The May 2025 gathering of the monthly electronics “Flea at MIT” swapfest featured an excessive number of test instruments. We break them down into oscilloscopes, meters, and signal sources. Click on any image to enlarge in a new tab. Oscilloscopes A Tektronix analog modular oscilloscope. The black bezel hides the model number. This unit has […]
Modular tester simulates and tests control systems
The Pulse Real-Time Target Machine from Swiss company Speedgoat uses a set of I/O modules so you can configure s test system that meets your needs.
Teardown: HP 8112A pulse generator
This 50 MHz pulse generator was built as solid as a rock. It’s almost all metal. We take the unit completely apart and look at it from a system and board level. On a visit to the MIT swapfest in 2024, I came across an HP 8112A 50 MHz pulse generator. For $20, I brought […]
OFC 2025: Test equipment
This year’s OFC in San Francisco featured one thing, or so it seemed: 1.6T. Every company making optical modules was showing them lest they be left behind in the always accelerating data rate race. As with any emerging technology, test equipment must lead the way. After all, how do you know if anything works unless […]
Phone chargers produce EMI: We compared four
The switching power supplies that regulate output voltage produce radiated emissions. Our tests compare waveforms that give clues as to how the chargers operate.
Signal Hound claims first 40 GHz USB VNA
RF components such as connectors, cables, antennas, and PCB traces need characterizing so you know how they will perform. That’s where a vector network analyzer (VNA) can help. Signal Hound, well known for its USB spectrum analyzers, has introduced the VNA400, a 40 GHz VNA that connects to and gets power from its single USB-C […]
Modular system combines DMM with DAQ
The DAQ3120 from B+K Precision lets you install up to three measurement modules to create a custom system for your bench. Most engineers have a digital multimeter (DMM) for basic measurements such as voltage, current, and resistance. Sometimes, however, you need the flexibility to add channels and log measurements without or without a computer. That’s […]
APEC 2025 test equipment: power sources and loads
Powering electronic devices requires the testing of power supply and charging circuits, battery management systems (BMSs), and battery cells. Many of these circuits require voltage, current, and power measurements, plus numerous others. Oscilloscopes and probes let you see the waveforms in power-delivery circuits, but the circuits themselves may need simulated batteries and simulated loads. That’s […]
APEC 2025 test equipment: oscilloscopes and probes
Oscilloscopes and probes play a vital role for engineers designing and testing power electronics. Delivering electrical power to analog and digital circuits and systems is more than just DC measurements. That’s because nearly all power-converter circuits use switching techniques to maximize efficiency. Silicon carbide (SiC and gallium nitride (GaN) transistors, with their higher voltage and […]
Tryout: Uni-T UPO1202 200 MHz oscilloscope
You need not spend a ton of money to get a feature-packed oscilloscope, provided you don’t need high bandwidth. While the oscilloscope works well, the free software needs help. After seeing the Uni-Trend (Uni-T) UTG962E Function/Arbitrary Waveform Generator ($182), we at EE World bought one and, at the same time, ordered a UPO1202 200 MHz […]
