Tektronix AFG3000 arbitrary/function generators, consisting of six models with the market-leading 240MHz dual-channel, 2GS/s AFG3252 at the head of the series, is now available in the UK
The new series answers the market's demand for affordable high-performance signal sources.
As its name implies, the instrument has the ability to deliver both arbitrary waveforms and mathematically based 'functions' such as sine and pulse waves.
Thanks to an innovative architecture based on a powerful 'generator on a chip' (GoC) Asic, the AFG3000 series delivers industry-leading performance in its class.
At the same time, the platform's user interface is straightforward and easy to use, maximising productivity.
The AFG3000 series spans a broad range of applications.
The models at the top of the series will appeal to designers developing high-performance computing or communications equipment and video products.
The large (5.6inch) LCD display on every AFG3000 series model is easy to read at a glance, offering ample space for both graphical waveforms and instrument settings.
This display supports an information-rich user interface that is patterned after the proven graphical interface used in Tektronix oscilloscopes.
Simple on-screen menus are supplemented by 'short cut' keys that control the most common waveform parameters.
AFG3000 series users can move quickly around the front panel to set up even the most complex modulated signals.
The 0.18micron Asic at the heart of the AFG3000 series instruments integrates a host of essential features into a single Cmos chip encompassing the core signal-generating functions.
Inside the GoC, there is a direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuit, a digital-to-analogue convertor, and other signal-generating elements including a pulse generator with variable period and independently adjustable rise and fall times, a modulation source, a noise source, and a frequency sweep generator.
The Asic also includes up to 128kbyte of arbitrary waveform memory.
Standard function generator waveforms are stored in a separate memory.
The AFG3000 supports 12 standard functions (waveform shapes), including sinusoidal waves at frequencies up to 240 MHz.
A built-in arbitrary waveform generator capable of delivering sample rates of up to 2GS/s (said to be an industry first in this class of signal sources) and 14-bit amplitude resolution can generate or replicate any waveform.
This exceptional performance is essential for maintaining narrow test margins, and it protects the user's investment as bandwidth requirements increase over time.
All the instruments in the series are equipped with a stable time base whose drift is only +/-1part per million per year.
The dual-channel models provide completely independent selection of waveform and frequency for each channel.
Designers working with mixed-signal devices, for example, will be able to drive the device with both analogue and digital signals simultaneously, at two distinct frequencies if necessary.
Similarly, two serial bit streams, one 'ideal' and the other impaired, can be fed to a component at the same time.
By using the 'phase align' and 'phase adjust' features, the dual-channel versions are also ideal for generating I and Q channels for testing components in communications systems.
