Arbitrary Function Generators

Arbitrary waveform generators permit the user to design and generate virtually
any waveform in addition to the standard function generator signals (e.g. sine
wave, square wave, etc.). Waveforms are generated digitally from a computer's
memory, and most instruments allow the downloading of digital waveform files
from computers.
Ultrasonic generation pulses must be varied to accommodate different types of
ultrasonic transducers. General-purpose highly damped contact transducers are
usually excited by a wideband, spike-like pulse provided by many common
pulser/receiver units. The lightly damped transducers, used, for example, in high
power generation, require a narrowband tone-burst excitation from a separate
generator unit. Sometimes the same transducer will be excited differently. For
instance, in the study of the dispersion of a material's ultrasonic attenuation or to
characterize ultrasonic transducers.

Section of biphase modulated spread spectrum ultrasonic waveform

In spread spectrum ultrasonics (See Section 4.8), encoded sound is generated
by an arbitrary waveform generator continuously transmitting coded sound into
the part or structure being tested. Instead of receiving echoes, spread spectrum
ultrasonics generates an acoustic correlation signature having a one-to-one
correspondence with the acoustic state of the part or structure (in its
environment) at the instant of measurement. In its simplest embodiment, the
acoustic correlation signature is generated by cross correlating an encoding
sequence (with suitable cross and auto correlation properties) transmitted into a
part (structure) with received signals returning from the part (structure).