Product Update

The Model US232 is a 0.5-m cable and adapter that connects legacy RS-232 peripherals to new PCs having USB ports. The Model US232 employs an FT8U232AM USB UART IC from Future Technology Devices International (www.ftdichip.com) and a SP213EHCA RS-232 transceiver from Sipex (www.sipex.com) to achieve data rates to 460 kbps. It can serve as an interim solution for designers who intend to design an FT8U232AM chip into their products. The Model US232 comes with drivers for Apple iMAC systems and for PCs running Windows 98, 2000, or XP. Price: $39. Saelig, Fairport, NY. 716-425-3753; www.saelig.com.

A patented limited-energy pulse circuit enables the Model 520C to test transistors in circuit. A high-current, low-duty-cycle pulse technique tests transistors in the presence of shunting components; a low-current-drive technique lets users identify device terminals in most in-circuit configurations and for all out-of-circuit transistors. It can identify terminals on NPN or PNP transistors, n-channel or p-channel FETs, diodes, and SCRs, and it can measure leakage currents. It runs on a 9-V battery, measures 2x4x7.5 in., and weighs 1 lb. Price: $435. B&K Precision, Yorba Linda, CA. 714-237-9220; www.bkprecision.com.

Fiber-optic components that operate in 10-Gbps and 40-Gbps networks require careful evaluation and characterization. The Agilent 81910A Photonic All-Parameter Analyzer will test narrowband optical devices for insertion loss, polarization loss, chromatic dispersion, and polarization mode dispersion. The measurement system operates over the 1520- to 1620-nm wavelength range.

The analyzer comes with a tunable laser source (81640A) that lets the analyzer make loss measurements and an interferometer for measurement of dispersion properties. The latter measurements take advantage of a new technique that includes the DUT in one arm of the interferometer. An algorithm extracts group delay (chromatic dispersion data) from the interferometer's phase-difference measurements.

In addition to the tunable laser, the analyzer also comes with an 8164A mainframe, an 8169A polarization controller, software, a system controller, and an optical head, shown in the photo. The optical head provides a stable mechanical environment for testing optical components and assemblies. Customers who have the tunable laser and polarization controller can upgrade their equipment to configure a complete analyzer. The accompanying Photonic Foundation Library 2.0 software works equally well in a lab or on a production line.

Price: $199,500. Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA. 800-452-4844; www.agilent.com/comms/comp-test.

Supporting design-for-test (DFT) techniques while also handling conventional test of analog and mixed-signal devices, the Integra FLEX includes a universal-slot architecture that lets you mix and match the test resources applied to each DUT pin. Unlike conventional testers with centralized clocks and restricted instrument arrangements, Integra FLEX enables users to reconfigure the system when a test needs change. DC-to-microwave analog instrumentation, high-density CMOS differential-digital capability, logic-scan capability, and memory test features can all reside in Integra FLEX's air-cooled test head.

The system's independent-instrument architecture, dubbed the Time Tracks architecture, provides support for multiple clocks and sequencers per DUT socket. When testing mixed-signal or linear circuitry or when performing memory-redundancy analysis, Integra FLEX processes data in the background, in parallel with testing. Background DSP can eliminate the 20% to 50% test-time overhead seen on test systems with serial or in-line DSP structures. Integra FLEX boosts site count for DSP-intensive testing with a special-purpose multiprocessor computing core in addition to the user computer. Integra FLEX comes with multilevel IG-XL5 software, which gives test engineers the ability to mix graphical template programming, high-level test procedures, and low-level code for precise control.

Base price: $500,000. Teradyne, Boston, MA. 617-482-2700; www.teradyne.com/integraflex.

NI Switch Executive is National Instruments' open switch-management software, which aims to help manufacturing test engineers lower test costs by reducing switch configuration maintenance and improving test performance. It integrates with NI LabView, NI TestStand, or any other development environment, as well as a variety of NI and third-party switching hardware.

NI Switch Executive combines several switch connections into a single configuration. In addition, engineers can use Switch Executive's software-assisted switch routing to quickly connect instruments or other test devices to test points instead of having to program the connections one-by-one. The software displays the channels that make up a switch system so engineers can easily view connections between test devices and test points and name these channels with descriptive aliases, such as corresponding terminals or instruments. Engineers can quickly reroute switches at any time to meet the needs of new products under test, and with descriptively named connections, they can instantly identify channels, even if they did not originally configure the system.

