June 26, 2008

Credence and LTX sign merger agreement
Credence Systems and LTX have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine the two companies in a tax-free, all-stock "merger of equals." Read More

Test news from the International Microwave Symposium
Introductions at the MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (June 15-20, Atlanta, GA) included a new RF power meter family, nonlinear device test technology, Mobile WiMAX test capabilities, a PXI digital RF signal generator, a WLAN test set for silicon developers, an online ultra-high-density cable configurator, and a variety of software enhancements.
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Design tradeoffs in data acquisition
When designing the analog signal path of a data-acquisition system, you'll need to make tradeoffs that will affect the system's overall performance. Read More

No power interrupts, please
Engineers at Falcon Electric use a variety of test equipment to ensure the company's low-power, high-frequency uninterruptible power supplies won't fail during an emergency. 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

Sensors Expo: Sensor networks large and small
What was once a conference and show for sensor and data-acquisition equipment manufacturers has turned into an event that includes wireless sensors, data converters, microcontrollers, RF interface ICs, and wired interface ICs.
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KineticSystems rolls out multifunction PXI modules
Outfitted with four differential analog input channels, these multifunction PXI modules from KineticSystems provide simultaneous sampling at rates of up to 2 Msamples/s with 14-bit or 16-bit resolution. Read More

Spectrum analyzer catches live frequencies
Although the Tektronix SA2600 spectrum analyzer is large to be called a handheld instrument, it is designed for field use and includes GPS mapping so you can document the location of a particular frequency. Read More

Keithley's waveform creation tool gains object-oriented GUI
Version 2.0 of SignalMeister waveform creation software from Keithley Instruments leverages a new object-oriented graphical user interface (GUI). Read More

Two Test & Measurement Challenges
There's still time to take the June Oscilloscope Challenge, plus we have added a new Data-Acquisition Challenge. Answer either challenge question correctly, and you could be eligible to win a prize.

Data-Acquisition Challenge:
Question: Which statement is true regarding the peak voltage?
Prize: TomTom ONE GPS
Sponsor: Data Translation

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

Go to the Challenge Page

June issue covers communications test, machine vision
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, "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 the EMC Symposium (August), NIWeek (August), and Autotestcon (September). To read more information about these and other test-related events, visit our online calendar.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T FREE WHITE PAPER: Solar Panel Environmental Testing Guide CSZ designs and manufactures solar panel testing chambers specially for testing various size photovoltaic modules and solar panels. This document highlights the most common solar panel test specifications and covers the sections from the test standards that relate to environmental testing. Click here

A D V E R T I S E M E N T FREE WHITE PAPER: PCI Express Advances Machine Vision PCI Express is the peripheral bus now being adopted by next generation PCs, servers, and industrial computers. For machine-vision systems, the architecture and higher bandwidth of PCI Express yield major increases in achievable frame rate and image size as well as simplifying the implementation of multi-channel capability. Click here

A D V E R T I S E M E N T Which oscilloscope is right for you? Agilent oscilloscopes range from 20 MHz to 80 GHz and come in multiple form factors. Compare our scopes by feature, spec or price. We have a huge selection of application software such as USB, HDMI, DDR, SATA, PCI EXPRESS, I2C, CAN/LIN, FlexRay and many more to help you with your design challenge. Click to learn more.

June Issue

A D V E R T I S E M E N T