I always wash first before have a fiddle with my function generator! Oh the joys of Electronics. Great review I bought one to up date my old test gear. Well done 👌
Been looking for a function generator, the washing option has definitely got me intrigued with this one. Very nicely laid out mother board indeed. Thanks for showing, well including the details on the O'scope, ringing and such.
Good quick overview, although I did not get the impression that Schematix spent much time with the device. Some things I noticed with mine (100MHz version): - Yes, the included BNC-to-BNC cable(s) are not to be trusted with higher frequency signals, also they are unreasonably short - The integral frequency counter says that the device's own generated sine waves are 56.9% duty cycle (which also appeared in this view, but was not commented on) - None of the buttons on this device are "Tactile". That term should be reserved for buttons where the user can feel the moment when electrical contact is made, such as ones that have a "click" or other tactile feedback. - My device also still had the label over the piezo 'beeper'. My guess is that the manufacturer might be leaving them on to keep the beeper volume a bit more muted, because while the user can defeat the beeper entirely, there is no control over the volume, and it might be annoyingly loud without the label in place. - Having to set potentially long numerical parameters one digit at a time (instead of with a keypad, which this device does not have) quickly gets annoying. And the knob, being without knurls, and pretty shallow, can be a bit more difficult to turn than it should be, and it has to be turned a lot during operations. - The manual, while better than with most Chinese equipment, is hardly "comprehensive". A LOT of important things are not even mentioned. The more one uses this device, the more issues with the manual get noticed. One example; no mention is made about how to properly exit any given screen or menu. For the most part, the CH1 or CH1 button can do this, but it is hardly intuitive. But overall, this unit offers a lot of bag for the buck.
Thanks for the review, this looks a great piece of gear. I think I will grab one for tuning my solid state tesla coil. I had used another chinese brand but it was somewhat bulky and has no where near the function of this unit. What I like about this is it does not take too much space up on your workbench!
As some people already mentioned: linear regulator / LPS is a must , but warning: dual 12V rail shown on that pcb is actually 13.6V, so if you use eg LM7812/7912 then you will have 12V rails and the unit ... will not even start properly and will not work ! Friend of mine had built such a regulator and tested it and then had to change to LM317/LM337 to get 13.6..13.8 V rails. But after swapping SPS to LPS the performance of the unit is quite good. But then you will need a small fan and some air openings in case as well to cool the unit and some heat sinks; Also it needs proper screening , all around the case. Some wires are underrated and shall be changed. And it needs 4 rubber stands/feet, otherwise it keeps moving on a desk when front buttons are pressed. And one more thing: firmware shall be at least 1.4, older have many issues. And ver 1.xx is really bad. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THE LATEST UNITS THAT THEY SELL HAVE FW 1.5.3
I left the cover on the buzzer otherwise it's too loud. I intend to replace the SMPS with a linear one because the SMPS radiates everywhere all around the bench making low level measurements on the scope or meter impossible, even if connected or not. Otherwise a nice little piece of test gear.
Hi There, This video is very good, I have just purchase one of these function generators to replace my Eico324, for aligning radios. Thank you kindly for posting this...
Schematix, this generator is good for alignment of Radios, both AM and FM, the only problem I can see is I do not know how to modulate an audio signal using this generator. I have emailed the company but no reponse from them. I continue using my Eico 324 until I learn how to modulate the audio signal. Good Luck!!
Well done, superb precise scripting and demo! Don't forget that the observed ringing with BNC direct is due to reflections. The scope cable end should be 50 Ohm terminated. Alas the Siglent1202-XE (as most scopes do) has only 1M input option. I have a 1202 and love it. Did you see any time jittter at HFs like seen in the 6800? Cheers.
great review. as a practical matter, can you sweep a sine wave signal to determine the resonance frequency of an US transducer? The less expensive units allow you set frequencies but not really sweep though manually.
The unit I recieved showed 12.320 Volts ch1 and 12.180 Volts on ch2 when set to 12.000 Volts DC. The seller told me this is within the 5% output. 🤯😬 When the output is adjustable in millivolts, 5% should be 5% of 1 millivolt. Please reply with your output accuracy tests. Thanks.
Received a New User Comment: "How do you turn it on ? Read the manual, impressed with unit and specs. Plugged it in, pressed the power-on button lower left front panel, and nothing happened." -- Had to advise New User to turn on the rear-panel power switch first. They were then happy campers.
Very Nice Video. I just have a few further questions, OK? How do the two wave forms sinc on sweep. Are they simultaneous? Also, how do the wave forms look at 60MHz? What's the voltage limit at 60MHz?
