800 Ms/s arbitrary function generator

An arbitrary function generator capable of running from very low clock rates up to 800 Ms/s has been developed with sufficient timing and noise margins to allow repeatable unit-to-unit production and long operational life. The generator uses an 8-bit gallium arsenide digital/analog converter and a multiplexing scheme to allow waveform memory to be stored in a relatively low-speed memory. Critical timing details that allow operation at such a high speed are presented. Methods for loading signals and noise into the memory are also touched upon