= Function generator
{wiki}
A <function generator> produces selectable electrical waveforms such as sine, square or triangular signals for testing circuits. <Frequency>, amplitude, offset and output impedance specify different aspects of the delivered signal. A source calibrated for a matched load can produce a different terminal amplitude when connected to a high-impedance input, so the load convention matters. Finite rise time and bandwidth <limit> square-wave edges; a mathematically <ideal> discontinuity is not a physical output. The instrument provides a controlled input for studying a system's response rather than measuring that response itself.
Back to article page