Hey! I was wondering, can this be used for modular synthesis? In Eurorack for example, using adapters bnc to minijack y suppose. To create something like the module Serge made back in the day! Hope you can help with this info.
Great video, but I really missed you actually took out for a bonafide test and if it loyal as the higher and more demanding aspects. No doubt that Fy6900 is one item many hobby people are looking at as you get quite a lot of signal generator for the money and the metal housing and overall build quality and rubber bumpers are excellent, and IMO second to none (muhhh muhh' sorry back from the land of make-believe) nahh those factors are as tacky as it comes, but then again for something like 75USD that you can pick the 60mhz variant up for, it is difficult to complain about the lack of build quality and ain't really a display piece and you do get a lot of signal generator for the price + PC interface and IO. if you get the time, digg a little deeper into this unit... great video +1
Btw, I just compare my unit Fy6900 60mhz (74USD from EU) to yours and can see numerous board components that have changed. your display board and your mainboard seems to be revision 1.9 and mine is 2.0.2 and says something like FY69S, the board is also green in mine. if you want pictures, just holla.. got a picture slide on Imgur.
Good question. The reason is not all waveforms can go upto 60mhz. If you read the manual it lists the maximum Hz for each type of waveform. Aside from that, it's difficult to stress test a signal generator in every possible application/scenario. So simply cracking it to the max, and observing the waveform doesn't prove much.
@@Schematix Fair enough; however, I do want to see what practical upper limit of the generator can really do. No stress test so to speak. It's fair to show if the generator can do 30MHz with reasonable distortion or before the low pass filter cut off. A lot of low cost signal generators cannot maintain the proper waveform at higher frequencies. We are dealing with Chinese product here so a fair review should also give prospective buyers a real picture of what they are getting. Again, no one is expecting this to be a $10K signal generator, but showing what's real and what's advertisement matters more to a great "review".
linear regulator / LPS is a must , but warning: dual 12V rail shown on that pcb is actually 13.6V, so if you use eg LM7812/7912 then you will have 12V rails and the unit ... will not even start properly and will not work ! Friend of mine had built such a regulator and tested it and then had to change to LM317/LM337 to get 13.6..13.8 V rails. But after swapping SPS to LPS the performance of the unit is quite good. But then you will need a small fan and some air openings in case as well to cool the unit and some heat sinks;
Bought one and was utterly disappointed. Didn't work at all. Startup is OK and it passes it's self test. Then it enters main window and that is it. Whatever button i press the only thing that happens is that the cursor on the frequency field is advancing one step at a time. When it reaches the last digit nothing more happens. So totally useless. The software is horrible also. Unstable and looks like it is programmed for Windows 3.1. Keep away from this poor excuse of a function generator.
Not sure why the presenter, and folks in the comments, are making fun of the idea of washing the PCB. During manufacture, after placing and soldering components, PCB assemblies go through a flux cleaning process. Some components would be harmed by the cleaning solution, so they are temporarily sealed against that. After the cleaning process, those seals can be removed. Just like on the loudspeaker in this video, which apparently did not get removed. Pretty hilarious?
Its all well and good the way you've presented it but the proper real test would have been at 60MHz (max capability), There is where I really want to see the weak points and a proper close-up at any ringing that might happen. At 1MHz (you barely scratched the surface) who cares when I've got 59 more MHz to go?
Please Sir can you make a video on how to create a perfect signal using the x and y coordinate, please I am confused, I am try to use to coordinate to create a simple signal
@@martinkuliza Hey Martin. I blew my Wavetek out and thinking about picking this one up. How has it been for you. Accuracy and stability? How hard have you pushed it? Thanks.
@@PackardDog i'm just gonna respond quick now... ok because i don't have time to give you a complete answer but i also want to re assure you i'm going to give you a good answer, oik SHORT ANSWER : yes, i've pushed it... of course i have , that's what i always do can't remember exact results , but... i can tell you this off hand it's a good little unit Stability is fine as for Accuracy ..... it's not bad, i could nit pick at a few things but overall it's fine i haven't had any problems with it as for price.... Price is my last consideration , i don't even enter into price when looking at specs because i see the two as completely irrelevant to each other but in terms of price.......... it's fucking cheap as shit but i'll answer a bit better later on.. ok
@@PackardDog Really.... i was going to give you readings. but if you're good with that then yeah.. go for it I haven't been disappointed thus far what i can also say is this .... RE the software Now... keep in mind, I'm 47 and my eyesight recently isn't that great now.. if you're like.. 19 years old this might not bother you but.. the fucking writing on the screen is fucking small because the screen is small.. obviously i explored options to mod something up where i can output the video feed to the display to go to a 22" monitor THAT DIDN'T WORK THUS FAR but... I have installed the software to a computer AND THAT WORKS FOR ME but.. you'll need a computer with DECENT SPECS so.... don't cheap out and go for i3 CPU with 1GB of RAM you don't need top of the line but, you need something half decent to get a decent response from the software now.. if you do that... YOU'LL BE IMPRESSED , it reacts pretty quick so yeah it's a good little unit i say ... get it AND BY ALL MEANS , LET ME KNOW HOW YOU FIND IT, OK thanks mate also let me know if you want me to do readings for you
A good, clear and concise video. No waffle, no dominating sound track, 10 out of 10!
