The fieldPal is a precision Wi-Fi test instrument that enables Wi-Fi testing and OFDMA wireless packet capture in the field. To test performance of the new wireless technologies and applications, engineers use controlled laboratory testbeds like the octoBox in combination with field testing. New types of test tools are needed that allow testing in the […]
PC-based Test Equipment
Product review: Pico VNA 108 8.5-GHz vector network analyzer
The vector network analyzer (VNA) is an advanced member of the oscilloscope family of electronic instruments. The DUT may be as simple as a single resistor or conductor. The VNA can also operate as a time domain reflectometer, measuring the distance to and nature of a fault, impedance anomaly, complete break or short in a […]
NI CEO: COVID-19 on day one
NI CEO Eric Starkloff’s first decision was what to do about COVID-19 the night before he took over on February 1, 2020. Since then, he’s seen the opportunities in communications resulting from the pandemic. How would you like to take on a new leadership role just as a pandemic takes hold? That’s what Eric Starkloff […]
16- to 256-channel I/O card for PXIE and ATE instruments
Salland Engineering is addressing the challenges of finding the right balance between performance, density/throughput within the right available power, and cooling at the right cost per channel when building custom ATE instrument by designing the Instrument IP themselves. This enables customers to benefit from proven and available building blocks to achieve high performance and very […]
Getting familiar with work-at-home instrumentation
The rise in social distancing has fostered a need for professional-grade test instruments that function as well at home as in the lab. David Horn | Digilent The events that have unfolded across the world since the beginning of 2020 have turned the global marketplace upside down. Few industries have felt this seismic shift as […]
Magnetic positioning system holds PCBs for instrument probing
Oscilloscopes with more than two channels present humans with a common problem: none of us have enough hands to hold more than two oscilloscope probes in place. This is especially an issue when using an 8-channel oscilloscope such as the new PicoScope 6800E devices, so it was particularly important for Pico Technology to address it. […]
Pocketable RF signal source provides test signals with or without PC connection
The VSG2G5C RF Vector Signal Generator is a cost-effective pocketable USB-connected RF signal source with capabilities that provide standalone and PC-controlled functions comparable to full-size analog RF signal generators. Offering frequencies from 100 Hz to 1 MHz (low-band) and 100 MHz to 2.5 GHz (RF band) with a frequency resolution of 1 Hz, this handy […]
Test suite accelerates EMI/EMC compliance testing
The EMCVu is a test suite targeting EMI/EMC pre-compliance testing and troubleshooting. Developed by Tektronix, EMCVu aims to give engineers an accurate, convenient and cost-effective approach to determine if their product designs will pass EMC emission compliance testing on the first try. At the core of the new solution are the Tektronix real-time USB spectrum […]
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 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 […]
