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Dear Sir/Madam
With this last newsletter for 2007 I would like to wish all readers Merry Christmas and a happy and successful New Year! I´m looking forward to work for all of you next year in the same manner! Enjoy this test & measurement newsletter!
Wolfgang Patelay
Technical Editor, EPN
Compliance Test Solution (Agilent)
Agilent Technologies has introduced the PTC II for PCI Express (PCIe) 2.0. The PTC II will enable device compliance with the PCI-SIG (PCI Special Interest Group) specifications and industry deployment of PCIe by providing all the mandatory test cases. With a single mouse click, R&D engineers can run all tests and view detailed results through a HTML report.
Click here
Boundary-scan Controller (JTAG Technologies)
The JT 3705/USB is a low-cost test system designed to address the requirements of small/medium enterprises and low-volume-contract electronic manufacturers. The USB-powered boundary-scan controller is portable and compatible with the burgeoning laptop population. It offers two TAPs (test access ports) that can be fully synchronised for test purposes.
Click here
PXI Test Solutions (Pickering)
Pickering is expanding its range of PXI switch matrix solutions with the introduction of a new addition to its BRIC range. The BRIC2 matrices occupy two slots of a PXI chassis and provide a more compact and cost-effective solution for matrix applications not requiring the higher cross-point count of 4- or 8-slot BRICs.
Click here
Microwave Signal Generator (Aeroflex)
Aeroflex has added an internal-pulse-modulator capability to its 6810 and 6820 series microwave signal generators and scalar analysers, resulting in a fully self-contained, single-box radar testing solution. The instruments can perform advanced radar testing, calibration, maintenance and repair in either coaxial or waveguide media.
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TDR: taking the Pulse of Signal Integrity
Time-domain reflectometry will help you design and troubleshoot cables, connectors, fast PCB traces, and high-speed packages. With TDR instruments, you can ensure the signal integrity of fast digital signals as they travel across your system. Technical Editor Paul Rako explains in his article in EDN why both analogue and digital engineers need to understand and use these techniques.
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E-loads lighten PSU Test Burden
Despite the arrival of digital techniques, optimising power supply performance most often involves multiple iterations of component selection or operating-point adjustments that require a standard test set-up. This article by Contributing Technical Editor David Marsh in EDN shows that electronic loads provide a uniform platform to simplify the test process.
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Swapping Bits improves Performance of FPGA-PWM Counter
When you need some analogue outputs and you have an FPGA in your system, you probably choose to use a PWM module and a simple low-pass filter such as those in the Design Idea by Stefaan Vanheesbeke in Ledegem, Belgium. The output of the FPGA is typically a waveform with a fixed-frequency, variable- duty cycle, which a counter and a digital comparator generate.
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Single IC forms inexpensive Inductance Tester
This Design Idea by Luca Bruno from ITIS Hensemberger Monza in Lissone, Italy, shows how to build a reliable, low-cost, and simple inductance tester. The basis for the tester is a Pierce buffered CMOS oscillator. Instead of using the usual quartz crystal, you connect the inductor under test. This oscillator uses a single CMOS inverter biased through a resistor in its linear region to form a high-gain inverting amplifier.
Click here
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4| Market Research |
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Mobile Security 2007: End Users Are Losing It
Sophisticated users of wireless services understand the importance of security. However, this survey by In-Stat shows that most users have many misconceptions about the actual risks. Customers are very concerned with identity theft based upon information obtained from their phones and individuals with scanners listening to conversations. The real risks mostly come from users losing phones and poor password discipline.
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5| Book of the Month |
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Sensors and Transducers, by Ian Sinclair
In this book the author provides the practical know-how required by technician engineers, systems designers and students. The focus is firmly on understanding the technologies and their different applications, not a mathematical approach. The result is a highly readable text which provides a unique introduction to the selection and application of sensors, transducers and switches, and grounding in the practicalities of designing with these devices.
Click here
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