How to test and maintain obsolete systems when the relevant documentation is absent. Alan Lowne, Saelig Co. Inc. Obsolete PCBs or boards lacking circuit schematic diagrams present a conundrum when there’s a need for repair. Online searches for old datasheets may not be productive. What happens when obsolete boards must be fixed but there is […]
Test and Measurement Tips
Working with fiber optic internet connections
Fiber internet service is often called the gold standard of residential internet connections thanks to the fact that a fiber internet connection can easily provide a 10x speedier connection than ordinary coax cable. Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployments by Verizon Fios and AT&T Fiber are capable of 4K video conferencing and ultra-fast file uploads. Such connections also […]
Grounding considerations for renewable power generation
It pays to know the difficulties that can arise when testing and evaluating ground systems for solar panel arrays and wind farms. Jeff Jowett, Megger Industrial wind turbines are typically 280 ft high and getting taller. Their height makes them prime targets for lightning strokes that peak in less than 10 µsec while producing tens […]
RF load terminations handle up to 1 W
New RF loads can be used to terminate coax cables, multicoupling devices and test equipment across a variety of applications. Features include maximum power of 1 W, 1.85 mm, 2.4 mm, 3.5 mm, SMP and SMPM connector options, male and female connector combinations, models with or without chains, 18 GHz, 27 GHz, 34.5 GHz, 40 […]
Test system for automotive radar sensors electronically simulates even laterally moving objects
A radar test system from Rohde & Schwarz simulates driving scenarios for testing radar based advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and radar sensors used in autonomously driving cars (AD) entirely over the air. The test solution consists of the new R&S AREG800A automotive radar echo generator as a backend and the R&S QAT100 antenna array […]
Choosing a test system for emerging PCIe 6.0 designs
New PCIe 6.0 standards demand instruments with upwards of 59 GHz bandwidth and which are capable of running special signal integrity tests. Contributed By Anritsu Co. PCI Express (PCIe) 6.0 addresses the high-speed data transmission needs of emerging applications ranging from data centers to connected cars. With the doubling of data rates and upgrades of […]
A day in the life: Five RF measurements for field engineers
A handful of basic techniques go a long way toward characterizing modern communication systems. Sarah Gross, Keysight Technologies Field engineers often find that every day presents its own special challenges. A typical work day may involve measuring a variety of devices or signals — cables, antennas, over-the-air 5G signals, or intermittent spurious signals. Successful completion […]
Testbed helps optimize home Wi-Fi devices
STACK-MID is a new testbed designed for communications service providers (CSPs) to test and optimize home-focused Wi-Fi devices and solutions. A subset of octoScope’s fully-featured STACK-MAX testbed, STACK-MID supports testing of all features and standards that are vital to home Wi-Fi devices, including the latest Broadband Forum TR-398 Issue 2 test cases for home router […]
A scope-based technique for optimizing EMI input filters
A simple oscilloscope setup can size common-mode and differential-mode noise filtering components separately and more accurately. Marcus Sonst, Rohde & Schwarz Any switched-mode power supply (SMPS) needs an EMI (electromagnetic interference) input filter to avoid disturbing power lines. Input filters generally contain both common-mode and differential-mode filter elements, and the two are rarely optimized separately. […]
Wireless connectivity test set helps evaluate IEEE 802.11ax 6-GHz-band WLAN performance
An IEEE 802.11ax option extends the functions of the Anritsu Wireless Connectivity Test Set MT8862A to support evaluation of IEEE 802.11ax 6-GHz band WLAN performance. With the option, the RF TRX characteristics of smartphones, smart home electronics, automobiles, and IoT devices with WLAN functionality can be accurately and efficiently tested to ensure compliance with industry […]
