1. No category

November 2014
Written by Engineers
...for Engineers
S PECIAL R E PORTS
Data Acquisition
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Unearthing impending
maintenance problems
RF/Microwave Test
PXI competes with
boxes at 26.5 GHz
DESIGN and TEST
The life-cycle aspect of
boundary scan
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1
November 2014, Vol. 53, No. 11
C O NT E NT S
November 2014
I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N
Written by Engineers
...for Engineers
SPECIAL REPORT
Data Acquisition Systems
12
Still Working ≠ A-OK
by Tom Lecklider, Senior Technical Editor
S PECIAL R E PORTS
Data Acquisition
Systems
Component Test
28
Unearthing impending
maintenance problems
Bridging the LCR measurement gap
by Tom Lecklider, Senior Technical Editor
RF/Microwave Test
PXI competes with
boxes at 26.5 GHz
C O M M U N I C AT I O N S T E S T
SPECIAL REPORT
RF/Microwave Test
16
2
PXI competes with boxes at 26.5 GHz
by Rick Nelson, Executive Editor
.
AT E
DESIGN and TEST
The life-cycle aspect of
boundary scan
EMC TEST
Design and Test
24
www.evaluationengineering.com
On Our Cover
Designed by NP Communications
EE201411-COVER.indd COVERI
The life-cycle aspect of boundary scan
by Peter van den Eijnden, JTAG Technologies
Visiting IBM’s boat-shaped
EMC chamber
Industry Happenings
10/9/14 11:03 AM
32
From bits and bytes to airframe cracks
by Tom Lecklider, Senior Technical Editor
D E PA R T M E N T S
4
6
34
35
Executive Insight
Editorial
EE Industry Update
EE Product Picks
Index of Advertisers
36
Extended service life poses test challenges
by Rick Nelson, Executive Editor
EMC
EMC Test
20
Visiting IBM’s boat-shaped EMC chamber
by Tom Lecklider, Senior Technical Editor
MEDICAL TEST
Low-Power Design
W
Written
by Engineers
…for Engineers
…
30
Flexible instrumentation supports medical
device test
by Rick Nelson, Executive Editor
www.evaluationengineering.com
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3
EDITORIAL
Ubiquitous connectivity
http://www.evaluationengineering.com
T
4
.
EVALUATION ENGINEERING
he world is moving ever closer toward ubiquitous connectivity, as evidenced by
news related to wearables and nearables—the later term might take some getting
used to if it catches on.
With regard to wearables, Apple recently introduced its Apple Watch. I hadn’t
planned to be an early adopter, but Christopher Mims in his Keywords column in
the Wall Street Journal is enthusiastic about what he calls the wrist-top computer.
Apple Watch and its competitors will have a place in the apps and hardware
ecosystem that will make them indispensable, he writes. He cites wearables such as
pressure-sensor-laden socks that can help runners minimize their chance of injury
and shirts that can measure heart rate. Such a shirt could be used as part of a payment authentication system that would match the wearer’s heart-beat pattern with,
for example, your heart-beat pattern stored in the cloud. My concern about any
biometric data is that if it’s stored in the cloud, it could be hacked.
As for a nearable, you might ask, what is that? It’s any object nearby to which you
might attach a Bluetooth Smart-enabled sticker or beacon. Nordic Semiconductor,
a maker of ultra-low-power RF SoCs, announced that Estimote is employing Nordic’s SoCs to provide Bluetooth Smart wireless connectivity in its newly launched
Estimote stickers.
Estimote stickers are small (approximately 3 mm thin), low cost (sub-$10) beacons with built-in accelerometers and temperature sensors. (The stickers build on
Estimote’s previously launched beacons, which also employ Nordic technology.)
Estimote stickers then can be used to provide microlocation and contextual data about
nearables to any Bluetooth Smart-ready device. If your “nearable” is a bicycle, for
example, an Estimote sticker can help track your route or let you know if someone
is moving your bike without your permission. If your “nearable” is a backpack, a
sticker can let your cellphone know if you’ve left it behind. And retailers can affix
the stickers to merchandise to provide customers context-sensitive information and
to monitor what items customers most interact with.
Nordic also announced that Polish startup Kontakt.io has specified Nordic SoCs
to provide Bluetooth Smart wireless connectivity in Kontakt.io’s Cloud Beacon preintegrated hardware platform. Kontakt.io says its Cloud Beacon platform eventually
will include a wearable rubber wristband option for tracking people such as children
out on a school day trip.
Kontakt.io said its Cloud Beacon platform also can aid navigation within public
facilities. An ongoing project aims to “beaconify”—another term that will take
some getting used to—the San Francisco airport. And it offers many marketing
opportunities. For example, a merchant could detect you are driving past and offer
you a free parking space.
The possibilities are endless, but endless data may represent too much of a good
thing. New York Times reporter and former physician Elisabeth Rosenthal quotes Ian
T. Clark, chief executive of Genentech, as saying of wearable healthcare technology,
“I don’t doubt the wearable piece is going to be a productive business model for
people. I just don’t know whether it’s going to bend the curve in health outcomes.”
And beyond healthcare, do we really need endless context-sensitive marketing
messages and a beaconified airport constantly exhorting us not to leave our luggage
unattended?
It may be too late. I guess I need a smartwatch that can alert me when I’ve left my
beaconified smartphone behind. As Mims in the Journal concludes, “These devices
will be the way we connect ourselves—directly—to all the technology that surrounds
us. And opting out simply won’t be an option.”
EDITORIAL
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Rick Nelson
e-mail: rnelson@evaluationengineering.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Deborah Beebe
e-mail: dbeebe@evaluationengineering.com
SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITOR
Tom Lecklider
e-mail: tlecklider@evaluationengineering.com
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PRINT/WEB COORDINATOR
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PRINT/WEB COORDINATOR
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4 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-Editorial MECH dB.indd 4
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5
EE INDUSTRY UPDATE
IHS looks at iPhone 6 vs.
iPhone 6 Plus cost
For consumers opting to buy Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus rather than
the iPhone 6, the additional 0.8 inch of screen size will cost $100
extra. However, for Apple, the iPhone 6 Plus costs only about
$16 more to produce, delivering to the company an even heftier
margin than normal for its wildly popular smartphone line.
The bill of materials of the iPhone 6 equipped with 16 GB
of NAND flash memory amounts to $196.10, according to a
preliminary estimate by the Teardown Mobile Handsets Intelligence Service at IHS Technology. The cost of production rises
to $200.10 when the $4.00 manufacturing expense is added.
Graphene imperfections key
to hypersensitive electronic nose
6
.
Researchers have discovered a way to create a highly sensitive
chemical sensor based on the crystalline flaws in graphene
sheets. The imperfections have unique electronic properties
that the researchers were able to exploit to increase sensitivity
to absorbed gas molecules by 300 times.
When a graphene lattice or sheet is formed, its polycrystalline structure has random boundaries between the single-crystal
grains. The properties of the lattice are significantly affected by
these “grain boundaries,” said Amin Salehi-Khojin, University
of Illinois at Chicago assistant professor of mechanical and
industrial engineering and principal investigator on the study.
World PCB production in 2013
estimated at $59.4 billion
The world market for PCBs declined an estimated 2.2% in real
terms in 2013, although real growth in North America was
positive at 0.8%, according to IPC’s “World PCB Production
Report for the Year 2013.” Developed by a team of the world’s
leading PCB industry analysts, the annual study is the definitive source of PCB production data, indicating what kinds of
PCBs are being made where. World PCB production in 2013
was valued at an estimated $59.4 billion.
The IPC report contains estimates of 2013 PCB production
value by 10 product categories and by 31 countries or subregions. PCB values of standard multilayer and integrated circuit
package substrates are segmented by those having microvia
structures and those with non-microvia structures.
AXIe Consortium announces
new specification
The AXIe Consortium has announced a new specification,
AXIe-0, suitable for low-cost instrumentation and switching.
Titled “Low Cost Instrument and Switch Architecture,” AXIe-0
retains the module size and board area of the current AXIe-1
Base Architecture while delivering a cost-effective platform for
vendors and users not needing the full capability of AXIe-1.
Von Campbell, chairman of the AXIe Consortium and
R&D manager at Keysight Technologies, said, “The AXIe-0
specification is part of the ongoing efforts of the consortium
to broaden the use of AXIe. This new low-cost instrument and
6 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-IndustryUpdate FINAL.indd 6
switch architecture enhances cost-effectiveness and improves
ease of implementation for vendors wanting to take advantage
of AXIe’s space, power, and form factor for products that don’t
require the high-speed data infrastructure.
Sciaky to provide additive
manufacturing to Lockheed Martin
Sciaky, a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries and provider
of large-scale additive manufacturing solutions, has announced
that it recently received a purchase order from Lockheed Martin
Space Systems to provide a turnkey electron beam additive
manufacturing (EBAM) system. The EBAM system will help
Lockheed Martin reduce time and cost on the production of
titanium propulsion tanks.
On July 10, Sciaky announced the availability of EBAM
systems to the marketplace. The Lockheed Martin order is the
second multi-million dollar order from a major global manufacturing company since the announcement.
Technology can close
at-risk-student achievement gaps
As school districts around the country consider investing in
technology as a way to improve student outcomes, a new report
from the Alliance for Excellent Education and the Stanford
Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE) finds
that technology—when implemented properly—can produce
significant gains in student achievement and boost engagement,
particularly among students most at risk. The report identifies
three important components to successfully using technology
with at-risk students: interactive learning, use of technology to
explore and create rather than to “drill and kill,” and the right
blend of teachers and technology.
MU researcher develops
water-based nuclear battery
From cell phones to cars and flashlights, batteries play an
important role in everyday life. Scientists and technology companies constantly are seeking ways to improve battery life and
efficiency. Now, for the first time using a water-based solution,
researchers at the University of Missouri have created a longlasting and more efficient nuclear battery that could be used for
applications such as a reliable energy source in automobiles and
also in complicated applications such as space flight.
Keysight, Stanford work to
streamline students’ experience
Keysight Technologies announced it is supplying its BenchVue
software to Stanford University’s Department of Electrical
Engineering. The visual and intuitive software simplifies the
use of test instruments in the lab. As a result, students spend
less time, and require less help, setting up the assigned lab,
thereby allowing instructors to stay focused on lesson plans.
Keysight’s BenchVue software makes it easy to view, capture, and export measurement data from test instruments to
other software applications such as Excel and MATLAB.
www.evaluationengineering.com
10/7/14 1:54 PM
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The Aha! moment.
Keysight W2211BP Advanced Design System
electronic design automation software
W2351EP ADS DDR4 Compliance Test Bench
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It takes more than silicon to push the limits of DDR memory. It also
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insight. If you’re a DDR design engineer, we can give you expert advice
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© Keysight Technologies, Inc. 2014
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Keysight U4154B logic analyzer module for
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that in the future, we can help you solve
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• JEDEC and UFSA Board of Directors
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• Thousands of patents issued in Keysight’s history
EE201411-AD Keysight-49379.indd 9
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Eureka!
We’ll help you get there.
Insight. It comes upon you in a pash. And you know at once you
have something special. At Keysight Technologies, we think precise
measurements can act as a catalyst to breakthrough insight. That’s
why we offer the most advanced electronic measurement tools
for LTE-A technology. We also offer sophisticated, future-friendly
software. In addition, we can give you expert testing advice to
help you design custom solutions for your particular needs.
