Low Cost Laboratory Type Signal Generator Using DDS Method

Abstract

Everyone who is an amateur or student interested in electricity or electronics needs a signal generator that can produce different types of signals that must be located at the front edge. This requirement can often be met by equipment in the laboratories or signal generators received at high prices under the project. This study focuses on the design of a low cost signal generator having high accuracy and sensitivity. In previous studies, DDS (Direct Digital Synthesis) method was implemented with FPGA and other high cost microcontrollers. With this study, the design of the high-accuracy signal generator has been made simpler and more cost-effective thanks to the PIC microcontroller, which can be found easily in the market. The device designed in the study is a digital signal generator that produces sine, triangle and square wave which are created using decimal numbers in the microcontroller and converted to analog signal via DAC (Digital to Analog Converter). Also, the digital potentiometer on the device, which is used as feedback in the circuit, allows us to control the output signal. This study provides a solution for producing a low cost laboratory type signal generator having high sensitivity, however this solution is not a new method. Satisfactory results have been achieved from the implementation circuit.