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Ultraview Corp. today announced the first expandable 300 kHz - 300 MHz frequency synthesizer board series capable of building large multichannel RF signal generator banks with triggered sweep and modulation capabilities.

SYNTH300-TRIG PCI Board. Click image for a close up.

Ultra-compact banks of 2 to over 32 frequency-locked RF synthesizers can be built in 2-channel increments, using a Synth300-TRIG-HS PCI master card and any number of SYNTH300-TRIG 2-channel slave boards. The Synth300-TRIG-HS PCI dual-channel Direct Digital Synthesizers (DDS) master card incorporates two independent DDSs synchronized to an on-board low-phase-noise SAW-stabilized 1GHz timebase, each channel separately programmable for frequencies between 300 KHz and 300 MHz in 0.233 Hz increments. Multiple Synth300-TRIG boards can be slaved to this master board, or an external oscillator of up to 1GHz, enabling a large number of frequency-locked channels to be installed in any low-cost PCI PC chassis, achieving what the company believes is a unique degree of miniaturization and cost-efficiency for RF signal generation.

In addition to single or multiple channel RF generation (+4dBm into 50 ohms), the SYNTH300-TRIG series can generate advanced RF signals such as triggered dwell/sweep/dwell quadrature swept signaling useful in Communications, RADAR, RF ATE, and other advanced applications. Additionally, by utilizing the 4 independent user-defined frequency/phase profiles associated with each dual synthesizer, frequency and/or phase modulated waveforms (4-FSK, 4-PSK) can be easily generated and controlled via software or external TTL inputs. In addition to its two sine-wave RF outputs, each Synth300-TRIG also includes an LVDS port, allowing the user to create a programmable digital clock with precise frequency and phase adjustment capability. Software provided includes a simple-to-use Windows™ GUI to quickly configure most applications, as well as example C code, for Linux and Windows™ to allow programming of advanced applications.

Each DDS-based synthesizer holds up to 4 independent frequency/phase profiles. Profile switching can be accomplished via host system software control or by external TTL frequency/phase profile switching inputs, allowing phase and/or frequency to be changed in as little as 8 nanoseconds, for applications in which the time uncertainty of software controlled frequency/phase selection is not acceptable.

Rear Panel of 8-channel RF synthesizer, showing master SYNTH300-TRIG-HS driving commodity distribution amplifier and splitter, whose outputs are used to run 4 more SYNTH300-TRIG boards.

Designed for low jitter operation in communications, industrial, military/aerospace, educational and scientific applications, the Synth300-TRIG-HS series finds applications in areas such as:

• Advanced RF system development and implementation in RADAR and SIGINT applications
• RF component test such as verification of phase/frequency detection device operation.
• ADC/DAC data acquisition systems in which a programmable timebase is required.
• Simulation of oscillator drift on a circuit or system during design and testing.
• Examination of spectral response of circuits, devices, or materials
• Low cost manufacturing test/QA instrumentation using multiple synthesizers in a host computer

The Synth300-TRIG-HS operates under Linux as well as Windows 7™, Vista™ or XP™. Most synthesis applications can be easily configured by means of the GUI provided. For more complex applications, example C programs may be easily edited and recompiled using common C compilers to create a dedicated executable. A library of C-coded functions and driver are also included.

The Synth300-TRIG-HS and SYNTH300-TRIG provide the functionality of much more expensive test equipment in a much smaller form factor (single-height PCI boards). The Synth300-TRIG HS dual channel master is priced at $2995 each, and each 2-channel PCI expansion board is priced at $2495 each. Delivery is from stock. Quantity discounts are available in quantities as small as 2 units.

More detailed specifications can be found at: www.ultraviewcorp.com/dds