Siglent SSG5083A 13.6 GHz Microwave Signal Generator — ex-demo unit
Our demonstration SSG5083A, in new condition, at €2,421 below list. A clean CW carrier from
9 kHz to 13.6 GHz with 0.001 Hz resolution, phase noise below −120 dBc/Hz at 1 GHz, AM/FM/PM
standard and the 10 MHz OCXO reference fitted. Full three-year warranty, calibration certificate
and the 2.92 mm adaptor included. There is one.
A 13.6 GHz microwave source, at the price of a mid-range one
The SSG5083A produces a clean CW carrier from 9 kHz to 13.6 GHz with 0.001 Hz resolution and phase noise better than −120 dBc/Hz at 1 GHz with a 20 kHz offset. AM, FM and PM modulation are built in, the 10 MHz OCXO reference is fitted as standard, and a USB power sensor can close the loop so the level is correct at your device rather than at the front panel.
This particular instrument was our demonstration unit. It has been powered up, shown to customers and put back in its case; it has never been sold and has never left our hands. It is in new condition and comes with the standard accessories and the calibration certificate. The warranty is two years rather than the three a new one carries — that difference, and the price, is the whole of what separates them.
Microwave sources at this frequency rarely come up second-hand, and when they do they are usually a decade old. This one is current stock at a discount. There is one of it.
- New condition, complete with accessories
- Two-year warranty, handled in the Netherlands
- Calibration certificate included
- Ships from the Netherlands
This particular unit
Four things you would want to know before spending five figures on an instrument someone has already switched on.
Why it is here
It was our demonstration unit — used to show the instrument to customers and then put back in its packing. It has never been sold, never been rented out and never left our hands.
The condition
New. There is no mark on the case, no wear on the connectors and no missing accessory. If you want to see that for yourself before ordering, ask and we will photograph the actual unit.
What comes with it
Everything a new one comes with: the 2.92 mm (K) female-to-female adaptor, power cord, quick start guide and the calibration certificate.
Warranty
Two years — one year less than a new SSG5083A, which is the only thing you actually give up here. Supported by us in the Netherlands as the official Siglent distributor for the European Union.
Specification
As a new SSG5083A — being ex-demo changes the price, not the instrument.
| Frequency range | 9 kHz – 13.6 GHz (CW) |
| Frequency resolution | 0.001 Hz |
| Output level, standard | −20 dBm to +25 dBm · 0.01 dB steps · ≤ 0.7 dB accuracy (typ.) |
| Output level, with SSG5080A-LP | down to −130 dBm (optional 110 dB step attenuator) |
| Phase noise | < −120 dBc/Hz @ 1 GHz, 20 kHz offset (typ.) |
| Modulation, standard | AM, FM, PM — internal, external or both |
| Modulation, optional | Pulse modulation · pulse-train generator |
| Sweep | Frequency, level, and frequency & level |
| Reference | 10 MHz OCXO fitted as standard · 10 MHz in and out |
| Power sensor | USB power sensor measurement and closed-loop level control |
| Display | 5-inch capacitive touchscreen, 800 × 480 |
| Interfaces | USB host · USB device (USB-TMC) · LAN (VXI-11 / socket / telnet) · GPIB optional |
| Remote control | SCPI and browser-based web remote control |
| Power | 90–264 Vrms, 47–63 Hz, ≤ 85 W |
The standard output level range is −20 dBm to +25 dBm. You will see −130 dBm quoted for this series, and it is achievable — but only with the SSG5080A-LP 110 dB step attenuator, a hardware module that Siglent fits and calibrates at the factory. It is not a licence you can activate afterwards at your bench. If your work needs levels below −20 dBm, say so before you order and we will tell you what it costs to have done.
What people use it for
Wireless and satellite work
A clean carrier anywhere from 9 kHz to 13.6 GHz, with 0.001 Hz resolution — enough range to cover 5G NR FR1 and FR2 lower bands, Wi-Fi 6E, and satellite IF and L/S/C/X-band links.
Radar and defence
Optional pulse modulation and the pulse-train generator build user-defined pulse sequences with independent on and off times, in single, double or train mode, triggered internally or externally — for receiver characterisation, blanking and T/R switch dynamics.
Component and module test
Amplifiers, filters, mixers and front ends. Level accuracy of 0.7 dB typical with 0.01 dB setting resolution, and a USB power sensor loop that measures at the DUT rather than at the front panel.
Production and incoming inspection
LAN, USB-TMC and SCPI, plus web remote control from a browser, so it drops into an existing rack and test sequence without a driver hunt.
