Waveform Generation with Tektronix® AWG5000 and AWG7000 Series – MATLAB® Example

MATLAB® is a software environment and programming language with over 1,000,000 users and supports Tektronix® Arbitrary Waveform Generators through its Instrument Control Toolbox.
One of today’s most challenging design problems in RF technologies, as well as other wireless applications, is the creation of stimulus signals that can fully exercise a prototype. Complex high-frequency modulated signals with jitter, spread spectrum clocking, and other time-variant effects require a benchtop of pulse, function, modulation and RF generators. Using MATLAB® to generate such a signal and output it through a Tektronix® Arbitrary Waveform Generator replaces the need for all that equipment.

The ‘generate_arb_waveform_Tektronix’ script connects to the Tektronix® AWG, resets it, puts the waveform onto channel 1 of the instrument by calling the ‘chirp_signal’ function, enables channel 1 output, and disconnects the instrument. This ‘generate_arb_waveform_Tektronix’ script was generated by Test & Measurement Tool, a graphical tool provided by Instrument Control Toolbox that allows the user to configure and control instruments in MATLAB®.

To execute this example, extract the files from the zip file and type ‘generate_arb_waveform_Tektronix’ in the MATLAB® command window. Notes: Change the IP address in the generate_arb_waveform_Tektronix.m file to the IP address of the AWG. If the Signal Processing Toolbox is not installed, replace the CHIRP function in chirp_signal.m with a different function.

Pre-requisites:
1. TekVISA 3.3 (or newer) – Available for download at:
http://www.tektronix.com
2. IVI Shared Components – Available for download on the IVI foundation website at: http://www.ivifoundation.org/Downloads/SharedComponents.htm
3. Tektronix® AWG5000 and AWG7000 IVI-COM instrument driver – Available for download at:
http://www2.tek.com/cmswpt/swfinder.lotr?cn=awg7000
4. MATLAB® instrument driver for the Tektronix® AWG5000 and AWG7000 Series – Created by Tektronix® and available for download on MATLAB Central at:
http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/20153

This example was created and tested with a Tektronix® AWG7101 Arbitrary Waveform Generator but should work for other Tektronix® generators in the AWG5000 and AWG7000 series including the AWG5002, AWG5004, AWG5012, AWG5014, AWG7101, AWG7102, AWG7051, and AWG7052.

To download a Getting Started Guide for using MATLAB® with your Tektronix® instruments in 15 minutes, visit:
http://www.mathworks.com/tektronix/start

Information on using MATLAB® and Instrument Control Toolbox for configuring and controlling instruments is available at:
http://www.mathworks.com/products/instrument

For additional information on using MATLAB® with Tektronix® instruments, including MATLAB® examples, demos, drivers, and videos, visit:
http://www.mathworks.com/tektronix