June 12, 2008

Analog—that computes
It's an analog world. That, surprisingly, is the message that Justin R. Rattner, VP and CTO at microprocessor powerhouse Intel, delivered in his keynote address Tuesday to the Design Automation Conference. Read More

Vendors tout performance gains at vision show
Corning automation expert Babak Raj described in his keynote speech at The Vision Show a spectacular future for vision technology, including "imaging pills" for diagnosing disease, vendors at the show floor unveiled technology advances for the here and now. Read More

Improve thermal cycling time
Thermal cycling tests can help you improve the reliability of electronic components, subsystems, and systems, but ensuring all areas of a product get tested at the correct temperature can be tricky. Read More

Inject voltage pulses and troubleshoot
Engineers often need to test systems for immunity to voltage pulses in cables, but how do you reliably inject those pulses? In a recent Webcast, consultant Doug Smith explains how to use current probes to inject voltage pulses into cables. Read More

Keep your documentation close
The best way to prevent a product liability suit is to design and build for safety. Focus on how a product might fail and how to prevent it. You should be able to explain why an engineering decision was made regarding safety. Read More

Students call attention to plasma conversion technology
The FIRST program strives to be more than just an after school activity for youth around the world. It provides career experience to engineering hopefuls and even presents solutions to real-world issues, from the minds of middle and high school students. Read More

Call for nominations: Test Engineer of the Year Award
Test & Measurement World is currently seeking nominations for the annual Test Engineer of the Year award, which recognizes an individual who has tackled a tough engineering challenge, has provided invaluable industry leadership, or has otherwise demonstrated exceptional engineering competence and service. The recipient designates an engineering program to receive an educational grant courtesy of the award sponsors. Read about past winners and nominate a deserving colleague.

How do you measure bandwidth?
Answer our June oscilloscope challenge question correctly, and you could be eligible to win a prize.

Question: Which waveform do you use to measure bandwidth?
Prize: TomTom ONE GPS
Sponsor: Yokogawa

Take the Oscilloscope Challenge

June issue now online
For our June cover story, we visited Presto Engineering to learn how the company's engineers help chip makers validate and characterize nanometer semiconductor designs in order to move the devices from tape-out to high-volume production. Another feature, "Design tradeoffs in data-acquisition," explores the decisions you will need to make when building an analog data-acquisition system. And "Protocol stack testing for LTE" explains how effective test strategies can help transform UMTS into a cellular wideband system. Plus, the issue also includes the Machine-Vision & Inspection Test Report. Read More

Industry calendar of events
Upcoming events include Semicon West (July), EMC Symposium (August),and the International Test Conference (October). To read more about these and other test-related events, visit our online calendar.