Sponsored Content: UNI-T function generators

Solutions for every user and budget

UNI-T is a recognised provider of affordable lab equipment. However, its assortment is also distinguished by a wide diversity and includes solutions designed for professional applications.

See below for an overview of the UNI-T product choice, including a strictly specified product range, i.e. function/arbitrary generators. These are some of the most important laboratory instruments for testing circuits and perfecting prototypes. They are mostly intended to simulate signals, pulses or noise, but many of the solutions presented here also come with the functionality of a frequency meter, noise generator, and even the capability of emulating digital protocols. See below for an overview of the UNI-T product range.

This text covers the following issues:

Basic functionalities and miniature sizes
Affordable generators with diverse capabilities
Compact generators with 16-bit resolution
High-power output generators
Professional service/lab/production equipment
Top-of-the-range function generators by UNI-T

Miniature UTG900E series

The UTG900E function generators are miniature devices designed mostly for home-based workshop applications and for hobbyists. Their enclosure is as little as 172 x 90 x 68 mm, and they weigh merely 330 g. This means that they do not take up much space at a workstation and can be kept even in a desk drawer. Despite their miniature size, the UTG900E generators come with colour 4.3” displays and convenient interfaces with physical buttons. In terms of parameters, these devices provide the basic functionality, i.e. generation of sine, rectangular, sawtooth-like, pulse, and also arbitrary waveforms.

UTG962E. This small-sized device comes with a large (4.3”) colour display.

Compact UTG2025A model

UTG2025A. Enclosure with a handle that facilitates device transport and placement.

The compact, 2-channel UTG2025A generator is housed in a classic enclosure with bumpers and a handle, which, when the device is placed on a surface, serves as a support allowing to obtain a convenient viewing angle. The product parameters facilitate performing the majority of typical tasks: 14-bit vertical resolution and sampling rate 125 Msps, frequency up to 25MHz for a sine waveform, and 5 MHz for the remaining waveforms. The following modulations are available: AM, ASK, FM, FSK, PM, PSK and PWM. The generator also comes with the noise emission mode, which may be used, e.g., to simulate interferences.

UTG1000X series

The UTG1000X series includes two device types: 20 MHz (UTG1022X) and 40 MHz (UTG1042X) models, and the UTG1022X generator is also available in the PA version, which is additionally equipped with a power output (up to 4 W and 100 kHz), thanks to which testing performance can be a part of prototyping and diagnostics operations. The size of the devices included in this series is similar to UTG2025A, but their display is larger, and they offer a higher waveform resolution (16-bit) and sampling frequency (200 Msps), which results in smoother waveform edges.

UTG1042X. Thanks to the capabilities of this product series, these devices are suitable for professional settings.

UTG2000B series

UTG2062B. The resolution of the displays mounted in the products from this series is 800×480, which greatly improves the legibility of diagrams.

The UTG2000B generators come in three versions, which are able to generate 60 MHz, 80 MHz and 120 MHz frequency signals (for a sine waveform). The waveforms are generated with a 16-bit resolution by a circuit running at 320 Msps. For an arbitrary waveform, the memory record length reaches 16 Mpts to emulate complex signals, pulses and interferences. As with most of the products described here, the two channels may operate as coupled channels or independently. Note also that, the devices included in this (more advanced) series also offer a wider selection of modulations: AM, ASK, BPSK, FM, FSK, OSK, PM, PSK, PWM, QAM, QPSK and SUM.

UTG4000A series

The UTG4000A generators are some of the most advanced devices of this type offered by UNI-T. These are desktop units (with a taller but more shallow enclosure). In the TME product catalogue, they are available in 80 MHz, 120 MHz and 160 MHz versions. They come with two independent channels featuring synchronising leads. Apart from higher parameters and design-related advantages (sampling at 500 Msps, 800×480 pixel display), they also offer a frequency meter feature and enhanced communication capabilities. Numerous models described in this text come with USB ports and facilitate controlling a device using laboratory software installed on a computer, but in this case, the generator also operates as a networked device (LAN), allowing it to be integrated into industrial processes, such as quality control or product calibration.

UTG4082A. The UTG4000A generators are typically mounted in stationary enclosures.

UTG9000T series

UTG9354T. UTG9000T series generators are designed with professional applications in mind.

The UTG9000T devices come with four independent channels operating at the maximum frequency of 350 MHz, 500 MHz or 600 MHz, and a frequency meter with the operating range up to 800 MHz. Such parameters guarantee that the minimum increase time within a generated rectangular waveform is only 1.5 ns. The outputs generate harmonic signals, noise signals (in an adjustable spectrum), and arbitrary waveforms generated according to the device setpoints or generated from data recorded on a USB memory stick (e.g. csv or .bsv file types). Device status reports may also be exported to external memory. The maximum waveform amplitude is 20 V to facilitate testing circuits in diverse applications ranging from precision electronic engineering to radiocommunications. The possibility to emulate SPI, I²C and UART protocols is an important functionality of the UTG9000T series devices. Moreover, they handle practically all typical modulations for function waveforms: AM, FM, PM, DSB-AM, QAM, ASK, FSK, 3FSK, 4FSK, PSK, BPSK, QPSK, OSK, PWM and SUM.