Re: Reasonable price for signal generator?

engineer wrote:
Gents and Ladies,

I'm an engineer interested in marketing a portable (battery
powered) square wave generator.

I'd like to ask you what you think you would comfortably pay for
the device I have in mind, as follows;

Pros;
50 ohm output impedance nominal (lower at DC, higher at 1 MHz)
Output adjustable from 0 to 5 volts dc p-p.
Square wave (50% +/- 0.5% duty) from 1 Hz to 500 kHz, triangle
500 kHz to 1 MHz\
Output to 250 mA nominal current, 450 mA peak (dc A, not rms)
Nominal Battery life 58 hours.
Power LED.
BNC output
Screw terminal-option Banana (2) output too.
6 ranges, 1.8 decades each (overlapping), <1 Hz to >1MHz
'Heavy Duty' ABS plastic enclosure with battery compartment
Coarse frequency control pot 1.8 decades range
Fine frequency control pot +/- 3% range
Can drive a speaker directly in the audio range
Can drive a light bulb
Can drive any inductor since output protected by diodes.
Can drive a short circuit continuously
TTL compatible signal 1 Hz to 1 MHz.
Power on switch located in level control pot.
Overall dimensions 7" x 4" x 2"
Output buffered, internal voltage regulation.
Frequency continuously adjustable with low drift and jitter
600nS rise / fall times.
Weighs about 5 ounces and fits in any tool box.
Slightly stylish ergonomic black case, rectangular footprint.
Handmade to last a very, very, very long time.
No chinese or indonesian slaves were used in the manufacture.
Made in America, by an American (that and two dollars could get
me a coffee;)
Enclosure will resist cracking when dropped on hard surface.
4 Controls.

Cons;
Only a square wave output, which turns into a triangle wave at
500 kHz due to slew limit.
2mV nominal output offset (never goes to exactly zero)
DC offset not adjustable (signal goes from 0 to 5 or between as
set by level control)
No modulation input.
No DC power input option (just the 9 volt battery)
Doesn't go below 1 Hz or above 1 MHz
Nicely labelled, but not painted-on lettering.
No anti-skid feet.
0 buttons or toggle switches.

This unit is designed for portable use, by technicians in the field, or
by engineers relocating their project from the lab to living room.
It may be the only portable unit of it's capacity to have a bnc / 50
ohm output - or - thumb-screw terminals for attaching small components.


Given that it is good quality, with good, but slightly non-conventional
appearance, what would you expect to pay for one if you needed it?

They take several hours apiece to make one, but a buyer wouldn't know
that... all surface mount components, lead solder, cleaned double-sided
boards, conformal coated .. etc.

Thanks very much for considering my question regarding the asking price
for this unit.

- Geoff

A few comments...

Price isn't the issue, it has to be useful to someone, it has to have a
target market.
Who needs a portable square wave only generator?
The "TTL probe" kind can be handy for circuit work, and there are a few
of those around already.

7" x 4" x 2" is *HUGE*. Not exactly portable. If I want something
battery powered and portable I'd want MUCH smaller than that. For that
size I would want a whole host of extra features. The features given
could be done in a truly pocket size unit, and that might be better
received.

It needs a sine wave output.

It needs a low battery LED.

The rise/fall time is poor. I assume the TTL output is much better?

Dave :)

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