Author Topic: Adjusting Signal Amplitude and gain (Without pots in the signal path?)  (Read 1047 times)

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Offline RerouterTopic starter

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Currently in the midst of creating a little DDS function generator, and could use some input on how best to approach adding offsets and adjusting gain, as the frequencies are a fair bit higher than audio, I felt potentiomers are ruled out.

What i would like is to be be able to control the output offset, over the output range and be able to control the output amplitude from 0.2 - 23V p-p, however I'm also aiming for a cheaper solution (1-$10 is good),

At the moment i am fine with either digital or analog control,

The source is 0.02Hz - 3 MHz (DDS), giving out sine or square, (Lets say up to 40Mhz components)
The output of the DDS is 0.6V p-p

Attached is the circuit i am currently using to amplify the output, FDAC is the filtered output of the DDS, and FOUT is the output to the external world.
 

Offline seriouscoinage

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I used an ordinary 1Kohm potentiometer mounted on the DDS PCB to control amplitude for my 10MHz DDS signal generator, and it didn't seem to cause any problems/bandwidth limitations. I think using long wires to the pot or pots with high resistance values might cause bandwidth issues, but I think a pot should be fine for 3MHz. A variable gain amplifier could be an option if you didn't want to use a pot, and because it can add gain, you might be able to leave out another amplifier elsewhere in your circuit.
 

Offline RerouterTopic starter

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Where you attenuating the input signal, in the gain path, or on the output?
 

Offline seriouscoinage

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I attenuated it in the gain path. I've attached a diagram of the circuit I used in my DDS. The first op-amp provides gain, a 220ohm termination for the DDS filter, and DC offset control. I didn't want adjustable offset, so I just connected it to a trimpot and a voltage reference to null out the DDS output offset. If you want offset control, you can just use a pot on the front panel here instead. The first op-amp drives the 1K pot, and the second op-amp buffers the pot signal, adds more gain, and drives the output. This runs off +/-5V rails and gives 6-7Vpp out.
 


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