Sound pressure, sound intensity, and sound power are three different ways to quantify sound. This FAQ begins by defining each one, looks at various types of measurement techniques that can be used to quantify them, presents a range of international testing standards for measuring sound, looks at instruments used for measuring sound pressure and intensity, […]
FAQ
What is de-embedding and how do I perform it (part 1)?
It’s a tenet of the test-and-measurement industry that you should concentrate on looking for defects in your device under test (DUT) — not in your test equipment. Figure 1 illustrates a common problem. An instrument presents an incorrect reading; in this case, an LRC meter or multimeter presents a resistance reading that’s about 5% low. […]
How can sensors protect vulnerable areas? Pt 1
Clean air and water are essential for life. Protecting these valuable, and in many cases, limited essential elements, starts with sensors to detect threats from intentional or unintentional contamination. Today, available sensing technologies target different locations/areas to ensure the safe ongoing supply of fresh air and water. Using a variety of different sensing techniques, the […]
Generating really high voltages without a Tesla coil
There are many ways to create high-voltages and pulses; the Marx generator is a simple one in concept and practice. Low-voltage designs with rails in the single digits get a lot of attention these days for reasons I don’t need to detail to this audience. Still, there are many situations where rails at hundreds of […]
What to look for in surge protection for power supplies
By Ron Stull, CUI, Inc. Any mains-powered electrical device is vulnerable to voltage surge. These completely unpredictable events can take many forms: from modest power spikes during normal operation to massive power surges caused by an external lightning strike. To prevent damage and downtime, electrical equipment and circuits need to be provided with adequate surge […]
IoT devices in private 5G networks bring new verification tests
With private networks connecting to many IoT devices, testing the device’s user interface requires updating test processes. Many IoT use cases rely on private 5G networks because they offer greater network control, better security, more reliable performance, and dedicated coverage and capacity as opposed to using a public network. With these advantages, private networks play…
Harnessing silicon: the future of lithium-ion batteries
By Ashok Lahiri, Enovix Corporation The first lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, developed and commercialized by Sony Corporation in 1991, provided a step-change increase in energy density for its handheld camcorder — a harbinger of the many power-hungry portable electronic devices to come. Without this battery innovation, the brick-size cell phone of the 1980s would never have…
How can sensors help an electrolyzer provide green hydrogen?
Energy storage is an essential part of the pursuit for the increased use of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar geothermal and hydroelectric power. Electrolyzers allow hydrogen-based storage and avoid the reliance on batteries and their raw materials such as lithium, graphite and cobalt that are frequently sourced from China. When renewable energy sources […]
How timing propagates in a 5G network
5G’s high speeds place extreme demands on the components that maintain accurate time. Compliance with industry timing standards calls for accuracy in the face of temperature changes, shock, and vibration.
What can we do to boost hands-on engineering?
Is there a shortage of hands-on technical professionals? Yes, no, maybe — or all of these? It’s hard to prove with numbers, but it certainly seems as if fewer students and entry-level electrical/electronic engineers are doing hands-on projects in school or at the job. By hands-on, I mean projects which involve wire stripping and soldering […]