A Function Generator Built From A Kit Using An XR2206

Introduction

This post covers some of the practicalities that have to be met when building a function generator (signal generator) using an XR2206CP Function Generator kit.

I assume anyone building one of these kits has some electronic and soldering experience.

The Kit Instructions

I bought two of these kits and I could see immediately, when I tried to read the instructions, that there was a problem. So I had to interpret them.

You can see my interpretation of the kit provider’s instructions in my post “XR2206 Function Generator Kit Improved Instructions“. You should read them before assembling the kit. The instructions contain the schematic diagrams.

Safety

Eye Protection

Eye Protection should be worn when soldering and snipping off wires that fly into your face.

Tools Required To Build This Function Generator Kit

  • Magnifying Glass,
  • Soldering Iron,
  • Solder 0.7mm dia.,
  • Printed Circuit Board (PCB) holder,
  • Small nippers to trim soldered wires,
  • A Philips screwdriver.

Magnifying Glass

Magnifying Glass
Magnifying Glass

A must have for working with small modern electronic components is a Magnifying Glass (see the example above) to enable viewing of the component values printed on them. Particularly small resistors and ceramic capacitors like the ones used here.

Soldering Iron

Soldering Iron
Soldering Iron
Soldering Station consisting of Iron on its stand with the Temperature Controller.
Soldering Station consisting of Iron on its stand with the Temperature Controller.

A temperature controlled soldering iron is good for working on printed circuit boards (PCBs). I set the temperature to 300°C. That’s high enough to melt the solder but not so high that it will cause the copper strips to come away from the board. With this particular model the temperature cycles between 295°C and 305°C.

PCB Holder

PCB Holder
PCB Holder

This is a new tool I’ve recently acquired for holding PCBs. The PCB is placed between the two jaws by resting it in the grooves and the spacing is adjusted so it is held under spring tension. The board can be rotated by 360° around a horizontal axis. It can be seen being used in other pictures in this post.

Small Wire Cutters (Nippers)

zipper slider repairs
Newsome Small Springy Wire Cutters (11cm long).

These nippers can fit in any narrow spaces and the jaws lie flat against the board to crop the wire ends of components very close to it.

Philips 2pt Screwdriver

A Philips Screwdriver
A Philips 2pt × 150mm Screwdriver

A Philips 2pt screwdriver is required to tighten the screws supplied for holding the acrylic case together. The screws supplied with nuts also require a Philips 2pt screwdriver but those screws aren’t long enough to do the job.


Building This Function Generator Kit

Components Provided

Components To Be Mounted On The Circuit Board
Components To Be Mounted On The Circuit Board

The picture above shows all the components which have to be mounted on the circuit board when building a function generator using an XR2206CP chip.

1. Soldering The Resistors

Ultimately all the components have to be threaded through the holes in the circuit board from the top side (where the text is printed), And soldered on the other side.) When doing this manually it’s best done in stages commencing with the components that have a low profile, e.g Resistors and IC Sockets. Then if the board has to be laid upside down on a bench to work on the solder side it won’t wobble about too much in the early stages.

All Resistors Threaded Through The Board Held In A PCB Holder
All Resistors Threaded Through The Board Held In A PCB Holder

To prevent components falling out of the board when it’s turned upside down the wired components at least can have the wires splayed out. By that I mean they can be bent at 45° in opposite directions so that they can’t drop out when turned upside down.

Resistor Wires Splayed Out At The Back of The Board To Keep Them In Place
Resistor Wires Splayed Out At The Back of The Board To Keep Them In Place

At this point three hands are required to hold the soldering iron, solder and board.

I’ve solved this difficulty by using a PCB holder. This can be used to hold the board in a variety of positions so I can put components in from one side then turn it over to solder them. You can see it in use here.

Previously I have used a small rubber jawed vice that clamps on the edge of the bench shown below.

Small Rubber Jawed Vice Holding The Circuit Board
Small Rubber Jawed Vice Holding The Circuit Board

2. Soldering The Low Profile IC Socket

There is only one IC socket in this kit which I managed to hold in situ with an elastic band, while it was tilted upside down and soldered.

IC Socket of the function generator board Held In Place With An Elastic Band
IC Socket Held In Place With An Elastic Band
Solder side of the function generator board showing the resistors and IC socket soldered in place.
Solder side showing the resistors and IC socket soldered in place.

3. Soldering The Electrolytic Capacitors

I’m not sure why I didn’t install the ceramic capacitors first since they are smaller.

There are only three electrolytics in this kit. They are small but stick up and can prevent the top of the case from fitting on. So either they have to be left sticking up so that they can be bent over or remain vertical but pressed hard down to the board.