Keysight 89600 VSA software
HARDWARE + SOFTWARE + PEOPLE = LTE-A INSIGHTS
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© Keysight Technologies, Inc. 2014
10/8/14 2:05 PM
Keysight MIMO PXI test solution
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Keysight E7515A UXM wireless test set
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Keysight N5182B MXG X-Series
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• 300+ software applications for the entire
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PEOPLE
We know what it takes for your designs to
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EE201411-AD Keysight-49378.indd 11
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11
SPECIAL REPORT - DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
Still Working ≠ A-OK
by Tom Lecklider, Senior Technical Editor
12
.
Machine condition monitoring is a data acquisition application
that also involves a degree of analysis and reporting. In addition,
the overall process implies an element of time. Straightforward
performance testing measures output against a standard—did the
engine develop the expected torque at the set rpm? In contrast,
condition monitoring compares a succession of measurements
taken over time against a baseline or against previous measurements. At one extreme, condition monitoring is looking for a trend
that may indicate a need for maintenance. At the other extreme,
it’s attempting to avoid catastrophic failure.
Major infrastructure equipment typically comes with built-in
condition monitoring. As stated in a recent article, “Condition
monitoring of rotating equipment is common throughout the oil
and gas industry, with the objective to detect, analyze, and diagnose machinery faults. Critical machines (turbines, compressors,
and large motors) are normally equipped with online condition
monitoring and protection systems. The balance of plant equipment (motors, pumps, and fans) generally is not.”1
However, as the author points out, the latter category accounts
for the majority of both the quantity of equipment and the maintenance costs. The large machines and their monitoring systems
are permanently wired—a prohibitively costly undertaking for the
many smaller machines. Wireless condition monitoring is becoming a popular alternative because “… it bridges the gap between
the cost of a wired system and inefficiencies of portable systems.”1
It’s fair to ask, “What is being monitored?” Of course, measuring the same parameters isn’t applicable in all applications. Nevertheless, temperature and vibration are two variables commonly
found in monitoring schemes. According to Bob Judd, director of
marketing, United Electronic Industries, “By far, the most common indicator of wear or imminent failure usually is temperature.
It seems most things run hot when something’s going wrong. On
the more complex side, monitoring vibration in rotating systems
also can point out things like worn bearings or loose fittings.”
Judd said that the company’s UEILogger and UEIPAC
Cubes were used for machine condition monitoring with the
UEIPAC having the advantage of also performing ongoing
analysis. Should a parameter be outside the normal range,
UEIPAC also can notify the supervisory monitoring station
via Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or a cell interface. He said, “The most
exciting addition to our health-monitoring line is probably
our new UEIPAC 400-MIL. This new chassis is completely
sealed and self-contained. It can be mounted in an outdoor or
other ‘difficult’ environment without requiring any external
packaging or protection.”
Reference 1 is more specific about which parameters are
monitored: “The SKF wireless machine condition sensor collects
data on three key machine conditions: temperature (indicative
of lubrication issues, increased friction, rubbing, etc.); overall
machine condition (vibrations caused by misalignment, imbalance, mechanical looseness, etc.); and rolling element bearing
condition (allows damage detection and diagnosis of source as
ball/roller, cage, inner, or outer raceway).”1
Of the three quantities, rolling element monitoring is the most
expensive because of the much higher frequencies involved. As
discussed in a report on wind turbine reliability, “Two categories
[of vibration monitoring] are used, but both are distinct from the
common low-frequency vibration monitoring included in the
turbine control and safety systems. The first category uses sensors
mounted to the bearing housing or gear case to detect characteristic
vibration signatures for each component. The signature for each
gear mesh or rolling-element bearing is unique….
“The second category includes the
‘shock-pulse’ or acoustic systems
that use high-frequency, narrow-band
vibration sensors to detect structureborne pulses that occur when a rolling
contact or gear mesh encounters a
discontinuity in the surface, indicative of wear or debris particles. Both
systems are component-specific and
require a significant investment in
up-front engineering time to select
the optimum sensor configuration and
to develop algorithms for interpreting
the data collected from the sensors.”2
Application Examples
Figure 1. Tracked vehicle with monitored parameters identified
Courtesy of LORD MicroStrain Sensing Systems
12 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-SpecRep-DataAcquisition FINAL.indd 12
Heavy Construction
Equipment
Even with a rigorously enforced
daily or weekly greasing schedule,
heavy equipment eventually wears
out. LORD MicroStrain Sensing
Systems’ products include sensors and nodes specifically
designed for tracked vehicle health monitoring (Figure 1).
www.evaluationengineering.com
10/9/14 12:12 PM
The SG-Link-LXRS
wireless, two-channel
analog input sensor
node operates on the
2.405-GHz to 2.480GHz band using the
direct sequence spreadspectrum technique.
Datalogging rates are
selectable from 32 Hz to
4,096 Hz for one channel and to 2,048 Hz for
two channels.
With one singleended channel and one
differential channel
with optional bridge
completion circuitry,
the node can accept inputs from most types of
analog sensors including Wheatstone bridge,
Figure 2. Die cushion pressure waveforms
v i b r a t i o n , s t r a i n , Courtesy of DATAQ Instruments
torque, load cells, and
pressure. Typically, sensor outputs relate to track tension, the
track rollers and roller frame alignment, hydraulic pressures and
cylinder position, and general engine health.
Offshore Wind Turbines
Especially given the recent trend toward extremely large turbines with multi-megawatt output, online condition monitoring
is a must. And, for this application, the cost and difficulty of
access make a wireless approach mandatory. As explained
in reference 2, “On-line observation provides deeper insight
into how well the turbine subsystems are performing while
rotating under load and can alert the maintenance staff to both
long-term and short-term events that may not be obvious with
a spot check. Second, on-line monitoring can be incorporated
into SCADA systems to automatically trigger appropriate
alarms and alert staff when a problem occurs. This feature
is essential for unattended turbine operation, especially in
remote or inaccessible locations.”
As described in a National Instruments case study, Spanish company Fundacion CARTIF developed an online wind
farm monitoring system based on NI’s CompactDAQ system
that included the NI cDAQ-9172 eight-slot chassis, a USB
accelerometer, the NI 9205 C Series analog input module,
the NI 9423 sinking digital input module, and the NI 9474
digital output module. Of these modules, the NI 9205 determines the data acquisition performance. It is a 32-channel single-ended or 16-channel differential input unit with
a 250-kHz aggregate sampling rate and 16-bit resolution.
The case study claims that a 25-kHz transfer rate was
achieved for eight analog channels, so one can assume that
the acquired signals had upper frequencies less than 1 kHz.
No mention is made of signal conditioning; however, given
the 9205’s 370-kHz analog bandwidth, a low-pass filter that
removed a decade or two of spectrum below that figure would
reduce noise while leaving the actual signal unaffected.
www.evaluationengineering.com
EE201411-SpecRep-DataAcquisition FINAL.indd 13
.
Punch Press
Hydraulic presses used to form sheet metal parts are more
complicated than they may appear. A key part of the forming
process is the die cushion that helps to control the flow of the
metal around the die. Degradation of the die cushion will affect
the quality of the parts being produced. As explained by Roger
Lockhart, vice president at DATAQ Instruments, “[Figure 2]
shows the acquired pressure waveform from the die cushion
and integral and derivative pressure waveforms as calculated
by DATAQ’s CODAS analysis software.
“Integrated pressure reveals the total work done by the die
cushion in units of psi-s. As the cushion wears, the final magnitude of work performed by the device will decay to a threshold
value that flags the need for replacement or maintenance. The
current peak work in this example is approximately 600 psi-s….
The calculated pressure derivative is interpreted as ramp rate and
gives a sense of the level of abuse applied to the die cushion.” He
concluded, “The current peak value is >105,000 psi/s, and the
measure often is used as a design parameter to ensure that normal
press operation does not subject the die cushion to undue stress.”
Appropriate Instrumentation
Lockhart recommended the company’s Model DI-718B DAQ
system with isolated 8B amplifiers as a good solution for many
condition-monitoring problems. The DI-718B has a maximum
throughput rate of 4,800 Hz and a 2-kbit sample buffer. More
than 50 types of single-channel 8B amplifiers are available with
240-V input protection, 500-V channel-to-channel isolation, and
1,000-V input-to-output isolation. These specifications are among
the factors that distinguish DAQ systems that are well suited to an
industrial environment from those that are more at home in a lab.
At the 2014 Autotest Symposium, ADLINK Technology
demonstrated the recently released USB-2405 dynamic signal
analyzer (DSA) module together with Visual Signal DAQ Express
software. The DSA features four channels with simultaneous 24November 2014 • EE • 13
10/9/14 12:12 PM
13
SPECIAL REPORT - DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
14
.
bit sampling at up to 128 kS/s. A built-in anti-alias filter, a 100-dB
dynamic range, and low temperature drift ensure data fidelity.
The free software package performs unit conversion, FFT and
IFT transforms, short-term FFT time-frequency analysis, and several types of filtering. Selectable displays include the input signals
for each channel, X-Y plots of the signals, and time-frequency
representations of the data. A functional-block library provides
analysis elements that you string together to create the required
multitask analysis without any programming.
VTI Instruments expanded its participation in areas outside of
electrical test by purchasing Agilent Technologies’ mechanical
test business unit in 2003. A series of product developments since
then has culminated in today’s EMX DSAs that feature FPGAbased synthetic instrumentation customization, corporate-wide
cloud data management, embedded self-calibration, and precision
distributed measurement synchronization. This is not the type
of instrument that you would build into an application. Rather,
you would use a DSA to troubleshoot problems identified by an
online monitoring system but beyond its capability to analyze.
The PXIe EMX-4350 DSA module has four channels with differential IEPE or voltage input, a 625-kS/s simultaneous sampling
rate, and 24-bit resolution. The typical dynamic range is 120 dBfs
including spurs and harmonic distortion, and channel-to channel
phase is matched within ±0.01 degree. The module has input
ranges of 100 mV, 1 V, 10 V, and 20 V but can be used with a
range of signal-conditioning modules to provide high isolation.
Using the EMX-4350 in
the CMX09 chassis, as
shown in Figure 3,
has the added advantages of chassis temperature, fan
speed, and power
rail level feedback
as well as the capability to inhibit the
fan in very sensitive
applications.
Figure 3. CMX09 PXIe chassis loaded
with DSA modules and EMX-2500 LXI
Stanford Research
remote controller
Systems’ SR785 DSA,
Courtesy of VTI Instruments
shown in Figure 4,
is a traditional twochannel bench instrument with 100-kHz
bandwidth, 90-dB
dynamic range, and
many built-in analysis
capabilities that modular instruments provide in software. For
Figure 4. SR785 DSA
example, order trackCourtesy of Stanford Research Systems
ing uses multiples of
a machine’s basic rotation speed instead of frequency when
displaying a spectrum—signal values are displayed vs. order.
This analysis tool is popular with automotive noise/vibration/
harshness engineers because it helps identify the root cause of
what otherwise might appear to be random vibration.
As explained in the SR785 datasheet, waterfall displays are a
convenient way to view a time history of your data. Each successive measurement record is plotted along the Z axis, making
14 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-SpecRep-DataAcquisition FINAL.indd 14
it easy to see trends in the data. While not an analysis algorithm,
waterfall plots help you gain insight into a problem.
