One I missed: Deluxe signal generator output stage with DAC

It is rather pricey, at $86 from Digikey, for example ($360 for the eval kit) but can driver up to ±40V, up to ±1A, and up to 1,800V/μs into 1nF.

And, AD8460 includes a 14bit DAC with which to generate the waveforms.

The technology proprietary high-voltage BCDMOS, with cascoded DMOS in the output stage.

It has two modes:

• At power-up, it defaults to arbitrary waveform generation, where data presented to the 14bit parallel input but is immediately clocked out (using the sync pin) onto the analogue output at up to 100MHz.
  An FPGA or microcontroller is required to source the parallel data, and that or some other host also has to provide the chip’s SPI control bus.
• 16-level pattern generation is the other mode, where 16 x 14bit numbers are stored in an internal memory via the SPI bus, then these are output one-at-a-time, clocked by pulses into the ‘sync’ pin.
  A pre-programmed (over-writable) four-level, ±20V up-down staircase waveform arrives within the chip.

The device is said to be able to drive any output capacitance, and edge slew rate can be programmed digitally and using external components.

Current, voltage and thermal fault monitoring and protection are provided – some of the associated thresholds can be programmed, including to automatically shut the IC down.

The power rails can be between ±12 and ±55V (it also needs +5V and an optional 5V reference), and operation is over -40 to +85°C.

A top-surface heat pad on the 12 x 12 80pad TQFP allows wasted energy to be extracted – Wakefield-Vette’s ~61 x 58 x 24mm  518-95AB half-brick heatsink with fan cooling is suggested.

Not quite as exciting as bench top signal generators, automated test equipment is another potential use.

Take a look at the AD8460 data sheet