2008 Test Engineer of the Year Nominee:
Richard Stilwell
-- Test & Measurement World, 10/1/2007
SOC/RF TESTRichard Stilwell
Staff Test Development Engineer, Analog Devices
Describing Stilwell's work, Ron Waltman, test development engineering group leader of High Speed Signal Processing at Analog Devices said, "Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) is nominating Staff Test Development Engineer Richard Stilwell for Test & Measurement World’s Test Engineer of the Year Award. A nine-year ADI veteran, Richard works in the company’s High Speed Signal Processing Group based in Greensboro, NC.
"ADI is nominating Richard for his outstanding work in testing the AD9271, a complete eight-channel ultrasound receiver that combines a low-noise amplifier, variable-gain amplifier (VGA), anti-aliasing filter (AAF) and a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Each channel of the AD9271 features a preamp with a low noise of 1.2-nV per root hertz and an overall dynamic range of 90 dB, approaching the performance currently available in discreet solutions.
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"Combining a VGA, AAF, and ADC (typically sold as stand-alone products) with the innovative functionality needed for ultrasound applications, presented a difficult and unique production test challenge. Since the product test platforms for products based on these individual blocks were not capable of testing the combination of functions designed into the AD9271, a test platform capable of testing complex signal chain products was needed.
"After evaluating several test platforms, Richard chose the LTX Fusion because it had the dynamic range required, a high-speed serial digital interface, and provided the ability to test all eight ADC and CWD channels simultaneously vital for reduced test times. Richard’s insight allowed for a cost-effective test solution for a highly integrated systems product that now makes a new class of ultrasound products possible. His work on the AD9271 sets the stage for testing of future system-level chips from ADI."
Read more about Stilwell's company and his work:
- Analog Devices magazine article: "Advances Trigger an Ultrasound Boom."
- PBS Report on growth of portable ultrasound applications.
- Description of the AD9271 eight-channel receiver, used in portable ultrasound devices. Richard Stilwell selected the test system for this SOC product.
- Analog Devices ultrasound imaging solutions.
- New family of octal ADCs from Analog Devices for portable medical designs.
- AD6654 mixed-signal IF to base band receiver.
- AD6645 analog-to-digital converter.
- AD9254 14-bit, 150-Msamples/s, 1.8-V analog-to-digital converter.
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