NI provides two software packages that support analysis of
machine condition-related data. The Sound and Vibration Toolkit
includes FFT and transient analysis; acoustic, audio, and vibration
measurements; and a few specialized plot capabilities such as
waterfall. The Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite is more
comprehensive, adding order analysis and extending the toolkit’s
capabilities in most other areas.
VTI provides the MAYA HTT Test for I-DEAS sound and
vibration software suites at several levels. The Advanced Signal
Processing package is compatible with the company’s EMX instruments and includes both order tracking and transient analysis
as well as basic core functions.
Further Thoughts
Machine condition monitoring simply makes sense. Studies
have shown that performing maintenance at prescribed intervals
is wasteful because the machine may not need it at that time.
And, there could be a very good reason to inspect the machine
a week earlier, but scheduled maintenance would have missed
the opportunity to stop a small problem from getting bigger.
Another alternative—just running equipment until it breaks—can
incur very high costs at inconvenient times. Machine condition
monitoring alerts operators to impending problems, allowing
replacement parts to be procured and maintenance planned with
minimal disruption.
Built-in data acquisition instrumentation accommodates
the machine’s basic health indicators, but in all except the
most expensive machines, the test equipment’s cost and size
limit its capabilities. Most machines won’t have separate
high-frequency accelerometer channels associated with
each gearbox bearing, for example. When a more obscure or
higher speed problem occurs that the built-in instrumentation cannot handle, you need to apply some serious test and
measurement horsepower.
DSAs have the accuracy, speed, and resolution to guarantee
capture of the most elusive signal aberrations. The related analysis
routines, whether built-in as in the SR785 or as separate software
suites, support a wide range of techniques as well as display modes.
And, using a DSA during the design of a machine can verify the
choice of monitored variables assigned to the built-in DAQ system.
References
1. Herzog, M., “Analyzing wireless machine condition monitoring for offshore applications,” OE Digital, July 1, 2014.
2. Walford, C., Wind Turbine Reliability: Understanding and
Minimizing Wind Turbine Operation and Maintenance Costs,
Sandia National Laboratories, Report SAND2006-1100, 2006.
For more information
DATAQ Instruments ....................www.rsleads.com/411ee-193
Fundacion CARTIF ......................www.rsleads.com/411ee-194
LORD MicroStrain Sensing Systems
.......................................................www.rsleads.com/411ee-195
National Instruments ....................www.rsleads.com/411ee-196
SKF ...............................................www.rsleads.com/411ee-197
Stanford Research Systems ..........www.rsleads.com/411ee-198
United Electronic Industries .........www.rsleads.com/411ee-199
VTI Instruments............................www.rsleads.com/411ee-200
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10/9/14 12:12 PM
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Sponsored by
SPECIAL REPORT - RF/MICROWAVE TEST
PXI competes with boxes
at 26.5 GHz
by Rick Nelson, Executive Editor
16
.
Recent vector network and signal analyzer introductions show
what a significant competitor the PXI platform is becoming
in the RF/microwave test arena—with applicability extending
from the Wi-Fi frequencies up to 26.5 GHz. But box instrument makers are not ceding the field to their PXI counterparts.
Nevertheless, a recent report from Frost & Sullivan found
that OEMs are adopting PXI-based instrumentation to take
advantage of the PXI platform’s measurement speed, small
footprint, low power consumption, and flexibility. The marketresearch firm said PXI reduces the time to market and overall
cost of tests—especially in the wireless-communications space.
According to the report, titled “PXI Market to Change the
Face of the Test and Measurement Industry,” the PXI market
earned revenues of $563.3 million in 2013, and the firm estimates that PXI sales will reach $1.75 billion by 2020.
“Besides the uptake in RF wireless communications, the
global PXI market will get a leg up from new programs in
aerospace and defense and integration of wireless technologies in the industrial and consumer electronics industries,”
said Frost & Sullivan test and measurement industry director
Jessy Cavazos. “Additionally, it is finding opportunities in the
semiconductor automatic test equipment market.”
However, test engineers retain affection for the box instruments they have used effectively for decades—a fact that is
slowing down the transition to PXI test systems. But Frost
& Sullivan predicted that a new generation of test engineers
more comfortable with computers will mitigate this challenge.
“Meanwhile, the more complex process of integrating PXI
test systems, in comparison to rack-and-stack test systems,
can be a challenge for customers,” said Cavazos. “To ease the
process of integration, market participants across the globe are
offering different levels of integration services and tools that
enable customers to assemble PXI test systems quickly with
minimal effort.”
making it fully software-designed. The great thing about being
able to program the FPGA is that users can extend the instrument’s capabilities for new and innovative measurements.”
Prathima Bommakanti, industry analyst for measurement and
instrumentation at Frost & Sullivan, was similarly enthusiastic
about providing a user-programmable FPGA, which can lead to
“astounding benefits for the customer.” She said that enabling
users to turn the instrument into whatever they need represents
a paradigm shift in an industry in which products have been
defined by the vendor as opposed to the customer.
Ganwani noted that communications network providers
and government agencies like the FCC routinely monitor the
radio spectrum to identify harmful sources of interference. She
presented a specific example of a wideband Wi-Fi signal with
an interfering signal fading in and out. “It is difficult to identify
the source of the interference signal with a traditional spectrum
analyzer,” she said. “This is where a software-designed instrument can be repurposed to quickly debug the issue.”
Ganwani described downloading to the analyzer, via LabVIEW, a real-time spectrum-analysis capability that could
perform 2 million FFTs per second and overlay the data
onto a single graph to monitor frequency and intensity over
time—quickly showing that the interfering signal was a chirp
at about 5.5 GHz.
Multiple platforms
Keysight Technologies makes a variety of instrument form
factors, including traditional bench, modular, and portable.
The goal, said Mario Narduzzi, marketing manager for the
company’s Modular Solutions Division, is to remove the “one
size fits all” constraints and allow customers to select the best
test asset independent of form factor—thereby increasing efficiency, with simulation and measurement results correlating
across the product lifecycle.
PXI instruments debut
At NIWeek in August, National Instruments introduced its NI
PXIe-5668R high-performance vector signal analyzer (VSA)
and spectrum analyzer, which operates at up to 26.5 GHz with
765 MHz of analysis bandwidth. It offers a -165-dBm/Hz
average noise floor at 1 GHz and -129-dBc/Hz phase noise at
a 10-kHz offset (800-MHz center frequency). The new VSA
complements other recently introduced software-designed instruments, including a 14-bit, 250-MS/s, 300-MHz, eight-channel
oscilloscope; a 12.5-Gb/s, 8-TX/8-RX lane high-speed serial
instrument; and a 12-bit, 2-GS/s, 2-GHz intermediate-frequency
digitizer (Figure 1).
Speaking at NIWeek, Nisha Ganwani, senior marketing
manager, said, “The VSA features a user-programmable FPGA,
16 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-SpecRep-RF-Micro FINAL.indd 16
Figure 1. Software-designed instruments, including a 26.5-GHz VSA
Courtesy of National Instruments
www.evaluationengineering.com
10/8/14 2:11 PM
Recent efforts have resulted in the introduction in September
of the M937xA series of one-slot PXI vector network analyzers
(VNAs), which covers 300 kHz up to 26.5 GHz (Figure 2).
John Swanstrom, application engineer at Keysight’s Component Test Division, said the new single-slot VNA traces
its lineage back to the Model 8410A in 1967. The new PXI
VNA complements a Keysight VNA line that extends from the
FieldFox handheld instrument to the high-end PNA.
Enabling technology includes a dense 24-layer RF circuit
board and proprietary RF circuits designed by Keysight’s technology center that pack high performance into small packages.
The PXI instrument, Swanstrom said, shares the same measurement science, calibration science, and soft front-panel interface
of the high-end PNA. The instrument, he said, addresses the
increasing need for multisite and multiport measurements—it
enables up to 32 ports in a single PXI chassis. And when space
is at a premium in an existing system, full two-port VNA capability with S-parameters can be added to an existing chassis
that has just one open slot (Figure 2).
Concurrent with launching the single-slot PXI VNA, Keysight
also introduced a PXI reference solution for RF power amplifier
(PA) characterization and test. Narduzzi defined a reference
solution as a combination of hardware and software enabling
users to rapidly evaluate a test configuration for a specific test
application. Other recently introduced reference solutions address LTE-Advanced and multichannel antenna calibration.
The new PA reference solution—which performs S-parameter, harmonic distortion, power, and demodulation measurements—enables rapid, full characterization of next-generation
power amplifier modules, such as a power amplifier-duplexer
(PAD). The reference solution is optimized for high throughput
and highly accurate measurement quality.
“We created the PXI reference solution for RF power amplifier characterization and test because customers told us that
full characterization of PAD-type devices is critical to their
success,” said Narduzzi. “Proven, robust digital predistortion
algorithms, with open- and closed-loop measurements, deliver
the best performance of any PA characterization test solution
in the industry.”
Also in September, Keysight introduced a PXIe signal analyzer. “We’ve expanded the Keysight X-Series with the CXA-m,
a PXIe signal analyzer that offers fully specified performance
up to 26.5 GHz,” said Cherisa Kmetovicz, product manager at
the company’s Microwave & Communications Division. “It
handles RF and microwave signals in four slots, and customers
can leverage their existing code.”
The new instrument targets general-purpose as well as
military/aerospace applications—for the latter, it helps meet
mandates to use modular open-system architectures for military programs. Kmetovicz said the CXA-m minimizes time
to deployment via its familiar X-Series user interface, which
simplifies the transition from box instruments to PXI.
Semiconductor test
As Cavazos from Frost & Sullivan noted, PXI is gaining traction in the semiconductor automatic test equipment market as
well as the RF/microwave space. Of course, the two are not
mutually exclusive. Luke Schreier, senior group manager of
test systems at NI, said the mobile revolution has driven rewww.evaluationengineering.com
EE201411-SpecRep-RF-Micro MECH EB.indd 17
.
Figure 2. PXI test system augmented with single-slot VNAs
Courtesy of Keysight Technologies
quirements for higher performance wireless standards, which
presents challenges for semiconductor companies. Design
engineers want high performance while production engineers
want lower test times.
It’s possible to have both, Schreier said, as Chris N. White,
product marketing manager at NI, showed in an NIWeek
demonstration of the test of a 16-bit digital-to-analog converter
having a sampling rate up to 2.5 GS/s—a device commonly
used in wideband communications—driving both NI’s new PXI
VSA and a traditional box VNA. Both instruments, he said, can
accurately characterize the device with respect to parameters
like ACPR, but the PXI version operates 14.4 times faster. The
PXI approach, explained Ganwani, can serve in the development
process and ease the correlation between characterization and
production while cutting test times in production.
While the NIWeek demonstrations began with lab applications and moved toward production, LitePoint emphasized
lab applications of the PXI platform with the July launch of
its z8653 VSA for the development testing of high-bandwidth
wireless components used in smartphones and tablets—including 802.11ac Wi-Fi Wave 2.
Chris Ziomek, general manager of LitePoint’s Design Test
Division, said at the time of the introduction, “With Wave 2
components in the R&D pipeline now, the z8653 provides
development engineers uncompromised measurement capabilities to test these complex wireless components while meeting
aggressive development cost and time-to-market goals.”
He added, “This instrument will find application not only in
design verification, but also in R&D engineering groups developing the next generation of connectivity and cellular technologies.”
