An RF signal generator produces a stable sine wave or modulated RF carrier at a precisely programmable frequency, amplitude, and, on modern instruments, modulation format. It is the counterpart to a spectrum analyzer: where the analyzer measures an unknown signal, the generator creates a known one, used as a stimulus, a reference, or a simulated interferer, before a receiver, amplifier, or filter can be properly tested.
Key specifications to consider
- Frequency range: from a few kHz up to tens of GHz, depending on the application.
- Output power range and flatness: how precisely the amplitude can be set and held across frequency.
- Phase noise: how spectrally pure the carrier is, critical for testing sensitive receivers.
- Modulation capability: AM, FM, PM, pulse, and digital vector modulation for realistic communication-standard testing.
- Multi-channel output: useful for MIMO, multi-tone, and multi-band test setups.
Typical applications
RF signal generators are used to test receiver sensitivity and selectivity, characterise filters and amplifiers, stimulate EMC immunity tests, and simulate real-world wireless channels during R&D and production test.
RF signal generators from ALLdata
Rigol's DSG5000 series covers multi-channel microwave generation up to 20 GHz: the Rigol DSG5208 (eight channel), the Rigol DSG5206 (six channel), and the Rigol DSG5204 (four channel).
Need help sizing the right frequency range and channel count for your test bench? Talk to an ALLdata engineer.