The need for high efficiency is pushing industrial power supplies toward synchronous topologies that minimize the use of external heat sinking and cooling. Anthony “Thong” Huynh, Maxim Integrated Buildings, factories, and industrial equipment are getting more space-efficient, driving a move toward miniaturizing the underlying components that enable intelligence and automation. This trend challenges the power […]
Why we don’t need energy efficiency standards for lighting
Leland Teschler | executive editor Headlines were made recently when two national associations dropped a lawsuit attempting to squash light bulb efficiency standards in California. The California standards supposedly save Californians billions of dollars on their energy bills and avoid millions of tons of carbon-warming pollution. The suit was brought by NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers […]
Handheld LCR meter tests, identifies, measures PCB-mounted SM/leaded devices while on the board
The ST-5S Smart Tweezers handles on-board inductance, capacitance, and resistance measurements and PCB testing. The ST-5S tweezers are a valuable solution for quickly testing and identifying surface mount devices, as well as for troubleshooting complex electronic PCBs. Its mechanical and electronic design combines a pair of precise gold-plated tweezers and a digital LCR meter in […]
Gate-drive eval platform accelerates SiC-based power converter design cycle
The Gate Drive Evaluation Platform (GDEV) helps designers evaluate SiC MOSFETs, SiC Schottky diodes, and other peripheral components like gate driver circuitry, so they can better understand how silicon carbide technologies will behave in converter applications under continuous operating conditions. The GDEV offers quick-connect header-pin terminals that allow for rapid and consistent comparison of different […]
APEC Industry Session explores latest magnetics design principles
The Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) Magnetics Committee is sponsoring an Industry Session at APEC 2020 addressing magnetics design applications for high-frequency power conversion. The session will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 11:55 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Rooms R04-R05 of the New Orleans Convention Center. The Magnetics Industry Session (IS01) will […]
Test setup checks out USB4 designs
The QualiPHY USB4 Electrical Transmitter (Tx) and Receiver (Rx) Compliance Test Software (QPHY-USB4-TX-RX) runs on the LabMaster 10 Zi-A and WaveMaster/SDA 8 Zi-B oscilloscopes from Teledyne LeCroy, which are used in conjunction with Anritsu’s Signal Quality Analyzer-R (SQA-R) MP1900A BERT. The USB Type-C connector is quickly becoming the PC industry’s standard for converged high-speed data, […]
Economical real-time scopes carry high-rez 12-bit channels, 0.2 psec equivalent-time sampling
The PicoScope 9404-16 SXRTO is a 16-GHz sampler-extended real-time oscilloscope which extends the range of a preceding 5-GHz model. Designed to analyze repetitive or clock-derived signals, it features four high-resolution 12-bit channels driven by up to 5 TS/sec (0.2 psec) equivalent-time sampling (ETS). The wide-band inputs can accurately measure transitions as fast as 22 psec, […]
Scope software allows timing phase noise, jitter performance assessments
A collaboration between Keysight Technologies and Silicon Labs streamlines the validation of timing solutions critical in the development of system-level designs for wireless communications, high-speed digital, medical imaging and automotive applications. Timing plays a key role in the smooth transfer of data in wireless and wireline networks and relies on highly accurate clocks. Easy access […]
Scopes get jitter decomposition feature to aid debugging efforts
A new option for the R&S RTO and R&S RTP oscilloscopes helps development engineers gain more insight into the individual jitter components of their transmission interface. Now they can separate jitter into its random and deterministic components and view results flexibly for effective debugging. The Rohde & Schwarz decomposition algorithm uses a parametric signal model […]
T&M supplier extends package pricing for German-engineered entry-level test instruments
Rohde & Schwarz is running an extended promotion to June 30, 2020 that includes 10 value bench instrument solutions. Rohde & Schwarz’s “This Changed Everything” promotion continues to support customers’ long-term viability and eliminate the add-as-you-go component, presenting the opportunity to purchase all the bandwidth, channels, inputs, memory interfaces and signal generation design engineers may […]