January 2020 Tech Focus

Instruments are available in a variety of form factors, as described on p. 18 of our December issue. USB continues to be a popular choice, finding use on everything from IMU evaluation boards to vector network analyzers. (For more on the latter category, see the article beginning on p. 6 of this issue.) Below is a sampling of recently introduced products offering USB connectivity—with some also offering alternatives extending from IEEE 488 to Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi oscilloscope

TiePie engineering has introduced its WiFiScope oscilloscopes, which can be used via an Ethernet connection (LAN, Wi-Fi, or WAN) but also with a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 connection. The built-in battery enables the WiFiScope to perform fully wireless measurements, galvanically isolated, over long distances. USB measurements for standalone applications and high-speed data acquisition can take place at 200 MS/s. Combined with the Multi Channel oscilloscope software, the 250-MHz WiFiScope WS6 (four channels) and WiFiScope WS5 (two channels) turn your PC into an oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, multimeter, data logger, and protocol analyzer.

TiePie engineering

Range-to-fault calibration

Kaelus, a supplier of PIM test-and measurement-instruments and RF conditioning solutions, has released new functionality for its Analyzer Calibration Extender (ACE), which now supports the range-to-fault (RTF) module used for locating PIM and return-loss faults in RF infrastructure. The ACE allows customers to self-calibrate their Kaelus PIM instruments in the field. Reducing downtime of calibration to less than one hour, ACE extends the calibration due date by 12 months. ACE offers USB Connectivity for the company’s iPA and iTA instruments.

Kaelus

6-axis IMU

Thales Visionix has introduced enhancements to its NavChip Series 3, the latest in the company’s family of inertial measurement units (IMUs). The new NavChip Series 3 allows users to choose the optimum performance at their selected price point from both NavChip and NavChip Series 3 Class A and Class B parts. Specifications include Class A bias in-run stability to 4°/hr. (typical), 5°/hr. (max.), with an output rate of 1,000 Hz, and Class B bias in-run stability to 5°/hr. (typical), 10°/hr. (max.) with an output rate of 1,000 Hz. Evaluation kits with integration software, a USB interface, and external sync cable start at $895.

Thales Visionix

Recorder for military signal intelligence

Pentek Inc. has announced an addition to its family of Talon signal recording and playback systems, the RTR 2654 26.5-GHz RF Sentinel intelligent signal-scanning rackmount recorder. The RTR 2654 combines a Pentek Talon recording system with a 25.6-GHz RF tuner and Pentek’s Sentinel intelligent signal-scanning software. The RTR 2654 automatically scans the RF spectrum from 800 MHz to 26.5 GHz for signals of interest and monitors or records bandwidths up to 500-MHz wide, making it suitable for military, security and government intelligence (SIGINT, COMINT and ELINT) applications. The Talon RTR 2654 is packaged in a 4U 19-in. rack-mountable chassis, with front-panel removable and hot-swappable solid-state drives (SSDs), front panel USB ports, and I/O connectors on the rear panel.

Pentek Inc.

Single-board computer

Avnet announced it is providing customers with the ability to focus more on the software side of their development by launching MaaXBoard, a low-cost, production-ready qualified single-board computer. Based on the NXP i.MX 8M applications processor, MaaXBoard is suitable for embedded computing and applications that leverage AI at the edge. It supports design engineers and end-users seeking to create industrial automation, multimedia, AI, and IoT applications with reduced cost and time-to-market. With this new single-board computer, Avnet is further enabling developers who are seeking new, flexible and cost-effective means to design and test concepts. As a production-ready qualified unit, the MaaXBoard can become part of an embedded hardware system, providing customers the ability to focus more on the software side of their development. The MaaXBoard forms part of Avnet’s end-to-end product development ecosystem, helping to bring projects from idea to design, and design to production. The platform’s on-board peripherals include 2GB of DDR4 memory, a Gigabit Ethernet port, dual USB 3.0 host ports, HDMI output, MIPI-DSI, MPI-CSI, WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy, a MicroSD card slot, and eMMC storage. The complete MaaXBoard kit is $79.95.

Avnet

RF vector signal generator

Saelig Co. Inc. has announced the availability of Triarchy Technologies’ VSG2G5C RF vector signal generator—a pocketable USB-connected RF signal source with capabilities that provide standalone and PC-controlled functions comparable to full-size analog RF signal generators. Offering frequencies from 100 Hz to 1 MHz (low-band) and 100 MHz to 2.5 GHz (RF band) with a frequency resolution of 1 Hz, this unit’s features include frequency sweep, frequency hopping using I/Q modulation, and arbitrary signal generation. With output levels up to 15 dBm, signals can be delivered in CW, sweeping, and hopping modes. An N connector provides the signal output, while side-mounted miniature connectors provide I/Q input and output. A pulse output is available at the rear of the unit.

Saelig Co. Inc.

Programmable power supply

TDK Corp. has announced the TDK-Lambda 1U full-rack GENESYS 1.7-kW AC/DC programmable power-supply series. This platform provides the user with a choice of ten different models, ranging from 10 V at 170 A to 600 V at 2.8A, that suit design, test, and measurement in the laboratory/R&D environment and address market segments including automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, industrial, and renewable/alternative energy. Built into a 1U-high, 19-in.-wide rack-mountable chassis, the 1.7-kW power supply offers five embedded front-panel setup menus that address digital communication, protective functions, operating configuration, system configuration, and system triggering. All model functions can be programmed locally via the menu-driven front panel or remotely using software instrument drivers with any one of the three built-in standard digital interfaces: LAN (LXI 1.5), USB 2.0, and RS-232/RS-485. Other programming interfaces include the built-in standard isolated analog program/monitor/control interface and an optional IEEE 488.2 interface.

TDK Corp.