NI Switch Executive software increases test system performance by efficiently converting switch configurations from one test sequence to another. Traditionally, engineers disconnect each switch between test sequences, but NI Switch Executive sustains common connections in switch configurations between tests. When test engineers change between a cell-phone transmitter test to a cell-phone receiver test, for example, common switches to both tests remain connected. The software also ensures the end-to-end measurement path follows the same route every time to guarantee calibration consistency and maintain accurate measurements.

NI Switch Executive is built using the Interchangeable Virtual Instruments (IVI) standard to ensure engineers can use and interchange a variety of switching hardware without reprogramming their software. As a result, NI Switch Executive delivers intelligent switching to NI and third-party PXI, SCXI, VXI, and IEEE 488 switches.

Base price: $1995. National Instruments, Austin, TX. 800-433-3488; ni.com/switchexecutive.

Tektronix has replaced its popular TDS200 series portable oscilloscopes with the TDS1000 and TDS2000 series. The TDS1000 uses the same monochrome display as the TDS200; the TDS2000 scopes add color displays, higher bandwidth, faster sampling, and more channels

TDS1000 two-channel scopes come in 60-MHz (TDS1002) and 100-MHz (TDS1012) models. The TDS2000 line has five models with two or four channels and with bandwidths of 60 MHz, 100 MHz, or 200 MHz. These color scopes use a different color for each channel, color-coordinated to the analog-style control knobs. All 60-MHz and 100-MHz models sample at up to 1 Gsample/s, while the 200-MHz models sample at up to 2 Gsamples/s. The new models, however, don't improve on the TDS200's 2.5-ksample record length.

All TDS1000 and TDS2000 models now include a fast Fourier transform function—previously an option. You also get more trigger options such as pulse-width trigger. All models come with an external front-panel trigger input, too. Eleven automated measurements include rise and fall time, frequency, period, and pulse width. You also can store up to 10 scope setups.

Like their predecessors, the TDS1000 and TDS2000 scopes have an optional communications module ($265) that lets you control the scope through a serial or IEEE 488 port. Windows software ($319) lets you operate the scope from a PC without writing your own program.

Price: $995 to $2795. Tektronix, Beaverton, OR. 800-426-2200; www.tektronix.com.

Three eXpressDSP reference frameworks include easy-to-use source code that can get you started on DSP application development. The frameworks eliminate the need for initial low-level design decisions that can bog down development projects in the early stages. The frameworks take aim at three areas of project complexity, based on the Texas Instruments' assessment of requirements such as data rates, the number of algorithms, number of channels, memory constraints, and static or dynamic configuration.

Designers can populate these frameworks with any of the more than 500 available eXpressDSP-compliant algorithms available from TI or from third parties, or they can use their own algorithms, creating specific applications for a range of broadband, voice, video imaging, biometrics, and wireless infrastructure equipment.

The Reference Frameworks include the Compact framework (RF1), targeted at portable applications (for example, digital scanners, smart toys, and low-power pay phones) based on the TMS320C5000 DSP platform; the Flexible framework (RF3) for applications (such as hands-free voice kits, multichannel phone systems, and digital video cameras) based on the low-power C5000 DSP platform or the high-performance TMS320C6000 DSP platform; and the Extensive framework (RF5), scheduled to be available in the second half of 2002, which supports static object creation plus static and dynamic memory management.

Each framework includes design-ready, tested, reusable C-language source code; simple algorithms that act as placeholders for any of the hundreds of eXpressDSP-compliant TI third-party algorithms or in-house proprietary algorithms; detailed memory and instruction cycle budgets; an adaptation guide for adding algorithms, channels, and drivers; an API reference manual to document the functions of new modules; and consistent documentation in application notes.

The Compact (RF1) and Flexible (RF3) frameworks are licensed royalty-free with every TMS320 device and are ready to implement with Code Composer Studio v2.1 on TI DSPs or DSP Starter Kits (DSKs), which start at $295. Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX. www.dspvillage.ti.com/rframeworks.