Rigol DG4000, DG4102  first impression - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: KedasProbe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2013, 06:40:54 pm
content: I played a bit with it and in short, I like it.I find the UI user friendly. I had to lookup some settings but there is a help button that gives you a description of what the setting is for.100.0000...kHz (1.3Vpp) did read 99.999 kHz on my Brymen 869 DMMIt's always nice when 2 devices share the same reading, up until their last digit.(It took an extra 0.2Hz to make the Brymen tip over)After seeing this spectrum analyser demoI obviously had to try that (I did say 'play' with it) and got myself a similar antennaI did set it to 100mVpp 87.5 MHz and for FM modulation I did choose an arb signal.So I did set my Radio on 87.5MHz (cheaper than a spectrum analyser) and checked the arb waves, including the poor 'Rigol' Voice(This is the wireless way of listening to arb)The one thing that I miss a bit is an output power reading (doesn't have to be accurate) , you have no idea about how much power the device is giving.The voltage accuracy is acceptable. (certainly for this price)You can easily tweak what you want at the output due to the high resolution settings.Also the sound noise is acceptable, about the same like my desktop PC. (it's obviously not silent)With the difference that you sit much closer to it so you hear it better.Rise and fall time are nice within spec. 'arb' is even much better.For the max. square wave freq. base yourself on these rise/fall time numbers not the freq in the spec sheet.Posted my video also in another thread:The number format can easily be set although it's saved together with all signal settings.('.' ',' and space or nothing for grouping) While you would think this is more like an one time setting. But you can set it to make it store (all) settings before powering off and load them at startup.If you don't do that the number format will return to factory default every time you power it on.I'm happy with it, for nowedit: version infoDevice Model: DG4102Software Version: 00.01.04.00.02FPGA Version: 00.01.07.01Hard Version: 01.01Keyboard Version: 04.01Enc FPGA Version: 06edit firmware update (20/07)Software Version: 00.01.06.00.02FPGA Version: 00.01.07.09FYI during the update the 8 waveform button leds are used as a process bar (since the screen is off)Edit firmware update (29/08)

author: Chalky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2013, 09:32:59 pm
content: Hi there, on page VII of the user guide, it mentions one of its 150 built-in waveforms or functions as 'video signal'. Have anyone had a play with that & can tell me if it's a fixed video signal, or if it's adjustable? I'm consiudering a DG4000 of some sort, and I'm hoping I could adjust every aspect of that video signal.Thanks!Refs:http://www.rigol.com/download/Oversea/DG/User_guide/DG4000_UserGuide_EN.pdf

author: KedasProbe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2013, 10:33:11 am
content: No, there is no video signal I think that's Chinglish.There is an arb called 'TV' but that's just one horizontal line (nothing special) that you could use to insert in a video signal.Maybe I make a video later just going through all arb (fast 1 or 2 sec on every arb)(it's also handy for me to have like a catalogue of it.)Some of those arb you really think, "OK, what's in a name".Even if they would put a video signal in it it would be fixed (since it's an arb) and second they don't have enough memory depth to add low freq and high freq in the same memory of 16k samples.So no, a video signal is not possible with this signal generator. (unless there is some hidden trick I don't know of)edit: here they made a video signal 1.4M samples (that's about a factor 100 more than what you have in the DG4000)withhttp://www.marvintest.com/KnowledgeBase/KBArticle.aspx?ID=158

author: KedasProbe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2013, 01:18:47 pm
content: Summary of the arb waves of DG4000:The selections on the top are the categories Rigol uses.(It is set to 1Vrms but it seems it is actually doing 1Vpeak instead.)When checking the calculated values on the scope: Mean(DC), RMS(AC+DC), RMS(AC)FYIhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_mean_square#Relationship_to_the_arithmetic_mean_and_the_standard_deviation

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 19, 2013, 11:50:58 am
content: What about the frequency counter inside the function gen? do you have it? does it disable the output channels when you are measuring something?

author: KedasProbe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2013, 05:14:57 pm
content: Yes, you can use both at the same time.Example screenshots belowSetup: The output sync (front) is connected to the counter in (at the back).(Since generator and counter use the same reference it should show exactly 1kHz and 10Mhz, even if they are not)

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2013, 06:13:27 pm
content: Ok, thanks.So, whit less than 1000 € you get 2 instruments. Impressive... I'm happy to save money for another instrument Maybe a programmable electronic load.