EE-Evaluation Engineering articles from October 2005

EE-Evaluation Engineering archives from October 2005

N 27[degrees] 17.161 W 082[degrees] 29.943.(EDITORIAL)
October 1, 2005... Everybody who owns a cell phone is familiar with the location and tracking capabilities of today's GPS-enabled handsets. For anyone involved in an emergency situation, a GPS phone could be a lifesaver. When a 911 call is received, rescue...

Agilent Technologies to spin off SOC and Memory Test businesses.(In The News)
October 1, 2005... A series of business-related actions recently announced by Agilent Technologies included plans to spin off its SOC and Memory Test businesses as soon as practical in 2006. At the same time, Agilent reported an agreement to divest the...

Anritsu acquires NetTest.(In The News)
October 1, 2005... Anritsu Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire NetTest. Headquartered in Copenhagen, NetTest has 480 employees and R&D locations in the United States, France, and Italy. The company's products address IP next-generation networks and...

ITC 2005.(Date)
October 1, 2005... The 2005 International Test Conference will be held Nov. 8-10 at the Convention Center in Austin, TX. ITC, the cornerstone of Test Week running Nov. 6-11, will support the theme Test: Survival of the Fittest, emphasizing the competitive and...

Spectrum Analyzer has resolution bandwidths to 8 MHz.(Product Briefing)
October 1, 2005... The PSA Series E4447A 42.98-GHz Spectrum Analyzer offers resolution bandwidths up to 8 MHz. It features [+ or -]0.62 dB ([+ or -]0.17-dB typical) amplitude accuracy at 1 GHz, The Power Suite tool set on the E4447A provides 10 RF and...

Compact tester available in three configurations.(Product Briefing)
October 1, 2005... The IC-100 is a zero-footprint general-purpose IC test system that combines a flexible architecture and a GUI software interface for the production testing of low pin-count ICs. The 11" X 14" footprint allows it to sit directly on a prober,...

Temperature loggers include 64-MB CF card.(Product Briefing)
October 1, 2005... Two new temperature loggers address remote or standalone applications requiring temperature measurement but that can't support a dedicated PC or laptop. The USB-5203 logs data from thermocouples (J, K, R, S, T, N, E, and B type), RTDs (two-,...

DSOs and MSOs offer 100-MHz performance.(Product Briefing)
October 1, 2005... Four 100-MHz portable digital storage and mixed-signal oscilloscopes (DSOs/MSOs) added to the Agilent 6000 Series are optimized for waveform update rates and display resolution and have the capability to add 16 logic-timing channels. They offer...

Module targets SerDes device testing.(Product Briefing)
October 1, 2005... The 6.5-Gb/s Digital Module for the OPENSTAR[R]-compliant T2000 Test Platform accommodates SOCs using a variety of SerDes standards such as PCI Express, SATA, XAUI and FBDIMM, and source-synchronous devices. It seamlessly addresses the test...

Analyzer supports WiMedia and WUSB standards.(Product Briefing)
October 1, 2005... The UWBTracer[TM] Protocol Analyzer captures traffic between MAC and PHY ICs to help resolve design issues in prototype systems. It displays hierarchal views of WiMedia[TM] and Wireless USB protocol layers using the CATC Trace[TM] display. The...

Device collects data over Bluetooth.(Product Briefing)
October 1, 2005... The btDAQ/100[TM] Multifunctional Data Acquisition Device works with Bluetooth PDAs, pocket PCs, and laptops and operates on battery or an AC adapter. It ships with free LabVIEW VIs to collect waveforms, read and output digital data, or read...

Developing a PXI-based flight-line test set: PXI technology can provide the platform for testing missile systems anywhere in the world.(AEROSPACE/PC-BASED TEST)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2005... With the obsolescence of an aging field tester for the AGM-65 Maverick Missile System, users including the U.S. Air Force and many international customers as well as Raytheon Missile Systems, the Maverick producer, were faced with diminished...

It's the time thing: time as well as frequency measurements describe digital modulation. Modern signal analyzers provide both.(SPECTRUM ANALYZERS)
October 1, 2005... A few decades ago, when analog oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers were state-of-the-art instruments, an engineer's life was far simpler than today. Of course, it also was much less flexible and many would say less interesting. An RF engineer...

Help me test my service! Learn how to dissect the efforts associated with evaluating wireless services.(WIRELESS TEST)
October 1, 2005... The continued rapid deployment of high-speed third-generation mobile system (3G) wireless networks allows for a wide range of new multimedia and data type services previously available only via wire line. Some typical examples are streaming...

Scan-based diagnostics assists yield: scan diagnostics play an important role in improving yield.(DESIGN FOR TEST)
October 1, 2005... As technologies move below 130 nm, the IC industry has seen a significant change in the type of defects encountered. Feature-related defects are becoming more prevalent than particle-driven defects in nanometer designs. Due to lithography...

PCB inspection shifts to AXI: as loss of access grows, it's time to look into viable alternatives to AOI.(X-RAY INSPECTION)
October 1, 2005... Rapid changes in printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies will force manufacturers to modify their test and inspection strategies. Electronic Trend Publications estimates that, due to the onslaught of area array packaging, half of all solder...

Running a mine detector through its paces: today's mine detectors survive some tough treatment long before they ever reach the battlefields.(ENVIRONMENTAL TEST APPLICATIONS)
October 1, 2005... In an age of global terrorists, military readiness means the capability to deploy equipment needed for the job anywhere at a moment's notice. When the Pentagon needed rapid environmental testing of a new, hand-held landmine detector, Sypris...

