Show Highlights

Globalcomm (formerly Supercomm), June 6–8, Chicago, IL, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), www.globalcomm2006.com. IPTV was everywhere at Globalcomm, as network-equipment makers vied to fill network service providers' demand for switches, routers, and other network elements. IPTV, as well as voice and data services, needs test equipment. The telecom test industry was well represented with new products.

Anritsu (www.us.anritsu.com) added optical return loss and automatic bidirectional measurement options to its CMA50 line of loss test sets. RL features include measurement to –55 dB, pass/fail thresholds, and real-time readings for fast verification of results. Auto bidirectional features include up to four wavelengths out of a single port (1310/1490/1550/1625 nm) and dynamic range of 50 dB for testing of fibers as long as 200 km. Ixia (www.ixiacom.com) introduced Aptixia IxLoad 3.10 software, which can assess all aspects of IPTV service infrastructure for quality of experience (QoE). The software works with the company's hardware test platforms. Spirent Communications (www.spirentcom.com) demonstrated its line of test equipment, which includes broadband test systems, call generators, DSL line simulators, and data generators.

Agilent Technologies (www.agilent.com) made three announcements, two of which add IPTV to existing test products. The N2X multiservice tester, which emulates and measures thousands of subscribers and video clips, measures delay factor and loss using the Media Delivery Index. The company also added IPTV test capabilities to its FrameScope Pro handheld Ethernet performance tester, which can measure performance of video, voice, and data over Ethernet-based networks. Agilent's third announcement was a Distributed Network Analyzer.

JDSU (www.jdsu.com) announced that its HST-3000 handheld triple-play services tester adds testing for VDSL2 at data rates up to 30 Mbps over copper wires. VDSL2 is a physical-layer technology for delivering IPTV to subscriber premises. The company also introduced the MTS/T-BERD 6000 fiber-optic network tester. The instrument measures insertion loss, return loss, and optical power, and it functions as an optical time-domain reflectometer.

Sparnex (www.sparnex.com) demonstrated its own VDSL2 tester. The LSX 2030 can test transmissions on lines up to 26,000 ft of 26 AWG wire. Yokogawa (www.yokogawa.com/us) demonstrated its AQ6370 optical spectrum analyzer. University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab (www.iol.unh.edu), the subject of T&MW's April cover story, "Today's testing, tomorrow's engineers" (www.tmworld.com/2006_04), gave presentations on its testing capabilities for Ethernet, DSL, IP, and VoIP.

Sensors Expo, June 7–8, Rosemont, IL, Questex Media Group, www.sensorsexpo.com.ZigBee, the 250-kbps wireless communications link for sensors, switches, and other devices, was a hot topic at this year's Sensors Expo, where ZigBee Alliance president Bob Heile presented a session on the topic and where companies showing equipment unrelated to sensor measurements appeared in the exhibit hall. For example, AR Worldwide (www.ar-worldwide.com) exhibited its EMI test equipment, including amplifiers and receivers. Engineers designing ZigBee into their products must test receivers for susceptibility to interference and must test transmitters for unintentional harmonics. Frontline Test Equipment (ww.fte.com) demonstrated a ZigBee protocol analyzer.

Traditional sensors and measurement equipment were, though, still quite visible. Accelerometer makers PCB Piezotronics (www.pcb.com) and Kistler (www.kistler.com) exhibited their accelerometers and signal conditioners. D&R Technology (www.d-r-t.com) exhibited a line of automotive sensors used in seats for triggering air bags. Flexpoint (www.flexpoint.com) demonstrated bend sensors that change resistance when bent.

Data-acquisition equipment was also still prevalent at Sensors Expo, although with fewer exhibitors than in years past. LDS Test and Measurement (www.lds-group.com) exhibited oscilloscopes and data recorders. Measurement Computing (www.mccdaq.com) demonstrated its line of USB and PCI data-acquisition products. National Instruments (www.ni.com) showed data-acquisition products for PXI and USB, as well as for the proprietary CompactRIO.