1135 results found for Test & Measurement, displaying items 1 - 20
November 18, 2009
[TechView: Test] Modular Test Standard Builds On ATCA, PXI, LXI, And IVI
Does the world really need another modular test standard? Ready or not, here comes AdvancedTCA Extensions for Instrumentation and Test (AXIe). Proposed by the trio of Aeroflex, Agilent Technologies, and Test Evolution Corp., AXIe is an open standard based on AdvancedTCA (ATCA) that aims to extend that standard into the realm of general-purpose and semiconductor test.
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David Maliniak
November 16, 2009[Design View / Design Solution] Optimizing Measurement Accuracy
The ability to achieve level accuracy that provides meaningful measurement results depends on external leveling techniques that correct for mismatches and frequency- response variations. In most cases, a combination of static and dynamic leveling is the most effective approach. Static leveling relies on an array of usercreated calibration factors that ensure the delivery of flat power at an interface beyond the signal generator’s RF output connector. ...
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John S. Hansen
November 16, 2009[Design View / Design Solution] Explore The Benefits Of High-Output Signal Generators In Your RF Test Setup
In RF testing, an essential attribute of every RF signal generator is the maximum output power it can supply to a device under test (DUT) while maintaining spectral purity and level accuracy. The ability to deliver a pure, accurate signal at +25 dBm or greater ensures improved measurement accuracy. Plus, it enables testing of extreme or unusual operating conditions. These capabilities can simplify the testing of high-power amplifiers, overcome...
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John S. Hansen
November 16, 2009[Technology Report] Take The Stress Out Of Measuring IEC 61000-4-2 Stress Levels In Portable Devices
Testing electrical systems for electrostatic discharge (ESD) robustness usually involves using IEC 61000-4-2 as a benchmark. This standard defines the stress current waveforms for each voltage level, how to calibrate the ESD pulse source, the test environment for the measurements, and the pass and fail criteria. It also provides guidance on how to perform the tests. But when performing ESD testing on electrical systems, it’s not clear how much stress...
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Robert Ashton
November 10, 2009
[TechView: Test] PXI Instrumentation Suite Stands Up To Mixed-Signal Semiconductor Test Challenges
National Instruments has launched a series of PXI-based modular instruments that combine with the company’s LabVIEW software to create a highly flexible system that shines with analog/mixed-signal test, where stimuli types can be out of the ordinary (think MEMS test), volumes are extremely high, and test costs must be correspondingly low.
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David Maliniak
October 22, 2009[Engineering Essentials] Pick The Right Probe And Get The Most Out Of It
The first rule of thumb to be observed in choosing a test probe involves the probe’s bandwidth. “The bandwidth of the probe needs to be three to five times the signal bandwidth,” explains Jae-Yong Chang, Agilent Technologies’ product manager for probes. “Customers often are confused by signal bandwidth, which is driven by the fastest rise time of your circuitry.” When it comes to using high-end active test probes, it’s important to remember that these devices are...
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David Maliniak
October 22, 2009[Engineering Essentials] High-End Probes Actively Improve Test Results
A steady stream of advances has elevated test and measurement instruments to the point where they can reveal minute details of signals with lightning-quick rise and fall times. So, then, what about test probes? The last thing test engineers want or need is a probe that’s going to influence their measurements or fail to deliver the full bandwidth that’s available to them on the scope. Fortunately, today’s high-end probes are constructed to sidestep these...
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David Maliniak
October 20, 2009
[TechView: Test] Scope Delivers High Signal Fidelity To 20 GHz
As the performance levels of embedded systems escalate, the tools required to verify and debug them must keep pace. Most designers need to examine analog and digital signals simultaneously, with many dealing with memory buses in terms of integrity and timing. Combining the probing attributes of a high-performance logic analyzer with the analog capabilities of a real-time scope, the MSO70000 series is Tektronix’s take on a mixed-signal scope that’s up to the challenge.
