EE-Evaluation Engineering articles from August 2003

EE-Evaluation Engineering archives from August 2003

The shape of things to come.(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... In this business, it's always interesting to catch a glimpse of the ways technology might impact our lives in the years ahead. Not surprisingly, prognosticators abound who only are too eager to ply us with projections about tomorrow's products...

Cognex to host free machine vision seminars.(In The News)
August 1, 2003... Cognex has added 100 major cities to its schedule of machine vision seminars, extending the program through November in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The half-day Understanding and Applying Machine Vision Sensors seminars...

NI and Ansoft join forces to address RF designs.(In The News)
August 1, 2003... National Instruments and Ansoft have integrated Ansoft Designer[TM] high-frequency electronic-design software and the NI LabVIEW 7 Express virtual instrumentation software. A new API uniting Ansoft Designer and LabVIEW enables real-world...

Scorpion and Corelis combine capabilities.(In The News)
August 1, 2003... The Flying Probe from Scorpion Technologies and the ScanPlus Boundary Scan Tools from Corelis have been integrated to produce a unified test system. Incorporating the two technologies creates a methodology for testing board assemblies that...

Vibration testing classes.(Dates)
August 1, 2003... Ling Dynamic Systems-Dactron will conduct two training classes next month in Detroit. Introduction to Vibration will be held Sept. 22-23, and Basics of Vibration Control will be Sept. 24-25. 408-934-9160, www.lds-usa.com

AUTOTESTCON.(Dates)
August 1, 2003... AUTOTESTCON 2003, a conference for the military/aerospace automatic test industry and government/military audiences, will be held Sept. 22-25 at the Disneyland Resort and Conference Center in Anaheim. www.autotestcom.com

Environmental test short courses.(Dates)
August 1, 2003... Two short courses focusing on environmental test-related topics will be conducted next month by the University of Arizona Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. Random Vibrations--Theory, Analysis, Design, and Testing will be held...

ITC 2003.(Dates)
August 1, 2003... The 2003 International Test Conference will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at the Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. ITC, the cornerstone of Test Week running from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3, covers the cycle from design verification, test, diagnosis,...

Signal analyzer features modular platform.(Product Briefing)
August 1, 2003... The R3681 includes a modular spectrum analyzer and a modulation analyzer with the capability of future instrument expansion. The proprietary WMT modular platform architecture accommodates quick reconfigurations, and a 12-in. touch screen...

1-GHz scopes speed up design time.(Product Briefing)
August 1, 2003... Two new dual-channel, 1-GHz Infiniium Oscilloscopes provide memory depths up to 8 Mpts per channel and sampling rates to 4 GS/s. Both feature the company's deep-memory MegaZoom technology: the 54833D mixed-signal oscilloscope (MSO) has 2 Mpts...

Platform tests complex 3G mobile networks.(Product Briefing)
August 1, 2003... The K15 Prototol Test Platform equipped with Multi-Interface Call Trace software supports troubleshooting of live and trial 3G, 2.5G, and 2G mobile networks. The platform runs on a cPCI bus architecture that hosts several boards to connect to...

Workstation integrates DSO and PC.(Product Briefing)
August 1, 2003... The Sigma Series of Digital Oscilloscope Workstations consists of a full-featured PC offering acquisition, analysis, and connectivity in a portable unit. The three series models are the 12-b, high-resolution Sigma 30; the 8-b, high-speed Sigma...

Test software accesses math functions.(Product Briefing)
August 1, 2003... DT Measure Foundry[TM] 4.0 integrates live measurement capabilities with access to MATLAB[TM] from The MathWorks and Microsoft Excel. It features the Melting Pot Panel to create multiline formulas to compute incoming/outgoing data as well as...

Microwave synthesizer series offers two models.(Product Briefing)
August 1, 2003... The 2400 Series Microwave Synthesizer simultaneously delivers low phase noise and fast frequency switching capabilities. It switches frequencies in less than 400 [micro]s over the entire frequency range for handling high-throughput applications...

Function generators offer more than sine waves; with many standard waveforms and types of modulation, a modern function generator almost runs tests by itself.(Function Generators)
August 1, 2003... Your circuit prototype finally is complete, and now you need a signal source to test it. The function generator is a good choice. It can provide sine, square, and triangular waveforms from fractions of 1 Hz to many megahertz. Models with...

