EE-Evaluation Engineering articles from February 2009

EE-Evaluation Engineering archives from February 2009

It's what you do.(Editorial)
February 1, 2009... People suffering from digestive tract disorders such as Chron's disease, colitis, and colon cancer are treated with drugs that can have side effects, some merely unpleasant but others potentially harmful. Because these treatments are whole-body...

Compact 5.5-digit DMM offers 10 measurement functions.(PAUL'S PICKS)(digital multimeter)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The U2741A is a 5.5-digit DMM incorporating 100-S/s measurements; maximum input levels of 300 VDC and 2 A; and DC voltage and DC current, true-rms AC voltage and AC current, two- and four-wire resistance, frequency, diode test, continuity, and...

Arb/function generator has 256k-point memory capacity.(PAUL'S PICKS)(arbitrary)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The Model 3390 Arbitrary Waveform/Function Generator features a 50-MHz maximum sine wave frequency and a 25-MHz pulse frequency with 10-ns minimum width. The built-in function generator capability includes sine, square, triangle, noise, and DC....

DAQ system integrates transient recorder.(PAUL'S PICKS)(LDS Test and Measurement)(data acquisition)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The Genesis 5i Data Acquisition System and Transient Recorder provides up to 40 channels and a sustained streaming rate of 50 MB/s to its hard disks and features a range of configurable input modules. It offers a maximum sample rate in...

High-speed DAQ boards have deep on-board memory.(PAUL'S PICKS)(data acquisition)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The AD8-3000 Data Acquisition Board Series performs uninterrupted acquisition of two concurrent 3-GS/s 8-bit A/D channels. When installed in any x 16 PCle slot, the AD8-3000 can acquire data at an aggregate rate up to 6 GB/s, optionally process...

Real-time scopes execute up to 30-GHz bandwidth.(PAUL'S PICKS)(LeCroy Corp.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... WaveMaster[R] 8 Zi Series Oscilloscopes can provide up to 30-GHz bandwidth, an 80-GS/s sampling rate, 512 Mpoints of analysis, > 15-GHz edge triggering, and 10 to 100 times faster analysis processing time. Like its Zi predecessors, 8 Zi has...

Software analyzes RF signals up to 20-GHz bandwidth.(PAUL'S PICKS)(radio frequency)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... SignalVu[TM] combines the signal analysis engine of the RSA6100A Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer with the triggering capabilities of the DP07000 and DPO/DSA70000 Digital Oscilloscope Series to evaluate signal up to 20 GHz without an external down...

Switching Platform features LXI Class A technology.(PAUL'S PICKS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The EX72SF Switching Platform houses up to six multithrow and six SPDT RF/microwave latching relays with self-terminating and extended-life options. It offers operating ranges from DC to 20 GHz, 26.5 GHz, or 40 GHz and meets the LXI Class A...

Conducting measurements on LTE transmitters.(WIRELESS TEST)(long term evolution)(Technical report)
February 1, 2009... Engineers preparing to measure long-term evolution (LTE) face many challenges. For one, LTE introduces orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) into the cellular world. It also brings bandwidths of up to 20 MHz, significantly wider...

Integrated DMM-switch systems optimize performance.(DMMs)
February 1, 2009... DMMs are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and capabilities. For automated test applications, modular PXI, VXI, and most recently, LXI instruments provide the flexibility necessary to support different test system configurations....

Sales engineers are still engineers.(MANAGER'S FORUM)(Column)
February 1, 2009... Not every engineer is cut out to undertake design work, and many spend years of unsatisfied toil in their engineering positions. There are alternatives, though, for those who wish to break free and take the challenge of less routine tasks, a...

Open tools and standards emerge for embedded instrumentation.(BOUNDARY SCAN)
February 1, 2009... The drive toward embedded instrumentation is not new. The force of miniaturization has been pervasive in the industry for more than three decades. Typically, it's only a matter of time before a popular technology that was first implemented...

LXI Class A applications.(LXI INSTRUMENTATION)
February 1, 2009... Introduced in 2004, the LXI instrumentation platform has gained acceptance in the functional test and data acquisition industries as a viable communications bus alternative to GPIB for rack-and-stack instruments. To support the market demand,...

Classy amplifiers simplify EMC test.(EMC TEST)
February 1, 2009... Amplification isn't a difficult concept. You start with a small RF or microwave signal and make it into a large one. Ideally, you wouldn't be able to distinguish between the two signals except by their size. Indeed, a power amplifier makes the...

Inspection Buyers Guide.(INSPECTION BUYERS GUIDE)(Directory)
February 1, 2009... EE's annual Inspection Buyers Guide is a comprehensive, up-to-date listing of the companies that provide inspection equipment or related products. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The guide is arranged in two sections. First is a product/company...