Product Update

The Fusion HFi system-on-chip (SOC) tester offers 2.5-Gbits/s digital channels in half the size and weight of the company's original Fusion HF. Built on LTX's patented scalable, single-platform Fusion architecture, Fusion HFi supports six independent time domains, and it tests embedded clock/data streams at rates to 3.5 Gbits/s. It can test a variety of SOC cores, providing for functional test, embedded memory test, and structural test through independent scan-per-pin support.

The HFi also provides a seamless interface to third-party BIST implementations with fully integrated diagnostic support. It leverages the Fusion platform's suite of mixed-signal instruments, including a 6.4-GHz RF instrument; HFi can deliver up to 300 A, features a 3.2-Gbits/s multichannel time-measurement capability, and offers datacom instruments with data rates up to 12.7 Gbits/s.

Fusion's open platform enables LTX's development partners to offer additional, fully integrated instruments. The HFi runs under LTX's enVision SOC test design environment, and it is compatible with Fusion HF test programs and loadboards, design links, and factory integration and training.

Price: $1.5–$4 million. LTX, Westwood, MA. 781-461-1000; www.ltx.com .

LabView 7 Express shortens the language's learning curve with over 40 "Express VIs" that help you get your first measurement without writing LabView code. The Express Vis—virtual instruments—let you "wire" predefined function modules, such as those used to acquire data and analyze signals, into complete applications. Previous versions of LabView required you to write code to perform these functions.

LabView 7 also expands into the handheld realm with the PDA (personal digital assistant) module, which lets you run applications on Pocket PC and Palm OS PDAs. Just develop your application on the desktop and download it to a PDA so you can operate embedded instrument controllers and instruments through a wireless LAN.

The LabView 7 FPGA (field-programmable gate array) module lets you develop real-time applications on a new reconfigurable I/O card. The card contains analog and digital I/O plus an FPGA that can run applications in real time and lets you run applications in parallel.

Prices: LabView 7 Express—$995; PDA module—$995; FPGA module—$1995. National Instruments, Austin TX. 512-683-0100; www.ni.com/labview.

The ME7840/4 combines the capabilities of five instruments, including Anritsu's Scorpion vector-network-measurement system, to streamline handset power-amplifier test. The single-connection turnkey system measures S-parameters, harmonics, swept-power gain compression, and intermodulation distortion. It handles 5 W from 10 MHz to 6 GHz and measures noise figure from 50 MHz to 6 GHz. An auxiliary path for connection to an external signal generator and analyzer supports adjacent channel power ratio measurements. The system comes with Scorpion Navigator Windows-based software, which orchestrates the setup, calibration, measurement, and reporting activities associated with power-amplifier tests.

Price: $99,225. Anritsu, Richardson, TX. 800-267-4878; www.us.anritsu.com .

Arendar (pronounced a-REN-dar) data-management software lets you consolidate test data from many sources into one database. Arendar takes test data from many popular languages used for test-software development and stores all the data in a common structured-query-language database. You can then export selected tests into Microsoft Excel or National Instruments' DIAdem for analysis.

Arendar comes in both desktop and enterprise editions. A Data Browser feature lets you extract data from the database into Excel or DIAdem. An optional Web Dashboard lets Arendar publish data analyses in HTML format for other engineers to view.

Prices: desktop—$1995; enterprise server—$4995, plus $1495 for each test-station client. VI Technology, Austin TX. 512-327-3348; www.vi-tech.com .

Targeting 3G dual-mode chipset designers, the Agilent Signal Studio for 1xEV-DV and cdma2000 works with the Agilent E4438C ESG vector signal generator to provide test and verification in accordance with the 3GPP2 standards. 1xEV-DV (the "1x evolution—data and voice" stage of the cdma2000 3G format) permits the allocation of bandwidth on demand and supports simultaneous voice and data traffic on one device; wireless network equipment manufacturers are expected to begin 1xEV-DV interoperability testing and field trials in the third quarter of this year. The software supports four 1xEV-DV forward link channels: two short-duration, fully coded packet data channels (PDCH) and two real-time packet data control channels (PDCCH), in addition to forward- and reverse-link cdma2000 voice channels.

Price: 1xEV-DV software—$6,000; E4438C ESG vector signal generator with minimum configuration to run the software—$28,350. Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA. 800-452-4844, ext. 7819; www.agilent.com/find/signalstudio .

The Seven.Five family of multigeneration wireless test instruments supports 2G, 2.5G, and 3G baseband standards. The instruments help cellular network operators and carriers optimize data and voice performance as well as geographic coverage of their wireless networks. The family members include a single-calling-module version that implements audio and data quality-of-service algorithms; an RF scanner that scans over 3000 channels/s in multiple frequency bands (supporting GSM, EDGE, IS-136, cdma2000, and WCDMA); a dual-calling-module plus scanner instrument; a chassis that accommodates any combination of six calling modules or scanners (multiple chassis can accommodate up to 96 modules); and software that supports benchmarking and optimization based on data that Seven.Five hardware collects.

Base price: $15,000. Availability, six to eight weeks. Comarco Wireless Test Solutions, Irvine, CA. 949-599-7400; www.comarco.com .

The MegaPlus ES 1020 can capture megapixel images at 48 full frames/s. Available in both monochrome and Bayer color versions, the camera allows electronic shutter exposure times as short as 35 µs. Armed with Kodak CCD technology, a user-friendly GUI, and a Camera Link interface, the ES 1020 can serve applications including semiconductor and electronics inspection and microscopy.

Price: from less than $4000. Redlake, San Diego, CA. 858-481-8182; www.redlake.com .