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Highlights
of this issue include new product releases from ASSET InterTech,
Agilent Technologies, Rohde & Schwarz and Vacuumschmelze;
design features about the HDMI testing and physical layer testing
of mobile communications; test and measurement-related design
ideas; announcements of the SENSOR+TEST 2009 and International
Test Conference 2008 events; and a research study on the demand
for multiple-services testing.
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| At-a-Glance,
in this issue |
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Instrumentation Controller
The new Remote Instrumentation Controller family from ASSET
InterTech applies JTAG/boundary scan tests directly over the
Internet. The RIC-1000 controller connects locally to a circuit
board or other UUT (unit under test) and remotely over Ethernet
to an ASSET ScanWorks embedded instrumentation platform. It
incorporates local intelligence and implements a client/server
architecture in relation to a remote ScanWorks station.
Click here
Digital Multimeter
Agilent Technologies' U1253A hand-held digital multimeter uses
an OLED (organic-light-emitting-diode) display. For On-the-Go
and benchtop applications, the OLED readout provides a 2000:1
contrast ratio, a 160° viewing angle, smoothed fonts and a large-display
mode to ensure crystal-clear indoor viewing. The U1250 series
DMMs help simplify analysis, accelerate glitch detection and
simplify probing of hard-to-reach points.
Click here
EMC pre-compliance and field test
Rohde & Schwarz designed the model ESL EMI test receiver
to provide an economical solution for precise precompliance
and diagnostic measurements up to 3 or 6 GHz. It includes the
capability to carry out fully-automated test sequences using
the latest weighting detectors that conform to CISPR 16-1-1
specifications, the only instrument in the lower-cost sector
of the market to do so, according to its makers.
Click here
Current transformers for electronic electricity meters
Vacuumschmelze (VAC) has introduced current transformers for
use in electronic electricity meters. The new meters are free
from mechanical wear and tear, are suitable for remote reading
and interconnection in networks, and are able to deal with multiple
tariffs. Current-transformer-based measurement delivers advantages
in comparison to the shunt and Rogowski methods, including galvanic
separation and lower sensitivity to external alternating fields.
Click here
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Meeting the Challenge of HDMI testing
Design and validation engineers need tools to improve efficiency
by performing a wide range of standards-required tests quickly
and reliably. This article describes HDMI key tests that ensure
validation, the challenges faced while testing complex HDMI
signals and how oscilloscope-resident test software enables
unprecedented efficiency improvements with reliable results
and unprecedented automation to perform a wide range of tests.
Click here
LTE: Testing the physical layer of next-generation mobile
communications
Manufacturers of mobile phones and mobile infrastructure are
working on a number of improvements of the current UMTS technology
to enhance user experience, but also to drive down cost by reducing
capital as well as operating expenses. They achieve these enhancements
by measures that include high data rates—in excess of 100 Mbps;
shorter user-plane latency—less than 5 msec; shorter control-plane
latency— less than 50 and 100 msec, respectively, to change
from a camped or dormant state to the active state; and higher
spectral efficiency—three to four times that of HSPA (high-speed
packet access). With the first set of specifications now available
for the new 3GPP air interface, the challenges of testing LTE
have become clearer.
Click here
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Platinum-RTD-based circuit provides high performance with
few components
The standard way of using an RTD (resistance-temperature detector)
sensor is to include it in a bridge followed by a differential
amplifier. The problem is that two nonlinearities— one from
the sensor and another from the bridge—affect the transfer function.
Some approaches are available that attempt to avoid the problem,
but they tend to be produce bulky and expensive solutions.
Click here
Test & Measurement World: Check ESD simulators before
testing
When you are designing products for compliance with EMC (electromagnetic-
compatibility) standards, testing circuits for immunity to ESD
(electrostatic discharge) is mandatory. Standards such as IEC
61000-4-2 and ANSI C63.16, which specify how to set up and perform
these ESD tests, require that you use an ESD simulator to produce
test pulses. The standards also specify the shape and timing
of the current pulse you must inject into your EUT (equipment
under test), so before running an immunity test, you must verify
that your ESD simulator produces a current pulse with the proper
shape and rise time; you do so using a calibrated ESD target
and a high-bandwidth oscilloscope.
Click here
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4| Events |
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SENSOR+TEST 2009
The the SENSOR+TEST conference will be held from May 26 to 29,
2009 at Nuremberg, Germany. Three individual conferences will
be held under this Conference 2009 group include SENSOR 2009,
OPTO 2009, and IRS2 2009. The aim of this conference is to provide
emphasis on sensor technology and application, optical measuring
technology and infrared measuring technology.
Click here
International Test Conference 2008
International Test Conference (ITC) 2008 will be held in Santa
Clara from October 26-31, 2008. The conference will focus on
the electronic test of devices, boards and systems-covering
the complete cycle from design verification, test, diagnosis,
failure analysis and back to process and design improvement.
At ITC, test and design professionals can confront the challenges
the industry faces, and learn how these challenges are being
addressed by the combined efforts of academia, design tool and
equipment suppliers, designers, and test engineers.
Click
here
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5| Research and Analysis |
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Demand grows for multiple-services testing
There is a prevailing trend in the telecommunications industry
to offer VoIP, data, and IPTV services over a single converged
network. The integrated triple-play test-equipment market registered
revenues of $121.1 million in 2007—an increase of 32.1% from
2006. Revenues will likely reach more than $1 billion in 2014
at a compound annual growth rate of 36.0% from 2007 to 2014.
Click here
Copyright 2008, Reed Business Information.
EPN and EDN Europe are members of the Reed Electronics Group
Reed Business France - 2 rue Maurice Hartmann, 92133 Issy-les-Moulineaux,
France
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