Author Topic: Using a Spectrum Analyzer TG as Waveform Generator  (Read 1626 times)

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Offline Terabyte2007Topic starter

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Using a Spectrum Analyzer TG as Waveform Generator
« on: April 10, 2014, 11:39:05 am »
I was curious to know if others have used there TG in their Spectrum Analyzer as a waveform generator in a pinch. I have a Rigol DG4062 as my ARB FG, but occasionally have the need for a basic test frequency much higher than the DG4062 allows. It seems to work well, I can set my CF to what I need and Span to 0 then followed by the amplitude. Are there any drawbacks to this other than limited waveform production and maybe some stability?

Eric Haney, MCSE, EE, DMC-D
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Offline KJDS

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Re: Using a Spectrum Analyzer TG as Waveform Generator
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2014, 01:50:53 pm »
The phase noise is usually a lot worse than a convention signal generator and there are often a lot more spurious signals too. Having said that, it's the approached used for the signal generators of some radio test sets.

Offline KD0RC

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Re: Using a Spectrum Analyzer TG as Waveform Generator
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2014, 02:27:28 pm »
I have been experimenting with my Rigol DSA 815 TG output, and it is not real clean.  Here is a post I did no the topic:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/rigol-dsa-815-tracking-generator-distortion/msg393667/#msg393667

For some things this signal will be very adequate.  For others, probably not so much...  I tried to get a Lissajous pattern using the waveform generator in my Agilent scope and the TG output from my DSA 815.  There is so much phase noise on the TG sig that it was not real usable.
 


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