The world of the near field: when Scotty is beaming up, he's working in the very far field.(EMC ANTENNA TEST)
October 1, 2005... Distinguishing between near field and far field conditions is especially important in EMC testing. Published antenna factors and related calibration data generally are intended for use in far field measurements. The far field corresponds...

What's behind EMC test software? Explore the behind-the-scenes information that software must have to ensure that testing is done properly.(EMC TEST SOFTWARE)
October 1, 2005... Electronic and electrical equipment manufacturers are being placed under more and more scrutiny to ensure their products meet national and international electromagnetic requirements from emissions to immunity. As a result of this scrutiny, it...

Ethernet Switch Matrix.(ATE)
October 1, 2005... The 5105 CANBUS-based Switch Matrix with GPIB and Ethernet control interfaces covers a 1-GHz bandwidth. It is housed in a 3U rack-mountable chassis and accepts one to eight 1X4 switching modules. Modules are optimized for 100-[OMEGA]...

Fast memory programmer.(ATE)
October 1, 2005... Commander 2000 is a modular robotic system that can program flash memories as well as handle and test general-purpose logic at the rate of 2,400 units/h. Throughput is aided by an option of 40 independent parallel programming stations...

0.5-mm pitch Kelvin Probe.(ATE)
October 1, 2005... The new 0.5-mm Off-Set Kelvin Probe for measuring package resistance within 1 m[OMEGA] features a beveled tip offset needle for centers down to 0.2 mm on a device pad. The needle is constructed with tungsten alloy. The tip repels solder and is...

Location-based Test System.(COMMUNICATIONS TEST)
October 1, 2005... The A-GPS Test Systems address the conformance test requirements of Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) location-based services for all the major cellular technologies: GSM (2G), GPRS/EDGE (2.5G), UMTS (3G), and CDMA (CDMA2000 to 1x-EVDO). The systems combine...

Signal Generator and Digitizer.(COMMUNICATIONS TEST)
October 1, 2005... The 3020A Digital RF Signal Generator and the 3030A RF Digitizer are new modules in the company's PXI 3000 Series. The 3020A includes a 250-MHz to 2.7-GHz frequency range; a level accuracy [+ or -]0.3 dB typical (CW); analog, digital, and...

Serial pulse data generator.(COMMUNICATIONS TEST)
October 1, 2005... The Agilent 81141A is a high-speed, serial pulse data generator with stimulus capability up to 7 GHz. Other features include data formats RZ and NRZ with flexible parameters and fast transition times for high-quality waveforms and eye diagram...

Modular multichannel system.(DATA ACQUISITION)
October 1, 2005... The MAQbox3000, 5000, and 8000 Data Acquisition Systems accommodate multiple digitizers including 8-, 10-, and 12-b units and feature a scope-like GUI and up to 28 high-speed channels. The client-server topology enables remote control of the...

Multifunction USB devices.(DATA ACQUISITION)
October 1, 2005... The Personal Daq/3000[TM] Series of 1-MHz / 16-b USB devices provides analog, digital, and frequency I/O in a compact package. Accompanying software includes DaqView[TM] 8.0, an Out-of-the-Box[TM] datalogging and viewing application plus...

CompactPCI/PXI module.(DATA ACQUISITION)
October 1, 2005... The CP387 is a single-wide, 6U, CompactPCI/PXI module with up to 256 digital input/output channels. The base board provides 128 TTL-level digital I/O channels. Four mezzanine card sites populated with I/O options such as isolated input,...

Wind tunnel controller.(ENVIRONMENTAL TEST)
October 1, 2005... The WTC-100[TM] is a fully automatic controller for laboratory wind tunnels used to thermally characterize PCB components, heat sinks, card racks, and other electronics hardware. It measures device temperatures from -10[degrees]C to...

Programmable shock recorder.(ENVIRONMENTAL TEST)
October 1, 2005... The battery-powered, stand-alone TelaSHOCK measures and records 43,680 time-tagged peak acceleration levels per axis. It comes with three internal monolithic accelerometers oriented for measurement of three perpendicular axes. The standard...

Programmable Power Supplies.(INSTRUMENTATION)
October 1, 2005... The SPS and the HPS Series of Programmable Switching Power Supplies, expansions of the ePower line, include models configurable as either master and/or slave. The SPS rack-mount units range from 1.2 to 30 kW at up to 800 VDC and 2,700 ADC. The...

Pulse Generator.(INSTRUMENTATION)
October 1, 2005... The Model 565 Digital Delay Pulse Generator provides up to eight synchronized outputs and 500-ps timing resolution with pulse widths and delays out to 1,000 s. It features independent bursts, dividing by N with the capability to assign a...

Single-Output Power Supply.(INSTRUMENTATION)
October 1, 2005... The Model 9122 Single-Output Digital DC Power Supply offers a programmable output of 0 to 60 V at 0 to 2.5 A, meter resolution of 10 mV and 1 mA, a load regulation of 0.01% +3 mV, and closed-case calibration. The unit can power up to the same...

6-GHz Probe and Positioner.(INSTRUMENTATION)
October 1, 2005... The D500PT 6-GHz Differential Probe Module and Positioner Mounted Tip have been developed for the WaveLink Probe System. The D500PT probe has 2 mm of Z-axis compliance through spring-loaded tips and a ball joint between the probe tip and...