Product tryout: Agilent 33220A waveform generator

Throughout my series of handheld oscilloscope reviews, I used an 33220A 20-MHz waveform generator from Agilent Technologies. It proved invaluable in conducting the reviews. The only downside I found to the 3322A was having to return it to Agilent.

The 33220A is one of Agilent’s line of basic instruments (base price $1853). You expect waveform generators to be easy to use and this one won’t disappoint. You don’t need a manual to use this instrument. All of the functions are clear and easy to understand.

When you power up the 33220A, it’s ready to produce a 1-kHz sine wave. The output signal, however, is off until you press the Output button. You can easily change the waveform shape through dedicated buttons. The “1.000,000,0 kHz” display shows the leftmost zero highlighted. Turning the wheel changes the frequency up or down in 100-Hz increments. If you need different resolution, press the left or right arrows to highlight the a digit and adjust its value frequency. To change amplitude, simply press for the “Ampl” soft key just below the display and use the arrows and wheel as needed.

If you know the frequency and amplitude you need, you can use the front panel’s numeric keypad. Suppose you want 22.167 kHz, just press 2 2 . 1 6 7 and select the “kHz” soft key.

When I first started using function generators, the had no displays to show me what the waveform might look like. I had to rely on the knob indicators and connect an oscilloscope. With the 33220A, you get a graphical representation of the wave shape. Vertical or horizontal arrows adjacent to the waveform indicate which setting, amplitude or frequency, you can adjust. If you need a larger waveform display, press the “Graph” button. The digital indicator will give way to an expanded waveform.

The 33220A offers three connectivity choices: USB, LAN, or GPIB. I used GPIB together with Agilent’s IntuiLink Waveform Editor V1.4. You can create your own wave shape using the editor or you can import waveforms from Agilent’s Infiniuum or 54600 series oscilloscopes. You just select your repetition rate, connect to the waveform generator, and download your waveform.