The digital phosphor oscilloscope takes its name from the old analog phosphor scope, but the resemblance is superficial. It was difficult to see the trace on the CRT screen in an analog scope because the electron beam dissipated instantly. To solve this problem, early engineers came up with the idea of coating the inner surface […]
The basics of simulating radar signals with AWGs
Radar is quite simple in concept, but it becomes highly complex in actual implementation. Many decades passed between the time it was first envisioned and when useful working models emerged, which happened just in time to save England from total defeat in the 1940s. When it comes to testing radar, the situation has become easier […]
The instrumentation of nanotechnology
Nano- as a prefix refers to the order of magnitude involved in a specific discussion. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Comparing a nanometer to a meter is like comparing the size of a marble to the size of the earth. At 100 nanometers and less, quantum effects become pronounced, and this is […]
Basics of oscilloscope controls
Early analog oscilloscopes had a vast number of front panel controls, mostly knobs that had to be endlessly twirled and tweaked to obtain and maintain stable waveforms on the screen. In the modern digital instrument with a flat screen, there is no focus knob, as required for the CRT with its beam of electrons traveling […]
How to plan temporary wiring in test facilities
Temporary wiring is usually associated with construction sites and outdoor concerts. But it also comes into play when test regimes demand that several test instruments be set up outdoors, and when research work must commence in temporary quarters. Here are a few things to know about keeping safe when instrumentation gets plugged into wiring that […]
Making measurements with Matlab
Matlab was released in 1984 by Mathworks, an American privately-held corporation whose other major product is the closely-related Simulink. Additionally, Mathworks offers close to 100 other programs, such as Polyspace, SimEvents and Stateflow. Matlab’s main focus is numerical computing, including matrix and algorithm operations, plotting of data and functions and creation of user interfaces. It […]
Test and measurement with LabVIEW
LabVIEW is an awesome product created and maintained by National Instruments. It consists of systems engineering relating to test, measurement and control of instrumentation, devices and machinery, and it is currently used worldwide in numerous applications. Rather than endless lines of textual coding, LabVIEW has a simple graphic interface where devices such as an oscilloscope […]
Measuring signals on transmission lines
Reflections typically arise when a beam of light strikes a polished flat reflective body whose surface is perpendicular to the beam of light. Then the transmitted light minus loss in two-way transit appears at the source. This is similar but not exactly equivalent to an electrical signal traveling through a conductive medium that has an […]
A look at the instrumentation for trapping atoms, ions, and particles
Enormous gains have been made in quantum research by confining single atoms or small numbers of atoms and elementary particles in electromagnetic traps. For experimental purposes, what is wanted is the ability to confine a single particle in a small container for a long time. The object would be to repeat measurements introducing alternate variables […]
Measuring phase noise and jitter
Generally, whether one speaks of phase noise or jitter depends upon whether they happen to be a radio frequency or digital systems engineer. Both phenomena are random fluctuations of a time-domain waveform in an oscillator or in a clock. Phase noise is best represented in the frequency domain. It is usually defined as the spectral […]
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