When test equipment talks with design tools; a link between hardware test equipment and software-based EDA brings benefits to the development of RF wireless products.(PC-Based Test)
August 1, 2003... The pressures to move swiftly from the design phase to functioning hardware are at the core of every product development cycle. The integration of test equipment with a design automation tool helps to streamline RF circuit design. This...

Testing W-CDMA signals poses many challenges; the complexity of W-CDMA signal testing has met its match with today's single-instrument solutions that conduct multiple measurements quickly and efficiently.(Wireless Test)
August 1, 2003... Accurately testing the key RF parameters of wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) signals at any stage--R&D, manufacturing, or maintenance--poses quite a challenge. The reasons range from the infancy of the technology and the lack of...

Reducing the cost of test in 2003; solutions to your IC test application lie within the maze of overlapping ATE vendor offerings.(IC ATE)
August 1, 2003... This year, there are many more ways being developed to reduce the cost of test than there are ATE companies. In anticipation of the elusive economic upturn, recently introduced testers and updates to existing ones continue to reduce the cost of...

Environmental Test Buyers Guide.
August 1, 2003... EE's annual Environmental Test Buyers Guide is a comprehensive, up-to-date listing of the companies that offer environmental testing products, equipment, and services. The guide is arranged in two sections. First is a product/company...

EMC symposium new product preview.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... More than 200 companies will exhibit products and services Aug. 19-21 during the 2003 IEEE International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston. The exhibit will be open...

Snap-on suppressors.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... Two Snap-It Suppression Assemblies to accommodate larger cable diameters and wire harnesses are available in two materials. The cores, designed to fit 0.750" and 1.000" dia cables, come in MnZn 31 and NIZn 44. Plastic cases molded from...

Horn antenna.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... The Model 3164-03 Horn Antenna has two orthogonal-placed feeds for simultaneously measuring horizontal and vertical polarizations. Polarization can be linear or circular. Cross polarization isolation is better than 25 dB, and the useable...

Broadband preamplifiers.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... A line of preamplifiers, frequency matched to test requirements, is designed to improve overall system sensitivity by at least 26 dB. Each preamplifier comes with a DC-regulated power source, or you can power the preamplifier with an external...

Harmonics and flicker tester.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... The PC-based MXCTS Test System, based on the company's MX AC power system platform, supports single- and three-phase IEC 61000-3-11 flicker and IEC 61000-3-12 harmonics test standards for high-power AC products. The CTSMX software residing on...

Broadband microwave amplifiers.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... The AR Model 5S4G11 and Model 1S4G11 Microwave Amplifiers provide a bandwidth of 4.0 to 10.6 GHz. The self-contained, air-cooled 5S4G11 delivers a minimum of 5 W of RF power when used with a sweep generator. The power output at 1-dB compression...

EMI/RFI window screens.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... EMI/RFI Window Screens for applications such as monitors consist of a very fine woven wire cloth, typically stainless steel 100 x 100 mesh with a 0.001" wire diameter. For some applications, the wires are coated to give them a blackened surface...

D-connector gaskets.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... A series of D-connector gaskets for grounding and RFI shielding features a low-compression-set silicone sponge core. A conductive outer layer is coextruded and provides low-contact resistance over an inner sponge core. The gaskets fit most...

Power line filters.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... A line of 48-VDC power line filters is designed for input lines, power supplies, and power distribution systems for use in the telecommunications, industrial measuring equipment, and industrial controls markets. The filters feature a wide scope...

Multiturn sleeve snap.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... A high-impedance sleeve snap for round cables attenuates frequencies up to 1 GHz and features a serpentine cable-threading capability. Increasing the number of times the circuit passes through the ferrite core lengthens the magnetic path. The...

Modular simulator.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... Modula is an open-architecture system that simulates electromagnetic interference effects and performs immunity tests to international, national, and in-house standards. All system components are defined as function units, such as a pulse...

Board-level shielding.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... snapSHOT[TM] is an EMI board-level, multicavity, metallized, thermoformed plastic shield. It is electrically insulative on the inside and attaches to a PCB using the company's patented snap-attachment mechanism. The shield, manufactured from a...

Strip gaskets.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... Quick-Strip Gaskets are manufactured using Quick-Shield stainless steel spiral and an adhesive-backed neoprene sponge elastomer. The surface-mounted gaskets offer shielding of >95 dB in continuous lengths and come in low (1.5-lb) and moderate...

RF immunity system upgrade.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... The family of 50-W, 3U-high amplifiers includes the 0.8- to 4.2-GHz Model 5163, the 0.7- to 3.0-GHz Model 5143, the 1.0- to 3.0-GHz Model 5173, the 0.8- to 2.5-GHz Model 5152, and the 0.8-to 2.0-GHz Model 5022A. All these amplifiers have...

