Velleman HPG1 1Mhz Pocket Function Generator

Works as advertised. Great for quick tests.

I'm using the Velleman HPG1 with the Bedini RPX system and it works great, it's small and compact, good quality and low price. Also easy to set up as per the instructions that came with my Bedini RPX for that purpose.

ok

There is no offset control, so all the functions are centered around zero. I wanted to use this to replicate a 0-5V signal in the field, but at 5Vpp, its -2.5 to +2.5 range.

The one we received seems to only work if plugged into a computer. It did not work when plugged into a USB charger, and the battery never charges. That said, it worked well enough to get the job done.

Very handy. An useful, compact and economical addition to your electronics bench.

Our techincians and field engineers prefer to take the HPG1 to their jobsites much of the time over other more expensive industrial units, because they are so portable and inexpensive. The HPG1 does have limited features, but battery life and overall durability are excellent.

Device is convenient, but has a few annoying quirks. There are situations where it is hard to tell exactly what amplitude is being produced. For example, in sinusoid mode, the amplitude reading on the screen is either in Vrms, or dB. There is no way to get a readout in peak-to-peak voltage. Of course, one can do the conversion, i.e. peak-to-peak = Vrms x 2 x Sqrt(2), but this is hard to do "on the fly". A quick and dirty way to check the peak-to-peak voltage is to switch temporarily to square wave output, which causes the display to read peak-to-peak voltage, then switch back. Fortunately, the peak-to-peak voltage is constant across all three waveform types.The second quirk is that as I lower the frequency below about 75 Hz, the amplitude reading on the screen becomes reduced, even though the actual output voltage (again as measured with an oscilloscope) stays rock steady. This time I can't do any conversion to figure out the true amplitude, since the error is frequency-dependent, with the reading getting progressively smaller at low frequencies even while the actual output remains exactly the same. So when I want to check the amplitude, I have two options: (1) dial the frequency back up to 100Hz or so, check/adjust the amplitude, and then dial it back down, or (2) plug in an oscilloscope and check the output there. Needless to say, both are a pain. In general, adjusting parameters like frequency/amplitude/shape requires first cyling through a menu (using the two buttons on the right) and then dialing the parameter up or down (using the two buttons on the left). Although straightforward, if you are changing frequency or amplitude often, you will wish for something like a knob that is easier to control.This device is best suited for situations where you will set the frequency/amplitude once, and then largely leave it alone.