Most engineers today are sensitive to problems that arise when digital measurement instruments try to capture signals containing frequencies that are too high for the sampling circuitry to handle–undergrad EE programs typically cover Nyquist’s sampling theorem. Nevertheless, there are terms associated with sampling problems that sometimes get confused. Probably the three concepts most likely to […]
Test and Measurement Tips
Difference between a waveguide and transmission line
As electronics migrates to higher and higher frequencies, the media routing electronic signals to their intended destinations grow increasingly exotic. This is particularly true as communication technology moves to 5G frequencies which are characterized by millimeter wave transmissions. In this frequency range, engineers are more likely to encounter waveguides and transmission lines rather than ordinary […]
Test setup simulates, characterizes, validates PCIe designs
An end-to-end PCIe test solution enables the simulation, pathfinding, characterization, validation and compliance testing of PCIe designs. To maintain performance goals and prepare for the PCIe 6.0 move to pulse amplitude modulation 4-level (PAM4), customers need a smooth transition from PCIe 5.0 to 6.0, where the integrity of PCIe measurements are backed by leading-edge tools […]
High-voltage probe provides isolation via fiber optics
The Saker-MV ISOVP Probe enables high-voltage isolated measurements via fiber optic cables. Optical fiber isolation provides high-voltage safety and increased signal integrity due to absence of induced interference from external fields. This also allows for much higher common mode rejection as compared to conventional differential probes. The probe head can be remotely put in standby, […]
The difference between the Faraday effect and Faraday’s law of induction
Michael Faraday is probably best known for his law of induction. But he also discovered the Faraday Effect in 1845 which states that light and electromagnetism are related phenomena. Faraday asserted that, in fact, light is a form of electromagnetism, anticipating James Clerk Maxwell by nearly two decades. Faraday stated that when a solid or […]
Test system handles latest Wi-Fi 6E devices
A newly integrated testing system allows testing to the new IEEE 802.11ax WLAN standard. The new band adds to the already available 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Anritsu’s Wireless Connectivity Test Set MT8862A has been integrated with the EMITE E600 Reverberation Chamber, allowing developers to test the OTA TRP/TIS performance of IEEE 802.11ax devices […]
Test setup handles high-speed Ethernet cable assemblies up to IEEE 802.3ck
New compliance test automation software from Rohde & Schwarz for IEEE 802.3 cable assemblies allows for precise and time-saving compliance tests of high-speed cables and backplanes according to the IEEE 802.3bj, by, cd and ck standards. The R&S ZNrun vector network analyzer automation suite controls a vector network analyzer and a switching solution from Rohde […]
Does Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law really fail?
Gustav Kirchhoff (1824-1887) was an accomplished Prussian physicist and instrument maker, and best known for his current and voltage circuit laws. Kirchhoff’s first circuit law, known as his current law, states that the algebraic sum of currents in a network of conductors meeting at a point is zero. Kirchhoff’s second circuit law, known as his […]
Teaching instrumentation gets new filter options, lock-in amp
New enhancements for Moku:Go, a complete, portable and accessible lab solution platform designed for engineers and students to actively test designs and projects, feature a full range of connectivity, optional programmable power supplies and an intuitive user interface. These enhancements include the addition of new instruments for Moku:Go: Digital Filter Box: A tool to design […]
What is Fourier transform IR spectroscopy?
Most EEs probably think of a Fourier transform in terms of an operation that converts time-based waveforms on a scope into their component frequencies. But Fourier transforms also play a role in infrared spectroscopy. It might be easiest to explain Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy by contrasting it with conventional spectroscopy. Also called “dispersive spectroscopy,” the […]