In support of RF/microwave applications, ADLINK Technology in August introduced its PXIe-3985 high-performance 3U
November 2014 • EE • 17
10/8/14 12:07 PM
17
Sponsored by
SPECIAL REPORT - RF/MICROWAVE TEST
PXI Express (PXIe) embedded
controller (Figure 3), equipped
with the quad-core fourth-generation Intel Core i7-4700EQ
processor and operating at up
to 3.4-GHz clock frequency (in
single-core Turbo Boost mode).
The company said the PXIe-3985
is suitable for applications requiring intensive data analysis or
processing and high-speed data
streaming, such as in wireless, radar, or RF testing environments.
18
.
As does the company’s CXAm PXI analyzer, the benchtop
UXA can serve commercial communications as well as aerospace
and defense applications. For the
latter, Rickert said, the instrument targets radar, electronicwarfare, and high-performance
satellite systems. For wireless
R&D applications, the instrument can help developers contend with emerging bandwidthhungry standards and deal with
intermittent and interfering sigFigure 3. 3U PXIe embedded controller with quad-core Intel
Box instruments hold on
nals. Other wide-bandwidth api7-4700EQ processor
Of course, box instruments aren’t Core
plications
are those incorporating
Courtesy of ADLINK Technology
ceding the field to PXI implementathe DOCSIS 3.1 standard.
tions. For example, Rohde & Schwarz in September introduced
Key specifications, he said, include better than 0.7-dB IF
the R&S ZND VNA, which is part of the company’s low-cost
frequency response and an SFDR better than 75 dB across the
Value Instruments portfolio. The ZND features two test ports,
510-MHz analysis bandwidth as well as a 20-dB improvement
and the base unit is designed for unidirectional measurements
in phase noise at a 10-kHz offset. Enabling technologies, he
from 100 kHz to 4.5 GHz. The frequency range can be extended
said, consist of a new proprietary ADC, a new wide-bandwidth
to 8.5 GHz, and the instrument can be equipped for bidirectional
front end, a new proprietary DAC, and a direct-digital-synthesismeasurements at 4.5 GHz or 8.5 GHz.
based local oscillator that reduces spurs and phase noise.
The R&S ZND is suitable for production-line measurements
Of course, when looking to purchase an analyzer, PXI and
such as characterization of passive mobile-phone components.
traditional box instruments aren’t your only choice. For exThe easy-to-operate instrument also is appropriate for training
ample, Copper Mountain Technologies makes a line of USB
purposes. The analyzer’s 30-cm touch screen and intuitive user
VNAs, including the 19-inch chassis-mounted Planar 804/1,
interface make it easy to configure measurements and analyze
which operates from 100 kHz to 8 GHz; the compact Planar
results. All instrument functions are accessible in no more than
5048, which operates from 20 kHz to 4.8 GHz; and the comthree operating steps via the soft panel.
pact Planar R140 reflectometer, which measures S11 from 85
MHz to 14 GHz.
And Keysight Technologies has been focusing on box instruFor design and development applications, the instruments
ments as well as PXI versions. In the signal-analysis space,
facilitate the storage of data and setup information on the users’
the company introduced in October what Joe Rickert, R&D
PCs. For production, they offer low cost and a small footprint.
manager for the company’s Microwave & Communications
With no internal memory, they facilitate data security in military
Division, called the “new X-Series flagship”—the N9040B
and aerospace applications.
UXA signal analyzer (Figure 4). Three models offer up to
26.5-GHz performance with 510-MHz analysis bandwidth.
Looking ahead
The instrument, he said, includes a 14.1-inch touch screen
As this article goes to print, companies are gearing up to present
and a streamlined UI.
at Autotest 2014.1 Undoubtedly, many will be highlighting RF/
microwave instruments, applications, and technologies with a
military/aerospace slant, which we will cover in an upcoming issue.
Reference
1. Nelson, R., “AUTOTEST spans legacy replacement to
new systems,” EE-Evaluation Engineering, September
2014, pp. 14-20.
For more information
Figure 4. UXA signal analyzer
Courtesy of Keysight Technologies
18 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-SpecRep-RF-Micro FINAL.indd 18
ADLINK Technology .............. www.rsleads.com/411ee-187
Copper Mountain Technologies
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LitePoint ................................... www.rsleads.com/411ee-189
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National Instruments ................ www.rsleads.com/411ee-191
Rohde & Schwarz .................... www.rsleads.com/411ee-192
www.evaluationengineering.com
10/8/14 2:11 PM
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10/6/14 2:40 PM
19
EMC TEST
Visiting IBM’s boat-shaped
EMC chamber
by Tom Lecklider, Senior Technical Editor
I
20
.
n the late 1980s, IBM contracted to
As Figure 1 shows, the overall dihave a 10-meter EMC semi-anechoic
mensions were 80 ft x 44 ft. Subtracting
test chamber built at the company’s
twice the length of the absorbers leaves
Research Triangle Park, NC, facility.
a working space of about 64 ft x 28
Installing such a large chamber is not
ft—sufficient to establish a reasonable
a simple undertaking because it can
quiet zone and accommodate 10-meter
involve site preparation, structural
measurements. Exactly how well such
building design, local permitting, prolong absorbers might work wasn’t fully
vision of large amounts of power and
understood until a Ray Proof and IBMcooling often required by the equipfunded project with the University of
ment being tested, and the control of
Colorado at Boulder developed suitable
chamber humidity to optimize absorber
simulation software in the 1980s that
performance.
led to production and factory testing
A 10-meter chamber specified to meet
techniques of effective absorbers up
ANSI’s ±4-dB NSA requirement at freto 12-ft long.1
quencies below 100 MHz was a particularly daunting project given the
limited absorber technology
available at the time. Ferrite
tiles for use as absorbers up
to 100 MHz had been patented
in Japan in 1969, but the tiles
were expensive and difficult
to ship in large quantities. 1
Instead, the IBM chamber used
8-ft long carbon-impregnated
pyramidal foam absorbers to
achieve the necessary performance below 100 MHz.
According to EMC industry
veteran Brian Lawrence, the
Research Triangle Park facility was not the first 10-meter
chamber to be built for IBM
using this absorber technology. These earlier rectangular chambers had never quite
achieved ANSI requirements
during vertical polarized testing, and empirical investigations indicated unacceptable
reflections from the vertical Figure 1. Chamber plan view
90-degree corners where 8-ft
In 1995, EMC industry leaders
pyramids could not be installed. To
EMCO, Rantec, and Ray Proof comeliminate these corner reflections, the
bined their resources to create EMC
new chamber design was boat-shaped
Test Systems (ETS). Both Rantec and
with chamfered corners, allowing the
Ray Proof were EMC chamber pioneers,
long pyramidal absorbers to cover these
Rantec having built several military
problem areas.
20 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-EMCTest MECH dB.indd 20
chambers in the 1970s and Ray Proof
having developed better absorbers for
use in the earliest successful 10-meter
chambers. After the acquisition of Lindgren RF Enclosures in 2000, the company name changed to ETS-Lindgren.
Initially, the IBM chamber was used
to test products manufactured at the Research Triangle Park facility. IBM also
offered EMC design guidance and full
compliance testing as a service to other
companies. In a brochure titled EMC
Solution Services, IBM described the
facility as an RF shielded semi-anechoic
chamber suitable for FCC Class B and
ANSI C63.4 3-meter and 4-meter emissions testing and for several
types of immunity and susceptibility testing including
ESD, radiated EM, powerline
switching, lightning surge,
and EFT. Consulting services
were available to help with
materials selection, circuit
design, and even cost reduction while ensuring EMC
compliance.
Figure 2, scanned from the
brochure, shows the interior
of the chamber as it would
have appeared in the 1990s
and early 2000s. Note that
some of the long absorbers
are drooping a bit and that
the chamber in general is very
dark.
In 2007, ETS was awarded
a contract from IBM to upgrade the chamber, adapting it to accommodate the
very large and high-power
mainframes built at IBM’s
Poughkeepsie, NY, facility.
Refurbishment included installation of
a 25,000-lb capacity 6-meter diameter
turntable and its drive mechanism to
replace the original 3,000-lb, 4.5-meter
facility.2 In addition, the 8-ft pyramidal
absorbers were replaced with 5-ft ferwww.evaluationengineering.com
10/8/14 1:37 PM
.
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EE201411-AD BKPrecision.indd 21
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21
EMC TEST
22
.
rite hybrid pyramids, which both improved the
RF performance and provided additional space
within the chamber.
More recently, white end caps were installed on
the absorber. The end caps protect the pyramids and
also brighten the chamber’s appearance but have
no influence on the RF/microwave performance.
The power and cooling utilities are made available in the full-height original Exerciser Room B
below the turntable, as shown in Figure 1, and in
extensions to it that were part of the 2007 work.
Here, up to 400 kW of “electronic power” is available—electronic power meaning power at different
frequencies and amplitudes than that supplied
from the onsite substation. A similar amount of
raw mains power also is available and enters the
room via 600-A ETS filters. Originally, only 36
kW was available. In addition, large amounts of
chilled water at the required flow rates are on hand
for those mainframes that rely on water cooling.
According to reference 2, HVAC capacity tripled.
Reference 2 is recommended reading for anyone
contemplating chamber refurbishment, even if not
on the very large scale of the IBM undertaking.
Because the size of the EUT had significantly
increased, the normalized site attenuation (NSA)
volume doubled—meaning that the actual chamber
Figure 2. Chamber interior view c. 1995
Test and Measurement
Chambers & Equipment
performance became critical. Originally, measurements confirmed that the chamber was within the ±4-dB limits, but only
just. Simulations based on the new absorbers generally were
within ±3 dB with one combination of turntable and receive
antenna positions showing a 3.5-dB deviation at 10 MHz. The
article concluded, “Once the project was completed, the actual
testing showed the site attenuation test results met the required
±4-dB requirement with a comfortable margin.”2
I was invited to join ETS’ Glen Watkins, director of marketing, and a few other ETS employees on what essentially was a
reconnaissance mission to the IBM facility prior to the ETS-IBM
tour for about 100 EMC Symposium 2014 attendees. Figure 3
shows Zhong Chen, currently the product manager, RF materials
at ETS and previously a senior principal design engineer at the
company, performing a live time-domain measurement in the
chamber during the tour.
10-Meter chambers today
Expertise is one click away:
www.ets-lindgren.com
©2014 ETS-Lindgren
Because of advances in absorber technology, a modern rectangular ETS FACT 10 EMC chamber with a 6-meter quiet zone
measures 71.5 ft x 43.5 ft x 29.8 ft between shielded surfaces.
Although smaller than the IBM chamber, this still is a sizable
structure, being a bit wider and a little shorter than a doubles
tennis court. According to the datasheet, “At 10-m test distance,
ETS-Lindgren guarantees a NSA deviation better than ±3.5 dB
from theoretical NSA within a cylindrical quiet zone of 3 m, 4
m, and 6 m diameters over the frequency range of 30 MHz to 1
GHz.” The 6-meter quiet zone quoted is the largest offered and
requires the maximum size chamber with 1.5-meter pyramids.
The plan-view dimensions reduce to less than 65 ft x 40 ft for the
3-meter and 4-meter quiet-zone chambers.