The wash sticker refers to removing solder flux with alcohol after soldering. Much like washable potentiometers.
I always wash first before have a fiddle with my function generator! Oh the joys of Electronics. Great review I bought one to up date my old test gear. Well done 👌
Loved the washing part, funny!
You had me at the cow part. SUBSCRIBED!!!!!
Been looking for a function generator, the washing option has definitely got me intrigued with this one. Very nicely laid out mother board indeed. Thanks for showing, well including the details on the O'scope, ringing and such.
Good quick overview, although I did not get the impression that Schematix spent much time with the device.
Some things I noticed with mine (100MHz version):
- Yes, the included BNC-to-BNC cable(s) are not to be trusted with higher frequency signals, also they are unreasonably short
- The integral frequency counter says that the device's own generated sine waves are 56.9% duty cycle (which also appeared in this view, but was not commented on)
- None of the buttons on this device are "Tactile". That term should be reserved for buttons where the user can feel the moment when electrical contact is made, such as ones that have a "click" or other tactile feedback.
- My device also still had the label over the piezo 'beeper'. My guess is that the manufacturer might be leaving them on to keep the beeper volume a bit more muted, because while the user can defeat the beeper entirely, there is no control over the volume, and it might be annoyingly loud without the label in place.
- Having to set potentially long numerical parameters one digit at a time (instead of with a keypad, which this device does not have) quickly gets annoying. And the knob, being without knurls, and pretty shallow, can be a bit more difficult to turn than it should be, and it has to be turned a lot during operations.
- The manual, while better than with most Chinese equipment, is hardly "comprehensive". A LOT of important things are not even mentioned. The more one uses this device, the more issues with the manual get noticed. One example; no mention is made about how to properly exit any given screen or menu. For the most part, the CH1 or CH1 button can do this, but it is hardly intuitive.
But overall, this unit offers a lot of bag for the buck.
Thanks for the review, this looks a great piece of gear. I think I will grab one for tuning my solid state tesla coil. I had used another chinese brand but it was somewhat bulky and has no where near the function of this unit. What I like about this is it does not take too much space up on your workbench!
You're welcome. It packs quite a punch for the small size
As some people already mentioned: linear regulator / LPS is a must , but warning: dual 12V rail shown on that pcb is actually 13.6V, so if you use eg LM7812/7912 then you will have 12V rails and the unit ... will not even start properly and will not work !
Friend of mine had built such a regulator and tested it and then had to change to LM317/LM337 to get 13.6..13.8 V rails.
But after swapping SPS to LPS the performance of the unit is quite good.
But then you will need a small fan and some air openings in case as well to cool the unit and some heat sinks;
Also it needs proper screening , all around the case.
Some wires are underrated and shall be changed.
And it needs 4 rubber stands/feet, otherwise it keeps moving on a desk when front buttons are pressed.
And one more thing: firmware shall be at least 1.4, older have many issues. And ver 1.xx is really bad.
TO MY KNOWLEDGE THE LATEST UNITS THAT THEY SELL HAVE FW 1.5.3
I left the cover on the buzzer otherwise it's too loud. I intend to replace the SMPS with a linear one because the SMPS radiates everywhere all around the bench making low level measurements on the scope or meter impossible, even if connected or not. Otherwise a nice little piece of test gear.
Hi There, This video is very good, I have just purchase one of these function generators to replace my Eico324, for aligning radios. Thank you kindly for posting this...
Has it been good for radio alignment?
Excellent review... WELL DONE!!! 10/10
Schematix, this generator is good for alignment of Radios, both AM and FM, the only problem I can see is I do not know how to modulate an audio signal using this generator. I have emailed the company but no reponse from them. I continue using my Eico 324 until I learn how to modulate the audio signal. Good Luck!!
Well I certainly did not expect a PCB pitch in the middle of a paddock full of cows. Thumbs up and subscribed.
