December 2013 Product Picks

802.11 WLAN Test Enhancements

Upgrades to the Tektronix mixed-domain oscilloscope, performance oscilloscope, and spectrum analyzer families give electrical engineers new tools for integrating 802.11 a/b/g/j/n/p/ac WLAN connectivity into their product designs. The MDO4000B Series mixed-domain oscilloscopes feature significantly improved spectrum analyzer performance, including spurious-free dynamic range of 60 dBc guaranteed and 65 dBc typical and phase noise performance improved by as much as 20 dB. In addition, the vendor has introduced its RSA5000B instruments, which provide 165-MHz real-time capture bandwidth, and options for SignalVu-PC software, including a live link to the MDO4000B series and support for 802.11 a/b/g/j/n/p/ac transmitter measurements. A transmitter analysis system for 802.11a/b/g signals, including the MDO4000B and SignalVu-PC, is available from $21,380. Tektronix

Mobile Temperature System

The Thermostream ATS-535, a mobile temperature control system for high-speed thermal testing of electronics, sensors, and assemblies, brings temperature to the test site by directing a stream of cooled or heated air, quickly reaching temperatures between -60°C to +225°C. Mobile, without the need for an external air supply, it can execute fast temperature transitions—for example, -40°C to +125°C in 12 s. This enables thermal characterization at the test site rather than moving the test subject to a thermal chamber or custom-engineered enclosure.

The Thermostream’s swivel arm and hydraulic controls allow precise connection with the device under test. System setup and control are accomplished via a controller with adjustable positioning for local operation as well as connectivity for remote operation. inTEST Thermal

PXI RF 6-GHz Multiplexers

Model 40-883 multiplexer (mux) versions expand the range of the vendor’s PXI RF solid-state 6-GHz switching solutions with an SP8T (8:1) mux occupying two PXI slots and an SP16T (16:1) mux occupying three PXI slots.

Each version uses solid state-switches that ensure fast switch operation time of 50 µs, repeatable performance, and an indefinite service life when used within ratings. The designs have been optimized for VSWR and insertion-loss performance. Particular attention has been paid to crosstalk and isolation to ensure that unselected switch paths have minimal output signal content. Each multiplexer can handle up to +30 dBm of signal power and signal frequencies from 10 MHz to above 6 GHz. Unused ports are automatically terminated to manage VSWR effects in cables. Pickering Interfaces

Camera Link Vision System

The EOS-4000 Camera Link embedded-vision system features a third-generation Intel Core i7/i5 quad core processor and two independent Power over Camera Link (PoCL) ports. Camera Link connectivity provides image transmission with no CPU loading, combining with direct memory access (DMA) to make the EOS-4000 suitable for high-resolution performance supporting industrial-automation and medical-imaging environments.

The compact EOS-4000 streams raw image data over dedicated point-to-point link topology, with no network latency or protocol overhead, and it implements DMA solutions, rearranging data for efficiency. I/O capability includes one encoder input, two trigger inputs, four RS-232/422/485 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, dual storage (two SATA interfaces and one CFAST slot), an internal USB port, and 1-kbit programmable EEPROM. ADLINK Technology

Data Recorder

The Genesis High Speed line of data recorders now includes the portable GEN3i intended for laboratory, power-test-stand, and destructive material-testing applications as well as for generators, turbines, and engines. The GEN3i is ready to run out of the box.

The GEN3i transfers data directly to the storage medium at speeds as high as 200 MB/s. Users can select from 21 data acquisition cards. It can be equipped with isolated strain gage or accelerometer signal conditioners as well as ultra-high speed cards offering sampling rates of 100 MS/s or an isolated 1-kV data acquisition card with ±1,000-V direct inputs. The data recorder also features up to 96 fully configurable input channels. HBM