Product update

The YTX-3000 high-resolution x-ray inspection system enables electronics assemblers and semiconductor packagers to reduce costs, improve quality, and increase throughput. Based on YesTech's proprietary Windows XP-based machine-vision software, which includes real-time sharpening, the YTX-3000 offers automated inspection of BGA and flip-chip devices, of bond wires, and of die-attach and solder-joint quality.

The YTX-3000's x-ray tube features a 5-micron spot size. The system is available with a 4- or 5-axis manipulator with 18x20-in. x-y travel for samples weighing up to 5 lbs. It offers 360° of sample rotation and an optional 30° tilt for oblique views. Stepper-motor drives provide a range of speeds, from ultra-slow at high magnification to higher speeds for fast travel over longer distances.

Price: $85,000. YesTech, San Clemente, CA. 949-361-2714; www.yestechinc.com.

The venerable VXIbus received a boost with the addition of three slot-0 bus controllers, three ADC modules, and three other function modules from Bustec. The Model 3020 slot-0 controller ($2150) communicates with a Windows or Linux computer through a USB 2.0 port, thus eliminating the need for a communications card in the PC. The Model 3045 ($9895) is a self-contained controller that runs Windows, and the Model 3042 runs VxWorks or Linux.

Three new data-acquisition modules mount in a VXI carrier card. Each module accepts four channels, and you can install four modules in one carrier card. A separate sigma-delta ADC on each channel eliminates multiplexing errors.

Rather than use the typical 64X or 128X oversampling method, the Bustec ADCs use 8X oversampling and a finite-impulse response (FIR) filter to decimate the data and eliminate ringing for final output. Prices start at $3300, with a sampling rate of 51.2 kHz, 102.4 kHz, or 625 kHz.

The remaining three modules include an eight-channel data-acquisition module ($2695), a relay module ($1320), and a 1553B interface card ($5115).

Bustec, Cleveland, OH. 440-826-4156; www.bustec.com.

Connectors add capacitance to circuits, which degrades signals. Eliminate a connector and signal integrity improves.

Agilent's E5394A Soft Touch probes work with the 1680 and 1690 series of logic analyzers, letting you connect the logic analyzer's cable directly to PCB pads (that you design into a board) without the need to add a connector for your logic analyzer. Springs in the probe make contact with pads to provide connections with less than 0.7 pF of capacitance.

Price: $2000. Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA. 800-452-4844, ext. 7832; www.agilent.com/find/softtouch .

HiTek Power's new AP500 power supplies incorporate a power-factor-correction (PFC). Suitable for stand-alone bench use or for integrating into ATE systems, AP500 units feature an autoranging output characteristic curve that provides a range of voltage and current combinations within a constant 500-W power envelope, with voltages to 400 V and currents to 80 A.

The AP500 can operate in constant-current or constant-voltage modes, with LED status indicators on the front panel showing which mode is in use. The output can be controlled manually, through the GPIB, or by simple remote voltage or resistance programming.

Base price: $2850. HiTek Power, Santee, CA. 619-258-7700; www.hitekpower.com.

Three plug-and-play PXI digitizers offer sampling rates of up to 2 Gsamples/s, a bandwidth of 500 MHz or 1 GHz, and up to 8 million points of acquisition memory. The dual-channel PXD1022 and PXD522 and the single-channel PXD1021 capture long complex signals with high accuracy, making them useful for production test applications, including analytical instrumentation, disk drives, and automotive systems. The sample rate of the digitizers can be interleaved to create a maximum repetitive sample rate of up to 50 Gsamples/s for capturing repetitive signals.

Base price: PXD1022—$12,990; PXD1021—$6990; and PXD522—$9990. Delivery: four to six weeks. LeCroy, Chestnut Ridge, NY. 800-453-2769; www.lecroy.com .

Tecplot version 10, a data-plotting and graphing package, lets you plot 2-D and 3-D graphs from your engineering data. The software lets you view up to 128 plots at once. You can pan, zoom, and rotate any graph. Interactive exploration tools let you probe and slice through graphs, so you can visually look at specific data points.

Version 10 adds a contour variable that lets you view several variables at once. You can assign different contour variables to different regions of a graph, which produces different colors for increased visibility. A data journal keeps a log of graph configurations, which lets you return to a previous version of a graph without reconfiguring it.

Tecplot runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Unix. Amtec Engineering, Belleview, WA. 425-653-1200; www.tecplot.com .