March 4, 2008

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

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

IPC prefers devil it doesn't know
IPC in January urged the European Commission not to expand the scope of its RoHS directive. In a February 5 posting at EDN.com, Fern Abrams elaborates on IPC's position, but first wonders, "Is advocating REACH over RoHS akin to dealing with the devil...?" Read More

RF book's new edition adds EDA tools, skips test
In RF Circuit Design, 2nd ed., John Blyler and Cheryl Ajluni have updated Chris Bowick's 1982 edition to accommodate changes that have occurred over the last 26 years. Read More

Credence sells diagnostics, characterization business
Credence Systems is continuing its focus on automated test equipment (ATE) for the consumer semiconductor industry and, in doing so, has announced the sale of its diagnostics and characterization business to DCG Systems. Read More

ASE Test selects V93000 Port Scale RF
Verigy announced that ASE Test has purchased the Verigy Port Scale RF for testing its customers' highly integrated wireless communications devices. Read More

JTAG module tests DDR2 Mini DIMM 244 interfaces
Goepel electronic's Module/DIMM244so, a member of the company's CION product family, is serially controlled via a boundary-scan test-access port (TAP), and it enables the testing of all signal and voltage supply pins of JEDEC-standard-compliant (JESD79-2C) DDR2 Mini DIMM 244-pin sockets. The CION Module/DIMM244so plugs directly into the sockets to be tested. Read More

IBM, AMD demo first "full field" EUV test chip
Research partners Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and IBM have announced a working test chip that uses extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography for the critical first layer of metal connections across the entire chip. Read More

Challenge yourself: How do you eliminate ringing?
Our latest Oscilloscope Challenge is now live.

Question: What is the quickest way to attempt to eliminate ringing on a measured signal?
Prize: TomTom ONE GPS
Sponsor: Yokogawa

Take the Oscilloscope Challenge

March issue covers communication test
One feature in our March issue describes new programmable power sources that can substitute for batteries during the testing of wireless communication devices, while another looks at how Averna helped a manufacturer of transmitters and receivers of digitally modulated signals reduce production test time. The issue also includes the PXI Test Report. Read it today!

Industry calendar of events
Upcoming events include APEX (April), Design Automation Conference (June), and The Vistion Show (June). For more information about these and other test-related events, visit our online calendar.