[SOLVED] Need help choosing a sub $500 function generator

[hansibull]

Hi!

I'm looking to buy myself a new function generator, and I have about $500 to spend. I need two channels and a sinewave output of 50 MHz or more. I've not used the AWG functionality on my old Rigol DG1022 generator (I just sold), but it may be nice to have? I'll use the generator for both digital and analog electronics. It would also be great if the second channel could be set to "track" channel 1 in order to generate balanced signals.
I do own a Rigol DS1054Z scope and a Rigol DP832 if this is somehow relevant for my purchase.

The main candidates are from Siglent and Rigol.

• The Rigol DG1022Z can be hacked to 60 MHz. This is the only one of the candidates I've tried in person. The user interface is perhaps a little bit fiddly, and the fonts are quite small when the device is stuck on a shelf. It still is a good bang per buck.
• The Siglent SDG1032X looks nicer and more modern than the Rigol, but I'm not sure if this can easily be hacked into its bigger brother, the SDG1062X. It also has only 16 kpts of AWG samples. Not sure if this is or should be a deal-breaker or not. Do you guys use the AWG functionality a lot?
• The Siglent SDG2041X just fits within the budget. It's only 40 MHz, but I've read somewhere that this can be hacked into the 120 MHz model. Is this still possible, or have Siglent patched this? What other things does this generator have that the SDG1000X doesn't?

Thanks!

[BillB]

Check this thread:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/best-signal-generator-$500/msg1488075/?topicseen#msg1488075

The SDG2042X is still hackable and if it fits your budget, is definitely worth it.

[hansibull]

If the SDG2042X can be hacked into an SDG2122X to would be a great deal. Do you have a link where I can find updated information about the hacking? IIRC I read something about a telnet port being disabled, and thus prevent hacking.

And is it possible to set one channel to track the frequency, amplitude, and phase of the other channel?

Oh, how loud is the fan? Is it DS1054Z loud?

[nctnico]

Just go for the SDG2042X. It can track channels but even without tracking the channels stay phase aligned (if the frequencies are exact multiples).

Personally I have never used arbitrary waveform generation. Part of the reason is that the free software isn't particulary user friendly.

[hansibull]

Thanks. Would anybody be so nice and point me to some relevant post where I can read more about how the SDG2042X hack is performed (in 2019), what firmware version I need to be on? I've started reading the official Siglent SDG2042X thread, but the information about the hack seems to rely on some older firmware. I'd like to be 100% sure this is a safe buy because I need 50 MHz. But if it is, it's a steal!

[Kean]

I don't have one, so haven't got first hand knowledge but there seems to be a work around for the loss of telnet access
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sdg2042x-hack-door-closed/msg2409867/#msg2409867

[Aztlanpz]

You can downgrade to an older version of the firmware that still allows to  telnet to it.


Aztlan

[Wolfgang]

Hi!

I'm looking to buy myself a new function generator, and I have about $500 to spend. I need two channels and a sinewave output of 50 MHz or more. I've not used the AWG functionality on my old Rigol DG1022 generator (I just sold), but it may be nice to have? I'll use the generator for both digital and analog electronics. It would also be great if the second channel could be set to "track" channel 1 in order to generate balanced signals.
I do own a Rigol DS1054Z scope and a Rigol DP832 if this is somehow relevant for my purchase.

The main candidates are from Siglent and Rigol.

• The Rigol DG1022Z can be hacked to 60 MHz. This is the only one of the candidates I've tried in person. The user interface is perhaps a little bit fiddly, and the fonts are quite small when the device is stuck on a shelf. It still is a good bang per buck.
• The Siglent SDG1032X looks nicer and more modern than the Rigol, but I'm not sure if this can easily be hacked into its bigger brother, the SDG1062X. It also has only 16 kpts of AWG samples. Not sure if this is or should be a deal-breaker or not. Do you guys use the AWG functionality a lot?
• The Siglent SDG2041X just fits within the budget. It's only 40 MHz, but I've read somewhere that this can be hacked into the 120 MHz model. Is this still possible, or have Siglent patched this? What other things does this generator have that the SDG1000X doesn't?

