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 […]
Test and Measurement News
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 […]
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 […]
The challenge of testing obsolete PCBs
How to test and maintain obsolete systems when the relevant documentation is absent. Alan Lowne, Saelig Co. Inc. Obsolete PCBs or boards lacking circuit schematic diagrams present a conundrum when there’s a need for repair. Online searches for old datasheets may not be productive. What happens when obsolete boards must be fixed but there is […]
Enclosures handle 6U SpaceVPX and OpenVPX systems
New ATRs for SpaceVPX systems support 6U OpenVPX boards of 160 mm or 220 mm depths. The new 1/2 ATRs support up to four slots at a 1.2-in pitch for the wider slot spacing of SpaceVPX. The backplane and I/O front panel configurations are customizable to each application. The chassis incorporates SpaceVPX elements such as […]
Design software helps speed RF system, IC, module and board development
PathWave System Design 2022 and PathWave Advanced Design System (ADS) 2022 software speeds design development, as well as enhances performance and accuracy, through an integrated workflow that accelerates delivery of radio frequency (RF) systems, chips, modules and boards. Demand for wireless data and increasingly congested wireless spectrum requires RF design teams to work in a […]
Test setup automates USB Type-C compliance and debugging
New transmitter automated test solutions are designed to meet the demanding requirements of next-generation technologies for large, rapid data transfers and low-latency video displays. Tektronix USB4, Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort 2.0 automated compliance and debugging solutions address the most common challenges design engineers face, including test time, signal integrity and Device Under Test (DUT) control. […]
Audio measurements and Dolby, dbx noise reduction
Audio engineers in the 1970s became aware that many of the traditional distortion mitigating methods were unsatisfactory. In this context, dbx and Dolby noise reduction systems emerged. Dbx Type I and Type II vastly improved audio fidelity in analog tape reproduction. Dbx-TV is another system component that provides stereo sound for TV systems in the […]
Julia-language SDK handles digitizers, generators, digital I/O products
A Software Development Kit (SDK) for programming over 200 different digitizers, generators and digital I/O products uses the Julia programming language. A key feature of Julia is that it has been specifically designed for high-performance applications that require fast processing of data, like machine learning and scientific computing. For example, libraries include optimized source C […]
Bit errors and ADC testing
Most engineers are introduced to the basic performance parameters of analog/digital converters in school. So specifications such as SNR, SINAD (Signal-to-noise and distortion ratio), ENOB (Effective Number of Bits), and THDA (total harmonic distortion analysis) are all familiar ADC terms found in ADC data sheets. Ditto for an INL error, described as the deviation, in […]
