The bus, codified as the IEEE 488 standard, continues to find use in legacy test-system upgrades and in calibration labs. The General-Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) began life as the Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus (HP-IB). Hewlett-Packard, whose electronic test-and-measurement business has evolved into today’s Keysight Technologies, created the interface in the 1960s to connect multiple instruments in […]
Automation
How modularity benefits test systems
By understanding the key issues at every phase of the product lifecycle, engineers can make decisions that result in flexible, reliable, and scalable test systems. Taking a modular approach to test system development can accelerate development and mitigate risk throughout the entire product lifecycle. When it comes to designing and building automated test systems, today’s […]
How test executives automate equipment and processes
Working through test-program sets and drivers, test executives let engineers organize tests into logical sequences. They provide user interfaces for test technicians and store test results for analysis. Manufacturers of electronic and electromechanical devices rely on test instruments to generate stimuli and measure responses. While manually performing tests on the engineering bench might work for […]
Functional tester covers bench, production, and service applications
The midUTS from Bloomy contains a multimeter, data-acquisition, switching, and power supplies for testing boards and systems. Automating tests — whether for bench testing new designs, in production, or for service — increases productivity but comes at a price. If you’re going to build an automated test system all yourself, expect to specify the instrumentation, […]
What is an instrument driver and why do I need one?
Instrument drivers take some of the sting out of controlling test instruments by adding an abstraction layer. Almost everyone who uses computers has had experiences with drivers, and probably not good ones. In the olden days, if you had wanted to hook an old printer up to a new computer, you would have searched through […]
I’ve got the measurement blues again
Back from a three-year hiatus, I’m covering test and measurement again. This time, it’s for EE World.
Software tests PCIe 6.0 on high-end oscilloscope
Teledyne LeCroy has released a beta version of software for automating serial-data analysis on PAM4 signals. Engineers can request a copy. By using PAM4 modulation, PCIe 6.0 doubles data rates to 64 GT/sec (256 Gb/sec when using an x16 configuration). The “secret sauce” in the doubling comes from PAM4, which puts four voltage levels in […]
Test gear facilitates fast, accurate interfaces for new USB 80 Gpbs equipment
A new set of USB 80Gbps solutions are said to maximize the performance of USB designs and ensure compliance with the specifications implemented by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) standard to deliver accuracy and high signal fidelity. A wide range of products, including smartphones, laptops, desktop computers, tablets, and digital cameras rely on next-generation high-speed […]
Software speeds THD+N audio measurements
Version 8.0 of the APx500 Measurement Software features software performance optimizations that reduce unnecessary computation and speed up sequence execution. This results in significant test time savings and much faster reporting of important measurements such as THD+N. “Version 8.0, along with our regular cadence of enhancements to APx500 software, allows users to take advantage of […]
Margin tester checks out PCIe Gen 3, Gen 4 designs
The new TMT4 Margin Tester breaks conventions of PCIe testing, delivering fast test times. Plug-and-play set up and easy-to-use interface combine to deliver in minutes results that, until now, required hours or even days of set up and testing, often stretching costs to seven figures. “TMT4 Margin Tester is the latest example of how Tektronix […]
