News in Brief: JTAG, PXIe, Oscilloscopes, More…
November 19, 2012. A cooperative effort based on JTAG/boundary-scan made news at the International Test Conference earlier this month. Other recent news items center on PXIe and standalone instruments and options; bonded silicon-on-sapphire, GaN, and SiC semiconductor technologies; and design and manufacturing automation software.
Boundary Scan at ITC
GOEPEL electronic announced joint developments with SiliconAid Solutions in the area of chip level debug in board and system environments. The goal of the cooperation is the integration of the chip centric SiliconAid Debugger called JTD into GOEPEL’s SYSTEM CASCON platform based on a two-step approach. The first step is the ability to use GOEPEL's JTAG/boundary-scan controller hardware, such as PicoTAP, SCANBOOSTER, or SCANFLEX hardware, directly with SiliconAid’s JTD software. This first level of cooperation was demonstrated at GOEPEL electronic’s booth during this year’s International Test Conference. The second, longer term, step will address the integration of JTD software within the SYSTEM CASCON platform, allowing users to use the JTD software to focus on chip-level debug tasks, while the SYSTEM CASCON software manages the remaining board and system circuitry to provide test access to the chip under test. www.goepel.com, www.siliconaid.com.
Instruments
Agilent Technologies Inc. has introduced a high-precision PXIe frequency reference. The Agilent M9300A generates clean 10-MHz and 100-MHz signals for high-performance RF systems. Agilent designed the M9300A for applications that require a low phase noise, 100-MHz local oscillator, such as those in a wide variety of wireless and aerospace/defense test systems. The new frequency reference is packaged into a one-slot PXIe module and uses a fractional-N design, which minimizes phase noise and spurs. The M9300A features the ability to lock to an external reference from 1 to 110 MHz. Features include five 100-MHz outputs each with nominal phase noise performance of < -166 dBc/Hz at 10-kHz offset and > 10 dBm output amplitude, one 10-MHz output, and one 10-MHz OCXO timebase output with phase noise of < -158 dBc/Hz at 10-kHz offset. www.agilent.com
Rohde & Schwarz announced that its R&S RTO oscilloscopes can verify compliance of USB interfaces when used with the R&S RTO-K21 USB2.0 compliance test software option. The R&S RTO-K21 USB 2.0 software runs on a PC. It controls the oscilloscope and the DUT, which is connected via a test fixture. Image-based instructions provide step-by-step support during the measurements. An automatically generated measurement report documents the test results. Users can add measurement details and screenshots and output the report in PDF, RTF or HTML format. www.rohde-schwarz.com
The OMEGA iTHX-SD-5D Datalogger records temperature, relative humidity, and dew point over an Ethernet network or the Internet and locally on a 2-GB SD card. The new dual-channel feature allows for measurement of data from two locations. For example: you can measure and chart temperature and relative humidity of your local area and temperature and humidity of another location 10 feet away. The device can trigger an alarm if the temperature or humidity goes above or below a set point that the user determines. The alarms can be sent by email to a single user or to a group distribution list, including text messages to cell phones and PDAs. The removable 2-GB SD flash memory card can store up to seven years of readings taken at 10-s intervals. www.omega.com
The MC2100 multifunction calibrator from E Instruments measures and simulates DC voltage, current, and resistance and can be used with thermocouples, RTDs, and pressure sensors. It offers accuracy to 0.015% of reading. It features a 24-V transmitter loop supply (input and output) and supports optional external pressure modules (up to 10,500 PSI). Other features include an easy-to-use six-key keyboard, rechargeable battery, and traceable calibration certificate. www.E-Inst.com.
