EDN Europe Test & Measurement e-Newsletter

Highlights of this issue include new product releases from dSPACE, Rohde & Schwarz, Agilent
Technologies and Tektronix; design features on 70GHz network analyser and FPGA designs; test and measurement-related design ideas; schedule of the Control France 2009 and Design, Test, Integration and Packaging of MEMS/MOEMS (DTIP) 2009 event; and research studies on sensors and MEMS.
 

Direct digital synthesis board offers powerful signal generation
dSPACE has introduced the DS2302, a direct digital synthesis board that can efficiently generate and measure complex signals when testing electronic control units. The device has many options to generate demanding signal forms such as those required for intelligent wheel speed sensors. The APU (angular processing unit) slave interface for each channel on the board, together with the company’s Fast Analog Capturing Module and extension options, can obtain a precise measurement of injection control voltages. dSPACE

Rohde & Schwarz sets out test product strategy for LTE, WiMax era
Rohde & Schwarz has announced a wideband radio test system, based around its 6-GHz CMW500 radio test set that will provide a single platform for multiple environments – both development and production test – and spanning all significant cellular and non-cellular standards. The intention is to provide makers of wireless devices, and of baseband and RF chipsets, as well as network operators, with a stable test system that will operate over many years. Rohde & Schwarz

Agilent error injector stress-tests PCI Express
Agilent Technologies’ PCI Express Jammer (N5323A) provides designers working using the fast serial bus with a way to carry out a comprehensive range of reliability tests. PCI Express (2.5 Gtransfers/sec at Generation 1, and 5 GT/sec at Gen. 2) is adaptive to traffic density: it continuously auto-scales in speed and the number of lanes in use. The Jammer or in-line error injector provides a means of checking that your interface will respond correctly in all circumstances. Agilent

The fastest 4-channel scope
Tektronix has upgraded its DPO (digital phosphor oscilloscope) 70000 range with the introduction of the “B” series, which the company says involves a significant revision of the internal hardware of the instruments. New features include a 5 Gbit/sec hardware-based serial trigger, plus a toolset of applications-specific software packages, some of which have been released over the last few weeks. Tektronix
 

70GHz network analyser sweeps from 70kHz
With the VectorStar MS4640A VNA (vector network analyser) by Anritsu, users can characterise components in a single measurement sweep over the complete range from 70 kHz to 70 GHz. With the introduction of the VectorStar, Anritsu is seeking to increase its presence in the “ultimateperformance” area of the market for VNAs. The instrument is the result of a detailed survey of users’ needs, which identified the opportunity for a unit that offered the highest performance with fewest compromises in areas such as measurement speed, modelling, and raw measurement performance. Anritsu


Verifying FPGA designs: Simulate, emulate, or hope for the best
Once upon a time, users verified a logic design for an FPGA by compiling it, loading it, and pushing the reset button on your evaluation board. But, as FPGAs have become larger, this “blowand- go” verification style, has become counterproductive. The odds of creating a multimillion-gate design so close to perfection that a user could debug it from the pins on the package are vanishingly small. So, design teams have begun to employ software-based simulation of the design, much as ASIC teams have for years.
 

Microcontroller measures resistance without an ADC
Sensors automate most of the processes in industry. Most of these sensors, such as those for ammonia gas, temperature, and the like, are resistive devices in which electrical resistance changes—mostly nonlinearly— as the surrounding conditions change. The sensors’ resistances may vary from 1 mO to 10 MO. The circuit uses an eight pin AVR microcontroller—a Tiny13V from Atmel for the controller. The Tiny13V works over a supply-voltage range of 1.8 to 5.5V.

Convert signals to proper logic levels
When designing a test station incorporating a microcontroller, users often face voltages that exceed the maximum input level permitted for the microcontroller. For example, if a microcontroller uses a 5V power supply, then the maximum input signal should also be 5V. When a test voltage exceeds 5V, the user might think to reduce the voltage with a voltage divider. A voltage divider can influence the DUT (device under test), however. So, a signal conditioner needs high input impedance.

 

Control France 2009, 10-13 March 2009 in Lyon, France
Control France is an international exhibition that focuses on measurement, control and quality assurance. The exhibition will give a platform for exhibitors and visitors to develop business networking and to share their knowledge in the field. It includes the discussion on topics like metrology and non-contact measuring. http://industrie-expo.com/eng/control-france 2009 Symposium on Design, Test, Integration and Packaging of MEMS/MOEMS (DTIP), 01-03 April 2009 at Jolly Hotel, Via Aurelia, Rome, Italy. This series of Symposia is a unique single -meeting event expressly planned to bring together participants interested in manufacturing microstructures and participants interested in design tools to facilitate the conception of these microstructures. Again, a special emphasis will be put on the very crucial needs of MEMS/MOEMS in terms of packaging solutions. The goal of the Symposium is to provide a forum for in -depth investigations and interdisciplinary discussions involving design, modelling and testing.
 

Sensors and MEMS Market Report
A sensor is any device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by a human observer or by an instrument. The highest growth and demand is currently stemming from the automotive market, while process control industries are following closely behind. Numerous sensors are now making their way into telecommunications products consumer electronics as well, making them key growth catalysts for the next several years.
 

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