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22 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-EMCTest MECH dB.indd 22
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10/8/14 1:37 PM
RENT
Test Gear
In spite of the proliferation of large test chambers, determining their actual performance is not straightforward. CISPR 161-4 specifies a test method used to determine a chamber’s site
voltage standing wave ratio (sVSWR), a measure of chamber
uniformity for frequencies above 1 GHz. However, in a recent
paper by Chen, the present CISPR method is shown to undersample the standing wave pattern because successive positions
of the transmit antenna neither cover a great enough distance
nor do so with sufficiently small increments. In addition, the
50-MHz minimum required frequency increment is shown to
be too coarse to guarantee that the maximum standing wave
reinforcement will occur in a particular chamber.
Instead of the CISPR 16-1-4 frequency-domain approach,
Chen proposes a time-domain method in which reflections can
be separated and treated individually based on their time delay.
This technique allows appropriate reflection coefficients to be
associated with each reflection, leading to a better estimation of
the true chamber performance. The approach uses the same test
setup as CISPR 16-1-4, and according to Chen’s paper, “… is
faster, less error-prone, and… more thorough in achieving the
true sVSWR of a site under test.”3
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Figure 3. Chen conducting demonstration during the chamber tour
Most importantly, the time-domain method not only correlates to the results obtained by the CISPR method, but also
provides debugging capabilities because chamber users can see
precisely where and by how much their chamber may be underperforming. The proposed method currently is being written into
a new standard by the ANSI ASC C63 committee, reference
draft standard C63.25.
Acknowledgement
Thanks to ETS-Lindgren for help in preparing this article.
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References
1. Lawrence, B., “Anechoic Chambers, Past and Present,”
Conformity, April 2001.
2. Archambeault, B., et al, “Site Attenuation Prediction for
Refurbishing an older EMC Chamber,” In Compliance, August 2009.
3. Chen, Z., Uncertainties in sVSWR and A Proposal for
Improvement Using Vector Response Measurements, ETSLindgren, 2014.
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EE201411-EMCTest MECH dB.indd 23
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23
DESIGN AND TEST
The life-cycle aspect
of boundary scan
by Peter van den Eijnden, JTAG Technologies
B
24
.
oundary scan, based on IEEE
Standard 1149.1 and related specifications, has become widely used
to solve difficult test problems on complex
PCBs. The difficulties arise due to lack
of access needed by conventional test
methods. However, boundary scan can
provide benefits that extend well beyond
manufacturing test. Derivative uses and
working environments for boundary scan
can lead to benefits across a product’s
entire life cycle.
The product life cycle
As an electronic product moves from
development through prototyping to
manufacturing and finally to the service
and support phase, responsibility for the
product also migrates through the organization. At the points of transfer from
one department or discipline to the next,
represented by the arrows in Figure 1,
delays and disruptions can occur, brought
on by a variety of issues.
One of the several issues that arise
during the life cycle is the use of different test methods and tools among
the various organizations. Failures of
correlation can occur and put stress
on interdepartment communications.
If problems are not rapidly understood
and resolved, such vital aspects as timeto-market, repair turnaround time, and
product quality and reliability quickly escalate beyond acceptable limits.
Symptoms of problematic transfers
include the following:
• extra design cycles, caused by poor
testability and/or manufacturability, often involving multiple layout spins and
prototyping runs;
• long prototype debug intervals, caused
in part by the presence of manufacturing
faults obscuring design issues;
• logistical difficulties with preprogrammed
devices, such as wrong or out-of-date
configurations being placed on PCBs and
causing assembly delays;
• problems in manufacturing fault clearing caused by poor test diagnostics and/
or wrong documentation;
• oversized bone pile at functional test and
excessive time expended in PCB troubleshooting, due to prevalence of defective
boards making it through structural testing;
• mystery failures in HASS or HALT
environmental tests—for example, failures
at temperature that disappear at room
temperature; and
• lengthy repair times due to poor test
capability in the support facilities.
Boundary scan in the product
life cycle
Boundary scan can help resolve many
of these issues. Furthermore, significant
economic opportunities and quality improvements accompany these benefits. The
technology is particularly effective if it is
implemented corporately as a fundamental
part of the test strategy.
Use boundary-scan tools to
achieve design-for-testability goals
Using boundary-scan coverage analysis
tools early in the product cycle pays off
in reduced time to market and improved
product quality. The designer will know,
prior to prototyping, the level of test
coverage that will be attained with the
product. If the coverage is deemed to be
inadequate, the design can be modified
and coverage re-examined, avoiding
the delays that every subsequent pro-
cess step would otherwise encounter.
By adopting a policy in which the design phase must include DFT analysis
that meets coverage requirements, the
organization will avoid wasted layout
spins and prototype builds.
Test prototypes more efficiently
Unlike structural test methods such as
in-circuit testing, boundary-scan testing
requires minimal fixturing. Therefore,
boundary scan can easily be applied to
small prototype runs, allowing detection and
rapid repair of structural faults. Screening
for structural faults enables the designer
to properly focus on design issues during
the critical prototype stage. Boundary scan
even can provide access to a large set of test
points for electrical stimulus and sensing
during debug as well as a convenient means
of rapidly programming (and reprogramming) flash and logic elements on the board
during firmware verification.
The ease with which boundary-scan
applications can be developed means that
design revisions can be quickly incorporated in the test and programming routines.
Optimize structural testing
Boundary scan improves production test
efficiency in several important ways.
Scan-based tests typically run at high
speed (on the order of tens of seconds
even for highly complex PCBs) and are
capable of producing pinpoint diagnostics.
Fixturing for test access can be dramatically simplified, if not eliminated entirely.
Furthermore, the modular nature of
boundary scan allows it to be combined
with many other structural test methods,
such as in-circuit testing or flying probe,
which may already be in use in the factory.
Figure 1. Product life cycle
24 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-DesignandTest FINAL.indd 24
www.evaluationengineering.com
10/9/14 11:52 AM
Prescreen boards prior to
functional test
Boards with faults that are not detected
by structural testing are said to escape
to the functional-test stage. Escapes are
readily detected in functional testing but
not so easily corrected. An unfortunate,
highly undesirable result of functional
test failures that cannot be diagnosed and
repaired is the bone pile. Boundary scan
helps minimize the bone pile by assuring that no (or very few) manufacturing
defects escape to functional testing.
Using boundary scan as a precursor
to functional test pays off by reducing
the amount of time that designers must
devote to troubleshooting difficult-todiagnose boards. Because of the precise
diagnostics from boundary scan, board
repair requires only one action rather
than several (trial and error in the case
of functional test repairs). This precision
will have a significant positive impact
on product reliability and reduction of
product-to-market times.
Program flash, PLDs, and other
devices after PCB assembly
The same tools used for boundary-scan
testing also can perform high-throughput
in-system programming (ISP) of flash
memories, a wide variety of programmable logic devices, and devices with
embedded memory (such as microcontrollers). Programming is performed
after board assembly at the optimal
point in the flow, and reprogramming
can be executed easily without having
to remove devices from the board. Savings result from reducing the number of
tools in use, avoiding IC sockets, and
simplifying the process flow.
Enhance the effectiveness of
environmental stress testing
Use of boundary scan can significantly
improve the effectiveness of HASS
or HALT stress testing. Because the
boundary-scan interface to the target is
implemented over a thin cable which is
highly impervious to interference, the test
setup is straightforward. Furthermore,
boundary scan testing can be set to run
continuously so that environmentally
induced failures will be detected and the
fault data collected on the spot and timestamped for later diagnosis. Intermittent
faults that might occur only at elevated
temperatures, for example, are captured,
avoiding no-trouble-found situations and
preventing escapes to the functional test
step, or worse, to the field.
www.evaluationengineering.com
EE201411-DesignandTest FINAL.indd 25
Figure 2. Boundary scan in a PXI production-test environment
Combine boundary scan and
functional testing
Integrating these complementary methods
within one platform can provide major
benefits to the manufacturing enterprise.
Savings result from reduced product handling, fewer test stations, less floor space, a
reduction in training requirements, and use
of a familiar, unified GUI to the operator.
Implement boundary scan at
system level
Boundary-scan technology also can be
considered for system-level application
for both test and in-system programming.
This can be performed using either an
external tester or embedded boundaryscan architecture. In both cases, control
of the system-level applications can be
conducted remotely.
Commercial ICs and software are
available that enable such boundary-scan
control to be designed into the target
system itself, which then is capable of
executing applications without the need
for external control. This advanced architecture can be employed to advantage in
maintaining test and programming access
to in-service systems.
Use boundary scan in repair
Centralized as well as distributed repair
facilities can use the same boundaryscan-based tests as the factory, helping
avoid correlation problems in analyzing
test results. Furthermore, because boundary scan requires almost no custom test
setups, the repair department can rapidly
switch between target types and versions
in high-mix situations.
In summary, if the product has been
well planned, including observing the
principles of design-for-testability, the
enterprise will experience many, if not
all, of the above benefits. Transitions
of responsibility from one organization
to the next are streamlined, interdepartmental communications are enhanced,
and correlation problems are avoided by
the use of a common test methodology.
Boundary-scan-based
functional testing
One specific aspect of enhancing the
product life-cycle with boundary scan is its
integration within functional test. Both test
methods fulfill necessary quality assurance
steps for the anticipated fault spectrum:
• boundary scan for manufacturing faults,
typically caused by soldering problems; and
• functional testing for at-speed problems
or faults that are manifested at operating
range limits—in other words, the types
of faults anticipated in actual use.
Though distinct and complementary
in purpose and methodology, the two
techniques—boundary scan and functional
testing—can be combined with great effectiveness using a number of test-system
platforms, such as PCI, USB, Ethernet,
LXI, or PXI(e) architectures. In recent
times, a “half-way house” also has been
developed known as JTAG functional
test (JFT) whereby JTAG/boundary scan
access to digital and mixed-signal circuit
elements is scripted in a Python code program. Use of JFT enables a boundary-scanonly solution to test parts such as ADCs,
DACs, or complex logic clusters that rely
on conditional branching decisions.
November 2014 • EE • 25
10/9/14 11:53 AM
.
25
DESIGN AND TEST
26
.
In this scenario, boundary-scan vectors,
developed for use in the prior prototyping
phase, are ported to the production environment and are driven to the board by means
of the chosen boundary-scan instrument in
the functional test chassis, as illustrated in
Figure 2, where PXI is used as an example.
The boundary-scan operations can easily be integrated into the functional test
environments such as custom GUIs or
industry standards (NI TestStand, NI
LabVIEW, and others). The controller
drives the vectors to the target and collects
the results. If failures have been detected,
they are analyzed with the same diagnostic
routines available to the designer. JTAG/
boundary-scan ISP applications then can
be executed to breathe life into the target
prior to the next test phase.
After the boundary-scan applications are
run, and assuming they run satisfactorily,
the test management software proceeds
to the next steps in the preprogrammed
sequence—for example, a set of functional tests such as temperature profiling,
parametric measurement, or electromechanical verification. On the other hand,
D
I
G
I
T
A
L
if the boundary-scan tests fail, then scan
diagnostics, and possibly visualization
tools, direct the repair to the point or points
of failure. If in-system programming also
is required, these steps can be performed
after the structural test.
The advantages of combining the two
methods within a test system include the
following:
• reduction in process steps and simplified
product flow,
• one stop for structural and functional
testing and in-system programming,
• saving of factory floor space, and
• reduced training requirements for test
personnel with a uniform user interface.
