In choosing a way to mitigate electronic noise mitigation, it is necessary first to quantify it and ascertain its source. Thermal, also known as Nyquist or Johnson-Nyquist noise, is basis for many types of noise. It arises in all material objects to the extent that they are conductive. You can observe the effects of this […]
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EMC RF-over-fiber test system now works with LabView
The EMP/EMC ruggedized and shielded RF-over-fiber Sentinel 3 system now has a driver that is compatible with LabVIEW based systems. The driver has been approved by National Instruments and provides a high level of accuracy at±1⁄4 dB across the Sentinel 3 link gain. The Sentinel 3 system basically consists of remote RF sensors that connect […]
3U VPX chassis features easy access card cage
A new development platform is said to enable easier access and faster testing of plug-in cards aligned to SOSA 3U VPX. The 3U VPX slimline CompacFrame, is the first in a series of new development platforms designed to accelerate the design and testing of open architecture-based embedded systems. The platform features a card cage that […]
When to use NPN and PNP transistors and FETs
Most bipolar junction transistors and field-effect transistors (FETs) have three terminals. In the BJT symbol, the base lead is perpendicular to and lands at the midpoint of a short line segment representing the semiconductor substrate. The emitter has an arrowhead embedded in the lead, so the remaining lead has to be the collector. If the […]
Difference between arc-fault circuit interrupters and ground-fault circuit interrupters
Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are sometimes confused with similar appearing ground-fault interrupters, GFCIs, which protect against electric shock. Rather than protecting against electric shock, AFCIs protect buildings and occupants from electrical fire. Internal electronics and operating principles of the two devices are entirely different. A GFCI protects the occupant from electric shock by detecting the […]
When a coronagraph comes in handy
You can think of a coronagraph as having the same effect as a total eclipse of the sun where only its outer edge is visible. It is a telescopic attachment designed to block out the direct light from a star. The early coronagraphs were intended to view the corona of the Sun. But a new […]
Five key considerations for spectrum analyzers
A bevy of specifications define how spectrum analyzers perform. But just a handful of qualities can be pivotal when it comes to selecting instrumentation. Contributed by Signal Hound As wireless technologies pervade our lives, more engineers find they must make RF measurements. In the past, RF testing required the use of expensive equipment handled only […]
Test system for automotive radar sensors electronically simulates even laterally moving objects
A radar test system from Rohde & Schwarz simulates driving scenarios for testing radar based advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and radar sensors used in autonomously driving cars (AD) entirely over the air. The test solution consists of the new R&S AREG800A automotive radar echo generator as a backend and the R&S QAT100 antenna array […]
Measuring picoseconds without breaking the bank
Modern analog/digital converters can help implement equivalent time sampling to provide picosecond timing resolution. Dave Guidry, Texas Instruments Inc. A picosecond is an astonishingly short period of time. Imagine a stopwatch with a trillion divisions between each tick of the second hand. While it sounds fantastical, this resolution of time measurement is indeed necessary for […]
Test and measurement connections in the world of 5G
Connectors and cabling can be as important as the test instruments used to check out systems operating in the 5G realm. John Muzzio, Times Microwave Systems Andrew Dinsdale, SV Microwave Unlike previous cellular technology generations that were focused on a specific frequency band, 5G deals with a much larger potential frequency range. For example, 4G […]