How the function generator board is marked for electrolytic capacitors. The board doesn't have the + sign marked on it.
Electrolytic Marking In This Kit but without + sign.

Electrolytic capacitors are polarized. The -ve wire is shorter than the +ve wire and has a white stripe on the body with -ve signs on it. The -ve wire has to be connected to the hole marked with Hatching on the top side of the board. The spacing between hatching lines on the circuit board is 1mm. I have marked this image with a + sign for the long +ve wire’s hole.

On of three Electrolytic Capacitors in this Function Generator Kit  Pushed In Its Holes With Wires Bent At 45°
An Electrolytic Capacitor Pushed In Its Holes With Wires Bent At 45°

4. Soldering The Ceramic Capacitors

I’m not too sure why I didn’t fit these before the electrolytic capacitors after all they are smaller.

The ceramic capacitors in this kit are physically small and the coded values have to be read by many people using a magnifying glass. They too have to be threaded through their holes and have their wires splayed out to retain them when turned over and soldered.

5. Fitting The Larger Components

Some of the larger components like the Potentiometers and the Power Socket have bulky tags. Normally I would probably leave them unbent but with this board being a tight fit in its case they are a problem.

I found out with the first one I built that they were protruding too much and had to revisit them and melt the solder so I could bend them hot by pushing on them with the tip of the soldering iron. This is potentially dangerous and I advise people to get these tags bent flat against the board before soldering.

Even bending them before soldering can be dangerous. If you can only do it by pressing the tags with a tool that will push the tag into the bent position you must hold the board with a leather gloved hand. Any slip of that tool and it could plummet straight through the board (breaking it) and carry on its journey through the palm of the hand holding the board.

When the tags are bent over they can be soldered. The header pins don’t need bending. Try to solder two diagonally opposite tags. These can be reheated to push the whole strip nearer the board. Once it’s in position all the other pins an easily be soldered.

6. Installing The XR2206CP IC

Having completed all the construction soldering I conducted a visual inspection to ensure there were no solder blobs that would cause short circuits. I then installed the XR2206CP integrated circuit as per the instructions.

7. Testing The Function Generator

I used a 12V 2.5A D.C. mains power supply which had the correct diameter plug on its output cable to power this function generator.

I also had to connect short wires to the three output terminals on the function generator board so that I could then connect the probe of my oscilloscope to it to observe the output waveforms.

8. Fitting The Function Generator Into Its Acrylic Case

XR2206 Function Generator Encased
XR2206 Function Generator Encased

As long as the Front Panel and base are squeezed together, to prevent the side’s tabs disengaging, the case will stay wrapped around the circuit board and its components. The Front Panel and base are therefore held together by four M3×15mm screws. The screws pass through the Front Panel and tap their own threads into specially designed holes in the base.

The kit also provides four M3 × 5mm screws and nuts to clamp the circuit board onto the Base. In my opinion those screws are just not long enough so I have not used them. The circuit board is a little loose in the case but, for what it is, it’s not too sloppy. I may use my own screws later.

When mounted in the case the three control knobs can be pushed onto the splines of the potentiometers easily with their pointers positioned as desired.


END OF POST

Comments

6 responses to “A Function Generator Built From A Kit Using An XR2206”

  1. Wayne Russ avatar
    Wayne Russ

    Hello,

    Could you, please, tell me what the VAC output should be for this Function Generator ?

    Thanks,

    Wayne

    1. Helpful Colin avatar

      Hi Wayne,
      With a 12.25V supply and a chance frequency of 443Hz:

      • The Sinewave output is 7.6V Peak to Peak MAX.
      • The Triangular output is 7.0V Peak to Peak. Above that it looks a bit distorted.
      • The Squarewave output is 11.0V Peak to Peak.

      I hope that answers your question.
      Regards, Colin.

  2. Wayne avatar
    Wayne

    Thanks Colin

  3. Barry Spinner (in Ontario) avatar
    Barry Spinner (in Ontario)

    Colin, thanks for this work. I just received the raw kit – with the same illegible instruction page. Your work will allow me to proceed with confidence.

    BTW, I moved away from electronics in Uni (to pursue 1960s Chem. Eng.). Now with a 4 year old G-daughter, I am leaping back in. I hope to be her STEM teacher, and I hope she becomes an electrical something. (maybe an engineer…)

    Cheers.

  4. Undagi avatar
    Undagi

    Bagaimana cara kerja IC XR 2206 dalam menghasilkan gelombang?

    1. Helpful Colin avatar

      Halo Undagi,
      Berikut adalah lembar data untuk XR2206:
      https://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Kits/XR2206_104_020808.pdf
      Saya sarankan Anda menggunakan Google Terjemahan untuk membacanya dalam bahasa Anda sendiri.
      Salam, Colin.

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