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PC-based Synthesizer for Signals up to 8 GHz

16 October 2018 - The PicoSource AS108 Agile Synthesizer is the latest addition to Pico's signal generator range. It has professional-grade performance suited to both static and parameter-agile applications, making it a bench or field instrument for developers, scientists, educators, students, and service and installation technicians. It is a compact, low-cost, PC-based, fast-settling signal source. It can deliver sinusoidal CW, swept and hopped parameters and basic AM, FM and ØM modulations in a carrier range of 300 kHz to 8 GHz.

Amplitude, phase and frequency agility all derive from IQ modulation, and all can be controlled from a comprehensive Windows user interface, DLL-based remote control or from a user-defined swept list of parameters. List mode and the fast settling of the product can be used to emulate popular modulation schemes such as QPSK, QAM, ASK and FSK, and trigger I/O can be used to synchronize sweeps, hops and list mode, either on a ‘sweep start’ or ‘next point’ basis.

The product is supplied with PicoSynth 2 software, which presents a clean, touch-compatible user interface for direct control of parameters such as amplitude, frequency, phase, sweep and hopping parameters, along with convenient selection of units of measure to suit an application. The user can also set a custom step size for each parameter and multiple instruments can be controlled over USB from a single PC with multiple instances of the application.

PicoSynth 2 includes a DLL pathway for remote control of the device from C and C-compatible languages and applications such as C++, C#, Python, National Instruments LabVIEW and MathWorks MATLAB, all of which Pico will support with downloadable SDK code examples.

Mark Ashcroft, Business Development Manager for RF products at Pico Technology, explained that “The AS108 is equally at home on the work bench, within a test system or as an embedded system component; it meets the needs of design, test and RF and microwave system engineers, and is priced to be affordable to educational, small company and self-employed pockets.”

Base price of the PicoSource AS108 Agile Synthesizer is $5,875 / €4,995 / £4,125.

www.picotech.com/

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