Getting it into a rack
Everything you need to synchronise it with the rest of a bench is on the back. The 10 MHz OCXO is fitted rather than optional, and its reference is brought out so other instruments can lock to it — or it can lock to a house standard through the 10 MHz input.
For automated test there is LAN with VXI-11, raw socket and telnet, USB-TMC, and a full SCPI command set. Web remote control puts the front panel in a browser, which is often the quickest way to drive an instrument sitting in a rack in another room. A GPIB adapter is available if you are feeding an older system.
Trigger in and out, pulse in and out and the signal valid line let it sit inside a sequenced measurement rather than beside one.
In the box
The same standard accessories as a new instrument, all present. Note the calibration certificate and the 2.92 mm adaptor — both are supplied, and at these frequencies the adaptor is not a trivial part to have to buy.
- 2.92 mm (K) female-to-female adaptor — 2.92F-2.92F-40A, so you can mate to the RF output without hunting for a part
- Calibration certificate confirming factory compliance
- Power cord, IEC320 C13, country-specific
- USB cable for the USB-TMC device port
- Quick start guide — the full manual and data sheet are below
- Two-year warranty — a new one carries three
What you can add to it
Buying ex-demo does not lock you out of the option list. Four of these are licences or accessories you can add whenever you like; the attenuator is hardware and has to go back to the factory, so decide on that one up front.
| Option | What it does | Price | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSG5080A-F85 | Upgrade the maximum frequency from 13.6 GHz to 20 GHz | €3,900 | Add later |
| SSG5080A-LP | 110 dB step attenuator — takes the output down to −130 dBm. Hardware: fitted and calibrated at the factory only. | €4,170 | Factory only |
| SSG5080A-PU | Pulse modulation licence | €1,890 | Add later |
| SSG5080A-PT | Pulse-train generator licence | €1,980 | Add later |
| USB-GPIB | USB to GPIB adapter, for older rack systems | €135 | Add later |
| SSG-RMK | 19-inch rack mount kit, 3U | €159 | Add later |
Option prices ex VAT, as listed on the shop. They apply to the instrument whether you buy it new or ex-demo.
Manuals and data sheet
The same documentation as a new unit — read the specification before you buy rather than after.
Full specification for the series, including the level and phase-noise tables.
Operation, modulation setup, sweeps and the power-sensor functions.
Unpacking, first power-up and the front-panel tour.
The full SCPI command set for automated test.
Questions we are asked
What exactly is wrong with it?
Nothing. It is discounted because it was our demonstration unit, not because it is faulty or worn. It has been powered up and shown to customers, and it has spent the rest of its life in its packing case.
Is the warranty shorter because it is ex-demo?
Yes, by one year. This unit carries two years where a new SSG5083A carries three. That is the one real difference between this instrument and a new one, and it is worth weighing against €2,421 — roughly what a year of warranty is costing you here. It is handled by us in the Netherlands either way, not sent abroad.
Can I see photographs of the real unit?
Yes, and on an instrument at this price you should ask for them. The pictures on this page are Siglent’s own studio photographs of the series — the front panel in them is even silkscreened with the 20 GHz model. Email us and we will send pictures of the actual instrument, including the serial-number label.
Does it go down to −130 dBm?
Not in the standard configuration, and be careful here because it is easy to misread. The standard level range is −20 dBm to +25 dBm. Reaching −130 dBm needs the SSG5080A-LP 110 dB step attenuator, which is a hardware module fitted and calibrated at the factory — not a licence you can enable later at your desk. If you need that range, tell us before you order.
Is the OCXO reference fitted, or is that an option?
Fitted. The 10 MHz OCXO is standard on the SSG5000A series, along with 10 MHz reference input and output on the rear panel.
Can it be upgraded to 20 GHz later?
Yes — SSG5080A-F85 takes the maximum frequency from 13.6 GHz to 20 GHz. It is worth doing the arithmetic first: the upgrade is €3,900 on top, and a new 20 GHz SSG5085A lists at €18,150. Buying this unit and upgrading comes out below that, but ask us to confirm before you commit either way.
Does it come with a calibration certificate?
Yes, and a 2.92 mm (K) female-to-female adaptor, power cord and quick start guide — the same standard accessories as a new instrument. We can also arrange a fresh accredited DKD/DAkkS certificate if your quality system needs one.
What happens if I am too late?
There is one of these. If it has gone by the time you read this, tell us what you were looking for — we usually know what is coming back before it is listed.
There is one of these
Ask us for photographs of the actual instrument, its serial number, or a fresh accredited calibration certificate before it ships — all reasonable requests on a unit at this price, and all quick to answer. JRSE B.V. is the official Siglent distributor for the European Union.