Thanks!

Dont forget to have a look at signal purity before you buy. Another aspect is programmability via SCPI. RIGOL works, do the others ?

[TurboTom]

Since you own a Rigol oscilloscope, you may consider the advantage to be able to directly duplicate a signal recorded with the scope on a Rigol AWG, connected via USB to it. Once in a while this option comes in pretty handy. Another instrument to look at, if hacking is an option for you, is the DG811. It's not even half your budget and if the hacking road is still open (not too sure about that, I'm one of the "early adopters"  ), you can turn it into a DG962, and if we eventually get the calibration guide, even into a DG992. But the SDG2000X pobably also isn't a bad choice .

[Alfons]

Since you own a Rigol oscilloscope, you may consider the advantage to be able to directly duplicate a signal recorded with the scope on a Rigol AWG, connected via USB to it. Once in a while this option comes in pretty handy. Another instrument to look at, if hacking is an option for you, is the DG811. It's not even half your budget and if the hacking road is still open (not too sure about that, I'm one of the "early adopters"  ), you can turn it into a DG962, and if we eventually get the calibration guide, even into a DG992. But the SDG2000X pobably also isn't a bad choice .

With the latest firmware, it is no longer possible to hack the device. Although this has been known for some time, one reads these recommendations again and again. So be careful when buying. Without hack, the device is far too expensive.

[nctnico]

Since you own a Rigol oscilloscope, you may consider the advantage to be able to directly duplicate a signal recorded with the scope on a Rigol AWG, connected via USB to it. Once in a while this option comes in pretty handy.

You don't need to have the same brands to do this. Oscilloscopes can save in CSV format and the software which comes with a function generator can import CSV and save again. In case of Siglent all this process does is adding the right information to the CSV file so it is totally doable with a text editor once you have an idea on what the CSV the generator expects should look like.

[hansibull]

I ended up pulling the trigger on the Siglent SDG2042X generator. It's the most expensive of them all, but the fact that it can be unlocked to 120 MHz made me decide to get this instead of the SDG1032X.

Right before I submitted the order I saw that Rigol just announced their new DG2000 series. However, like the DG800/900 series, they still don't have any numerical keys, which pretty much forces you to use the touch screen. They also seem a bit pricey for what they are. Especially when the SDG2042X is unlockable.

But thanks for your input everybody!

[Calvin]

Hi,

congrats 
In case You don´t know already .... the 120MHz apply for sines only and there´s an easy workaround instead of hacking.
Just create a small arbitrary snippet of a couple of full sine cycles with the easywave software and replay this snippet with the required frequency.
Say a 10x full cycle snippet, replayed at 12MHz results in a 120MHz sine.
Risc of that workaround is exactly 0 

regards
Calvin

[JDubU]

Calvin:
The limitation on doing an arbitrary waveform on the SDG2042X is 75M samples/second with "TrueArb" or 300M samples/second with DDS sampling.
This reduces the number of samples per 120MHz sine wave period to 0.625 for "TrueArb" and 2.5 for DDS.  DDS would barely meet ideal Nyquist limits and "TrueArb" would not work at all.

[hansibull]

As a followup, I just received my brand new Siglent SDG2042X function generator. It came with firmware version  2.01.01.23R8, which is the latest version of today.

I was (easily) able to hack into an SDG2112X by following this guide.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sdg2042x-hack-door-closed/msg2409867/#msg2409867

And by using the telnet_SDG2000X patch that can be downloaded from here.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-ads-firmware-file-format/msg1870091/#msg1870091

[JDubU]

FYI, there is a newer version of the SDG2000X firmware available:

https://www.siglenteu.com/service-and-support/firmware-software/waveform-generators/#sdg2000x-series

[hansibull]

FYI, there is a newer version of the SDG2000X firmware available:

https://www.siglenteu.com/service-and-support/firmware-software/waveform-generators/#sdg2000x-series

Thanks for the hint, I totally missed this. The new firmware fixes a lot of small and annoying quirks, so it's definitely worth it. The upgrade does not affect the "hack" in any way either.