Everything is full of adverts these days!
Well done, superb precise scripting and demo! Don't forget that the observed ringing with BNC direct is due to reflections. The scope cable end should be 50 Ohm terminated. Alas the Siglent1202-XE (as most scopes do) has only 1M input option. I have a 1202 and love it.
Did you see any time jittter at HFs like seen in the 6800? Cheers.
Excellent video! Greetings from Uruguay.
:)
"See you later warranty"... as if having warranty in a chinese product would make any difference xD
great review. as a practical matter, can you sweep a sine wave signal to determine the resonance frequency of an US transducer? The less expensive units allow you set frequencies but not really sweep though manually.
Replacing that non-mains rated lead with the mains rated one was a subtle flex, but I'm about it.
The unit I recieved showed 12.320 Volts ch1 and 12.180 Volts on ch2 when set to 12.000 Volts DC.
The seller told me this is within the 5% output. 🤯😬
When the output is adjustable in millivolts, 5% should be 5% of 1 millivolt.
Please reply with your output accuracy tests. Thanks.
Received a New User Comment: "How do you turn it on ? Read the manual, impressed with unit and specs. Plugged it in, pressed the power-on button lower left front panel, and nothing happened." -- Had to advise New User to turn on the rear-panel power switch first. They were then happy campers.
just found this unit on amazon, the software looks great and I don't see how you could go far wrong for the price. cheers for the review.
Dear customer, our product also sell in AliExpress.
U got me. I subscribed! lol. Thanks for the good info. Loved the usb to pc part.
5:09 what if you add T connector on the osciloscope side with 50 Ohm resistor and set the generator to 50 Ohm load?
never got that "remove after wash" sticker :D
What does outputs look like going into a 50 ohm load ? TNX for the quick review!
good question. I am curious as well! This unit seems to good to be true for that price point.....
@@PackardDog you get what you pay for but for entry level it's ok
@@vidasvv Thanks. I'll probably hold off for a used HP on that auction site....but...then again....maybe I'll pick one up.
@@PackardDog good luck, hopefully you will find a good deal !
Very Nice Video. I just have a few further questions, OK?
How do the two wave forms sinc on sweep. Are they simultaneous? Also, how do the wave forms look at 60MHz? What's the voltage limit at 60MHz?
Hey! I was wondering, can this be used for modular synthesis? In Eurorack for example, using adapters bnc to minijack y suppose. To create something like the module Serge made back in the day! Hope you can help with this info.
Благодарю за хороший обзор.
❤️
Did you compare this model with the UNI-T UTG962?
The ringing is because you didn't add a 50Ω termination
i have found myself in a field which did have cattle, but i was shagging in the bushes and not thinking of circuit boards
frequency range and accuracy is all I care about, did you even mention that?
Wonderful and useful. Thanks
Great video, but I really missed you actually took out for a bonafide test and if it loyal as the higher and more demanding aspects.
No doubt that Fy6900 is one item many hobby people are looking at as you get quite a lot of signal generator for the money and the metal housing and overall build quality and rubber bumpers are excellent, and IMO second to none (muhhh muhh' sorry back from the land of make-believe) nahh those factors are as tacky as it comes, but then again for something like 75USD that you can pick the 60mhz variant up for, it is difficult to complain about the lack of build quality and ain't really a display piece and you do get a lot of signal generator for the price + PC interface and IO.
if you get the time, digg a little deeper into this unit... great video +1
Btw, I just compare my unit Fy6900 60mhz (74USD from EU) to yours and can see numerous board components that have changed.
your display board and your mainboard seems to be revision 1.9 and mine is 2.0.2 and says something like FY69S, the board is also green in mine.
if you want pictures, just holla.. got a picture slide on Imgur.
Great review, Is it possible to put 2 different stored arbitrary Waveforms in sequence? That would be great.
no it is not possible
Can UTG962E be a better choice? A comparison video maybe.
Hello. What is the frequency number of tunnel and closed underground room?? in Hz or kHz
👏👏👏
Great review grat channel thanks
What about the wave forms at 60MHz? Why did you show them?
Good question. The reason is not all waveforms can go upto 60mhz. If you read the manual it lists the maximum Hz for each type of waveform. Aside from that, it's difficult to stress test a signal generator in every possible application/scenario. So simply cracking it to the max, and observing the waveform doesn't prove much.
@@Schematix Fair enough; however, I do want to see what practical upper limit of the generator can really do. No stress test so to speak. It's fair to show if the generator can do 30MHz with reasonable distortion or before the low pass filter cut off. A lot of low cost signal generators cannot maintain the proper waveform at higher frequencies. We are dealing with Chinese product here so a fair review should also give prospective buyers a real picture of what they are getting. Again, no one is expecting this to be a $10K signal generator, but showing what's real and what's advertisement matters more to a great "review".
