You can take several steps to ensure success when you upgrade to Windows 11. In part 1 of this series, we looked at the use of Windows to control test and measurement systems, and we considered the dilemma posed by the retirement of Windows 10 on October 14. In part 2, we looked at steps […]
FAQ
How to choose analog-signal-chain components: part 5
Transimpedance and transconductance op amps convert currents to voltages and voltages to currents. We concluded part 4 of this series with a look at the instrumentation amplifier. Like the other op-amps and filter circuits we have so far described, the instrumentation amp is a voltage-input, voltage-output device. Sometimes, however, we may need a current-input voltage-output […]
How to choose analog-signal-chain components: part 4
Op amps find use in second-order filters and instrumentation amplifiers. In part 3 of this series, we described using the op amp to build some single-pole filters. Q: How do we build higher-order filters? A: Figure 1 shows one approach to a low-pass filter using the Sallen-Key topology. With two capacitors, it’s a second-order filter. […]
How to choose analog-signal-chain components: part 3
Use op amps, resistors, and capacitors to build high-pass, low-pass, and bandpass filters. In part 1 of this series, we looked at a noisy signal and discussed why it might be better to use an analog filter instead of a digital filter. Then, in part 2, we looked at the operational amplifier (op amp) and […]
Do you need a real time oscilloscope or a sampling oscilloscope?
Real-time oscilloscopes capture a signal in a single pass, while sampling oscilloscopes, sometimes called digital communication analyzers or equivalent-time sampling oscilloscopes, take multiple samples over several periods of a signal, allowing for a slower sampling rate and potentially higher resolution. Both are subcategories of digital storage oscilloscopes (DSOs). Real-time scopes are ideal for capturing one-shot events […]
How does a coating thickness gauge work and how are they used to value classic cars?
A coating thickness gauge, also known as a paint meter or paint thickness gauge, measures the total thickness of paint and other coatings. It determines the distance between the probe and the base material, including all layers of paint, primer, and any additional materials, such as filler. Common sensor technologies used include magnetic induction, eddy […]
What is intersymbol interference — and why should I care about it?
Real-world digital signals and their channels are characterized by complex equations that lead to improved link performance. When engineers think or talk about digital signals, there’s often the sense that these are nice rectangular pulses with right-angle squared-off corners, but that’s only in the ideal world. In the real world, signal challenges begin with how […]
How to choose analog-signal-chain components: part 2
Signal conditioning can prepare a sensor’s output for digitization. In part 1 of this series, we looked at a typical analog signal chain that you can use in conjunction with analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) or digital-to-analog converters (DACs). A key building block of the analog signal chain is the operational amplifier (op amp), shown in its […]
How to compare EMI absorption materials with a cookie tin
Product enclosures have frequency resonances that can produce unwanted EMI. Absorption materials in the cavity can reduce EMI. Use a cookie tin to compare materials before inserting them into your product. As operating frequencies approach microwaves, enclosures can appear as resonant cavities and amplify EMI emissions. When I was working on space shuttle communications systems, […]
How to choose analog-signal-chain components: part 1
Signal conditioning can prepare a sensor’s output for digitization. In a previous series, we looked at the analog-to-digital converter (ADCs) and sources of error that occur within the device. Of course, errors can creep in upstream of the ADC along the analog signal chain as the signal to be digitized is acquired and conditioned. Q: […]