Boundary scan offers a compact footprint, high performance, and broad availability of instrument types, including
PXI- and PXIe-based boundary-scan
instrumentation. Typical scan instruments
allow up to four individual targets to be
tested and programmed, and for extremely
high-volume production requirements,
multiple boundary-scan controllers can
be deployed, all running from a common
test/programming source.
H
I
G
H
-
S
P
E
E
D
Conclusion
Too often, testing is considered a novalue-add proposition. However, this
viewpoint ignores the real and substantial
savings that can be realized with a wellconceived test strategy. The test strategist
should consider the life-cycle issues in
which measurable cost savings can be
achieved by use of boundary scan and
which can be enhanced by combination
with functional test.
About the author
Peter van den Eijnden is director of JTAG
Technologies. He graduated in 1981 from
the Eindhoven University of Technology
in electrical engineering digital systems.
After graduation, van den Eijnden worked
as a scientist at the university and taught
at the New Teacher Training Group in the
fields of microprocessors, circuit theory,
and design of programmable logic and
ASICs. He was employed by the Philips
testing equipment group from 1985 to
1993 and cofounded JTAG Technologies
in 1993. info@jtag.com
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27
COMPONENT TEST
Bridging the
LCR measurement gap
by Tom Lecklider, Senior Technical Editor
T
28
.
he low-frequency LCR meter
today. The virtual ground that the opis the instrument of choice for
amp provides via feedback through the
many component measurements.
reference resistance Rf is equivalent to
Although manufacturers have
developed different measurement
techniques, fundamentally the
meter compares the magnitude
and phase of the voltage across
an unknown impedance to the
magnitude and phase of the current applied to it.
The ratio Z = V/I in general
is complex, having both a real
resistive part and an imaginary
reactive part. Alternatively, most
modern LCR meters can compute
the complex admittance Y of an
unknown component. The choice
of a series or parallel model to
achieve the best measurement
accuracy depends on the relative
real and imaginary values.
To support L and C measure- Simplified auto-balance circuit
ments that reflect how the com- Courtesy of Keysight Technologies
ponents will behave in an actual
the null indicator in a bridge. Balance is
application, many LCR meters include
achieved because the current fed back
a bias voltage source as well as a bias
through the resistance R is exactly equal
current source. And, the actual signal
in magnitude and opposite in phase to
level must be variable to accommodate
the current through the unknown Zx.
cored inductors and other level-sensitive
As stated in an Agilent (now Keycomponents. The output impedance also
sight) Technologies document, for
is variable in some meters.
frequencies below about 100 kHz,
Bridge or Meter?
LCR meters typically “employ a simple
There is a distinction between the terms
operational amplifier for [the] I-V conLCR bridge and LCR meter, although
verter.… Wideband LCR meters and
they are used interchangeably today. The
impedance analyzers employ the I-V
early LCR bridges were based on the
converter consisting of a sophisticated
Wheatstone, Maxwell, Hay, or Schernull detector, phase detector, integraing circuit and compared the unknown
tor (loop filter), and vector modulator
component to a variable component
to ensure a high accuracy for a broad
in one leg of the bridge. However, as
frequency range.”1
The QuadTech 7600, still available
more and better electronic components
from IET Labs, simultaneously meabecame available, a true bridge circuit
sures the voltage across the unknown
became less necessary, especially at low
component and the voltage across a
frequencies.
reference resistor in series with the
So-called auto-balance bridge techunknown. This technique is known
nology is used in many LCR meters
28 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-ComponentTest MECH dB.indd 28
as the I-V method in which both voltage and current are directly measured
without the need for a null detector or
feedback loop.
Transformer testing is supported on several LCR meters.
In addition to basic measurements, these instruments also
can determine the turns ratio and
the mutual inductance between
the primary and secondary coils.
Modern LCR Meters
IET Labs provides a broad range
of LCR meters and bridges, having
acquired the GenRad instrument
line in 2000 and several models of
QuadTech LCR meters in 2012. The
1693 precision LCR meter makes
capacitance measurements from <1
fF to >10 mF at 500 frequencies
from 12 Hz to 200 kHz and with
a basic 0.02% accuracy.
The Model 1659 Digibridge
measures five impedance parameters with 0.1% accuracy, has four test
frequencies, and features a built-in test
fixture. The handheld Model DE-6000
LCR meter allows four-wire Kelvin
measurements and also is available from
IET. Five test frequencies cover the 100Hz to 100-kHz range: 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 1
kHz, 10 kHz, and 100 kHz. An optional
USB interface supports LCR measurement storage.
Thurlby Thandar Instruments' Model
LCR400 is an LCR meter with a limits comparator that provides a binning
capability for production applications.
As described in the LCR400 datasheet,
“Up to eight pass bins and two fail bins
can be defined.” Another feature often
found in this class of meter is provision
for nonvolatile test setups—nine for the
LCR400.
Wayne Kerr Electronics’ precision
magnetics analyzer Model 3260B provides from 1 mA to 1 A of bias current but
www.evaluationengineering.com
10/8/14 10:04 AM
handles up to 125 A from external sources
such as the company’s Model 3265BQ
25-A DC bias unit—five supplies can be
used in parallel. Measurements include
Z, θ, L, C, R (AC and DC), Q, D, turns
ratio N, leakage inductance, interwinding capacitance, and resonant frequency.
According to the 3260B datasheet, this
instrument is especially suitable for measuring telecom transformer parameters
such as insertion loss and return loss. In
addition to driving an external plotter to
graph any of the measurement functions
against frequency, AC drive level, or DC
bias current, the unit supports a selection
of telecom line impedances and terminations as well as a user-specified simulated
damping network and blocking capacitor.
The Agilent 4294A model has been
replaced by the Keysight Technologies’
E4990A Series impedance analyzer with
a 20-Hz to 10-, 20-, 30-, 50-, or 120MHz frequency range depending on the
model. In addition to the extended frequency range compared to the 4294A, the
E4990A instruments feature a Windows
7 platform, a 10.4-inch touch screen, and
a smaller footprint.
The basic 0.08% accuracy applies to a
combination of test frequency and component values spanning a few decades.
Other contours show the combinations
for which 0.1%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 5.0%, and
10.0% accuracy apply. The best typical performance is 0.045%, but when
the E42941A impedance probe or the
E42942A terminal adapter is used, the
most accurate guaranteed contour is 1%.
The Model 3550 from Tegam features
a 5-MHz upper frequency limit together
with 18 measurable parameters, 0.1%
basic accuracy, and 18-ms measurement
speed. The company’s Model 3525 boasts
0.08% accuracy, slightly faster 15-ms
measurement speed, and a three-year
warranty vs. the 3550’s one-year. Both
meters have standard RS-232-C and
I/O interfaces with optional GPIB or
BCD. More than 4,500 frequencies are
selectable with 0.01% accuracy. This
instrument uses Kelvin connections, and
chip tweezers are optionally available to
connect to SMT components.
With 40,000 counts, B&K Precision’s
Model 879B handheld LCR meter measures L, C, R, D, Q, θ, and ESR at 100 Hz,
120 Hz, 1 kHz, and 10 kHz with a basic
0.5% accuracy. Auto ranging, data hold,
and automatic calculation of secondary
www.evaluationengineering.com
EE201411-ComponentTest MECH dB.indd 29
parameters combine to improve ease of
operation. SCPI commands communicate
via USB using downloadable software for
data logging and front-panel emulation.
Operating up to 100 kHz, the Stanford
Research Systems Models SR715 and
SR720 use two displays, like B&K’s
879B, to show both the primary and
secondary parameters. SRS provides
two groups of five-digit LED displays
while B&K uses the full 40,000-count
resolution for only the primary measurement, dropping to 10,000 counts for the
secondary.
Measurement speed is yet another
factor that distinguishes one instrument
from another, the SRS 715/720 taking
two, 10, or 20 samples/s followed by
a user-selectable number of averages
to improve accuracy. The two models
primarily differ on basic accuracy, 0.2%
for the SR715 and 0.05% for the SR720.
The QuadTech Model 1730T LCR meter also performs turns ratio transformer
testing and is available from Chroma
Systems Solutions. This instrument offers
10 test frequencies from 50 Hz to 100
kHz and measures 14 parameters with
display capabilities for any two. Source
impedance is programmable from 10 Ω
to 100 Ω, and up to 50 test setups can be
stored and recalled. Basic accuracy is
0.1%, enhanced by open/short zeroing
that reduces the effects of error sources
between the DUT and the calibrated connection to the instrument.
Hameg Instruments, a Rohde &
Schwarz company, makes the HM8118
LCR bridge with 0.05% basic accuracy,
internal voltage and current bias sources,
and transformer parameter measurement.
The 20-Hz to 200-kHz frequency range
is covered in 69 steps with 100-ppm accuracy. Front-end protection is a feature
mentioned in some datasheets and either
is provided internally, as in the HM8118
for up to 1 Joule of stored energy, or
externally in the interface between the
DUT and the instrument. Charged capacitors can easily store sufficient energy to
damage instrument input circuitry unless
protective measures are in place.
Another important feature of the
HM8118 is galvanic isolation for USB,
RS-232, or optional GPIB interfaces that
may connect the instrument to a computer.
Isolation eliminates the ground loops and
interference or possible damage that can
occur when two pieces of equipment
having different ground references are
connected together.
The LCR-8110G LCR meter from
GWInstek has 0.1% basic accuracy and
one of the widest test frequency ranges
for this class of instrument: 20 Hz to 10
MHz. Other models in the LCR-8000G
Series have either a 5-MHz or 1-MHz
upper limit. The meters feature a graph
mode that uses the instrument’s display
to present a component’s impedance as
a function of the test frequency or test
voltage sweep. The test frequency is
continuously variable with five digits of
resolution.
Summary
Before buying any instrument, you need
to determine whether it will be used for
production or development. Product
designers generally don’t need a binning
capability but may want more than four
or five test frequencies. If you’re working
with transformers, having built-in analysis
capabilities will be useful. And perhaps
the two parameters that most affect price
are frequency range and measurement
accuracy. Honestly assessing how much
of each you really need will help secure
the best solution to your component
measurement application.
Reference
1. Agilent Impedance Measurement
Handbook 4th Edition, Keysight
Technologies, September 2013.
For more information
B&K Precision
www.rsleads.com/411ee-177
Chroma Systems Solutions
www.rsleads.com/411ee-178
GWInstek
www.rsleads.com/411ee-179
Hameg Instruments
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IET Labs
www.rsleads.com/411ee-181
Keysight Technologies
www.rsleads.com/411ee-182
Stanford Research Systems
www.rsleads.com/411ee-183
Tegam
www.rsleads.com/411ee-184
Thurlby Thandar Instruments
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Wayne Kerr Electronics
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November 2014 • EE • 29
10/8/14 10:05 AM
.
29
LOW-POWER DESIGN
Flexible instrumentation supports
medical device test
by Rick Nelson, Executive Editor
D
30
.
esigners of battery-powered
he said, might draw 0.5 µA in sleep
medical devices require lowmode but 5 A in active mode.
noise power sources as well
In all cases, designers must answer
as precision measurement capability,
two questions, Green said. First, is the
according to Bob Green, senior market
standby current low enough to meet
development manager at Keithley Inpower life specifications? And secstruments. Wireless medical devices,
ond, is the stimulation current within
he said, include deep-brain neurotransspecification to minimize power conmitters, cochlear implants, gastric
sumption?
stimulators, cardiac defibrillators
and pacemakers,
foot-drop implants, and insulin
pumps.