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David Maliniak
September 30, 2009
[TechView: Test] Signal Analyzers Cover Both Ends Of The (Cost) Spectrum
Adding to the high and low ends of its spectrum-analyzer family at the same time, Agilent has covered the bases with the launches of its N9000A CXA low-cost analyzers and its N9030A PXA high-end instrument. In both cases, as in all members of the company’s X series signal analyzers, the instruments are consistent in terms of their measurement framework and their ability to enable design teams to grow with them.
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David Maliniak
October 1, 2009[Engineering Essentials] Boost Instrumentation Accuracy With Direct Digital Synthesis
Direct digital synthesis (DDS) generates arbitrary frequency sinewaves with amazing accuracy and spectral purity. The ability to generate spectrally pure sinewaves at programmable arbitrary frequencies has application in instrumentation and communications products, among other uses. Today’s DDS components provide extremely accurate, spectrally pure sinewave generation with reasonable power requirements. Modern DDS components have...
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Paul Nickelsberg
September 23, 2009
[TechView: Test] Spectrum Analyzer Delivers Unprecedented Ku-Band Performance
The Tektronix RSA6120A spectrum analyzer incorporates a feature set that targets digital-RF designers working in the Ku-band frequencies (12 to 18 GHz). It offers extremely high spurious-free dynamic range of 75 dB in the Ku-band, an enhanced set of radar measurements, and switched-filter preselection that overcomes the limitations of earlier spectrum analyzers.
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David Maliniak
September 10, 2009[Engineering Essentials] Multi-Antenna Techniques Require Thorough Testing Solutions
Multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) is the use of multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance. Performance is the operative word here, in terms of capacity, bandwidth, throughput, range, or a host of other parameters that enhance the user experience. Advanced wireless communications standards such as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), and LTE (Long- Term Evolution from 3GPP) use multiple ...
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Graham Celine
August 27, 2009[Design View / Design Solution] Blocking Out The Noise Means Selecting The Right Filter
Noise is a common and pervasive problem in electronics design and debug. At one time or another, almost every designer and debugger of electrical circuits will spend some time dealing with noise—either finding its source to fix it or reducing its impact on measurements. Noise can come from countless internal or external sources, often obscuring signals of interest. Noise can make it difficult to perform measurements on a millivolt-range signal,...
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Randy White
August 24, 2009
[Testing the Limits] Cooperate To Innovate
So the question is not if to innovate, but how. Recent experiences suggest we need to rethink the type of innovation we pursue and look more to outside sources of innovation: our customers, our industry peers, and even our competitors. Especially in a time when fewer resources are available, this type of cooperative innovation is necessary to achieve the breakthroughs we need to solve the challenges facing us.
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Eric Starkloff
August 18, 2009
[Web Exclusive] Marvell Introduces The Qdeo Disk For HD Video Evaluation
Marvell has released its Qdeo HD video evaluation Blu-ray disk. This disk performs an objective evaluation of the video processing quality of HD audio-video products such as Blu-ray players, AV receivers, and HDTVs. The disk tests video processing elements like noise reduction, format conversion, and image enhancement.
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ED News Staff
August 13, 2009[Ideas For Design] Add Simple Temperature Monitoring To Battery-Management Systems
Environmental concerns are spurring the development of clean transportation alternatives. Most popular are full electric and hybrid electric motor vehicles, which use stacks of lithium-ion battery cells as the electric power source. To ensure efficient operation and long battery life, the cells are continually monitored for the available charge, known as the state of charge (SOC). The temperature of the cells is an important factor for the SOC calculation. In...
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Tim Regan
July 28, 2009
[Web Exclusive] Keithley Series 2600A Source Meter Instruments
This video is a demonstration of Keithley's Series 2600A Source Meter instruments. After a brief introduction, the presenter shows how quickly and easily users can get results in lab and benchtop applications using the built-in TSP Express software tool.
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ED News Staff
July 28, 2009
[TechView: Test] Low-Cost MSO Offers 16 Digital Channels
With the MSO3000 mixed-signal oscilloscope (MSO) series from Tektronix Inc., designers can visualize and analyze analog, digital, and serial signals on a single instrument. These devices offer up to four analog and 16 digital channels, 100- to 500-MHz bandwidth, 5M record length, and a 2.5-Gsample/s analog sample rate for system debug.
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Staff
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