October 2, 2008

RF modules pose tough test challenges
The proliferation of wireless communications devices is creating a voracious demand for the RF components and modules that make those devices work. The components must, of course, be small enough to fit comfortably within the mobile wireless consumer products they populate and not crowd out ancillary functions like MP3 players and digital cameras. Read More

A D V E R T I S E M E N T Digital Microscope Measures Surface Profiles, Roughness and More The KEYENCE VHX-600 Digital Microscope incorporates a 54 mega-pixel 3CCD mode camera and a high-performance graphic engine. It provides sharp, 3-D images, 3-D surface profiling and roughness, and color topographic displays. A depth-of-field 20x greater than conventional microscopes combined with 3-D image composition provide performance surpassing that of most high-end optical systems. Features include on-screen measurements, particle counting, glare suppression, TFT Display, HDD and CD-R/RW. Details and 3D Movies

Cooperation to compliance with SFP+
Large data centers such as those at Facebook or YouTube have thousands of servers that must connect through switches and fiber-optic lines. These data centers need an ever-increasing supply of 10-Gbps links to keep up with traffic. To reduce costs and save space, network equipment manufacturers need to put more links onto line cards. 
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Vote for the 2009 Test Engineer of the Year
The six finalists work at St. Jude Medical, Ford Motor, Seagate Technology, Sanmina-SCI, Battelle Memorial Institute, and National Institute of Standards and Technology. Read all about them and then cast your ballot. The winner will designate a $10,000 donation to an engineering school. Read More

Keithley reduces workforce
Keithley Instruments Inc has cut 5% of its workforce as it attempts to reduce operating expenses by approximately 7%. The company did not state total operating expenses nor the total amount of jobs cut. 
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Should we leave the economy to economists?
Should we leave the economy to politicians, financiers, and economists, or might physical scientists have something to contribute to the topic? 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

Source-measure test system: build or buy?
During my last summer of college, I worked for a power-supply company characterizing transistors with a curve tracer. Curve tracers are no longer manufactured, and engineers now either buy a source-measure unit or they build their own. What have you done when you needed a system to characterize devices for DC characteristics? 
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USB 3.0 is coming
USB 2.0 has become a data bottleneck. USB 3.0, with its 5-Gbps bit rate, will change that. If you plan to develop USB 3.0 products and you’re not currently testing other high-speed buses such as PCIe Gen2 or SATA-3, start making a case to your manager for a faster oscilloscope. Read More

All measurements are estimates
Whenever you make a measurement, the result you get is an estimate of the true value. Instrument makers publish accuracy specifications, usually expressed as a percent—but a percent of what? Read More

New challenge questions for October
Answer a challenge question correctly, and you could be eligible to win a prize.

Oscilloscope Challenge:
Question: Which of the following is an oscilloscope display mode that can facilitate jitter measurements on high-speed serial data lines?
Prize: TomTom ONE GPS
Sponsor: Yokogawa

Data-Acquisition Challenge:
Question: What is the potential role of LXI in data-acquisition applications?
Prizes: Three $100 American Express gift cards (three winners of $100 each)
Sponsor: Data Translation

Go to the Challenge Page

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

October issue now online
The "Playing it cool" feature in our October issue explains how Power-aware ATPG technology controls thermal and power-rail-droop problems. Our Test Ideas column explains how to build a digitizer for low-speed signals with just two ICs connected to a PC's serial port. And the Machine-Vision & Inspection Test Report describes a new SEM technology. Read More

Industry calendar of events
Upcoming events include the International Test Conference (October), Electronica (November), and Vision 2008 (November). For 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 Debug with Confidence! From $950 Available in bandwidths of 60/100/200/300 MHz, LeCroy's new WaveAce Oscilloscopes combine long memory, color display, extensive measurement capabilities, advanced triggering and excellent connectivity to improve troubleshooting and shorten debug time. Click here

October Issue

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