Portable Generator Offers Remote Control

March 4, 2010

Model SF1010 is a portable signal generator from Signal Forge with tuning range of 1 Hz to 1 GHz. It supports the Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) interface and is designed for use with LabView from National Instruments and other automated measurement programs. The range of the generator that measures just 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 in., can be extended to 2.6 GHz with extension modules. It tunes with 1-Hz frequency resolution, and provides an output-power range of -9 to +7 dBm, with 1-dB amplitude resolution. Harmonics are better than -20 dBc while nonharmonic spurious content is better than -30 dBc. The phase noise is -60 dBc offset 100 kHz from carriers above 100 MHz. The remote-controllable signal generator supports a wide range of modulation formats, including AM, ASK, BPSK, Chirp, FSK, and OOK formats and has single-ended and differential connections. The signal generator is priced at $980.

Signal Forge (www.signalforge.com)

About the Author

Jack Browne

Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.