Eastern OptX, specialists in fiber optic delay lines for RF and microwave test applications, announced the commercial availability of the Series 7000 Multi-Radio Channel Replicator, a multi-radio test system that replicates the propagation path of real-world applications. The Series 7000 is used by the radio communications industry to design, produce, qualify, and verify interoperability of radio systems. It brings the realistic conditions of an outdoor test range into the test laboratory while reducing and in some cases completely eliminating time-consuming and expensive outdoor testing. www.eastern-optx.com
TEGAM announced it has begun offering its line of safety voltmeters with a new Cordura nylon carrying case to improve worker safety. TEGAM’s Models 110A, 122, and 125 safety voltmeters will feature the Model 1204A case, which has several features that help users make safer measurements: no metal parts; buckled shoulder strap for carrying and clipping over a pipe or pole, allowing a user to use both hands for making a measurement; and a magnet in the cover flap to allow a user to attach it to any steel surface. TEGAM safety voltmeters measure both AC and DC voltages with an accuracy of 0.2%. The Model 110A is C-UL-US listed, and all models have a single on/off control to help users stay focused on making the measurement; a single range, with automatic detection of whether the voltage being measured is AC or DC; permanently attached, insulated leads; high withstand voltage (2,500 V), and current-limited probes. www.tegam.com
BSOS, GaN, and SiC
Soitec announced it has more than doubled production of bonded silicon-on-sapphire (BSOS) substrates to meet increased demand from its strategic partner, Peregrine Semiconductor Corp. Peregrine a fabless provider of high-performance RF integrated circuits (RFICs), has increased peak-production capability of its latest-generation STeP5 UltraCMOS technology-based RF switches to more than two million units a day, to support design wins in the Radio Frequency Front Ends (RFFEs) of today’s most advanced 4G smart phones and other wireless-communication devices. Soitec’s direct wafer-bonding technologies are used to produce the BSOS substrate employed in the manufacture of Peregrine Semiconductor’s highly-tuned semiconductor wafers. www.psemi.com, www.soitec.com/en/index.php.
RF Micro Devices Inc. announced that RFMD has production released two highly linear gallium nitride (GaN) RF unmatched power transistors (UPTs), the RFHA3942 (35 W) and RFHA3944 (65 W). The company says the devices deliver superior linear performance versus competing GaN transistors. The release of the RFHA3942 and RFHA3944 follows the previous release of the RF393X series of UPTs targeting continuous wave (CW) and pulsed peak power applications. This new series of linear GaN discrete amplifiers is optimized for broadband applications requiring linear back-off operation or reduced spurious performance. RFMD said it plans to further its technology leadership position with future releases of 10W and 95W linear GaN devices over the next 12 months. www.rfmd.com
Cree Inc. has introduced what it calls the first commercially available all-SiC Cree power module. The new high frequency module, rated at 100-A current handling and 1200-V blocking, allows higher efficiency, compact and lighter weight systems that can result in lower total system costs compared to conventional silicon-based technologies. “An all-SiC module with these specifications enables us to meet our transit customers’ demands for reduced size and weight of auxiliary power converters, while meeting efficiency and cost targets,” said Fisal Al-Kayal, innovation and research engineer at Alstom Belgium Transport. The module includes SiC MOSFETs and SiC Schottky diodes in a 50-mm half-bridge configuration rated to 150°C maximum junction temperature. The new power module has demonstrated up to 100 kHz switching frequency. Target applications include high power converters, industrial motor drives, solar inverters, and uninterruptible power supplies. www.cree.com
Software
dSPACE has introduced SYNECT Test Management software for managing and controlling the ever-growing volume of tests and test data that is produced by the electronic control unit (ECU) development process. Model-in-the-loop (MIL), software-in-the-loop (SIL), processor-in-the-loop (PIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests, plus their associated requirements, can all be managed systematically with SYNECT Test Management. They can easily be combined to produce execution plans and then used directly for test execution. Analyses of tests, test coverage and test progress can be generated quickly and easily from the test results stored centrally in SYNECT Test Management, presented in a well-organized form and used for further test planning. www.dspace.com
Aegis Software said it has concluded the acquisition of diplan GmbH in Germany and diplan Asia. The latter is based in Shanghai, with operations in Singapore. This combination of companies establishes what they are calling “Aegis 2.0”—which they position as the industry leader in manufacturing automation software with regard to product scope, technology, regional presence, and customer base. www.aiscorp.com