Rigol DG1032Z - Can it be upgraded to DG1062Z or is HW different?

[pascal_sweden]

How does the Rigol DG1032Z perform? Are the waveforms clean?
Anyone out here who can provide some screenshots for measured waveforms?

Can the DG1032Z be upgraded to a DG1062Z or is the HW different?

[dadler]

I have one and have been happy with it (for the most part-wish it had floating outputs).

I think the hardware is the same as the 60mhz model, and there is an extended memory option to double the memory. I suspect that a similar mechanism is used at the factory to assign the model number/max output frequency. A license file must be copied to a USB stick and installed to enable the extended memory option. There is no UI or SCPI mechanism for entering option codes.

These generators are newer and not as popular as the DG4000 series, so no-one has really tried to hack them yet.

[pascal_sweden]

Do most other function generators have floating outputs?
What about the Siglent SDG1025? Or what about the old HP 8116A?

I haven't considered that criteria before, but good to point out!

[dadler]

Do most other function generators have floating outputs?
What about the Siglent SDG1025? Or what about the old HP 8116A?

I haven't considered that criteria before, but good to point out!

All the HP/Agilent/(high-end)Tek generators seem to have floating outputs.

The Siglent SDG-5000 series has floating outputs.

All of the Rigols have ground-referenced outputs.

Some of the cheapies have floating outputs (mainly by virture of running off a wall-wart):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181755288378?var=480703152298
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5MHz-MHS2300A-Series-dual-channel-CNC-arbitrary-waveform-signal-Generator-/231577800773?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35eb1cd045 ( just bought one of these for a keep-in-the-Garage generator )

Here's the topic I created discussing this topic: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/function-gens-with-floating-outputs/

It's not always a big deal that the generator is ground-referenced, but it can be difficult to use your scope along with the generator in some situations, since the scope is grounded. I used a diff probe to work around the issue.

[BloodyCactus]

i have a 32z, its great except that its square wave at 30mhz is pure sine and nothing square about it.

[pascal_sweden]

You mention that the cheap units even have floating outputs. Did they write this in the description?

Note that your first link to the cheap units look similar to a FeelTech FY3224S 24 MHz signal generator:
http://www.benl.ebay.be/itm/24MHz-Dual-channel-Arbitrary-Waveform-DDS-Function-Signal-Generator-FY3224S-/281537687541?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item418cf42ff5

[dadler]

i have a 32z, its great except that its square wave at 30mhz is pure sine and nothing square about it.

The square wave output on these generators is a weak point. I wouldn't say it's "pure sine", but it does seem like it has been passed through a filter that is rounding off the corners.

It's also a pain to keep the phase aligned across the two channels--when you change a modulated signal you have to manually re-align the desired phase between the channels.

But it is a good generator, has a lot of features, great build quality, nice form factor, etc.

[dadler]

You mention that the cheap units even have floating outputs. Did they write this in the description?

Note that your first link to the cheap units look similar to a FeelTech FY3224S 24 MHz signal generator:
http://www.benl.ebay.be/itm/24MHz-Dual-channel-Arbitrary-Waveform-DDS-Function-Signal-Generator-FY3224S-/281537687541?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item418cf42ff5

The ones that run off wall-warts are necessarily floating (as long as not connected via USB--some devices may be ground-referenced via USB if connected to say a desktop PC. You can use something like this to work around that: https://www.adafruit.com/product/2107 ). They don't have a connection to earth ground.

The two channels on all of these generators are *not* floating with respect to each other though. Every multi-channel generator I have seen has a common ground potential between the channels, even if this ground potential is itself floating vs earth ground. That is, the channels are not entirely isolated.

[Howardlong]

The ones that run off wall-warts are necessarily floating

While this is generally the case, there are exceptions as I found to my own cost: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/owon-hds3102m-n-handheld-scope-review-teardown/msg639567/#msg639567

Although this was an inline supply, rather than a wall wart, in some jurisdictions all three outlet pins must be physically present whether or not Earth is connected electrically.

[pa3bca]

i have a 32z, its great except that its square wave at 30mhz is pure sine and nothing square about it.

