Regular readers will know we just looked at a DIY signal generator able to generate sine, triangle and square waves. Breadboard, wires, you name it… Well, this is NOTHING like that.
If the simple DIY generator of a previous blog is not to your liking you might want to consider something like this Feeltech FY6600—50M Dual Channel Function/Arbitrary Waveform Generator supplied in this case by Banggood.
Read on…
I won’t bore you with spec you can read online but the basic spec includes up to 50Mhz signal out, 14 bit precision, more stored waveforms than you can shake a stick at with the ability to store up to 50 arbitrary waveforms (hence the term Arbitrary Waveform Generator), two independent outputs, lightweight, decent display, external PC control, TTL output and a whole lot more. The video gives you a good look around this device.
I came at this expecting something rather elementary and came away suitably impressed with what the unit can do at the price. It looks well put together and everything feels responsive. It also lights up like a Christmas tree (handy at this time of year) and looks very impressive when neighbours drop by and ask it that’s a new miniature TV.
I’m going to end up using this to test everything from scopes, through RGB PWM LEDs etc. Really – lovely. I can’t immediately think of anything to complain about.
Here’s the video.
There is PC interfacing for this unit but right now I can’t find it – I’ve written to the manufacturer for more information.
Meanwhile I’ve been playing with the various options and there is indeed a DC output able to put out a steady voltage from –10v to +10v
Also noticeable is the ability to slow down to hours per cycle!!
Banggood do other instruments.
Hello,
Do anybody knows if FY6600 is possible to reprogram to obtain the features of FY6800?
Alex
Hi, Has anyone figured out how to load an external CSV file as a waveform and then download it to the 6600 to playout ???
Dave
Hello: Could you advise how long to continue with one session ; 5 min. 20 min?
Thank you
I am told (by a supplier) that the current firmware is 3.3 … any experience of this version or should I look for 3.2 which most people say is OK.
TIA
Dave
Hi Peter. This is a silent follower (that teaches NodeRed and has made some custom nodes ;). Anyway I am glad you are recovering.
I just wanted to ask you (or maybe warn you) about the firmware issues of your FY6600. Which firmware version is it flashed in your unit? It seems that release 3.0 (and to lesser extend 3.1) tends to self destruct by flash overwriting. Regards.
I purchased one— FY6600-60, and the PC program and Manual was for an older 2014 model.
Have yet to hear back from the reseller who forwarded it to the manufacturer.
Notable is the PC control is non-existent–wrong program I am guessing— will download the manual, PC program is the issue. Cannot comment further. I am hoping to play with the phase offset–although it is only 1 degree resolution.
Download the correct software from the vendows website. I had the same problem.
The software is identified by Norton as having a virus but this is not correct. Disable NORTON and install.
Cant figure out how to use some of yhe generator functions and the documentation is very poor in this regard.
Pete
Please can you tell me where you get the right software for the FY6600-60M?
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3N_NW8vylrmQVNrbXVERnltSFk
http://en.feeltech.net/index.php?case=archive&act=list&catid=6
On the latter, it looks like documentation, but it’s got everything.
@Noah Ternullo
Thank you very much. Now all is working properly. Very happy. ):-)
Thank you for the write up and the video. I recently purchased one of these to use in short wave radio alignments. I had a couple of issues with it:
– when dropping the amplitude below one volt for use with my older radios during alignment, I noticed that the wave form became quite erratic and jumpy on my oscilloscope. Going above 1 volt the wave form was solid as a rock. I noticed there is a relay that engages when going below 1 volt so I may take a look at the circuitry for that.
– the frequency meter function is not nearly sensitive enough. I used the measure function to attempt to calibrate an Eico model 324 Frequency Generator – The FeelTech had no issues properly measuring the rf signal from the Eico from 250 KHz to 3.5 MHz – but after that it registered zero. I connected the Eico to a radio and was able to discern the frequency from 250 KHz all the way up to 50MHz. I’m not sure why the FeelTech could not ‘hear’ the higher frequencies – the Eico was outputting a peak to peak of 800mv – that may be an issue.
I am keeping the unit as I see a lot of uses for it – but those two issues are irksome.
I have a FY6600-M60. Works so far. I have problems with the supplied USB driver and the program drivers.
