Pros:
Keypad provides fast frequency & voltage entries; the units are also easy. Unit computations are automatic. When you enter 3700 and hit the 'Hz' key, it displays & uses 3.700 khz.
The built-in arbitrary waves are useful for many applications.
With the timebase capable of being a slow as 1 micro-hertz (1 million seconds) you can simulate extremely slow sense data.
LABView has a USB driver for Mac, Linux & Windows that allows you to remotely control the unit over USB. The only reason why I know this is because RIGOL requires you to download the driver for Windows from the National Instruments website.
The time base seems to be spot-on with my GWInstek GDS-1062A scope. For 370hz on the generator, the scope reads 369.992hz it seems to be this close or better on all frequencies I've tried
Cons:
The Windows-based software does not work with Windows 7, although it supposed to work with XP, which makes it useless to me. But it seems like the .rdf files for the arbitrary waveform data is just a block 4096, little-endian, unsigned 16-bit values.
Its easy to hack together a program to make make arbitrary waveforms without having to use the front panel to enter each point.
The encoder knob could be better, sometimes it changes by 2 or 0 values per tactile click. Just a minor annoyance.
Overall:
The user-interface is pretty nice and intuitive in most places, like being able to press the 'Freq' twice to toggle it to 'Period' entry mode. The filename entry method could be better, but it is still quite usable. When you exceed a limit, the unit prompts you with a message, and then sets it to that limit. The other thing I like is the you have to manually turn on the outputs, after power-on. Also the outputs are overload protected, they automatically shut off, if you accidentally touch a source of voltage. Just for fun, the LABView driver makes it easy to control it with my Mac, is an added plus, even though I don't ultimately 'need' it.
I threw together a quick command-line program on the Mac, to convert .wav files to the internal .rdf data format that the DG-1022 uses; so, using Audacity & my utility, that covers my total software requirements for this device.
I am very pleased with this unit, it definitely exceeded my expectations as a replacement for my crappy old pulse generator, with all the newfangled features of today's test equipment, at a price point that I can touch.
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I am extremely impressed with this device. It has features I would only expect in a much more expensive function generator. I purchased it through Amazon for less than $450. It is easy, convenient and intuitive to use; however, I did have to consult the manual to access some functions. The frequency and amplitude appear accurate, and I have not observed any unexpected disruptions when making changes. The many features are too numerous to mention here. I suggest that you download and review the user and programming manuals. The LCD shows waveforms for various functions; however, you should probably connect the output to a good scope while learning how to use the DS1022. The capabilities of the second channel are limited, but the second channel can be switched to input and used as a frequency counter. You should also be aware that the sine wave is the only output can be used up to 20 MHz.
Despite my positive impression of the value of this device, I considered giving it only four stars for the following reasons. The supplied power cord was not for US power, and I had to use a spare PC power cord. The supplied user manual was in Chinese, but the English version is available as a pdf on the CD or can be downloaded from the Rigol website. The English version is a poor translation form Chinese. It is understandable, but might be hard for inexperienced users to follow. I am concerned that trying to get technical support or warranty repair may be difficult. The software on the supplied CD requires a National Instruments dll which was not included. I have used the software only enough to verify that it works. My impression is that it will require considerable trial and error to use it effectively. My only negative comment about the instatement itself is that the BNC connectors seem flimsy, and might break if too much force is applied.
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So far, this product does everything I expected it to do, and it does it well. This is the second Rigol product I've bought (the other is a 1052 digital storage scope), and I'm amazed at how much functionality I got for my money. The low cost of these instruments has made it possible for me to expand my volunteer teaching of engineering topics for middle-school students in my area.
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What a big surprise! Is this April Fools day?
The Rigol DG1022 arrived a day early.
The unit that arrived was not for the USA market, the power cord has the wrong connector so I can't use it.
The quick start manual is printed in Chinese so I can't read it!
So the manual in Chinese isn't such a big deal since I can't apply power to the device because of the wrong power cord!
Within an hour of my original review the provider contacted me by e-mail, appologizing for the error, and explaining how it occured.
They sent a new power cord, confirmed by an e-mail the next morning. They also pointed out that english versions of the instructions are on the included CD(and on Rigol's web site).
I used a power cord from a computer and the electronic manual, the product works well and the provider is very responsive.
