Exploring the roots of innovation

David Graef joined LeCroy Corp. 16 years ago. He was named CTO of the instrumentation firm in 2003 and a LeCroy VP in 1999. Before joining LeCroy, he served with Data Device Corp., a manufacturer of data-conversion interface products. Graef earned his BS in electrical engineering from the University of Bridgeport.

For more Q&A with David Graef on such topics as innovation, customized products, and Web-based instruments, read the continuation of this interview.

T&MW: How important is innovation at LeCroy?

Graef: The drive to innovate is deeply rooted in our corporate culture. People here are passionate about finding useful new solutions to help customers, and it has been that way since Walter LeCroy started the company in 1964.

T&MW: Can you cite some technologies that demonstrate the company's strength as an innovator?

Graef: The new WaveSurfer oscilloscope (winner of the 2005 T&MW Test Product of the Year award) combines a small bench footprint with a large display and easy connectivity. It really makes you want to start turning the knobs. Although the scope does have some analysis capability, we are aiming this product at the broad marketplace, including test technicians.

Another example is our X-Stream processing methodology, which allows much faster processing of very long, complex waveforms. Also significant is our digital bandwidth interleave (DBI), a technology that splits and then recombines signals in the frequency domain. For instance, DBI preprocesses the signal in the analog domain and routes the processed signal into multiple scope channels. As a result, we can increase both the bandwidth and the sample rate of the instrument.

T&MW: Could you explain the role of your Accelerated Throughput Architecture?

Graef: It's a combination of technologies that allows a sampling oscilloscope to have much faster throughput and longer acquisition memory. ATA also incorporates X-Stream processing. Our new WaveExpert digital oscilloscopes are the first to incorporate this combination of technology. These scopes come to market with 100-GHz bandwidth and signal application speeds 100 times faster than conventional sampling scopes.

T&MW: How do you foster creativity in your development team?

Graef: We try to give engineers the time and space to be creative, but the reality is that we are under the same intense time pressures that our customers face. It really comes down to hiring the best people. They need to fit into our corporate culture of innovation. And they need to have not just technical depth but also technical breadth because of the wide variety of technical challenges that our customers must tackle. So, we look for people who can demonstrate an ability to think creatively. Finally, we want engineers who are passionate about solving customer problems and designing circuits, particularly high-frequency chips.

T&MW: What role does customer feedback play in the creative process?

Graef: We have a number of processes for collecting customer input, and we use that information to drive next-generation products or enhancements to existing products. But we also insist that engineers get out into the field to talk to customers. Invariably, they are very charged up when they come back from these meetings. They like seeing how their products and ideas are used by engineers in the real world. The exercise not only gives our team the impetus to develop new solutions but also provides the context for that development. Artists don't need a context for their work; they can do anything they want. But engineers must target their creativity toward solving specific problems and applications.