I built one using an XR2206 chip about 20 years ago and it still works fine for me. The chip is cheap, the circuit is easy to build, and it works. Most of all, and very important for me, my finished product is small.
I used an XR2206 as my very first signal generator it worked great.
I used a frequency counter with it and got it to sweep its full range capability with just two ranges.
20Hz to 20Khz in one range and 20Khz to 200Khz in the other.
jer 🙂
I used a frequency counter with it and got it to sweep its full range capability with just two ranges.
20Hz to 20Khz in one range and 20Khz to 200Khz in the other.
jer 🙂
I've got a "farnell" (Thurby Thandar I think) that I fetched out of a skip 20 years ago. Even has a sweep generator on it.
I have an HP 3311A that I'm happy with. Paid about $70 on 😱bay.
It doesn't have the most accurate frequency selector dial but I have scope and frequency counter.
It maintains a constant voltage across the audio band and that is essential for speaker driver measurements.
It doesn't have the most accurate frequency selector dial but I have scope and frequency counter.
It maintains a constant voltage across the audio band and that is essential for speaker driver measurements.
There's a big difference between the performance of a function generator and that of an audio signal generator. A function generator is usually more wideband (0.01 Hz - 10 MHz or so) and can generate square, rectangular, triangle and sine waveshapes. Usually the sine is not particularly low-distortion since these generators are not used as signal sources to test audio amplifier distortion. Usually the square has a decently-fast risetime.
An audio signal generator is perhaps more suited for use as a general-purpose audio signal source, having low (well, lowER) distortion sinewaves and also perhaps a reasonable squarewave output.
In addition to the older 200-series, HP also made a 204-series and certain others (209, etc). Some of these have both sine and square outputs, some also have built-in calibrated attenuators. Most are spec'd at 0.1% THD, mine is somewhat better than this at about 0.065% but none are truly low-distortion sources. By "low-distortion" I mean 0.01% or less.
These are much smaller than the popular 200-series, much more stable, and are also very reasonably priced.
Depends what you need it for. I'm happy with my HP-209 for most things.
An audio signal generator is perhaps more suited for use as a general-purpose audio signal source, having low (well, lowER) distortion sinewaves and also perhaps a reasonable squarewave output.
In addition to the older 200-series, HP also made a 204-series and certain others (209, etc). Some of these have both sine and square outputs, some also have built-in calibrated attenuators. Most are spec'd at 0.1% THD, mine is somewhat better than this at about 0.065% but none are truly low-distortion sources. By "low-distortion" I mean 0.01% or less.
These are much smaller than the popular 200-series, much more stable, and are also very reasonably priced.
Depends what you need it for. I'm happy with my HP-209 for most things.
Last edited:
- Status
- Not open for further replies.