Well that's because at 30 MHz it must be.. The 1032 only generates square waves  up to 15 MHz
The rise time of the DG1032Z (I wonder if the 62Z differs in that respect) is not stellar. At 15 MHz the square looks as follows:
(nb: my scope has been ' upgraded' to 300 MHz so no limitation there at 15 MHz, also 50 Ohms terminated)

Notice the amplitude jitter...
At 10 MHz the waveform looks like this:

Same risetime, but at this frequency no noticeable amplitude jitter.
All in all a nice piece of equipment, I'm happy with it and use it a lot.

[BloodyCactus]

yes, I realised later. Yours is identical to mine I posted here in january.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/show-us-your-square-wave/msg588527/#msg588527

[sclel016]

(nb: my scope has been ' upgraded' to 300 MHz so no limitation there at 15 MHz, also 50 Ohms terminated)

Hi pa3bca,

Can you share how you 'upgraded' the BW on the DG1032Z?

[pa3bca]

(nb: my scope has been ' upgraded' to 300 MHz so no limitation there at 15 MHz, also 50 Ohms terminated)

Hi pa3bca,

Can you share how you 'upgraded' the BW on the DG1032Z?

I'd love to, but if you read carefully you will see I upgraded my 2072 scope, and not the 1032Z. I do not think there is a hack availalble to upgrade the 32Z to a 62Z, alas.

[sclel016]

(nb: my scope has been ' upgraded' to 300 MHz so no limitation there at 15 MHz, also 50 Ohms terminated)

Hi pa3bca,

Can you share how you 'upgraded' the BW on the DG1032Z?

I'd love to, but if you read carefully you will see I upgraded my 2072 scope, and not the 1032Z. I do not think there is a hack availalble to upgrade the 32Z to a 62Z, alas.

Ah, fair enough. Didn't read carefully enough

Cheers

[_Wim_]

Well that's because at 30 MHz it must be.. The 1032 only generates square waves  up to 15 MHz

With the latest firmware of the DG1032Z you can now generate "square" waves up to 25Mhz.

Extract from firware history:
Updated Contents]
v00.01.12.00.00   2016-09-29
     - DG1032Z square wave frequency is changed to 25M
[Previous Versions and Updated Contents]
v00.01.11.00.00 2016-09-09
- Added a new model DG1022Z


However, I do not think performance has changed much (see screenshots, taken with BNC cable in high impedance mode, but I expect identical results at 50ohm)

[sclel016]

However, I do not think performance has changed much (see screenshots, taken with BNC cable in high impedance mode, but I expect identical results at 50ohm)

Hi _Wim_,

Any way you could post the results of the rise time of these frequencies at 1Vp? I'm expecting a DG1022Z in the coming week and I'd like to compare performance.

[_Wim_]

Any way you could post the results of the rise time of these frequencies at 1Vp? I'm expecting a DG1022Z in the coming week and I'd like to compare performance.

Here you are. Both for High Z and 50 ohm output (with 50 ohm adaptor on "upgraded" DG1054Z)

[sclel016]

Thanks for the data! I'm really interested to see if the hardware for the DG1022Z performs identically.

[_Wim_]

Thanks for the data! I'm really interested to see if the hardware for the DG1022Z performs identically.

I do not see any reason why not. I think only the difference between the 3 models is the set frequency you can enter. And between the DG1022z and DG1032z there is even almost no difference in that also. If the DG1022z would have been available when I bought mine, I would for sure have bought the DG1022z instead of the DG1032z. But I do like this unit, so far it did everything I needed, and I could do it without having to read the manual. The only thing I do not like about it, is the PC software, but that is only a minor issue for my use...

[sclel016]

That's my theory as well. I'm curious to see if they've done a minor update on the frontend to improve the slew rate. I'll be writing up a set of python driver's that use the IVI-Python framework, I'll make it avaiable once it's finished. Hopefully it'll allow you to keep away from the PC Software.

[_Wim_]

I'll be writing up a set of python driver's that use the IVI-Python framework, I'll make it avaiable once it's finished. Hopefully it'll allow you to keep away from the PC Software.

Keep us informed!

[bd139]

1022 here as well. Nice unit. Counter is shit though. Would be interested if I could get another 5Mhz out of it.

[_Wim_]

1022 here as well. Nice unit. Counter is shit though. Would be interested if I could get another 5Mhz out of it.

Haven't used the counter a lot, but do not remember any problems with it. Which issues did you have?

[bd139]

Sensitivity is awful.