November 24, 2008

Chassis layout is key to success with PXI Express
With the electronics industry's never-ending appetite for speed, the bandwidth advantages of PXIe (PXI Express) are becoming increasingly important for test instrument designs. To take full advantage of the capabilities offered by this technology, you'll need a chassis designed to handle PXIe cards. Read More

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Troubleshoot intermittent signals
Engineers often spend considerable time locating and isolating intermittent signals. You may find that a design works most of the time, but an occasional unwanted condition causes the product to fail. You never want a case where you think you've solved a problem only to see it arise after many units ship to customers. Read More

Test Ideas: Isolate your clock source
Circuits such as PLL synthesizers, high-dynamic-range ADCs, and timing-sensitive digital networks require a stable and spurious-free clock. Testing these circuits is often difficult if you use a master oscillator, even if the oscillator's signal meets the application's requirements for phase noise and spurious response. Read More

RF instruments challenge PXI versatility
One of the most dynamic applications for PXI is its use in the testing of complex, high-bandwidth RF applications. Tim Carey, PXI product manager at Aeroflex, explains the difficulties of creating RF-capable instruments and cautions that multi-module RF instruments could limit PXI's versatility. Read More

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Four questions to ask when choosing a DAQ vendor
There are so many different parameters to measure and so many different test environments that finding the perfect system and perfect vendor is nearly impossible. To tackle this problem, and find the right data-acquisition vendor for you, you need to ask a lot of questions. Read More

R&S highlights spectrum analyzers at Electronica
Rohde & Schwarz at Electronica 2008 debuted its FSH4 and FSH8 handheld spectrum analyzers and said it has added microwave models to its FSV family of benchtop signal and spectrum analyzers.
Read More

Pomona connector kit eases instrument calibration
Pomona Electronics' CK73041 Calibration Kit allows you to combine connectors with patch cords to create a wide variety of necessary test cables and reduce the number of test cables needed by creating multiple combinations. Read More

Agilent's handheld DMM boasts OLED display
According to Agilent Technologies, its U1253A handheld digital multimeter is the first of its kind to use an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display. Read More

Protek's 3-phase clamp meter measures up to 600 kW
Joining Protek's lineup of clamp-on meters is the Model 667C, which measures 3-phase, 3-wire; 3-phase, 4-wire; and single-phase circuits to 600 V at 1000 A with true, reactive, and apparent power measurements to 600 kW. Read More

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, courtesy of National Instruments. Read More

Take a challenge, win a prize
Answer a challenge question correctly, and you could be eligible to win a prize.

Oscilloscope Challenge:
Question: What is the order of the colors used to indicate the frequency of occurrence of a signal?
Prize: TomTom ONE GPS
Sponsor: Yokogawa

Data-Acquisition Challenge:
Question: Why do data-acquisition and control systems use a high-value pull-up resistor connected between a thermocouple and a fixed voltage?
Prizes: $100 Best Buy gift card
Sponsor: Test & Measurement World

Go to the Challenge Page

Industry calendar of events
Upcoming events include OFC/NFOEC and Measurement Science Conference, both scheduled for March. For more information about these and other test-related events, visit our online calendar.

November Issue

S P O N S O R E D Read Boundary-Scan for PCB Interconnect Testing by Corelis in the TMWorld.com Resource Center This paper provides a brief overview of boundary-scan architecture and its relation to the JTAG standard. Other Resource Center Features: • Simulating AC Power Line Harmonics by Pacific Power Source • Evaluating Oscilloscopes for Best Signal Visibility by Agilent • Data Logging on the 884X with TrendPlot by Fluke