PCI-341 and PCI-342 Arbitrary Waveform Generators
The PCI-341 Single Channel Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) and the PCI-342 Dual Channel Arbitrary Waveform Generator each use digital-to-analog converters to generate analog waveforms at clock rates as high as 50 MSPS and with a resolution of 12 bits. The PCI-341 and the PCI-342 are 2/3 length cards occupying one ISA expansion slot. PCI bus versions are scheduled to be introduced in the near future. Amplitude, offset, and frequency changes are implemented without anomalies or glitches, and the clock circuit is based on Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) technology. The DDS clock circuit provides sample rates from 50 MSPS down to 29 mSPS in 29 mSPS increments, and clock rate changes are implemented in as little as 10 us. For more information, download the .pdf of the complete, detailed data sheet and specifications.
The standard 32 ksamples/channel memory can be optionally increased to 128 ksamples/channel, and these generators support triggered, gated, continuous, and burst modes. There are two digital output bits per channel that are synchronized to the waveform. Waveforms are downloaded from the PC into the onboard memory of the PCI-341 or PCI-342. Waveforms can be created using four different methods. The first method is the Waveform Builder function that is provided with the BenchTop™ Lite User Interface. BenchTop™ Lite is included with every instrument from PC Instruments. The second method is to download the waveform from a file. Waveforms captured by one of PC Instruments Digital Storage Oscilloscopes can be easily transferred to the AWGs with a click of a button. And, the fourth method for creating waveforms is to use the mouse to draw or edit waveforms. The waveform on the left is being used to test the noise immunity of a power rail for a hard disk drive assembly. The AWGs output filters enable the test engineer to reduce the high frequency noise on the waveform.