August 26, 2008

Machine-vision industry experiencing trying times
A recent study from the Automated Imaging Association (AIA) reports that the machine-vision industry in North America is undergoing trying times, primarily due to the uncertain business cycle. Read More

A D V E R T I S E M E N T FREE REFERENCE GUIDE: The Ultimate Infrared Handbook for R&D Professionals The guidebook is a resource guide for using infrared in the Research and Development industry. Written by the experts at FLIR Systems, this FREE (for a limited time) 40-page handbook provides information on many elements of infrared including IR thermography, IR detectors, and how to get the most from an IO camera. Click here

AOI systems incorporate multiple capabilities
Stacy Johnson, Agilent Technologies' Americas marketing development manager, discussed the current trends in automated optical inspection systems and explained that software is the key to her company's Medalist sj5000 system. Read More

Camera improvements boost flying prober inspection quality
The ability to perform optical inspection is a fairly recent addition to the feature set of flying probers. Seica's GM David Sigillo commented on how the use of cameras in flying prober test has changed over the last three years and what those changes have meant for electrical in-circuit test. Read More

CT brings clarity, precision to PCB inspection
Computed tomography (CT) has recently become necessary in mainstream PCB production lines as 3-D stacking techniques and increases in board complexity have made it difficult for engineers to differentiate between layers in an x-ray. Read More

Advancements with metamaterials could lead to invisibility
A scientist at the University of California has engineered 3-D materials that are able to reverse the direction of both visible and near-infrared light. Read More

A D V E R T I S E M E N T Get Competitive Bids on Industrial Purchases Compare prices for industrial and materials handling equipment, business services and more! Start saving today by getting FREE price quotes from BuyerZone - Where Smart Businesses Buy and Sell. Click here

Stemmer announces CVB version 10
In addition to CVB’s hardware independence and connection flexibility, Version 10 includes a new optimized installation routine and support for the 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows Vista. Read More

FEI and Icon to develop imaging facility in India
India's International Centre for Material Science in Bangalore has selected FEI and its Mumbai-based agent, Icon Analytical Equipment, to develop a unique imaging facility. Read More

Do you make enough money?
Read the results of our 2008 Salary Survey to learn whether your salary and benefits are competitive with your peers in the test-engineering industry. Read More

Last week for the August Challenges
Answer a challenge question correctly, and you could be eligible to win a prize.

Oscilloscope Challenge:
Question: In an FFT, the frequency resolution is inversely proportional to what?
Prize: TomTom ONE GPS
Sponsor: Yokogawa

Data-Acquisition Challenge:
Question: Which kind of sensor typically uses six wires?
Prize: $300 American Express gift card
Sponsor: Data Translation

Go to the Challenge Page

August issue looks at medical-equipment test
In our August cover story, we explain how engineers at Luminex Corp. test their high-throughput bioassay analysis equipment. Another feature dissects the dynamic range specification of spectrum analyzers, and a third describes how to verify the output of an ESD simulator. Read More