Test & Measurement Tips
Oscilloscopes, electronics engineering industry news, how-to EE articles and electronics resources
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Latest posts
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S-parameters and distributed impedance: part 4
A vector network analyzer enables you to conveniently measure S-parameters. In this series, beginning in part 1 , we have looked at distributed impedance, transmission lines, characteristic impedance, and S-parameters. We noted that when we launch a signal into a transmission…
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S-parameters and distributed impedance: part 3
An S-parameter matrix represents the ratios of a network’s incident and emitted waveforms. We concluded part 2 of this series with a look at surge impedance, and we began considering what happens when we launch a signal into a transmission line. Figure 1 shows the basic setup,…
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Agentic AI turns natural language prompts into working test instruments
Custom test instruments usually mean one of two things: settle for a standard box that almost fits your application, or commit to months of FPGA development and find someone with the expertise to do it. Liquid Instruments is betting there’s a third option. The company’s new…
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S-parameters and distributed impedance: part 2
Dividing a transmission line of arbitrary length into multiple small elements can help explain characteristic, or surge, impedance. Part 1 of this series covered distributed and characteristic impedance as well as the transmission-line concept as a prelude to reviewing…
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How is EMI testing evolving for wide-bandgap EV architectures?
Many electric vehicle (EV) power electronics systems use silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) devices. These wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors enable significantly higher switching frequencies and power densities than silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistors…
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S-parameters and distributed impedance: part 1
When a signal’s wavelength approaches the length of the conductor it traverses, simple analysis techniques no longer suffice. In a recent series, we reviewed Kirchhoff’s voltage and current laws and their application to simple test circuits, including the Wheatstone bridge. The…
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Frenemies at last? FAQ on optical combs for microwave oscillators: part 2
Beyond the use of optical frequency combs as precision clock sources in the optical region, researchers have developed a way to link the outstanding optical-clock performance to the creation of a high-stability, low-jitter oscillator source for millimeter-wave (mmWave) RF…
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Measuring cable shielding effectiveness with a R&S Mxo3 oscilloscope
Rohde & Schwarz recently announced their MXO3 1 GHz bandwidth 12-bit oscilloscope [1], and I managed to get one to review. The R&S MXO38 is ideal for EMC troubleshooting and characterizing design issues early. The 1 mV low noise vertical sensitivity, 12-bits, allows a terrific…
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Frenemies at last? FAQ on optical combs for microwave oscillators: part 1
Both radio frequency (RF) and optical energy are governed by Maxwell’s equations, but they often have little else in common. RF devices are generally available up to around 100 GHz (albeit at increasing cost and fragility), where they run into barriers due to the laws of…
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Test jigs and bench tools to make your life easier: part 2
In Part 1, I discussed test jigs that were passive devices (unless you consider a light bulb and a power cord active devices). Now, I’ll present some more active electronics-based devices. In Figure 1, here’s a purchased PC board module based on the Diodes Inc. PAM8403 stereo…
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From root cause to report: mixed-signal debugging, data sharing, and automation
In Part 2 of this Q&A series, based on the EE Training Day, Ben Ellis, Technical Applications Engineer at Pico Technology, walks through mixed-signal debugging methodology, how to tailor oscilloscope data for different audiences, and when it makes sense to embed a scope into an…
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16×16 Butler Matrix supports MIMO beamforming tests
Spectrum Control has introduced the Weinschel™ 8401-16E 16×16 Butler Matrix, a passive beamforming network for MIMO systems and wireless test applications across 2.4 GHz to 7.125 GHz. The 16-input, 16-output architecture generates fixed orthogonal beams without active phase…
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Test jigs and bench tools make your life easier: part 1
Engineers are problem solvers. It’s what we do. When working on a project at your bench, you probably have the usual collection of hand tools, test equipment, and a soldering station or two. Sometimes you need more than these tools. Sometimes, you have to solve a practical…
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IMS 2026: RF engineers come to Boston
The annual International Microwave Symposium returned to Boston for the first time since 2019. Through photos and videos, here’s what we saw. IMS 2026 took place the week of June 7-12 at the Menino Convention Center in Boston’s Seaport District. Over 400 large and small…
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DC electronic load system supports four channels
B&K Precision has introduced the DML Series DC electronic load system, a modular platform with a 4U mainframe that supports up to four channels and 800 W. The system uses swappable single- or dual-channel load modules with front-panel inputs providing up to 80 V and 80 A, or up…
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Coin cell calorimeter skips teardown, spans -80 °C to 600°C
Waters Corporation’s TA Instruments division has launched a Coin Cell Differential Scanning Calorimeter built to run safety and performance tests directly on fully assembled coin cells, no teardown required. For test engineers, that’s the headline: the company says sample prep…
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Probe measures floating signals to ±2000 V
Tektronix® has introduced wideband shunts for IsoVu™ isolated current probes and the THDP0400 high voltage differential probe for power electronics validation in EVs, industrial systems, AI data centers and power conversion applications. The shunts support bandwidth up to 250…
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RF attenuator boxes target automated test systems
Ranatec AB has introduced standard 8-channel and 12-channel attenuator box configurations for RF and microwave test systems. The off-the-shelf units are intended for telecom production, electronics manufacturing and automated test environments where users need faster deployment…
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16-bit scope captures low-level analog signals
Pico Technology has introduced the PicoScope 5000E Series USB-C oscilloscopes for low-amplitude analog, digital and mixed-signal measurements. The series provides 16-bit resolution, bandwidths up to 200 MHz, sample rates up to 2.5 GS/s and capture memory up to 1 GS, while Plus…
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Defining and measuring strain: part 4
A full-bridge four-active-element strain-gauge configuration doubles bending-strain measurement sensitivity compared with a half-bridge implementation. In this series on strain gauges, we’ve looked at quarter- and half-bridge configurations. In this final part, we will look at a…