A Keithley
white paper1
points out that
portable medical
devices, whether
worn on the body
or implanted, can
alleviate pain and
treat conditions
Load-current pulses showing period when a measurement is valid
including cardiac
arrhythmia, hearing and vision impairment, movement
The combination of modes requires
disorders including Parkinson’s disinstrumentation that can make both
ease and epilepsy, and even obsessivelow-current and pulse measurements,
compulsive disorder. Such devices
Green said. The white paper 1 elaborates, noting that a low-current meaoften are powered by inductive RF
surement circuit requires a sensitivity
links, and even ones with batteries
of 1 µA or even 0.1 µA. Low-current
may need to be periodically recharged.
measurements can employ filtering and
Green traced the emergence of recan occur over many power-line cycles.
quirements for low-power designs for
Pulse measurements take place over
such devices. In the 1950s, he said,
a very short period of time—perhaps
pacemakers, for example, were worn
a few hundred microseconds—and
outside the body, and power conmust be synchronized with the device
sumption wasn’t a key issue. But the
under test or its control system. In
devices have evolved into implantable
addition, it’s important to measure the
pacemakers.
right portion of the pulse, which can
He noted that such a device can have
require insertion of a delay to avoid
drastically different power requiremeasuring overshoot. In addition,
ments depending on the mode in which
the instrumentation must provide fast
it is operating—for example, standby
response to detect voltage drops that
mode, stimulate mode, or transmit
drastic load changes can cause.
mode (in which it wirelessly transmits
The differing measurement requirestatus information from within the
ments for active and sleep modes might
body). An implantable defibrillator,
30 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-LowPowerDesign MECH dB.indd 30
suggest the need for multiple instruments, including perhaps a DMM, a
source-measure unit, and an oscilloscope. However, Keithley is aiming
to help meet the challenges posed by
medical device design with its recently
introduced Series 2280S precision
measurement, low-noise, programmable DC power supplies.
Green said that unlike conventional
power supplies, the Series 2280S
power supplies also are sensitive measurement instruments with the speed
and dynamic range essential for measuring standby current loads and load
current pulses. They can supply up to
192 W of low-noise, linear-regulated
DC power; the Model 2280S-32-6 can
generate up to 32 V at up to 6 A while
the Model 2280S-60-3 can provide up
to 60 V at up to 3.2 A.
Unlike conventional power supplies, Series 2280S supplies can make
voltage and current read-back measurements with up to 6½ digits of
resolution for maximum precision or
as low as 3½ digits for greater speed,
allowing engineers to optimize speed
and accuracy for their applications.
Load currents from 100 nA to 6 A can
be monitored with high accuracy, enabling the instrument to test a device in
www.evaluationengineering.com
10/8/14 8:28 AM
active as well as standby modes. Four
load-current measurement ranges (10
A, 1 A, 100 mA, and 10 mA) support
measuring full-load currents, standbymode currents, and small sleep-mode
changes precisely.
For monitoring fast-changing and
pulse-like load currents, Series 2280S
supplies can capture dynamic-load
currents as short as 140 µs to monitor
load currents easily in all operating
modes for determining total power
consumption of the device.
The supplies also include a graphing
function that simplifies monitoring the
stability of the load current, capturing
and displaying a dynamic load current, or viewing a start-up or turn-off
load current. These power supplies
can store up to 2,500 measurement
points and compute statistics on the
stored data. Statistical calculation
options include average, maximum,
minimum, peak-peak, and standard
deviation. The instruments feature a
list mode function; up to nine lists of
sequenced voltage levels can be created and saved with up to 99 distinct
voltages in each list. A single trigger
will automatically execute the list
once or multiple times. To minimize
test times in automated systems, an
external trigger input allows hardware
synchronization and control by other
system instruments.
Of course, the new instrument is
applicable to products in addition to
wearable and implantable medical
devices. Green outlined how products
have evolved with battery life being
a key spec. He pointed out that a
Galaxy 1 phone offered 75 hours of
standby power. The S4, in contrast,
provides 370 hours. Operating modes
have become more efficient as well.
He noted that an Android 4.4 offered
345 minutes of Wi-Fi browsing; the
Android L offers 471 minutes.
And like pacemakers, cellphones
have low-power sleep modes but may
draw considerable current when active.
An LTE phone may draw 38 mA in
sleep mode but 580 mA when active,
Green said, making the 2280S useful
in their design and test.
Reference
1. Tomorrow’s Wireless, Portable, and
Implantable Medical Devices Require
High Precision Characterization,
Keithley Instruments, White Paper,
2014.
For more information
Keithley Instruments
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.
L I T E R AT U R E M A R K E T P L A C E
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current, ground, force, impact,
burn, temperature, access, ingress
(IP code), cord flex, voltage, power,
plastics, and others.
ED&D
Visit www.rsleads.com/411ee-360
AR’S COMPLETE PRODUCT
CATALOG FOR EMC &
RF TESTING
A brand new edition (2nd half of 2014)
of AR’s full line product catalog is now
available. ‘Expanding the Power for
RF and EMC Testing’, features new
products and refreshed page layouts.
Please contact your local AR sales
associate for a hard copy or visit our
website at:
www.arworld.us/html/catalogRequest.asp
for a free download, in full or by section.
AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation
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EE201411-LowPowerDesign MECH dB.indd 31
50 AND 100 VOLT
PULSE GENERATORS
Avtech has pioneered the design of
user-friendly 50 & 100 Volt generalpurpose lab pulse generators. We
can provide an alternative for the discontinued Agilent 8114A or HP214!
2 and 10 ns rise time units with PRF
to 1 and 10 MHz. Variable baseline
option and output currents to 8 Amps
with accessory transformers.
Avtech Electrosystems Ltd.
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IP CODE & NEMA TESTING
CertifiGroup offers a full UL, CSA,
IEC and CE, ISO 17025 Accredited
International Product Test & Certification Laboratory. The lab includes
a unique indoor wet-lab, where
CertifiGroup specializes in IP Code
& NEMA testing for products subject
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IP Code capabilities up to IP69K!
CertifiGroup
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November 2014 • EE • 31
10/8/14 9:34 AM
31
s
ening
p
p
a
try H
Indus
Tom r
ide
Leckchlnical Editor
Te
Senior
g
ineerin
n Eng
io
t
a
alu
FL
EE-Ev Sarasota,
32
.
At Autotest 2014 held in St. Louis,
more than 70 companies exhibited products and services related to MIL/Aero
ATE. The Giga-tronics AXIe-based EW
and radar multivendor demo received
lots of attention as did recent Keysight
Technologies PXIe introductions and
the extensive capabilities of the RADX
LibertyGT 1211B synthetic test instrument. Look for an in-depth discussion
of the products at Autotest in our December issue.
During the four-day event, I attended
several of the technical presentations and
panel sessions. The first presentation,
Testing Ultra-Precise, Strategic-Grade
Instrumentation Using a Flexible and
Modular Common Test Station Architecture by Draper Lab’s Matthew Van
Laethem, discussed how Draper worked
with Bloomy Controls to develop a universal test system.
The specifications address the test
requirements of representative inertial
sensors as expressed in a capability
matrix. FPGAs are used extensively in
the test hardware to eliminate the inaccuracies associated with analog circuitry
as well as to provide greater flexibility.
On the software side, a Java scripted
object notation approach was adopted
because it supports readability, minimal
formatting, flexibility, and the choice of
APIs for many languages.
All inputs and outputs of the PXIbased test equipment are routed to a mass
interconnect that provides connectivity
via interface test adapters developed for
different sensors.
The panel session Nondestructive
Testing for Aerospace Applications…
Needs, Solutions, and Future featured
seven papers followed by a lively Q&A
session. Dr. Glenn Light kicked things
off with a discussion of magnetostrictive
sensors the Southwest Research Institute
has developed and applied to measure
structural degradation such as cracking
32 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-IndustryHappenings MECH dB.indd 32
From bits and bytes
to airframe cracks
in airframes. The thin sensor produces
a guided acoustic wave in the surface to
which it has been bonded. Similar to a
reflectometer, the sensor detects waves
reflected from discontinuities. Knowing
the speed of sound in the material under
test allows the damage to be pinpointed.
GE’s Bradley Gilliland presented
two elements of the company’s ongoing
InspectionWorks initiative. This product
is intended to improve data consistency
through more precise and well-defined
test processes. With an emphasis on inspection history, it supports data mining
and, in a future release, analytics. Test
procedures are accompanied by videos
for guidance.
Both Ron Goodman and Dr. Donald
Palmer represented Boeing and discussed various aspects of composites.
Today, very large and complex composite subassemblies are inspected by ultrasonic scanning on part-specific test jigs.
The goal is to move inspection farther
forward in the build process to ensure
quality rather than simply perform pass/
fail testing on completed parts.
Dr. Eric Lindgren from the Air Force/
USAF Research Laboratory explained
that because fault propagation in composites is only poorly understood, the
emphasis must be on inspection to mitigate the risk of component failure. This
point linked neatly with Dr. William
Prosser’s comments based on experience at NASA’s Langley Research
Center. He discussed the inspection of
spacecraft in flight such as is now done
via a boom-mounted camera. And, he
also commented on the Orion program.
One of the reasons that Orion is not being made from composites is the lack of
comprehensive fault modeling. Because
the material’s behavior isn’t thoroughly
understood and predictable, the theoretical weight savings isn’t attainable:
Structures must be over-designed to
ensure safety.
Finally, Dr. Reza Zoughi from Missouri University of Science and Technology presented work done on high-resolution microwave imaging using synthetic
aperture techniques. Microwaves are attractive for inspection purposes because,
unlike X-rays, they are nonionizing.
I also attended a signal analyzer presentation by Keysight Technologies’
John Stratton. The different architectures
used in spectrum/signal analyzers each
have their own advantages and disadvantages, which Stratton described in
detail. Included was a discussion of a
relatively new digital image rejection
technique that can offer large speed
improvements when working with wellbehaved signals.
The panel session 2014 Outlook of
Modular Instrumentation in the T&M
Industry was the latest update to this
yearly event. Presenters included representatives of companies producing VXI,
PXI/PXIe, and AXIe modules.
The modular market is growing by
about 17% per year compared to overall
instruments at about 4% according to
Frost & Sullivan. In his introductory
comments, Modular Methods’ Larry
Desjardin set an up-beat tone, explaining that the addition of new modules
increases the acceleration of the transition to modular standards.
The release of the new AXIe-0 specification is a major step toward facilitating
further adoption of the format. With a
large board area and high power capability, AXIe appears to be the logical
successor to VXI when PXI’s real estate
and power are insufficient.
However, the remaining VXI suppliers
have little impetus to adopt AXIe given
the large installed base of VXI in MIL/
Aero ATE systems. With eCASS deployment planned to continue for many years
and given budget constraints leading to
further weapons platform service life
extensions, why change from VXI?
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10/8/14 10:00 AM
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33
EE PRODUCT PICKS
16-Bit, 2.5-GS/s DAC
The LTC2000 is a 16-bit, 2.5-GS/s digital-to-analog
converter (DAC) with spectral purity of 74 dBc SFDR at a
200-MHz output and better than 68-dBc SFDR for output
frequencies from DC to 1 GHz. The LTC2000 has low
phase noise and a wide 2.1-GHz, -3-dB output bandwidth, enabling broadband or high-frequency RF synthesis in applications such as high-end instrumentation,
broadband communications, test equipment, cable TV
DOCSIS CMTS, and radar.
