T&MW's Top Articles for March 2008

-- Test & Measurement World, 4/16/2008 1:25:00 PM

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Protection at full power
Protecting circuits may not be at the forefront of every design engineer's mind, but it is paramount in the minds of Littelfuse engineers, who subject components to excessive current, lightning, ESD, overvoltage, and extreme temperatures. Read More

Nonsignaling technique improves RF test
Many wireless devices now combine GSM, WCDMA, Bluetooth, WLAN, GPS, and FM technologies while also operating at the high data rates required for mobile Internet. And because customers demand that mobile radio service be available on any continent, many devices also operate in multifrequency bands and support multimode operation. Read More

PXI and bench instruments evenly matched
When two approaches to the same problem exist in a market, they are bound to compete at some level. For PXI and bench instruments, that competition began in the area of automated testing--but improvements in both are blurring distinctions. Read More

The wall between structural and functional test
Enlightened, multidisciplinary engineers may be dismantling the oft-decried wall between design and test, but some of the bricks that made up that wall may have been reassembled into a wall between two test disciplines. Read More

Take lens MTF into account
The MTF describes how a lens affects contrast information and thus how "sharp" an image appears. So, if you plan to measure edge locations, part placements, or dimensions, pay attention to the MTF of the lens. Read More

Guest Commentary: Metrology personnel shortage is real
With the US facing a shortfall of technical professionals, concerned individuals and professional metrology organizations are taking steps to increase metrology awareness with an emphasis on education and training. Read More

Ground tests confirm satellite communications for battlefield
Northrup Grumman recently verified the compatibility of the advanced extremely high-frequency (EHF) military communications satellite with user ground terminals. The system ensures that troops engaged in battle will have a reliable communications network. Read More

Guest commentary: New LXI products and capabilities unleash the power of Ethernet
With nearly 500 products certified as LXI-compliant, and a growing list of Class B and Class A products on the market and under development, a recent LXI PlugFest was alive with application stories demonstrating impressive systems results through the application of LXI. Read More

Agilent's x-ray systems take a new direction: Part 2
By shifting from laminography-based x-ray systems to systems that employ a form of tomography, Agilent Technologies hopes to improve call performance as well as test coverage and defect detection. Read More

Applying sensors in harsh environments
PCB Piezotronics recently formed a new Aerospace & Defense division. Ron Livecchi, senior director of the division, explained why the division was created and expanded upon the challenge of deploying sensors in harsh environments. Read More

Hummer vs. hybrid

Which modern tech products are headed for the trash heap (or recycle center)?

Nine-year-old PC finally retired

Common sense and Prozac for what ails e-mail

A new dot-4 product and a clarification