The FY6600 PC Software when run shows this error:
Component ‘richtx32.ocx ‘ or one of its dependencies not correctly registered or a file is missing or invalid.
Run on windows XP and 7. Same problem.
Any help is much appreciated.
Tried feeltech web page D.L.s still no Good.
Hi William,
NATools programs use Visual Basic. Until recently, Microsoft automatically installed the VB runtime library when Windows was installed. With recent versions of Windows, that no longer happens, and you need to get the missing library, or at least the RICHTX32.OCX file. Search for it online – it’s easy to find. Here’s how to install it:
For 32-bit Windows:
Copy it to c:/windows/system32
Click Windows Start icon at bottom left
Select All Programs, then Accessories
Right-click Command Prompt, then select “Run as administrator”
In the command prompt, type: “regsvr32 c:/windows/system32/RICHTX32.OCX” (without the quotation marks).
For 64-bit Windows 7 or later:
Copy it to c:/windows/syswow64
Click Windows Start icon at bottom left
Select All Programs, then Accessories
Right-click Command Prompt, then select “Run as administrator”
In the command prompt, type: “regsvr32 c:/windows/syswow64/RICHTX32.OCX” (ditto)
This will sort out the problem.
https://www.k6jm.com/hs-setupocx.htm.
This solves your problem…at least it worked for me
Pete, That’s an interesting AWG so I had a poke around the web and found this on the EV blog
“My FY6600 BNC-ground to Earth-ground Voltage is 94 Volt.
Zing zing zing, not happy about it.
Will have a look for a cheap 30VA isolation transformer.”
posted in August this year, it seems there are concerns about the internal PSU. Have you had any indication of undue AC voltage on the BNC connectors ?
I will check right now…
Ok, well the AC voltage between my BNC connectors and ground is precisely Zero.
Still – worth checking.
The amount of kit that Dave at EV blog has hooked up – it could be anything…
Pete.
Hi Peter, Great News that you had no issues with AC to ground, it was a hell of a long thread on that particular topic. A guy from Feeltech was on it at one point so its possible the issue was rectified on the latest versions like yours. It wasn’t Dave himself who made the comments rather it was forum members.
Thankfully things do change in time…. I’m busy putting a 3D printer together that videos on the web said needed a 3d printed bracket to make sturdy. By the time I got mine and extra metal bracket was supplied. Sadly they forgot the bolts to go with it!
Hi Dave.. Yes it has a DC option. I’m still learning about some of the features.
Right, I’ve tested the DC output – it goes from -10v to +10v. I’ve also had a play with the unit at it’s slowest – well not anywhere NEAR it’s slowest.. but putting the Owon scope onto IT’s slowest, I recorded 2 cycles over several hours !!!! And the Feeltech can go CONSIDERABLY slower than that!
I’m thinking of buying one of these to use as a traditional RF signal generator when repairing or re-aligning vintage AM & FM radio sets. But what I can’t find in the FY6600 spec is whether it’s possible to generate a modulated RF carrier, modulated AM or FM with, say, a 1 KHz sine wave?
Is this possible with this unit?
Andy
Who better to ask than the manufacturer?
Thanks for the quick response! Actually it seems you can do this – I’ve since downloaded the user manual and it seems the output from CH2 can be used to modulate CH1 and the Trig/FSK/ASK/PSK rear panel socket can accept external inputs as well.
For the price and the fact I’ve not bought any test gear for years (last RF sig gen I used was a Marconi TF144H where I worked in the 1980’s), I’ll get one of these. Will let you know how I get on with it,
Andy
excellent. good news. A 6800 unit is on its way to me to test.
I was impressed by the size of the unit compared to my SDG1025. Couple of things though. A menu for the waveform select and use the dial would be easier than having to press your way through the list.
An ON and OFF button for each channel would have been ideal for when setting up the output. Easier than unplugging the cable each time.
Does it have a DC option? One of the nice features of the unit I have is you can set a DC output voltage that can go negative to positive or purely positive from zero and then use the dial to increase and decrease this up and down by as small as 1mV per step. Handy for testing an ADC input. I also have a small circuit that converts 0-5V to a 4-20mA current loop and using the generator to drive the input.
Overall that unit does look pretty good and the price is excellent for the features and the likes of the white noise is good for testing op-amp inputs to an ADC etc.