{"id":444,"date":"2013-04-03T12:59:27","date_gmt":"2013-04-03T19:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.circuitspecialists.com\/?p=444"},"modified":"2017-10-09T12:08:00","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T19:08:00","slug":"how-to-use-a-function-generator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.circuitspecialists.com\/blog\/how-to-use-a-function-generator\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use a Function Generator"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is how to use a\u00a0function generator to test a circuit’s behavior:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Power on the generator and select the desired output signal: square wave, sine wave or triangle wave.<\/li>\n
  2. Connect the output leads to an oscilloscope to visualize the output signal and set its parameters using the amplitude and frequency controls.<\/li>\n
  3. Attach the output leads of the function generator to the input of the circuit you wish to test.<\/li>\n
  4. Attach the output of your circuit to a meter or oscilloscope to visualize the resulting change in signal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A function generator, which is used for testing the response of circuits to commonplace input signals, produces various voltage patterns at different frequencies and amplitudes. You connect the function generator\u2019s electrical leads to the ground and the signal input terminals to the device under test (DUT).<\/p>\n

    The majority of function generators enable you to pick the shape of the output from several options including square wave, in which the signal immediately goes from high to low voltage; sine wave, in which the signal curves from high to low voltage like a sinusoid; and triangle wave, in which the signal goes from high to low voltage at a fixed rate.<\/p>\n

    Advanced function generators \u2014 known as arbitrary waveform generators<\/a> \u2014 use direct digital synthesis techniques to generate any waveform that can be described by a table of amplitudes. Some arbitrary waveform generators can also operate like an ordinary function generators and often include waveforms like square, sine, ramp, triangle, noise, and pulse as well as waveforms such as exponential rise and fall time, sinx\/x, and cardiac.<\/p>\n

    The function generator\u2019s amplitude control changes the voltage difference between the output signal\u2019s high and low voltage. Its direct current (DC) offset control changes the signal\u2019s average voltage with regard to the ground. The function generator\u2019s duty cycle is its ratio of high to low voltage time as it concerns square wave signals.<\/p>\n

    The function generator\u2019s frequency control is used to manipulate the output signal\u2019s rate of oscillation. On certain function generators the frequency control combines several different controls: one set of controls sets the frequency range, or order of magnitude, while the other selects the exact frequency. This enables the function generator<\/a>\"\"<\/a> to handle the dramatic variation in frequency scale required for signals.<\/p>\n

    You use a function generator by powering it on and configuring the output signal to your intended shape. This entails connecting the ground and signal leads to your oscilloscope to check the controls. Then you adjust the function generator until you get the appropriate signal and attach the function generator\u2019s ground and signal leads to the device under test\u2019s input and ground terminals. While attaching to ground will typically suffice, in some situations you may need to attach the function generator\u2019s negative lead to the device\u2019s negative input.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    This is how to use a\u00a0function generator to test a circuit’s behavior: Power on the generator and select the desired<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-function-generators"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Use a Function Generator | Simply Smarter Circuitry Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.circuitspecialists.com\/blog\/how-to-use-a-function-generator\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Use a Function Generator | Simply 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