Accuracy as it relates to the measurement of electrical signals would seem to be a simple, straight-forward concept. In the simple case, a reading as shown in a digital display could be compared to that of a perfectly accurate instrument. The discrepancy, if any, could be expressed as a fraction of a percent. The difficulty […]
Calibration
In search of accurate measurements — The speed of light
If an instrument is to give accurate measurements, it must first have been calibrated to a standard. In metrology, a standard (or etalon) is an object, system, or experiment that bears a defined relationship to a unit of measurement of a physical quantity. Standards are the fundamental reference for a system of weights and measures, […]
Basics of working with I2C buses
Back in olden days, parallel buses were used to link electronic building blocks. Today serial buses have largely replaced them. There are numerous components for many applications that have standard serial interfaces, and this trend makes serial technology a good choice for design engineers. Because there are fewer signal lines, serial bus electronics take up […]
Multi-gigabit serial protocols demystified
Chris Nunn, National Instruments Corp. High-speed serial is a growing technology aimed at reducing device footprint and boosting data communication rates. We have seen a drastic change in digital communication buses shifting from parallel to serial formats starting in the early 2000s. The transition from parallel buses to high-speed serial buses has led to many […]
Renishaw new XM-60 multi-axis calibrator
The XM-60 is capable of measuring all six degrees of freedom from a single set-up, in any orientation for linear axes. It offers significant improvement in simplicity and time saving over conventional laser measurement techniques. As demands on component tolerances increase, manufacturers are now required to consider all error sources from the machines producing parts; […]
Channel emulator tests LTE-LAA and HetNet small cell instrumentation
Highlights: New capabilities in Propsim F32 channel emulator enable efficient performance testing of devices and network equipment with LTE-LAA and HetNet small cell technology support The enhanced Propsim F32 allow users to assess all existing, as well as planned, LTE-LAA Carrier Aggregation and Wi-Fi-offloading field deployment scenarios Keysight has developed new LTE-Hi test scenarios, in […]
Wideband transceiver optimized for tests of 802.11ad devices
Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) today announced the volume launch of their solution for testing 802.11ad devices. The flexible and compact E7760A wideband transceiver is an integrated test solution that supports the IEEE 802.11ad wireless standard. The solution was introduced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year. “Our customers are looking for millimeter […]
Calibration Services handle PXI gear from multiple vendors
Instrument maker Keysight Technologies, Inc. says it will now handle equipment from other instrument vendors at its One-Stop Calibration Services. Keysight says the reason for the move is that modern test systems often integrate instruments of different form factors from multiple vendors, including PXI and AXIe instruments used with traditional benchtop instruments. These instruments are […]
Software handles automated calibration and measurement asset management
Fluke Calibration, a division of Fluke Corporation and certain of its affiliates, introduces version 9 of its MET/CAL Calibration Management Software, the latest edition of the industry-leading application suite for calibration professionals who need to automate the calibration process and manage calibration assets efficiently and consistently. Automating calibration procedures with MET/CAL can reduce the time to […]
Dummies from NASA instrumented
with data acquisition systems
Engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., will conduct nine water-impact drop tests to evaluate the safety of the splash down when the Orion spacecraft returns from deep-space missions and touches down on Earth. Onboard will be two test dummies wired up to Diversified Technical Systems (DTS) data acquisition systems. The DAS data […]
