Accuracy, precision, and resolution are key parameters, each with a distinct meaning and implication with respect to system design and confidence. Design, test, and measurement implications Low or moderate accuracy may seem a detriment, but that isn’t necessarily the case. If precision is good enough and there is a way to calibrate the readings, the […]
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Untangling accuracy, precision, and resolution, Part 1: Basics
Accuracy, precision, and resolution are key parameters, each with a distinct meaning and implication with respect to system design and confidence. To the average person, terms such as accuracy and precision are somewhat interchangeable, and that’s fine. However, they have very specific and different meanings as well as design and test implications for scientists, engineers, […]
The perils of oscilloscope ground and power ground
Most electrical engineers probably are aware that connecting the ground connection for ordinary oscilloscope probes to the wrong part of an ac power line will invite a lot of trouble. Unfortunately the remedies sometimes employed to head off difficulties can cause their own woes. In a lab where I was once employed, the instrument carts […]
How to run video games on an oscilloscope
Spend enough time on YouTube and you’ll uncover numerous videos showing some kind of video game being played on an oscilloscope. The most popular game choices for these videos seem to be the old Doom and Quake games and Pong, the first real video game released in 1972. Perhaps the main reason for Doom’s popularity […]
Source measure unit combines four-quadrant voltage/current source with 6.5-digit meter
The AIM-TTi SMU4000 Source Measure Unit Series integrates a fast and agile high-power, four-quadrant voltage/current source with advanced precise voltage/current meters as an all-in-one test solution. Precisely supplying positive and negative voltages, sourcing or sinking power, while simultaneously measuring both current and voltage, makes these instruments candidates for rapid I-V characterization. The PowerFlex autoranging design […]
Multi-instrument tester includes eight programmable benchtop instruments for common test procedures
The ABI Multiple Instrument Station MIS4 Test Station is an all-in-one testing tool that combines in a compact case all commonly required test instruments in one compact and programmable hardware module. Controlled by ABI’s sophisticated SYSTEM 8 Ultimate PC software with a simple yet programmable operator interface, the MIS4 combines eight laboratory instruments: a three-channel […]
The case for buying a used oscilloscope
Not all test labs need oscilloscopes sporting 1 GHz bandwidths and multi-million-point digital waveform recording. When the needs lean more toward the basic side, used scopes can sometimes fit the bill and do so economically. Here are a few points to consider before ponying up for a used scope. The go-to website for used equipment […]
Putting the spotlight on infrared sensor technology
William Herschel was a gifted musician and composer who by chance obtained a 10-foot long, 30-inch reflecting telescope from the estate of his deceased friend, a violinist. Due to damage in moving it, he had to rebuild the instrument. This drew him into telescope making and then astronomy. He also discovered infrared radiation by placing […]
Test gear speeds EMC tests under real driving conditions
New test gear supports automated testing with simulation of real driving conditions while covering typical automotive standards. The AVL PUMA 2 automation controls the test cycle and stores the measured data, in synchronization with the R&S ELEKTRA EMC test software to exchange information between the testbed and the EMC measurement equipment. The ELEKTRA software has […]
Why you don’t need a variable-speed drive to change a fan’s speed
To engineers schooled in modern motor control methods, it may be hard to grasp why three-speed fans designed to move air around in a room can be inexpensive. After all, these fans are powered by as motors, and the go-to method for changing the speed of industrial ac motors is via variable-frequency drives. VFDs work […]
