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 […]
Meters & Testers
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 […]
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: 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 […]
Engineers use AI/ML to improve test
Engineers can use AI/ML to reduce test development time, analyze test data from manufacturing, automate visual inspection and calibration, and identify counterfeit components. Here’s how some do it. Testing takes too much time; just ask any engineering or production manager. Shortening test-development time can reduce time to market. Shortening production test time lowers manufacturing costs. […]
Download our 2024 T&M Tech Toolbox
Everything needs testing and testing needs measurement. That’s why we assembled a collection of articles from Test & Measurement Tips into the 2024 T&M Tech Toolbox, a 56-page e-book in PDF format. We took some of the top articles from our recent archives to provide you with information that can help you with your job. […]
Flea market vintage test equipment, September 2024
The monthly “Flea at MIT” featured an abundance of test equipment. We even bought some.
How can I quantify a device’s nonlinearity? part 1
You can specify nonlinearity in parts per million or, especially for RF components, in terms of the 1-dB compression point or third-order intercept point.
What’s a half digit and are they all the same?
The most significant digit on a DMM’s display often doesn’t count 0 through 9.
Audio analyzer combines analog and digital domains
The APx516B from Audio Precision comes with built-in analog I/O and a slot that adds wired or wireless digital I/O. With so many of today’s devices having audio capabilities, engineeers designing wired or wireless audio into a device need to verify audio quality. Audio Precision, well known for its audio analyzers, has introduced the APx516 […]