Plated fabric gaskets.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... The VersaClad[R] VC-100 Gaskets use a silver-monel-plated woven nylon ripstop cladding and polyurethane foam core technology to provide a surface resistivity of 0.25 */square and an average shielding effectiveness of 92.6 dB for frequencies of...

Low-profile Choke Coil.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... The DLP11 Common-Mode Choke Coil Series uses thin-film and ferrite material technology to create an EMI filtering solution for high-speed differential-mode signal transmissions. They are available with impedance values of 90, 120, 160, or 200 *...

MIL-STD-46IE measurement capability.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... The EMC46IE Precompliance Measurement System, including the company's 401B Spectrum Analyzer and software to operate on any Windows-based PC, performs MIL-STD-461E radiated measurements. The antenna factors for many EMC measurement antennas are...

Vent panels.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... MaxAir[TM] Vent Panels are constructed of nickel/copper-plated polymeric honeycomb with a compressible conductive foam band. Compared to traditional honeycomb vent panels, the frameless, dent-resistant vents permit 10% to 20% more useable...

Surge generator.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... The MIG0603BEL GR-1089 Test System provides two- and four-wire tip and ring and AC power port surges of ISSUE 2. It expands to support 12-pair testing and may be integrated with ITU, ETSI, IEC, and FCC part 68 surge solutions. A five-terminal...

Combination Wave Test System.(Dealing With EMC)
August 1, 2003... The PSURGE 20430 Combination Wave Test System provides up to 20 kV in open circuit and 10 kA in short circuit to meet the needs of UL 1449 permanently connected leads and ANSI C62.41 up to Category C3. The tester, available in one- and...

EOS/ESD Symposium celebrates 25th anniversary in Las Vegas.(Coping With ESD)
August 1, 2003... The glitzy, glamorous, exciting, star-studded city of Las Vegas adds the perfect backdrop for the 25th anniversary celebration of the EOS/ESD Symposium Sept. 21-25 at the Riviera Hotel. The symposium, sponsored by the ESD Association, is filled...

ESD-safe ceramics for critical static problems: a search for a more effective way to control ESD focuses on the benefits of ceramics.(Coping With ESD)
August 1, 2003... Protection against electrostatic discharge (ESD) now is a mainstream business, complete with products and services. As with most activities associated with high technology, the offerings continually change to address the evolving developments...

I/O interfaces.(Data Acquisition)
August 1, 2003... The PMD-1208LS and PMD-1024LS Personal Measurement Devices are PC-based analog and digital I/O modules compatible with USB 1.1 and 2.0 and supported by Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP. The PMD-1208LS provides eight single-ended or four differential...

Power Relay Assembly.(Data Acquisition)
August 1, 2003... The 0000-6602 Power Relay Assembly, first in the company's line of PXI products, consists of 16 Form A relays, each capable of switching 10 A at 30 VDC or 35 VAC. These relays are controlled with functions to the card or by a preloaded list of...

Sound and vibration boards.(ESS)
August 1, 2003... Two additions to the company's 24-b ADC sound and vibration measurement hardware family are the NI PXI-4472B device for vibration and low-frequency AC measurements and the four-channel NI PCI-4474 board. All NI 447x devices deliver 110 dB of...

Noise and vibration test system.(ESS)
August 1, 2003... The All-In-One System integrates data recording, data post-processing, and real-time measurement and analysis in one system for noise and vibration test and analysis. It is based on the company's Focus[TM] and Photon[TM] hardware and includes...

Cable/harness tester schematics.(ATE)
August 1, 2003... The Graphical Wiring Schematic capability is available for the company's easy-wire and Signature Series of cable/harness testers. The schematics can be displayed on the computer screen, printed out, or saved as PDF files for electronic...

Test probes for LEDs.(ATE)
August 1, 2003... Mini-LightProbes[TM] test LEDs and other lamps on circuit boards during in-circuit or functional tests. The light-sensing probes check color and intensity of any size and type of lamp. They are factory calibrated to provide 2 VDC output....

USB to serial adaptors.(Instrumentation)
August 1, 2003... The OMG-USB-232 USB to serial I/O adaptors provide two or four RS-232 serial ports for USB connectivity to legacy or non-USB compliant devices. They support standard PC data rates up to 460 kb/s. Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and Linux drivers are...

