We recently talked with Greg Jue from Keysight who took us through a demo of an R&D test bed for emerging millimeter wave applications. Specifically, as an application example, Jue set up an example 802.11ay system. The 802.11ay spec is designed as an improvement of the 802.11ad WLAN definition that will have a frequency of […]
FAQ
Making noise figure measurements with handheld analyzers
We recently were able to get with Roland Zhang from Keysight who took us through a noise figure measurement system that really comes in handy if you’re doing 5G measurements in the field. Zhang explains that in the 5G arena there will be a lot of amplifiers or up and down converters to convert signals […]
Instrumentation that measures differential noise in real time
We were recently able to speak with Pat Murray from Anritsu who demonstrated instrumentation that computes differential noise figure. Though noise figure is a well-known parameter, differential noise figure isn’t as commonly used. But it is becoming important for the verification of low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) and other devices used in the front-end of 5G and […]
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 […]
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 […]
