Owon DGE2035 DGE2070

[buble_lab]

I pulled the trigger on DGE2070.

Looks ok on paper for my use, couldn't justify DG822 etc as it cost more than double even with potential unlock to 962.

Any feedback on it? No reviews yet - but overall it should be at least on par with UTG962E.

[Markus2801A]

I have the UTG962E at home. Good device but has a major flaw: it doesn't store the uploaded waveform after powering off the device.

It would be nice if you can tell us about your experience with the Owon DGE2070. Also considering buying one :-)

[buble_lab]

I'll report back - once I receive it.

[buble_lab]

Ok. I just got it.

First impression is very positive. Its very small. Grabbed couple screenshots. All within the specs I expected for that price.

[Markus2801A]

Thank you for sharing your first impressions with us!

How's the PC software? How easy is it to edit and upload the waveform?
The Uni-T has the problem that it doesn't save an imported waveform when it is switched off.
Does the Owen save the important waveforms correctly?

Thanks in advance.
Best regards.
Markus :-)

[buble_lab]

Yes forms are saved. Works only if I load some waveform from Owen and edit it. Couldn't save waveform created from scratch - maybe its a bug - its at ver.1

[Damperhead]

I couldn't resist getting this low cost Arbitrary Waveform Generator (DGE2070). The first impression seems to be of well quality for a device priced around €150. The device heats up a bit during use and requires some power from the power source. the layout's menus and operation is relatively clear. PC software with which you can create your own waveforms is badly in the beta phase, and cannot be recommended for serious use.

So far, the biggest problem with the device is that the signal generators are really separate, and keeping the phase difference between the channels stable is practically impossible. In the device's utility menu, there is an option to set the phase to the same, but it does not stay the same for very long, especially if you adjust some parameter (i.e. phase, Vp-p, etc.) The phase change is significant. Of course, the phase can be aligned every time between channels when you make changes.

This AWG has no external trigger inputs, so the use of this is somewhat limited.

[zsilet]

For any other OWON owners out there, do you experience significant overshoot on square waves?

I currently have both the OWON DGE2070 and the UNI-T UTG962 on my desk, trying to decide which one to keep. I am struggling as I like the user interface of the OWON better, as well as the promise of being able to save arbitrary waveforms across powerdowns.

Here are a couple of comparisons between waveforms captured from both devices (UNI-T on yellow and OWON on purple). I have swapped cables, channels, tried High-Z and 50ohm modes, but the UNI-T waveforms always look cleaner.

I ran a test with the exact same settings @buble_lab ran... I would say my results are nowhere near as good, so I would love to see some others... If I have a bad QC unit, I may take a chance on an exchange.

[zsilet]

The OWON DGE2070 Channel 1 and 2 phase alignment is 
     - The two outputs operate at a random phase offsets from one another by default.
     - There is an option buried under "Utility->Ch1/2->Align phase", which will align Ch1/Ch2.
     - This alignment is lost if you even so much as look at the device again, or:
        - turn off either channel
        - press the "Ch1/Ch2" button to view the channel settings again.
        - Make another phase adjustment or any other channel parameter adjustment.
    So basically, if you need a fixed phase between Ch1 and Ch2, your best option is to "Align phase" after every single action you take and keep both signals on the scope so you can verify their alignment. before using the outputs.
Effectively, this is hardly better than having two single channel ARBs, and is a total deal-breaker for me. I'm bitter because I really wanted to like the OWON.
The Uni-T UTG962 just aligns the channel phases, as... any normal implementation should.

Windows software notes for both OWON and Uni-T:
    - Would not rely on either.
    - Got both installed (windows 11 machine)
    - Uni-T software package is middle-school production quality. On second thought, I'm sorry for insulting middle-schoolers, you're right, they can do better. The installation package installs umpteen different programs and drivers, each one of which cause windows to panic, including a "Device Manager", which manages to be the most confusing/misleading name chosen for something to be installed on Windows.
    - The OWON software installer and application seems far better put together. 
    - The actual waveform editor UI of both the Uni-T and OWON is equivalent to etch-a-sketch with a mouse.
    - I cannot write to the Uni-T device at all. Uni-T "Device Manager" sees the sig generator, but when I "Down file", "Number of devices found" is always 0. Obviously others have had better luck, so I am open to suggestions.
    - I was able to write and replay a waveform from the OWON (keep reading):
        - I cannot for the life of me figure out which of the 16 slots the software will write to (suggestions welcome).
        - The first time, it wrote to USER5, then to USER0 (judging by these slots showing 16kB size)
        - USER0 after a while stopped loading (always throws "File read fail" error), and I cannot choose another slot... so no more custom waveforms for me?


   

[5U4GB]

Is anyone running it with the included 5V USB charger/power supply?  Cheapie USB power supplies included with products from China are usually pretty bad, and this one is... well, it's not a capacitive dropper but it is a bit dubious.  The model is a Xing Yuan Electronics XY12SH-050200VQ, fairly close to this one, with the model number decoding to 12W, 5V, 2A.

A basic test on these to just to check the voltage vs. current, it starts off at the expected 5.1V at 0mA but then rises (not falls, rises) to 5.17V at 500mA and 5.20V at 1.0A.  Still within the USB spec, but it's the opposite of every other USB power supply I've ever seen where the voltage drops with current.  Anyway, at 1.5A the voltage is back down to 5.17V but at this point there's very noticeable coil whine and buzzing, and at the rated max of 2A it's 5.16V and even noisier.

Ripple and noise was another matter, the cheapie electronic load I was using injects a lot of noise back into the source (I haven't looked at in in detail, presumably it has some form of PWM control via the microcontroller that drives it) so I bodged up a fan-cooled resistor array with way too many wiring runs all over the place for any kind of noise-free reading so this is at best an approximation.

The OWON-supplied USB charger had 14-22mV ripple depending on current (250mA, 500mA, 1.1A) at a fixed 26kHz except for very low power levels where it dropped to 14kHz.  My go-to ten-year-old Anker USB charger in contrast had a fixed 14mV ripple and started at 28kHz at low power ramping up to 60kHz at 1.1A.

Just out of curiosity I also applied the same bodge measurement hookup to a recent GaN USB power supply and got 6-10mV ripple depending on power levels and no obvious switching frequency (GaN design is much more recent than I am so I only know the basics of what's going on there, does it use spread- spectrum switching?).

Transient noise was pretty bad but given the bodge I was using for measurements is possibly not reliable, so just look at the relative values for the three USB supplies, not the absolute ones: Around 600mV P-P for the OWON, 220mV for the Anker, and 90mV for the GaN.

So if you're using this AWG I'd recommend using something other than the OWON- supplied USB charger.

Also, GaN power supplies are pretty impressive.

[5U4GB]

As a followup, I've posted a slightly longer writeup, along with some thoughts on why the output voltage increases with load, here.