am
content: Fixed-up HP 33120A and signal gen R&S SMT03

author: Po6ept
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 05:07:40 am
content: 2 MHz Black Star Jupiter 2000.

author: oldway
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 06:07:40 am
content: Philips PM 5134 20Mhz function generator (2 units)Philips PM 5109 100Khz rc generator

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 07:30:34 am
content: Nothing fancy, an old clunky & humble 2 MhzTek FG501A.

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 08:03:19 am
content: AD9850, (+ ATmega328)and a 500 series 11Mhz tektronics plugin

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 08:18:59 am
content: Anor-x 660also cloned as theB&K 4076. Not sure who, if either, is the original manufacturer. 125Ms/s and up to 50MHz output (though not really "arbitrary" at that frequency as you only have two points per cycle!)AMarconi 2024Various Marconi 2022's that need some degree of attention.One ofthese- don't laugh, it's occasionally useful for audio stuff.

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 03:20:22 pm
content: I have been looking at the siglent sdg805 is it worth buying?

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 03:33:03 pm
content: GrumpyDoc, nothing wrong with it, I have an old HeathKit 18-72 audio generatoir that works fine except the meter doesn't work. I only paid $10 at a hamfest for it and people are asking too much money for Heathkit VTVMs to cannibalize it for the meter movement.

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 03:45:24 pm
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on January 22, 2014, 08:18:59 amIt's fine I have one of thesehttp://proto-pic.co.uk/frequency-generator-kit-fg085/and it is a bit crap but it works

author: bingo600
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 08:53:39 pm
content: I haveCode:Rigol DG1022 - 20Mhz (My first)Phillips PM5132 - 2Mhz (Oldie for free)HP 3324A - 20Mhz (Super clean Sine)Agilent E4432B - 3Ghz (RF-Gen)I mostly use the HP & Agilent/Bingo

author: PA4TIM
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 11:25:55 pm
content: R&S AFGU,Textronix FG-503,Belco MG-100,And a lot of pulse generators.

author: mazurov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 11:46:30 pm
content: Wavetek 81.

author: georges80
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2014, 12:19:07 am
content: Agilent 33250A that was a freebie from a place I consulted/contracted to. They closed down and gave me dibs on a whole bunch of stuff that the local liquidator was going to give them $0 for - so I got it for $0...Was a good day for me when I went it to fill up the back of my vehicle with barely used test equipmentcheers,george.

author: phil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2014, 03:49:36 am
content: I use the analog discovery for arb stuff and my trusty DSOX2014 function gen option for most other thingsSome old el cheapo analog generators as backup, too.Phil

author: fpliuzzi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2014, 04:22:11 am
content: Wavetek 185 function generator.Digilent's Analog Discovery Module if I need an arbitrary waveform.Also have an HP651A (sine) and a Heathkit IG-5218 (sine/square) that I assembled many moons ago.Regards

author: rastro
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2014, 04:35:00 am
content: HP 3325A with OCXOHP 3212AHP 8116A Opt 001

author: TMM
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2014, 06:27:14 am
content: Rigol 4062. The only thing not to like is the 16k points of arb memory.

author: rexxar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2014, 06:50:45 am
content: I have a 1MHz soldering kit from Elenco. Aren't you jealous? O0