The APEC 2020 Conference Committee is seeking qualified engineers and scientists to assist in the peer review of the large quantity of paper digests expected for APEC 2020, to be held in New Orleans, March 15-19, 2020. All technical program papers presented, either in the technical presentations or as dialog (poster) sessions, have been chosen […]
How standards and conformance tests shape the future of 5G New Radio
Specs for 5G NR release-15 have been finalized and plans call for product introductions this year. Sheri DeTomasi | Keysight Technologies, Inc. The development of 5G standards and their commercial rollout appears to be on a fast track. Mobile operators and network equipment makers are conducting field trials and the first smartphones are expected out […]
Power supply monitoring ICs include BIST for functional safety features
A power supply monitoring IC, the BD39040MUF-C, includes BIST (Built-In Self Test) that supports functional safety. This IC targets automotive application power supply systems requiring fail-safe measures such as electric power steering as well as sensors and cameras for autonomous driving and ADAS. Rapid advancements in ADAS and automated driving in the automotive sector have […]
Lever-actuated spring pin socket for 200-W BGA3589 packages
A new BGA socket addresses high-performance requirements for MCUs. Caleed the CBT-BGA-6090, its contactor is a stamped spring pin with 19-gm actuation force per ball and cycle life of 125,000 insertions. The self inductance of the contactor is 0.93 nH, insertion loss < 1 dB at 14.1 to 21.9 GHz and contact resistance is
Test instruments tackle 5G
The high frequencies involved in 5G will force a re-think of how to go about characterizing circuits and systems. Adnan Khan | Anritsu Co. Engineers responsible for designing and manufacturing 5G chipsets, devices, and systems have more than enough challenges. From a technical standpoint, they must deliver high bandwidth, low latency, and other performance benchmarks. […]
Will 5G be lethal?
Leland Teschler, Executive Editor Peruse a certain kind of website these days and you’ll find warnings about the lethality of RF transmissions in the frequency ranges slated for 5G networks. One site quotes Devra Davis, director of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the U.S. National Research Council, who warns that our sweat […]
4-W ac/dc converter targets harsh IoT, IIoT apps
The RAC04-K/277 is a 4-W AC/DC converter that accepts up to 305 Vac. It also has 4-kV isolation, operating temperature ranges of -40 up to +90°C, and is capable of operating up to 5,000 m (1, 600 ft) in altitude. As with all RACxx-K products, it is compactly sized, low-cost, internationally certified and EMC compliant. […]
Web-based jitter measurement utility gives product designers critical timing test results in minutes
The new Jitter Measurement Utility is a web-based, fully automated tool that enables designers to quickly and easily evaluate the jitter and phase noise performance of their custom clock configurations without using their own test equipment. “The need for higher timing performance is being driven by the introduction of new technologies such as 5G, mmWave, […]
PCB testing apparatus equipped with repositionable fine-point spring-loaded probes
The Sensepeek PCBite System is a professional-yet-affordable PCB testing apparatus with a system of repositionable fine-point spring-loaded probes, a large (8.3×11.7-in) metal baseplate, and four magnetic-base PCB holders for clamping circuit boards in a stable, fixed position. The probes are attached to a flexible, stable gooseneck arm that has a powerful magnetic base, and the […]
LED bulbs then and now: Teardown of the EcoSmart, Feit, and Sylvania 60-W equivalent LED bulbs
Compared to the LED bulbs of only a few years ago, modern-day versions are simpler and assembled via more automated methods. Leland Teschler, Executive Editor If you tore down an LED bulb manufactured a few years ago you’d likely find evidence of hand soldering a bit of kludgy design practices. We found both these practices […]