Stability Evaluation of Function Generator Output Voltage Under Temperature Variation as a Basis for Determining the Recommended Operational Range in Nuclear Instrumentation

Abstract

A function generator is an electronic instrument that serves as a reference signal source for testing, calibration, and performance evaluation of nuclear instrumentation systems. Output voltage stability is an important parameter because it is affected by changes in the electrical characteristics of electronic components due to temperature variations, which may cause thermal drift. This study aims to evaluate the stability of the output voltage of the GW Instek GFG-8015G function generator under temperature variations as a basis for determining the recommended operational range for nuclear instrumentation applications. The study was conducted experimentally by varying the temperature from 23.5°C to 50.9°C. The output voltage was measured using an oscilloscope, while the temperature was monitored using a thermocouple. The results showed that the output voltage increased from 18.2 V to 18.6 V, with a maximum deviation of 2.1%. The temperature range of 23.5–35.5°C exhibited 0% deviation, indicating the most stable operating condition. At temperatures up to 50.9°C, the function generator continued to operate properly although the effects of thermal drift began to appear. Based on these findings, the temperature range of 23.5–35.5°C is recommended as the operating condition for function generator applications in nuclear instrumentation requiring high output voltage accuracy and stability.