Digital signal generator claims price breakthrough

Signal Forge has released the first high-performance digitally synthesised signal generator with an 800MHz range, usable to 1GHz, for under $1000.

Signal Forge has released the first high-performance digitally synthesised signal generator with an 800MHz range, usable to 1GHz, for under $1000.

The Signal Forge 800 (SF800) features a dedicated digital output with programmable voltage levels for testing digital systems and integrated circuits.

It also provides an AC coupled and a differential output for testing a wide range of wireless and radio frequency devices.

The SF800 produces both sinewaves and square waves across a frequency range of 1kHz to 1GHz, in 1Hz increments.

The small size and low price point, compared with other signal generators of comparable performance, makes the SF800 attractive to design and test engineers as well as field service engineers.

The numerous waveform modulation capabilities provided by the SF800 expand the applications for which it may be used.

Waveform modulation capabilities include: frequency swept, with user-defined sweep rates, frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, and frequency shift keying (FSK), on/off keying (OOK), shaped OOK, asynchronous shift keying (ASK) and arbitrary modulation.

Unlike other low cost signal generators, the SF800 incorporates a low-noise temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) which ensures a high level of precision and accuracy over a wide time span and temperature range.

It also utilises digitally synthesised signals and an embedded microprocessor which enable it to provide high quality signals, a rich feature set and the easy to use Wave Manager software for setup and operation.

The SF800 helps engineering managers address problems they have been struggling with for years: shorter product design cycles, the increasing cost of test and development tools, and budget limitations.

The test and debug of circuit boards and integrated circuits (ICs) can account for as much as one-third to one-half of the entire design time.

And it is the most unpredictable part of the schedule.

One way to reduce test time is to run several tests systems simultaneously.

Unfortunately, most high-performance signal generators are large and expensive making it difficult form most companies to do this.

The small size - 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.5in - and low price of the SF800 solves this problem.

"I decided to develop the SF800 after an early version proved itself in my own IC design lab", said Steve Robalino, Chief Technical Officer at Signal Forge.

"To debug a 2Gbit/s Fibre Channel controller chip, I setup four test systems with two signal generators each and was able to find a design defect in a matter of days instead of weeks".

"I saved almost three months compared with previous debug efforts".

"In addition, I discovered a previously undetected bug in the physical layer (PHY) of the IC".

A wide frequency range with a 1Hz resolution and the waveform modulation features make the SF800 suitable for applications such as: characterising narrowband communication systems, the IF and RF section of receivers and subsystems, and selected mobile and telemetry bands.

For example, the SF800 may be used to test amplifiers for gain as well as for the 1dB compression point, and for testing the third-order intercept point (IP3) of WLAN, ISM and Bluetooth radio systems.

Other applications include: design margin testing of digital ICs and circuit boards; data acquisition system testing and oscilloscope clocking where a customised timebase is required for specific measurements; automotive electronics testing; determining the effect of oscillator drift on a circuit; examining the spectral response of circuits; FM chirp testing; and low cost manufacturing test.

The Signal Forge 800 is priced at $985 and is available now.

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