Best in Test Finalists 2010: General-purpose instruments (non oscilloscopes)

-- Test & Measurement World, 12/22/2009 12:00:00 PM

Return to the entire list of Best in Test finalists for 2010.

--233 Remote Display Multimeter, Fluke
--5125A Phase Noise and Allan Deviation Test Set, Symmetricom
--CompuScope CobraMax Digitizer, Gage Applied Technologies
--EX1200 Series Switch/Measure System, VTI Intsruments
--GX3500 Flex DIO FPGA PXI Card, Geotest—Marvin Test Systems

 

233 Remote Display Multimeter
Fluke
us.fluke.com/usen/home/default.htm

The Fluke 233 Remote Display Multimeter gives users flexibility in unusual test situations. The user simply slides the wireless display out of the meter body and places it where it is easily visible (up to 10 m from the point of measurement) while putting the meter in the best position to take measurements. It is ideal for tests in hard-to-reach or enclosed areas, or where the operator can't remain near the measurement point, like clean rooms or hazardous areas.

The Fluke 233 uses a 2.4-GHz ISM-band wireless transmitter to send readings to the detached display. The low-power wireless signal resists electromagnetic interference. The radio transmitter automatically turns on when the display is removed from the meter and turns off when the display is reattached. When the display is attached, the Fluke 233 operates as a conventional multimeter.

Price: $300.

 

5125A Phase Noise and Allan Deviation Test Set
Symmetricom
www.symmetricom.com

Symmetricom's 5125A Extended-Range Phase Noise and Allan Deviation Test Set (ADEV) is a comprehensive system for phase noise and stability characterization of frequency sources up to 400 MHz. Its all-digital architecture makes it easy for users to characterize high-performance sources in this frequency range. It allows accurate measurements of SSB (single sideband) phase noise and ADEV at the click of a button, at what Symmetricom says is a fraction of the cost of other systems.

Users connect the DUT (device under test) and a reference, which need not be at the same frequency as the DUT, and press the start button. Seconds later, measurement data appears on the unit's high-resolution display. With its direct-sampling technique, the 5125A eliminates the need for multistep configuration and calibration. It offers an extremely low close-in phase noise floor, which Symmetricom says was previously available only from higher-priced multibox systems.

Price: $33,000 (domestic), $38,000 (international).

 

CompuScope CobraMax Digitizer
Gage Applied Technologies
www.gage-applied.com

The CompuScope CobraMax Digitizer family handles both communications and fast laser applications. The instrument samples at 3 or 4 Gsamples/s with up to two 50-Ω, AC- or DC-coupled inputs covering ranges from 100 mVpp to 10 Vpp. Its analog performance for SINAD is 47.0 dB (7.5 bits), and it has a spurious-free dynamic range of 56.5 dB. Bandwidth is AC or DC to 1.5 GHz at 4 Gsamples/s and to 1.2 GHz at 3 Gsamples/s.

These PCI compliant digitizers offer memory depths from 256 Msamples to 4 Gsamples, enabling a 250-ps sample resolution for more than 1 s or a 500-ps resolution for more than 2 s. Onboard FPGA processing is available for averaging, peak detection, FIR filtering, and FFT measurements. CobraMax allows more than 500,000 acquisitions per second in multirecord mode, while an efficient driver design allows for more than 4000 read/rearm cycles per second in continuous acquisition mode.

Base price: $8995.

 

EX1200 Series Switch/Measure System
VTI Instruments
www.vtiinstruments.com

The EX1200 is a high-density switch, measure, and I/O instrument available in flexible and scalable configurations ranging from ½-rack 1U to full-rack 3U. A common software architecture and application programming interface support all phases of the product life cycle, from design and validation through production. An integrated 6.5-digit digital multimeter is at the core of the system, which also features a built-in sequencer that decreases test time and increases the efficiency of the test process.

A Web-based embedded graphical user interface provides out-of-the-box operation and instrument control from anywhere in the world through standard browser utilities; no programming or third-party software is required. The EX1200 can also be configured as a high-density switching subsystem (covering signals from DC to 26.5 GHz), conserving rack space while maintaining a high level of signal integrity. VTI Instruments claims that this is the only LXI Class A certified product in its class.

Price: 6.5-digit DMM with 96 channels of switching—$3595.

 

GX3500 Flex DIO FPGA PXI Card
Geotest—Marvin Test Systems
www.geotestinc.com

The GX3500 is a user-programmable, FPGA-based, 3U PXI card that does not require the user to purchase proprietary design and compiler tools. Instead, users can use Altera's free, Web-based, Quartus II toolset for designing and compiling FPGA designs. And since the tools are native to the FPGA device (an Altera Cyclone III), users can take advantage of all the device's features and capabilities.

The GX3500 is called a Flex DIO because users have the flexibility to use the card as a 160-channel digital I/O device or to add a daughter board and customize the card for analog and digital interfaces. Geotest says that competing PXI products require the secondary card to reside outside the module, a cumbersome configuration when creating an integrated PXI system. The daughter boards for the GX3500 can be designed by the end user and can be accommodated within the module, creating a compact, integrated setup.

Price: $1995.