Design and development of an IoT based Signal Generator for Testing Equipments

Signal generators are a class of electronic devices that are considered as a vital part of test equipment setup for various applications ranging from consumer devices to aerospace and spacecraft programs. These systems are mainly used for testing, signal tracing, debugging, troubleshooting, etc. Signal generators generate different kinds of waveform in the form of an electrical signal based on the application, and are used as a stimulus for the item being tested. In this paper, design and development of a low-cost, compact, portable and Internet of Things (IoT) based signal generator is proposed. The novel contribution of proposed work is that the expected waveforms/signals can be generated from anywhere in the world over the internet using the graphical user interface (GUI) designed for the client system. The proposed signal generator is designed using an ESP32 microcontroller and a programmable Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) IC AD9833, capable of generating several basic waveforms and modulated waveforms. The proposed system costs only $10 and can generate three basic waveforms, ten modulated waveforms up to a maximum frequency of 3MHz. The proposed system will also benefit hobbyists, students and readers to design their own low cost signal generator at home itself for testing basic systems designed as a part of a mini project or project and can also be used for virtual and remote labs.