In part 1 of this series, we looked at ways to simplify resistor networks by identifying series and parallel combinations of resistors. We closed with a look at a version of the Wheatstone bridge, such as the one in Figure 1. Although it has only five resistors, not one of them is in series or […]
Temperature Measurement
R&S digital multimeters feature 5.5 and 6.5 digits with triple displays
The UDS series from Rohde & Schwarz provides the company with a significant upgrade and place it against top competitors. Digital multimeters (DMMs) are a measurement staple, sitting alongside oscilloscopes, power supplies, and waveform generators on just about every engineer’s bench. You may not think of Rohde & Schwarz as a major competitor in the […]
FieldDAQ captures physical data close to the sensor
FieldDAQ modules accept sensors directly and send data over Ethernet. Collecting data such as temperature, strain, and other physical parameters often requires long sensor wires or rugged equipment close to the measurement source. Long wires can add errors due to losses in analog wiring or from outside interference. Field installations often add environmental and power […]
Adjustable pneumatic lid system offers retrofit compatibility and precise force control for sensitive device testing
Ironwood Electronics announced the availability of pneumatic lid technology for adjustable control of socket contact force across its product portfolio. The new pneumatic lid option addresses critical requirements for maintaining reliable contact force in applications involving temperature cycling, high force specifications, and sensitive device testing. The pneumatic lid system provides precise, adjustable control over socket […]
System tests aircraft VMS using HIL
The Vehicle Management System test platform from Bloomy Controls lets you test aircraft VMS for electric, fueled, commercial, military, rotary, fixed-wing, piloted, and unpiloted aircraft.
That Maxwell book that was returned to a library 115 years late: what’s it about? Part 2
Work on resistance measurement, described in An Elementary Treatise on Electricity, helped pave the way to successful trans-Atlantic telegraphy. In Part 1, I discussed An Elementary Treatise on Electricity by James Clerk Maxwell. One volume made national news earlier this summer when it was returned to New Bedford, Mass. Free Public Library 115 years overdue. […]
That Maxwell book that was returned to a library 115 years late: what’s it about? (Part 1)
Published in 1881, An Elementary Treatise on Electricity evolved from notes Maxwell had written in preparation for lectures on electricity at the Cavendish Laboratory. In June 2023, the national media carried a story about a book 115 years overdue that was returned to the Free Public Library in New Bedford, Mass. The book turned out […]
How does a thermocouple work, and do I really need an ice bath? part 2
Modern thermocouple instruments automate the cold-junction-compensation process. Part 1 of this two-part series introduced thermocouple cold-junction compensation (CJC). This part will elaborate on the concept. Table 1, presented in part 1 and repeated here, lists a subset of the NIST voltage and temperature data for the type T thermocouple.Figure 1 shows a typical measurement setup, […]
How does a thermocouple work, and do I really need an ice bath? part 1
Efforts at the Bureau of Standards 110 years ago paved the way for the cold-junction-compensation technique used today. Thermocouples have long been used to make temperature measurements. They are simple, consisting of a pair of wires of dissimilar metals welded together at one end. They are rugged, operate over wide temperature ranges, and generate readily […]
Calibrators ease the DMM workload
The 5560A from Fluke Calibration lets you calibrate DMMs to 6½. Other models handle fewer digits.
