Agilent Technologies Opens Digital Test Center Agilent Technologies Inc. has opened its Digital Test Center at its company headquarters in Santa Clara, California. The center allows customers to learn about the technologies and challenges of digital test and conduct on-site testing of their devices to meet the digital interfacing standards of today and tomorrow. The test center offers training on technology and test systems, workshops, and on-site testing of customers' devices with Agilent equipment. In addition, the test equipment can be transported for local use and demonstration at vendor sites in the U.S. "Agilent's new test center can provide the expertise digital designers need at the earliest stages of the development cycle," said Perry Keller, digital standards program lead at Agilent's Digital Test Division. "Our application-optimized measurement support and automation capabilities can help complete validation and compliance tests in a fraction of the time it has taken to date, enabling much faster time to market and improved product quality." Low-Leakage EMC/EMI FiltersSchaffner is offering a new compact single-phase EMC/EMI filter FN 2450. The low-leakage filter FN 2450 expands the Schaffner product offering of suppression components in plastic housings. Integrated terminals in the housing enable reliable contact from the top with the automatic torque wrench. Built-in safety covers, which for the purpose of install- ation can be easily folded forwards and backwards using a captive swivel mechanism, are provided as standard for protection against unintended contact with live clamping elements. The low-leakage EMC/EMI filters FN 2450 are designed for rated currents from 6 to 20A (at 55C) and for single-phase networks .250VAC. All versions are distinguished by minimal filter leakage current and are particularly suited for use with sensitive residual current protective devices, as well as for strict requirements with regard to operator and fire protection. The compact filters are CSA, C-CSA-US and ENEC-approved and comply with the requirements of the RoHS directive. For more information, visit Low Capacitance Practorian® III EMI Filters California Micro Devices now offers the CM1457 family of inductor-based EMI filters for mobile handsets. With traditional filter architectures, there is a tradeoff between low levels of capacitance — which are necessary to achieve higher cutoff frequencies — and reduced levels of filter attenuation. The CM1457, based on the advanced Praetorian III inductor-based filter architecture, eliminates this tradeoff by providing superior attenuation and industry leading low capacitance. With a cutoff frequency of 400MHz and a steep rolloff, the CM1457 is ideal for filtering signal lines for high resolution displays and imagers in today's most advanced handsets, including those using emerging 4G protocols such as LTE. The lower capacitance level of the CM1457 can also contribute to reduced system power consumption. The combination of these attributes makes this filter an ideal solution for advanced multimedia and smart phone designs. STMicroelectronics Class-D Amplifier Joining ST Micro's family of analog-input class-D ICs, the TDA7492 expands the family at the high end. The family now includes 3W-, 5W-, 10W-, 20W-, 25W, and 50W-per-channel variants in pin-compatible packages that enable scaling of designs to address multiple markets. The TDA7492 is the first 50W+50W rated amplifier on the market to use the advanced sixth-generation BCD6S (Bipolar/CMOS/DMOS) process, which allows analog, logic, and high-voltage functions on a single chip. ST's BCD6S process achieves higher operating efficiency per chip size than other class-D amplifiers, while simultaneously reducing crosstalk, leading to improved audio quality. In addition, BCD6S enables complementary NMOS and PMOS transistors in the high-power output circuitry, saving the external bootstrap capacitor and diode normally required by older processes. The approach simplifies design, saves pc-board space, and trims the bill of materials. For more information, visit Enhanced ACS Basic Edition with Broader Support Keithley Instruments, Inc. has enhanced its popular ACS Basic Edition software, adding support for a broader line of source-measure (SMU) instrumentation. This should prove especially useful in expanding the software's voltage and current limits available for testing solar cells, photovoltaic panels, and discrete power semiconductors. ACS Basic Edition combines high speed hardware control, device connectivity, and data management into an easy-to-use tool optimized for part verification, debugging, and analysis. With the introduction of Version 1.1, ACS Basic Edition, a member of Keithley's Automated Characterization Suite family, can now support a far broader range of DC voltage and current test capabilities. It's compatible with the company's full SMU offering, the broadest array of choices in the industry. Depending on the SMU selected, ACS Basic Edition supports sourcing and measuring up to 5A or 1100V DC on individual channels. For more information, visit NI's Dual-core Controller tackles RF and Wireless TestBuilt on a 3U PXI Express card, the PXIe-8108 embedded controller from National Instruments employs an Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 processor and is claimed to significantly reduce test times for PXI Express and CompactPCI Express automated tests systems. Engineers can use the controller to create a compact, PC-based platform for many test, measurement, and control applications. With its 2.53GHz dual-core processor, 800MHz DDR2 memory, and 1Gb/s total system bandwidth, the PXIe-8108 is suitable for advanced RF and wireless test applications, high-throughput data-acquisition systems, and other applications that require intensive analysis, signal, or image processing. It delivers up to a 25% performance improvement over similar systems based on previous-generation NI embedded controllers. Prices for the embedded controller start at $4,649. For more information, visit Low-Frequency Magnetic Shielding (MuFerro™ 6800) Holland Shielding Systems B.V. has developed a new material for shielding/screening low frequent magnetic fields. These fields are generated by installations in which high currents flow, for example, transformer rooms, power lines,busbar systems and nearby high-voltage cables. The frequency of these magnetic fields is typically 50/60Hz, but the MuFerro material is suitable for magnetic shielding in frequency ranges from 10Hz to 100KHz. MuFerro combines permeable and satiety characteristics which makes it extremely suitable for screening low-frequent magnetic fields. Holland Shielding Systems B.V. can realize magnetic shielding even after the transformer has been placed. For screening whole buildings, or rooms, the shielding material is applied to walls, ceilings and/or floors. This protects both people and electronics. For more information, visit EM Design Tool for Motors and GeneratorsCobham Technical Services is offering a new version of its Vector Fields Software tool for designing rotating electrical machinery. The electromagnetic simulation software combines the accuracy of virtual prototyping using finite-element analysis with a rapid front-end design tool that allows users to create models of motors and generators in minutes — allowing users to achieve radical new levels of development productivity. The software is an application-specific toolbox for the Opera Vector Fields Software package, and provides a front-end to the electromagnetic simulator that speeds the creation of design models with fill-in-the-blanks dialog boxes. The package comes with templates for a broad range of common rotating machinery, including motor types such as AC induction, brushless, permanent magnet and switched reluctance, plus synchronous motors or generators. Within these basic equipment types, users can choose from a wide selection of component geometries and other options to create their design. For more information, visit RF Switch Connector For Advanced WirelessMurata Electronics North America, now offers the world's smallest RF switch connector. The new SWG series allows reliable RF circuit testing throughout the entire product life-cycle yet measures only 2.0mm x 2.0mm x 0.9mm. It also boasts an expanded frequency range not found in today's electronics industry. The enhanced connector saves space on the printed circuit board (PCB) making it ideal for numerous portable devices, high frequency measurement equipment and is well suited for WiFi, WiMAX, 4G, Bluetooth, ZigBee and UWB wireless standards. With its expanded operating frequency range, the SWG connectors are capable of testing RF signals from DC up to 11GHz. In addition, this series features excellent high frequency characteristics with low insertion loss (01.dB maximum between DC and 3GHz, 0.2dB maximum between 3GHz and 6GHz, 0.5dB maximum between 6HGz and 11GHz). For more information, visit |
