Its an idea I used for testing frequency meters I used an ARB and a 6v -
230v 6VA transformer.... it was not to important what the shape was like bu=
t
it wasn't too bad...

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: piclist-bounces@MIT.EDU [mailto:piclist-bounces@MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of
Forrest Christian
Sent: 14 January 2013 11:17
To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
Subject: [EE] Controllable AC voltage source

I'm looking for a way to produce a 60Hz sinewave at voltages ranging from a
couple volts all the way up to 120V RMS or higher (250 would be wonderful).
 This needs to be able to be either digitally or voltage controlled.  It
also needs to be current limited to a couple/few mA.

This is for use in a piece of Automated test equipment I'm building to test
a low-volume product which measures AC line voltage and frequency.

In my mind I'm thinking about the functional equivalent of a computer
controllable DC lab power supply where you can adjust at least the voltage
and optionally current limit using an attached computer, but instead of DC
it puts out AC.

I've looked for such a beast, and have come up completely empty.  At least
within the budget (a few hundred dollars, certainly much less than $1K).
 I've also looked for similar devices which could be re purposed for this
purpose (high voltage function generators, etc).

The other thought I had was to take a 60Hz sinewave, run it through a
voltage controlled (or programmable gain) amplifier, and then a secondary
high voltage opamp - unfortunately high voltage to an opamp is a lot less
than what I'm talking about.

I may end up going the route of using the combination of a lower-voltage
opamp, and a multitap transformer with relays to switch between the
windings, but that seems horribly kludgey.

Any interesting ideas/sources for such a power supply?

-forrest
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