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And what should we call this ?
The Soulman:
--- Quote from: tautech on February 06, 2023, 06:45:01 am ---
--- Quote from: ebastler on February 06, 2023, 06:15:07 am ---Just call them all "signal generators" and mention the key specs you are after -- max frequency, stability, signal/noise, modulations capabilities, arbitrary waveforms or whatever.
--- End quote ---
Lab senior says to junior, please go to the stores and get me a sig gen. ::)
--- End quote ---
Terrible lab senior.
DimitriP:
https://www.keysight.com/us/en/assets/9018-05715/user-manuals/9018-05715.pdf
some are even high performance signal generators
"Spectral purity is the key contribution of the Keysight 8662A signal generator, making it ideal for many radar, satellite communication, and phase noise measurement applications. Typical absolute phase noise performance of this generator at a 1 kHz offset is as low as -135 dBc/Hz, depending on the band of operation. The frequency range of the Keysight 8662A is 10 kHz to 1280 MHz. It offers versatile AM/FM, using either internal 400 Hz and 1 kHz rates or externally applied modulating signals."
https://www.keysight.com/us/en/product/8662A/highperformance-signal-generator-12-ghz.html
Done.
You are welcome.
The End!
switchabl:
Traditionally, the term "signal generator" has mostly referred to what you seem to call an "RF generator". The earliest example I could find is the General Radio Type 403 "Standard-Signal Generator" from 1928 1.
However, there has always been some ambiguity. It has been mentioned that the term has also been applied to audio generators as well. This HP presentation from the 70s maintains that, among other things, "[...] signal generators must include some provision for calibrated modulation" and complains that "other sources which don't meet this definition are often mistakenly called signal generators". 2
These days, it seems, it is also used (maybe somewhat confusingly) as an umbrella term: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_generator
I generally consider it important to use precise language where it matters. In this case, I cannot really bring myself to care much. The meaning is usually clear from the context and where it is not, qualifications like "RF signal generator", "vector signal generator", "audio signal generator" or "video signal generator" are available.
Consider this analogy: if your were to enter (i) a power electronics lab, (ii) a microwave lab and (iii) an optics lab and ask to see a "power meter" you would in all likelihood be shown three very different types of equipment. And yet, this does not seem to cause any real problems in practice.
1 https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-CATALOGS/IDX/General-Radio/General-Radio-Catalog-E1-1928.o-OCR-Page-0093.pdf
2 I suspect that this is not just due sloppyness but reflects the fact that people can't quite agree on what a "signal" is either. Depending on who you ask, almost any changing quantity might qualify, while others will insist that a signal carry "information".
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