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How useful is triangle wave in function generator ?
xani:
Im thinking about buying this: http://translate.google.pl/translate?hl=pl&sl=pl&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ambm.pl%2Findex.php%2Furzadzenia-kontrolno-pomiarowe%2Fdd1a.html for my mini lab but it doesn't generate triange wave, just sinus and square and im wondering if i should ge thos or "normal" func. generator. How useful is triangl wave out ?
alm:
It's useful for testing amplifiers, it's much easier to see distortion and clipping than with sine waves. It's also useful for testing comparators.
This seems quite different from a regular function generator. A function generator can usually generate sine/square/triangle waves from 1Hz to a few MHz, with amplitudes up to 20V in a high-Z load. Most offer symmetry adjustment (adjust duty cycle for square waves and makes triangle waves into ramps). The frequency stability is usually lousy, especially for the non-DDS ones.
This seems more targeted at the RF segment, more like a signal generator with a square wave thrown in. The frequency range is much higher, the amplitude is lower (max 2Vp-p in high-Z load). Max 5mV offset. Probably fairly good stability since it's DDS. The spectral purity at 1Vp-p, 1MHz looks quite good (all harmonics < -57dB or so). The square wave is pretty fast (<8ns rise/fall time), but has a fixed output amplitude. Not very useful for eg. 3.3V logic.
It may be a fine unit for the intended use, I have no experience with this product, but the specs seem pretty good. It seems less versatile than a normal function generator (which is the jack-of-all-trades of signal sources), as long as you don't need the extra range, stability or purity.
xani:
Im wondering what i should get because for similiar price i can get typical 2-3MHz func. gen. For now i plan to use it for audio/SMPS (and i plan building tesla coil ^^ ) but after seein EEVBlog Instek review i didnt like that "wobbling" in wave frequency and thats why im wondering if i should get that DDS gen.
Kiriakos-GR:
Well there is another alternative .. way .
All that you need are one generator , in KIT with one TL082 ... ( that you have to assemble by your self ) , and one Frequency counter ..
I have make this setup for my self , but I own one good frequency counter ,
the LEADER LDC-831 .
As alternative of the dedicated frequency counter , you can use an multimeter with such ability , it would possibly cost less.
Still , the only issue with this setup , its that you have to tune it , its time that you like to use it,
by using both devices simultaneously .
Just an idea ..
xani:
I can always use scope for that ;)
Well i have ICL8038 so i could make like 100kHz func. gen with it but its kinda low compared to cheapest func. gen. and i'd still have to make all that additional circuits (frequency sweep, DC offset etc.) to make it comparable to even cheapest func. gen.
I guess I'll go with normal func. generator for now, i dont need such high freq generator for now and things like frequency sweep sounds quite useful for what i'll be doing
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