Broadband synthesizer.(Instrumentation)
August 1, 2003... The PTS 3200 Frequency Synthesizer supplies low-noise signals from 1 MHz to 3,200 MHz with a resolution of 1 Hz and DDS phase-continuous switching. It has a 3-to 13-dBm output, switching rate of 1 to 20 [micro]s, and low phase-noise level of...

General-purpose LCR Meter.(Instrumentation)
August 1, 2003... The 1920 LCR Meter measures, displays, and outputs the results of any two parameters including series or parallel capacitance, AC resistance, inductance, dissipation factor, quality factor, impedance, phase angle, and DC resistance. The meter...

Functional tester.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... New FT-100a is latest enhancement in FT-100 tester family. With many new features, this Programmable Functional Tester provides automated testing of all types of boards and assemblies. Features: Analog/Digital testing, keyboard input, enhanced...

Custom EMI filters.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... Captor custom-designs EMI filters to control interference on power, data transmission and signal lines, often in difficult environments. Colorful 6-page brochure covers engineering, testing, and production of these complex filters, as well as a...

Ceramic trimmer capacitors.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... The new, compact McQ 512 Series All-Ceramic Surface Mount Trimmer Capacitor is designed for applications requiring miniaturized capacitance trimming, including avionics apparatus, communications equipment, oscilloscopes, crystal oscillators,...

Boundary scan DFT.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... Now available free from JTAG Technologies is an updated and fully illustrated 24-page color booklet entitled "Design for Test Guidelines for Board Testing and In-System Configuration." This booklet presents a comprehensive set of DFT guidelines...

Connectors.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... The new Connector Product Catalog has more than 650 pages of product description, technical data, and performance characteristics plus mounting dimensions and printed circuit board layout specifications. Request a copy at Info@conec.com or...

Table-model shielded enclosures.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... ETS-Lindgren's portable shielded enclosures are designed for fast, convenient EMI/RFI testing in a tabletop, rack-mount, or inline format. Standard and custom designs offer shielding effectiveness between 100 dB and 120 dB and provide test...

Adhesives and sealants.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... Master Bond Inc., Hackensack, NJ, manufactures more than 3,000 grades of adhesives, sealants, and coatings. Line consists of epoxies, anaerobics, cyanoacrylates, silicones, and acrylics One- and two-part systems are available. Master Bond Inc.,...

Safety testers.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... The Hypot[R] III manual hipot tester and the HYAMP[R] III 30-A ground bond tester are ideal for production-line safety agency compliance testing. Both feature a graphic LCD, built-in verification system. Hypot III is TUV and UL safety-agency...

ESD simulator.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... Model ESD 3000 is the only 32-kV ESD simulator that is both battery operated and completely hand-held, eliminating base unit, external power supply, and power supply tether cable associated with other ESD simulators. Full range of R-C discharge...

High-frequency shielding.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... DiamondBack Shielding with a textured contact surface increases attenuation at 2.45 GHz and above. DiamondBack Shielding is hundreds of raised dimples providing a smooth texture that enhances conductivity between the gasket and the mating...

ESD simulators.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... 20% lighter pistols, comfortable grips, ergonomic trigger switches, large LCDs for ease of programming, IEC 61000-4-2 R-C values. PESD 3010 provides 30-kV direct, air discharges, optional low-cost R-C values. PESD 1610 provides 16-kV air, 9-kV...

Test and measurement.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... New products featured in Keithley's full-line 2003 Test and Measurement Catalog include an Ethernet-based DMM/acquisition mainframe, source/ measure systems for automotive electrical testing, and optical switch cards. Other new products include...

Data acquisition.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... BLEUCAT[R] New Horizons[R] Product Preview of the Data Acquisition Handbook features 90 Dilbert Cartoons, products for DAS market from Ethernet-enable meters, controllers and signal conditioners; multi-functional, PCI-bus A/D boards; DIN rail...

EMC products.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... COM-POWER manufacturers EMC test equipment to perform pre-compliance and compliance testing. There products include antennas (1 to 18 GHz), LISNs, near-field probes, preamplifiers, and EMI emissions test systems. Emissions test systems are...

Low-cost vibration test systems and digital controllers.(EE Literature Marketplace)
August 1, 2003... 100 lbf System $5,395 with Vibrator, base, blower, low-distortion linear amplifier, cables & hose. Digital Controller Packages convert PCs to Vibration Controllers--Sine $3,995. Random $4,995. 4-Channel Swept-Sine, Random & Classical Shock with...