The 10 Best Waveform Generators
This wiki has been updated 21 times since it was first published in October of 2018. Whether your profession requires testing electronic equipment or you are a hobbyist who likes to tinker with and repair your own gear, a good waveform generator will be an invaluable tool in your lab or workshop. Our comprehensive selection includes models perfect for all sorts of applications, including testing amplifiers and introducing error signals into a control loop. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Siglent SDG6052X
2. Rigol DG2052
3. Keysight 33622A Series
Editor's Notes
August 06, 2020:
While this category doesn't produce a tremendous amount of turnover, there is a new exciting model from Rigol in the Rigol DG2052. The most immediately striking difference between it and many of its competitors is its appearance, as it boasts a dark grey housing as opposed to the usual white or cream. That makes it a better aesthetic fit for electronic labs and workshops, but beneath that appearance is a capable device with an unusual feature: a touchscreen. Not only does that make for some quick and intuitive interactions with its menus, but it also allows the physical buttons included on its face to perform specific and useful functions like shift and shape selection, while also decreasing the odds that you'll hit the wrong key by mistake.
Depending on the data sets you deal with and the rest of the equipment you have, you might not need any oscilloscope readout, let alone a touchscreen. For those applications, there are the TTI TGA12104 and the TTI TGA12104. These tend to be targeted at professionals, however, and often come with the highest price tags. One innovative offering we brought to our special honors section doesn't have any readout whatsoever, but is designed to work with a tablet for the control and display of all its features, so the company can update some of its capabilities via firmware and software upgrades, possibly saving you the need to scrap your old unit for a new one down the line.
December 10, 2018:
This category has some pretty big swings in price, with additional output channels, higher bandwidth, and cleaner signals seeming to make the most difference in cost. Established brands like Siglent and Rigol keep their prices reasonably low despite scoring well in all these departments, where others like Fluke and TTi boast excellent features, but are probably more expensive than they need to be.
Special Honors
Liquid Instruments Moku Lab This simple device utilizes an iPad to display its oscilloscope readout and to give you control over a variety of waveform parameters. It can generate sine waves up to 250MHz with the option for cross-channel modulation, and is available in two bundle configurations, with either a one- or three-year warranty. liquidinstruments.com
4. TTI TGA12104
5. Rigol Arbitrary DG4062
6. Fluke 290 Series 294-U
7. Siglent SDG2042X
8. Rigol DG1022Z 25MHz Arbitrary
9. Koolertron Upgraded 50MHz DDS
10. Koolertron 60MHz DDS
Daniel Imperiale holds a bachelor’s degree in writing, and proudly fled his graduate program in poetry to pursue a quiet life at a remote Alaskan fishery. After returning to the contiguous states, he took up a position as an editor and photographer of the prestigious geek culture magazine “Unwinnable” before turning his attention to the field of health and wellness. In recent years, he has worked extensively in film and music production, making him something of a know-it-all when it comes to camera equipment, musical instruments, recording devices, and other audio-visual hardware. Daniel’s recent obsessions include horology (making him a pro when it comes to all things timekeeping) and Uranium mining and enrichment (which hasn’t proven useful just yet).