The May 2025 gathering of the monthly electronics “Flea at MIT” swapfest featured an excessive number of test instruments. We break them down into oscilloscopes, meters, and signal sources. Click on any image to enlarge in a new tab. Oscilloscopes A Tektronix analog modular oscilloscope. The black bezel hides the model number. This unit has […]
signal generators
Teardown: HP 8112A pulse generator
This 50 MHz pulse generator was built as solid as a rock. It’s almost all metal. We take the unit completely apart and look at it from a system and board level. On a visit to the MIT swapfest in 2024, I came across an HP 8112A 50 MHz pulse generator. For $20, I brought […]
Waveform generators create basic, arbitrary, and RF signals
The T3AWG6K series from Teledyne LeCroy lets you produce fundamental baseband signals, complex analog/digital signals, and RF signals in one box. Today’s designs often need testing through a combination of analog, digital, and RF signals, which can require up to three signal generators. With the T3AWG6K series from Teledyne LeCroy, you can generate all of […]
RF generators produce test signals to 40 GHz
The SMB100B series from Rohde & Schwarz produces microwave carriers to 40 GHz. Test-instrument manufacturer Rohde & Schwarz introduced a series of four microwave signal generators, the SMB100B. The instruments come with four models depending on top frequency: 12.75 GHz, 20 GHz, 31.8 GHz, and 40 GHz. All models support AM, FM, phase, and pulse […]
Signal generator puts four channels in a 2U-size box
Designed for bench and production use, the N5186A generates wireless signals to 8.5 GHz and includes a built-in reflectometer. Designing commercial or military wireless receivers, amplifiers, and systems means you’ll need to generate test signals. Keysight’s N5186A MXG vector-signal generator (datasheet) is available in one-channel or four-channel models with Type-N connectors. Each channel can generate […]
Vector signal generators get 56 GHz and 67 GHz options
The R&S SMW200A vector signal generator is first to enable flat frequency response and 2-GHz modulation bandwidth above 44 GHz. In addition to all applications already supported up to 44 GHz, the 100 kHz to 56 GHz option covers all currently used 5G frequencies, plus earth-to-satellite applications. The 100 kHz to 67 GHz option also […]
RF signal generators cover 10 MHz to 18 GHz range
The Boonton SGX1000 RF Signal Generators are a new series of instruments that combine high performance RF signal generation capabilities with an intuitive user interface. They cover a frequency range from 10 MHz to 18 GHz to provide superior operational performance such as extremely fast frequency switching, phase noise figures as low as -123 dBc/Hz […]
Coaxial packaged VCOs for prototype and proof-of-concept applications
A new line of Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs) is designed to address a wide range of SATCOM, Electronic Warfare, VSAT, ECM, radar, and test and measurement applications. Fairview Microwave’s new series of coaxial packaged VCOs includes 15 models that cover broad frequency bands and exhibit excellent tuning linearity, phase noise and harmonic suppression performance. VCOs […]
Mini 15-GHz signal generator fits in your pocket
The Windfreak SynthHD Mini is a software tunable RF signal source that generates signals from 10 MHz to 15 GHz with a 0.01-Hz resolution and an output power of up to 20 dBm. The generator also supports FM, AM, pulse, sweep, and list modulations. It can be programmed for standalone operation, running without any PC […]
The difference between TDR instruments and scope-based TDR measurements
Often a transmission line is buried, concealed behind finish surfaces, or otherwise not readily accessible. So it is difficult to locate faults by means of visual inspection. It is, however, feasible to locate such discontinuities via a test instrument known as the time domain reflectometer (TDR). The TDR is sometimes compared to a radar installation, […]
