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A sine wave generator produces oscillating frequencies in a sine wave pattern, useful for measuring sound or electrical frequency. Sine waves are smooth and even, and can be used to calibrate measuring equipment and generate sound effects. Function generators can produce other waveforms, such as square waves, which are used in digital electronics.
A sine wave generator is a type of electronic equipment that generates an oscillating frequency in a sine wave pattern. Most are relatively small, with the vast majority being handmade. There are a couple of different reasons these types of instruments are important, but most have to do with measuring sound or electrical frequency, which typically take a sinusoidal pattern. A sine function goes up and down and up and down in a smooth, even, undulating pattern of hills and valleys. In mathematics these curves are often plotted and measured, and in natural settings they often say a lot about speed, loudness and other amplification matters. A sine wave generator produces these waves, usually as a means of comparing or measuring waves that exist elsewhere. Sometimes the waves generated are also used to calibrate measuring equipment and generate sound effects.
Understanding sine waves in general
A sine wave is characterized by a smooth, uninterrupted oscillation that can be drawn as a series of perfectly proportioned “hills” and “valleys” or rises and falls. Light and sound waves take this form naturally, as do many other natural phenomena such as ocean waves. Most electrical outlets also follow this pattern.
Tracing and identifying the sine functions of these outputs can be instructive, but there are also cases where generating mimics or artificial imitations can also be useful. This is where sine wave generators come into play. Most of the time, these devices are used by people who are trying to calibrate a device or fix something that isn’t working right. Generators emit frequencies equal to what they detect, which can allow engineers to see the exact patterns emitted naturally; most devices can also send out waves of pre-programmed specs, which can help you recalibrate things like sensitive audio equipment or amplifiers.
Audio and electrical uses
A sine wave generator can drive audio speakers if the generated wave is within human hearing range. Technicians first measure the speed of the emitted wave, then regenerate it with their devices to synchronize and usually also amplify the sounds produced.
The same technique can be applied to electronics and electrical appliances more generally. Alternating electric current (AC), which is available from wall outlets in most places, alternates in a sine wave pattern at 60 cycles per second (Hertz). A turbine or electric generator that produces alternating current is a kind of sine wave generator. Some electrical circuits, particularly resonant circuits, oscillate in the pattern of a sine wave and, therefore, are used in sine wave generators. Sine waves are produced by a resonant circuit as the voltage across the output rises and falls in a sine wave pattern.
Function generators
Function generators can typically produce both sine waves and other waveforms, such as square waves and triangle waves, by adding several waves together. Any periodic or oscillating function can be described as a weighted sum of multiples of the base frequency. A Fourier transform, for example, is a mathematical function that describes which sine waves added together will form the desired wave.
Square waves and other variations
Oscillators can often generate waves of different shapes by generating multiple overlapping sine and cosine waves. Common examples include square waves that rise and hold a level for a time, then fall inversely of the original level and hold it for a time, then swing back up again, repeatedly. Square waves are used in digital electronics to produce an on/off signal at coherent intervals to drive digital logic, thus serving as internal clocks that regulate actions in computers. The speed of a computer processor chip is described by the frequency of its internal clock in a unit called hertz. A computer is described as running at a speed of a certain number of gigahertz (GHz). One cycle per second equals 1 Hertz.
