In a recent column, we gave a quick review of some basic instrumentation common to most engineering work benches. Here are a few more instruments found in many engineering labs. Curve Tracer The curve tracer is a member of the oscilloscope family of measuring instruments. In its CRT or flat screen display, the user sees […]
Overview of electrical measuring instruments -Part one
Here’s a quick review of some basic instrumentation common to most engineering work benches. Ammeter The ammeter is the basis for many other electrical measuring instruments. Whether you are measuring volts or ohms, essentially inside the instrument you are measuring current. Measurement of current in a circuit is somewhat problematic because all the electrical energy […]
Do you really need a VNA when a scalar network analyzer might do?
Network analyzers measure network parameters of electrical networks, such as two-port amplifiers and filters. The instruments characteristically operate at 5 Hz to 1.05 THz, mostly at the higher end, though some models are sensitive down to 1 Hz. These instruments are available in two varieties: scalar network analyzers, which measure only the amplitude of the […]
The therapeutic uses of RF energy
Discussions of the upcoming 5G technology sometimes focus on whether or not the millimeter-wave frequencies involved can damage human life. What gets less press is that radio frequency energy in other bands can be therapeutic. It can be useful to review a few of these uses to understand the beneficial role RF energy can play. […]
Testing transistors with a voltmeter
A bad transistor can sometimes be detected by its partly burned or distorted appearance, but more often there is no visible indication. One approach to troubleshooting is to substitute a known good component, but that is a costly way to go. Also, it is not reliable because an outside defective component can instantly destroy the […]
Economical RF signal sources support R&D, test & services apps
The AIM-TTi TGR2051 and TGR2053 RF Signal Generators are a major revision of the successful TGR 2000 series, which both offer exceptional performance, low phase noise, and offer output signals from 150 kHz to 1.5 and 3 GHz respectively. These versatile RF generators provide excellent frequency accuracy and stability, large signal amplitude range, low phase […]
Will 5G make earth-bound radio telescopes impractical?
Though 5G is a promising technology, astronomers and Earth scientists are worried that 5G frequencies could interfere with the scientific use of previously quiet parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The Federal Communications Commission recently came out with rules allowing experimental devices to use frequency bands between 95 GHz and 3 THz. Scientists see several problems […]
Understanding noise in electronic instrumentation
In measuring or displaying weak signals, noise places the ultimate limit on detectability. It usually appears as a fluctuating horizontal line known as the noise floor in a spectrum analyzer of oscilloscope in FFT or RF mode. In the time domain, it appears as a thickening of the trace and in severe instances, causes a […]
Ethernet switch passes 1000BASE-T1 compliance tests for automotive apps
Rohde & Schwarz and Marvell were the first companies to successfully execute 1000BASE-T1 compliance tests, for the Marvell’s 88Q2112 Ethernet transceiver, using an R&S RTO oscilloscope. The latest improvements to the R&S RTP oscilloscope family include the 16-GHz acquisition bandwidth required to perform signal integrity tests and debugging for SerDes, LVDS, PCIe Gen 3.0, MIPI […]
How to measure CCD and CMOS image sensor qualities
Today, about 95% of all digital cameras use CMOS image sensors with the rest employing CCDs. From the standpoint of sensor outputs, the main difference between CMOS and CCD sensors is that each pixel in a CMOS sensor has its own readout circuit next to the photosensitive area. In CCDs, charge collected in individual pixels […]
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