December 23, 2008

Vote for the best of the best
Our editors have selected the finalists for the 2009 Best in Test awards and the 2009 Test of Time award. Read about the products and then cast your votes for your favorites. Read More

A D V E R T I S E M E N T Get the Latest Consumer Electronics News! TWICE.com (This Week in Consumer Electronics) is the official online news channel for CES 2009! Visit the site to check out the latest news and videos related to the show. Be the first to learn about what is happening in this rapidly changing market! Click here

Helium ion beams illuminate tiny particles
A technology that may offer improvements over SEMs is the helium ion source that is the basis of Carl Zeiss SMT's Orion Plus helium ion microscope. Read More

Polarized optics reveal wafer defects
Nikon Instruments has combined a new optics technology, called PER (pattern edge roughness), with its AMI-3400 automated macro inspection tool to create a system that can fully inspect wafers with both high throughput and high sensitivity. Read More

LMI controllers orchestrate machine-vision applications
Using only two universal control modules for any installation, LMI Technologies' Maestro system simplifies the task of connecting the various components of a machine-vision system. 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

SUSS microscopy tool targets semiconductor failure analysis
The iVista LC high-resolution digital microscope from SUSS Micro Tec provides failure-analysis labs with a microscopy tool capable of delivering high-resolution digital images in conjunction with laser-cutting capabilities. Read More

LED illuminator designed for line-scan use
Chromasens has announced its Corona LED illuminator, which was specifically developed for line-scan-camera applications. Read More

December/January issue covers machine vision
The Machine-Vision & Inspection Test Report in our latest issue discusses how line-scan cameras can adjust to production lines with variable speeds. Another feature describes third-party machine-vision software that is hardware-independent. The main issue includes features on yield analysis, testing DDR memory, and testing E-OTD communications. Read it today

Last week to take the December challenges
Answer one of our December challenge questions correctly, and you could be eligible to win a prize.

Oscilloscope Challenge:
Question: Which serial bus decode feature are you unlikely to see in a mixed-signal oscilloscope?
Prize: TomTom ONE GPS
Sponsor: Yokogawa

Data-Acquisition Challenge:
Question: To what type of measurement can a Hall-effect sensor be applied?
Prizes: $100 Best Buy gift card (two prizes)
Sponsor: Test & Measurement World

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

Industry calendar of events
Upcoming events include the AIA Business Conference (February), APEX (March), The Vision Show (March). For more information about these and other test-related events, visit our online calendar.

Dec. 2008/Jan. 2009 Issue

S P O N S O R E D Read Simulating The Effects of a Transfer Switch by Creating Phase Shift Transients by Pacific Power Source in the TMWorld.com Resource Center The purpose of this application note is to demonstrate how to simulate the phase shift that may be encountered on an AC line when power is applied from a second, "synchronized" source of AC Power. Other Resource Center Features: • Data Logging on the 884X with TrendPlot by Fluke • Boundary-Scan for PCB Interconnect Testing by Corelis