B&K Precision Corporation’s Hand-Held 2510 Series oscilloscopes with current probes permit accurate display of current without cutting open the circuit. The clamp-on probes are user-friendly and capable of handling a large amount of current.
Test Equipment
The basics of motor testing
by Miles Budimir, Senior Editor Testing electric motors doesn’t have to be a mystery. Knowledge of the basics together with powerful new test equipment vastly simplifies the job. Electric motors have had a reputation for being a mix of science and magic. So when a motor fails to operate it may not be obvious what […]
Testing RF power amps with scopes
by Mike Borsch and Mike Schnecker, ROHDE & SCHWARZ Modern transceivers often incorporate several parallel RF front ends whose control signaling can be sorted out with advanced instrumentation. The radio frequency (RF) front-end configuration in mobile devices continues to evolve and get better. The trend in mobile radio communications is toward complex multi-radio systems perhaps […]
Managing interfaces in power supplies for test equipment
by Lorenzo Cividino and Paul Kingsepp, SL POWER ELECTRONICS CORP An awareness of standards for conducted and radiated emissions helps in fielding power supplies that don’t cause havoc in attached electronics. Innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G cellular standards, WiGig, 4K video, and other developments are causing quite a flurry of market […]
Flexible power for critical mission systems
by Gerald Hovdestad, Behlman Electronics Commercial-off-the-shelf power equipment can be an option for situations that normally demand specialized designs optimized for harsh conditions. A lot of DOD and industrial equipment is so specialized that it must be custom-developed – it just can’t be bought off-the-shelf. Ironically, there is a large array of commercial products that […]
High-Speed, High-Res PXIe Digitizers feature
Fast Data Transfers
Spectrum Instrumentation has released its first high-speed digitizer product line based on the popular PXIe (PXI Express) modular instrumentation standard. The M4x.44xx series consists of six new products each packaged in a dual-width 3U module and incorporating a four lane PCI Express Generation 2 interface. The high-performance interface allows data transfer speeds in excess of […]
How to test DC-to-DC converters
by Larry Sharp, Chroma Systems Solutions, Inc. Functional and safety tests can show whether dc/dc converters perform the way their manufacturers claim they do. DC-to-DC converters (DC/DC) are devices used to convert one dc voltage to another. Users and manufacturers may characterize DC/DC converters by running a variety of tests. We’ll describe several here, but […]
VIDEO: Using the Rigol Current Probe
The Rigol Model DS2102 oscilloscope is used to demonstrate the Rigol RP1003C Current Probe, which is capable of measuring up to 50 amps peak current, non-continuous.
How to avoid errors in low-voltage measurements
Edited by Miles Budimir Subtle difficulties can plague tests involving low voltages. Here are the biggest culprits and surefire ways to avoid them. Signal levels in state-of-the-art electronics have become diminishingly small. For example, ultra-low-voltage digital designs in CMOS now operate with minimum supply voltages in the 200-mV range. This trend has put a new […]
Old Scopes aren’t just for Old Codgers
by Leland Teschler, Executive Editor You’d have to say there are a lot of used oscilloscopes floating around. A quick search on eBay recently turned up 16,355 listings for used scopes. A Craigslist search for scopes near me in Cleveland, Ohio found 16 instruments on offer, interesting in that Cleveland is not exactly a capital […]