Spectrum Instrumentation AWGs with DDS Guide

Introduction :

Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) has long been a staple in RF and microwave test environments for generating precise, frequency agile sine waves. Historically, engineers had to choose between low cost, low frequency DDS chips limited to basic periodic signals or highly expensive benchtop instruments constrained to just one or two high frequency output channels.

Spectrum Instrumentation has disrupted this paradigm by integrating advanced DDS capabilities directly into its extensive line of Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs). This hybrid approach bridges the gap between traditional memory based waveform playback and dynamic, command driven signal generation. This application note covers benefits and features of Spectrum’s DDS enabled AWGs.

Key features

Following are generic features of Spectrum Instrumentation AWGs with DDS capabilities.

• Speed : From 40 MS/s to 10 GS/s
• Resolution : 16 bit
• Bandwidth : Up to 3.9 GHz
• Number of channels : 1 to 48
• Models availability : As PC cards (e.g. PCIe, PXIe), stand alone ethernet units such as LXI for mobile/rack usage.
• For details on 77 different AWGs and 12 different DDS generators, Pls. visit spectrum-instrumentation.com for more information.

Benefits

Following are some of the advantages of Spectrum Instrumentation AWGs with DDS.

• Unlike standard AWG operation where a waveform is pre-calculated, loaded into memory and clocked out, the DDS mode generates sine waves algorithmically in real time.
• It helps in massive multitone generation with nanosecond agility.
• Users can program complex frequency sweeps (i.e chirps) and amplitude slopes on the fly.
• Native support and programming examples are provided for Windows and Linux environments, covering popular languages such as Python, C++, MATLAB, and LabVIEW.

Example applications

• Radar and Electronic Warfare (Barker Code Generation)
• Phased Array Beamsteering and Ultrasound
• Automotive and Aerospace Vibration Testing

Summary

By embedding Direct Digital Synthesis into high-speed, 16-bit Arbitrary Waveform Generators, Spectrum Instrumentation has created a highly versatile class of RF signal sources.