It's just a single board computer with plug in modules for a wide range of I/O functions. It also has one of the easiest to learn development systems for writing code. If your DDS has a serial port for control the Arduino could be used to make it do more complex functions by changing it from this waveform to that waveform in real time.
-- Rick C
I like my Wavetek 111. It is old, and rated 0.5 % distortion but probably b ecause of caps that goes up at lower frequencies, like 20 Hz. It is a funct ion generator and that is what I would recommend.
For testing of audio equipment, the triangle wave can show distortion quite well. The square wave, at about 1 KHz is quite telling about the frequency response, though not a direct measurement. It is also fun to play with equ alization on a 1 KHz square wave. It also has like a half ramp output that might be useful for the development of switching power supplies. It goes up to 1 MHz. I think that is enough.
It was made here. Buying one however is a different story. They are old and most will need some caps, and they are a PITA to work on. They got all kin ds of unmarked wires in them between the boards and you really have to watc h taking them apart. Screwing that up happened to a friend of mine and the thing still doesn't work, just don't know which wire goes where.
Finding a new US made one might be a bit hard, or pricey. The PC based ones are alright but if you want to "buy American" I doubt any of it is built h ere. Even if it is, it is probably only assembled here. Probably built by A pex in China or Korea, at least the board. The software might have been dev eloped here.
What you want has been in existence for a long time. Someone said stick wit h solid state because tubes drift all over the place, I concur. I don't lik e waiting for some of my older stuff to just warm up the caps, tubes add a whole new dimension to that.
However tube ones might be more destructionproof. If you are about to take a probe from the output and start poking around tube amps you might want to consider that. It will drift, but tomorrow it will still drift. There are places in tube amps where if you want to stick that probe you'll need like a 100K resistor and a cap or it will be stuck at zero Hertz forever. The ad dition of those components of course will affect the readings as well, so y ou have to compensate.
But that's my take on it. Also realize when you connect a PC soundcard to a tube amp, it better be well protected. And that is up to you. Resistor, di odes, whatever it takes. Just dumping -40 volts bias into them might destro y them. They need to be clamped.
Bottom line, if you are going to work on old stuff, get old equipment. How old ? Depends on what is out there. If you go to eBay and look for wavetek, look at the ones that have the big knob on the front. And you might as wel l get a freq counter because those things are not that accurate when it com es to frequency. If you have a scope in good calibration though you can rea d it on that.
And that's another thing, you might want an old scope. They used to go to 2
0 V/div which gave you 200 V/div with a 10X probe. Newer ones do not go tha t high and you would have to get a 100X probe. Using those in AC mode is a PITA because it takes so long to settle.ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.