Quote gate for multi-output sources
A 4 channel function generator brief fails when one factory prices four independent boxes and another prices one chassis with a shared clock. LinkScope Sourcing 56, an independent sourcing partner, asks each supplier to answer the same channel questions before the prices are lined up.
Write the waveforms each output must produce, the frequency range per channel, and whether the phase offset is adjustable. A request such as 0.01 degree resolution is a field to confirm on the datasheet. It is not a result this desk has measured.
The cards below are the minimum comparable scope. Square rise time, duty cycle, and harmonic content change the instrument class even when the channel count matches.
State whether channels can run different waveforms at once. Ask if channel 4 can be a pulse while channel 1 stays a sine, and whether the upper frequency drops when all four outputs are on. A 60 MHz sine on one output is not proof the other three reach the same frequency range.
Request amplitude into 50 ohm and into a high-impedance load, plus DC offset. A typical buyer line asks whether 10 Vpp open-circuit becomes about 5 Vpp into 50 ohm. Impedance that is not 50 ohm must be written, because a 600 ohm audio output is a different interface.
Ask for square rise time, such as a supplier figure under 8 ns or under 20 ns, and for sine THD, such as a supplier figure under 0.1 percent, at the amplitude and frequency the sheet uses. Those numbers belong to the quoted model. This page does not publish a lab trace.
A 10 MHz reference input lets a calibration bench lock the source. A sync or trigger output may be required for an oscilloscope. If arbitrary memory is in scope, ask for sample rate and memory depth in points. Software licenses stay on their own line.
Sourcing scenario: a timing bench needed four edges with a stated phase relationship. The background was a baseband check, not an antenna measurement, so gain and VSWR were left off the line. The process was to mark shared clock as mandatory and to mark a two-plus-two pair of generators as a deviation. The result was two quotes that could be compared, and a third quote labeled as four separate instruments.
New versus refurbished still applies. A new 4 channel function generator can show a full accessory list and a calibration start date. A refurbished chassis can fill a discontinued slot when condition, missing BNCs, and remaining calibration are written. OEM-marked gear and a compatible or clone chassis need the same evidence list. A photograph of four jacks does not settle either dispute.
Costs that must stay visible: freight to the US destination, calibration if it is extra, export paperwork, racks, and leads. A per-unit budget and a whole-order budget are different. High-end, mid-range, budget, or undecided is a buyer preference, not a verified grade. Insertion loss of a long coax can drop delivered amplitude. Ask the supplier which cable is assumed, or state the cable you will use.
Safety language stays with the model sheet. Request the named standard, often IEC 61010 for bench gear, and the mains voltage. Do not import Power over Ethernet, switching capacity, optical budget, wavelength, or dispersion into this quote. Those terms describe other telecom families. Connector mating cycle matters if the BNC sees daily patching. Ingress protection matters if the chassis leaves the lab. Runtime matters if a battery pack is in the kit.
Four BNC jacks can still be four unrelated oscillators. Ask whether one clock drives all channels and what the phase offset range is. If the sheet is silent, leave the cell open rather than assuming coherence.
Power cord, rack ears, BNC leads, arbitrary-waveform license, and a printed calibration certificate are frequent exclusions. Each factory should mark included or excluded. A missing certificate is not the same commercial offer as a calibrated shipment.
Host compatibility with a named scope or radio, FCC status when it applies, and the landed cost after duty are supplier statements. Measurement accuracy is accepted from the certificate for that serial, not from a catalog family. Review the function generator 60mhz cards if the upper frequency is still undecided.
Repeat manufacturer, model, channel count, load, phase requirement, quantity, destination, and timing. The form below uses the same fields as the product dialog. It sits in a full-width strip, not in the narrow modal.
Qualified briefs can include sourcing support of up to 3%.
Eligibility applies to qualified business buyers and is confirmed after we review your product, quantity, destination, and sourcing requirements.
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