Impedance analyzers work better than LCR meters when it comes to sizing up the super-low impedance and inductance of modern power converter capacitors. Tim Ashworth, Meng Li, Zurich Instruments DC-link capacitors are often found in power conversion applications such as inverters, motor drives, medical power supply equipment, and so forth. Consequently, dc-link capacitors often need […]
Exceeding 100 Gbps with a sub-terahertz 6G testbed
Here’s a look at testing necessary for super-high throughputs involved in the emerging area of 6G. Greg Jue, Keysight Technologies 6G research is in its early stages. The vision for what the International Telecommunication Union calls Network 2030 continues to take shape. While the industry is years away from starting the standards development process, subterahertz […]
Applying PC-based test & measurement instruments
For some features, PC-based scopes sport higher performance than similar benchtop instruments. Trevor Smith, Pico Technology The debugging and validation of electronic systems calls for versatile instruments with wide-ranging functions and easy programmability. An engineer working on high-speed logic signals one day might be called upon to run a long-duration soak test the following day […]
Key considerations for RF power measurement equipment
The choice of power sensor and meter greatly depends on the qualities of the signal being measured. Bob Buxton, Boonton Electronics Today’s complex modulation schemes and pulsed communication modes have brought the need to measure RF power ever more accurately and efficiently. There are multiple technologies available for the measurement of RF power, falling into […]
Automotive cable and harness testing made easy
A hipot tester, switch, and automated software can assure vehicle connectors are safe and reliable. Glen Broderick, Vitrek Inc. Loose or mismatched electrical components cause the highest rate of failures in vehicles. Often harnesses and components are inadvertently pinched, miswired or damaged during installation. Also, cable insulation that isn’t secured can wear through and cause […]
Test and measurement in education
Lab classes become much more meaningful when students can operate their own test instruments rather than watch an instructor turn knobs and push buttons. Paul Cracknell, Liquid Instruments Consider the typical EE lab in the average university. Labs must be outfitted with costly equipment to give students exposure to the breadth of measurements that characterize […]
Debugging digital and analog signals with cross-domain analysis
Multi-domain signal analysis is blurring the line between real-time oscilloscopes and real-time spectrum and signal analyzers. Fernando Gomez, Tektronix Inc. Multi-domain signal analysis is enabled by advanced oscilloscope features such as 12-bit ADC, digital down conversion (DDC), and flexible channel inputs where each can be either analog or digital. As Signal Integrity (SI) and Power […]
5G test equipment goes mainstream
Performance qualities once only available in exotic instruments can now be found in gear designed for production testing. Rohde&Schwarz GmbH & Co. 5G has now made the jump from research to mainstream adoption, and most chip manufacturers are well down the road to developing second or third-generation components. In the early R&D phase, it was […]
Production-grade connectivity framework optimized for software-defined vehicles
RTI Connext Drive 2.0 is a production-grade connectivity framework for software-defined vehicles. Connext Drive now accelerates direct integrations into AUTOSAR Classic and ROS 2, enabling developers to leverage data-centric connectivity with familiar ecosystem architectures. This allows a faster start to build on existing, familiar platforms and eliminates the need for custom programming. It also minimizes […]
APEC 2023 announces call for technical program paper digest submissions
APEC 2023, to be held in Orlando, Florida, from March 19-23, 2023, continues the long-standing tradition of addressing issues of immediate and long-term interest to the practicing power electronics engineer. APEC is now accepting paper digest submissions for the Technical Program. Interested authors wishing to present a paper must submit a digest for consideration by […]