Circuit Design: Know It All

Chapter 24

Signal Sources

Ian Hickman

Signal sources play an important role in electronic test and measurements, but their use is far from limited to that. They form an essential part of many common types of equipment. For example, a stabilized power supply needs an accurate DC voltage source as a reference against which to compare its output voltage. Many pieces of electronic equipment incorporate an audio-frequency signal source as an essential part of their operation, from the mellifluous warble of a modern push-button telephone to the ear-shattering squeal of a domestic smoke detector. And RF sources—oscillators—form an essential part of every radio transmitter and of virtually every receiver. So let’s start with the DC signal source or voltage ...