The power supply looked dodgy. But easily replaced. It was plenty of room for a better one.
kind of my first thought when I seen it. but room for a good mod..lol
linear regulator / LPS is a must , but warning: dual 12V rail shown on that pcb is actually 13.6V, so if you use eg LM7812/7912 then you will have 12V rails and the unit ... will not even start properly and will not work !
Friend of mine had built such a regulator and tested it and then had to change to LM317/LM337 to get 13.6..13.8 V rails.
But after swapping SPS to LPS the performance of the unit is quite good.
But then you will need a small fan and some air openings in case as well to cool the unit and some heat sinks;
Bought one and was utterly disappointed. Didn't work at all. Startup is OK and it passes it's self test. Then it enters main window and that is it. Whatever button i press the only thing that happens is that the cursor on the frequency field is advancing one step at a time. When it reaches the last digit nothing more happens. So totally useless. The software is horrible also. Unstable and looks like it is programmed for Windows 3.1. Keep away from this poor excuse of a function generator.
do you know where i9 can get the pc software??
Not sure why the presenter, and folks in the comments, are making fun of the idea of washing the PCB. During manufacture, after placing and soldering components, PCB assemblies go through a flux cleaning process. Some components would be harmed by the cleaning solution, so they are temporarily sealed against that. After the cleaning process, those seals can be removed. Just like on the loudspeaker in this video, which apparently did not get removed. Pretty hilarious?
So the manufacturer leaves the PCB "washing" to the customer hands. That is why you got a discount.
Will it run spooky 2 software
Its all well and good the way you've presented it but the proper real test would have been at 60MHz (max capability), There is where I really want to see the weak points and a proper close-up at any ringing that might happen. At 1MHz (you barely scratched the surface) who cares when I've got 59 more MHz to go?
Please Sir can you make a video on how to create a perfect signal using the x and y coordinate, please I am confused, I am try to use to coordinate to create a simple signal
What about THD?
What about frequency accuracy???. Mine is about 70hz out at 10MHZ
Mine isn't, I just got it today and check it
at 10MHz, mine says 9.999992 MHz close enough
@@martinkuliza Hey Martin. I blew my Wavetek out and thinking about picking this one up. How has it been for you. Accuracy and stability? How hard have you pushed it? Thanks.
@@PackardDog
i'm just gonna respond quick now... ok
because i don't have time to give you a complete answer
but i also want to re assure you i'm going to give you a good answer, oik
SHORT ANSWER : yes, i've pushed it... of course i have , that's what i always do
can't remember exact results , but... i can tell you this off hand
it's a good little unit
Stability is fine
as for Accuracy ..... it's not bad, i could nit pick at a few things but overall it's fine
i haven't had any problems with it
as for price.... Price is my last consideration , i don't even enter into price when looking at specs because i see the two as completely irrelevant to each other
but in terms of price.......... it's fucking cheap as shit
but i'll answer a bit better later on.. ok
@@martinkuliza damn good answer? Good enough for me. I appreciate it. Gonna pick one up and give it a go.
@@PackardDog
Really.... i was going to give you readings.
but if you're good with that
then yeah.. go for it
I haven't been disappointed thus far
what i can also say is this ....
RE the software
Now... keep in mind, I'm 47 and my eyesight recently isn't that great
now.. if you're like.. 19 years old this might not bother you
but.. the fucking writing on the screen is fucking small because the screen is small.. obviously
i explored options to mod something up where i can output the video feed to the display to go to a 22" monitor
THAT DIDN'T WORK THUS FAR
but... I have installed the software to a computer AND THAT WORKS FOR ME
but.. you'll need a computer with DECENT SPECS
so.... don't cheap out and go for i3 CPU with 1GB of RAM
you don't need top of the line
but, you need something half decent to get a decent response from the software
now.. if you do that... YOU'LL BE IMPRESSED , it reacts pretty quick
so yeah it's a good little unit
i say ... get it
AND BY ALL MEANS , LET ME KNOW HOW YOU FIND IT, OK
thanks mate
also let me know if you want me to do readings for you
Are you sure that didn't mean to wash it in a washing machine?
can u combine,,, track,,, add,,,, 2 channels
I am gonna wash my too - regards from germany
Check out channel SDG electronics, he made a proper PSU for his FE-6800 generator
Feel Tech. heh. Who comes up with these names?
goood
so funny!