The ±1 V-compliant outputs feature a 40-mA full-scale
current, which can be adjusted as low as 10 mA or as
high as 60 mA. Data is transferred to the LTC2000 over
a parallel LVDS interface port with transfer rates of up to
1.25 GS/s using a 625-MHz double data rate data clock.
The LTC2000 is offered in 16-bit, 14-bit, and 11-bit versions in a RoHS- compliant 9-mm x 15-mm BGA package. Price starts at $69.00 each for the LTC2000-16 in
1,000-piece quantities. Demo boards and samples are
available. Linear Technology,
www.rsleads.com/411ee-201
34
.
1-GHz, 10-GS/s Oscilloscope
The WaveSurfer 10 oscilloscope offers 1-GHz, 10-GS/s
performance for $10,000.
It combines the MAUI advanced user interface with
waveform processing to
quickly analyze and find the
root cause of problems. The
WaveSurfer 10 provides a 10.4inch touch screen display,
high-performance hardware, and compact form factor.
Easily accessible measurement, math, and debug
tools plus a variety of serial data protocol decoders as
well as a full complement of advanced active probes
ensure the WaveSurfer 10 can capture and analyze any
type of waveform and simplify the debug process. The
LabNotebook documentation and report generation
tool provides a fast way to save waveforms, setups, and
screen images; report results; and view offline.
Teledyne LeCroy, www.rsleads.com/411ee-202
Audio Analyzer
The U8903B performance audio analyzer
represents the next-generation model of the
U8903A. The U8903B is
flexible with configurable options such as speech and
voice quality measurements, extendable bandwidth,
and digital audio interfaces, enabling engineers to accurately test wireless communications, component, and
IC audio applications.
The U8903B offers the ITU-T standard perceptual
objective listening quality assessment (POLQA) and its
predecessor, perceptual evaluation of speech quality
(PESQ), supporting measurements in the common audio bandwidth carried by telephone networks, and with
POLQA, super-wideband speech signals up to 14,000 Hz.
With POLQA and PESQ, the U8903B is suited for testing
3G, 4G/LTE, and voice-over-Internet-protocol phone and
34 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-ProductPicks MECH GH.indd 34
network equipment as well as high-definition voice test
applications.
Prices start at $13,025 for a two-channel model.
Keysight Technologies, www.rsleads.com/411ee-203
IUP Simulation
MAPS IUP Protocol Simulator supports simulation of
the UK-specific SS7 Interconnect User Part Protocol (IUP)
over British Telecom TDM networks.
Main features include IUP simulation over TDM (T1/E1),
support for multiple T1/E1 line interfaces, a user-friendly
GUI for configuring the SS7 MTP layers, user-configurable
signaling links, and support for MTP2 and MTP3 protocol
machines as well as multiple MTP links. Client-server
functionality provided through a command line interface via Python and TCL requires an additional license.
GL Communications, www.rsleads.com/411ee-204
BERT Synchronization Function
A 32-channel
synchronization
function for the
vendor’s MP1800A
BERT creates a
highly accurate
integrated test set
for the evaluation
of high-speed
transmission technologies utilizing phase-amplitude modulation methods, such as Quad DP-16QAM and Dual DP-64QAM,
used in core networks operating up to 1 Tb/s. The new
functionality of the MP1800A provides R&D engineering
teams with an accurate test solution to quickly verify
designs incorporating ultrafast, next-generation communications technologies for cloud-computing and
smartphone data applications. Anritsu,
www.rsleads.com/411ee-205
100-MHz Bench Scope
The 2190D bench digital storage oscilloscope is
a compact dual-channel
DSO offering several measurement functions with
100-MHz bandwidth and
a 1-GS/s sampling rate.
Building on the discontinued analog model
2190B oscilloscope, the
2190D now provides users with digital features including
a 7-inch widescreen color display, waveform memory
up to 40,000 points, pass/fail limit testing, digital filtering,
a waveform recorder, and 32 automatic measurements.
For educators, the 2190D offers a context-sensitive help
feature and the capability to disable the auto set button along with measure and cursor menus. $399. B&K
Precision, www.rsleads.com/411ee-206
LPDDR4 PHY Layer Test
The vendor’s complete PHY layer and conformance
test solution targets JEDEC LPDDR4, the next generation
www.evaluationengineering.com
10/8/14 9:59 AM
of mobile memory technology. Slated for adoption starting in 2015, LPDDR4 builds on the current generation
of LPDDR3 technology and will deliver improved data
rates up to 4.26 Gb/s and use an ultra-low voltage core
to reduce power consumption by approximately 35%
to enhance performance in mobile devices like smartphones, wearables, and tablets.
In conjunction with partner Nexus Technology, the
vendor also is introducing LPDDR4 memory component
interposers featuring two patented interposer designs.
EdgeProbe interposers are designed for the demanding mechanical constraints required by mobile designs
while socketed interposers are available for ease of use,
reusability, and component swapping. Tektronix,
www.rsleads.com/411ee-207
Bluetooth Data Logger
The HOBO MX1101
measures and transmits temperature
and humidity data
wirelessly to mobile
devices via Bluetooth
Smart technology. The
self-contained wireless
data logger, which
works with the vendor’s free HOBOmobile
app for logger setup and data management, enables
the user to access data over a 100-foot range, at any
time, from an iOS mobile device. Unlike USB loggers,
which need to be set up and offloaded while connected to a computer, the HOBO MX1101 temperature/
humidity data logger communicates instantly and requires no dedicated equipment beyond an iOS device
to configure the logger or read out data. $135. Onset,
www.rsleads.com/411ee-208
Cable and Antenna
Analyzer
The SiteHawk SK-4000-TC
antenna and cable analyzer
supports the troubleshooting
of the transmission path of
commercial and military communications systems operating
between 85 MHz to 4 GHz. As
the successor to the vendor’s
Site Analyzer SA-3600 XT, the
new instrument is 80% smaller,
60% lighter, and offers new
features.
The instrument has an intuitive touch-screen user interface
that shows all measurement results, and its range of
adjustable parameters can be modified from a single
screen. The SiteHawk SK-4000-TC has 16 GB of highspeed flash memory that provides room for thousands
of traces and instrument setups, and data can be
offloaded via its USB interface to a flash drive or other
external storage device. $2,500. Bird Technologies,
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www.evaluationengineering.com
EE201411-ProductPicks MECH GH.indd 35
Power Supplies
The R&S HMC804x power
supplies are equipped
with one (R&S HMC8041),
two (R&S HMC8042), or
three (R&S HMC8043)
channels. All models in this
series deliver up to 100 W
of power and are adjustable between 0 V and 32 V in
steps of 1 mV.
Tracking is available in the two multichannel models
and enables combined parallel or serial operation. It
still is possible to provide power to several circuits independently. Changes to current and voltage values are
carried out synchronously in combined channels.
The logging function stores all current, voltage, and
time values. The energy meter function continuously
displays the power in watts drawn by a connected load.
Rohde & Schwarz subsidiary HAMEG Instruments,
www.rsleads.com/411ee-210
Logic Analyzer
The U4154B is a high data-rate state-mode logic analyzer (up to 4 Gb/s) for validating simultaneous read
and write DDR4 traffic across all byte lanes captured
from a DDR4 DIMM operating at data rates of more than
2.5 Gb/s.
The U4154B logic analysis system merges three
modules to help memory design engineers accelerate
turn-on and debugging of DDR2/3/4 and LPDDR2/3/4
memory systems. The system provides reliable data capture, precise triggering, and a portfolio of validation and
performance tools.
The new U4154B logic analyzers have a starting price
of $89,288 for 136 channels, including chassis and
probe cables, not including probes. Keysight
Technologies, www.rsleads.com/411ee-211
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Advertiser
Page
Advanced Test Equipment Rentals..........www.atecorp.com/EE ....................................... 23
AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation .........www.arworld.us/html/catalogRequest.asp...... 31
AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation .........www.arworld.us/EMCsource ........................... IFC
Avtech Electrosystems Ltd......................www.avtechpulse.com ..................................... 31
B+K Precision..........................................www.bkprecision.com/ate.html ....................... 21
CertifiGroup .............................................www.CertifiGroup.com ..................................... 31
Copper Mountain Technologies...............www.coppermountaintech.com ......................... 3
Dewetron .................................................www.trendcorder.info ......................................... 1
Educated Design & Development. Inc.....www.ProductSafet.com.................................... 31
ETS-Lindgren...........................................www.ets-lindgren.com ..................................... 22
HBM, Inc. .................................................www.hbm.com/eesomatxr ..............................IBC
Keysight Technologies.............................www.keysight.com/find/HSD-insight ..............8-9
Keysight Technologies.............................www.keysight.com/find/LTE-A-insight........10-11
Keysight Technologies.............................www.microlease.com/keysight/dmm .............. 19
National Instruments...............................ni.com/automated-test-platform ......................BC
Pickering Interfaces Inc. .........................www.pickeringtest.com...................................... 5
Stanford Research Systems....................www.thinkSRS.com .......................................... 33
Universal Switching Corp ........................www.uswi.com ................................................... 7
Vision Research.......................................www.visionresearch.com ................................. 26
VTI Instruments Corporation ...................www.vtiinstruments.com ................................. 15
Yokogawa Corp of America .....................tmi.yokogawa.com ........................................... 27
This index is provided as a service. The publisher does not assume liability for errors or omissions.
November 2014 • EE • 35
10/9/14 9:10 AM
.
35
Extended service life poses
test challenges
by Rick Nelson, Executive Editor
36
.
Military and aerospace companies
and organizations are facing three key
trends: Militaries are extending the service life of their aircraft, maintenance
and sustainment test equipment must be
upgraded or replaced, and manufacturing
test equipment held together with Band
Aids over the years needs to be replaced.
Elaborating on these trends, Steve
Sargeant, Major General, USAF (Ret.),
and CEO, Marvin Test Solutions, said,
“It’s not uncommon to find airplanes
that traditionally would have been
retired by the time the systems hit 20
to 22 years of age now in their fourth
decade. Often times, the test equipment
was fielded when the system was first
fielded and has not been updated since
then.” Such test systems, he said, are
obsolete, cannot be cost-effectively
upgraded, and cannot contend with the
smart weapons and digital avionics that
the aircraft now accommodates.
As for manufacturing test, he said,
many cumbersome legacy test systems
are manually driven, with operators reading instructions on paper (or working by
rote memory) and setting switches and
dials accordingly. Marvin Test Solutions,
he said, can automate the process with a
system that has a smaller footprint and
higher throughput.
Such trends, he said in a recent phone
conversation, have become clear in oneon-one conversations with customers and
prospective customers and at industry
events such as the 2014 Farnborough
International Airshow.
In an interview last year (shortly after
the company changed its name from
Geotest-Marvin Test Systems), Sargeant
said the company’s goal is “to make test
easy.”1 That continues to be the goal
this year, he said, despite the increasing complexity of the equipment under
test. “We look at it from the maintainer
or technician and engineer’s perspec36 • EE • November 2014
EE201411-ExecInsight FINAL.indd 36
Steve Sargeant
Major General,
USAF (Ret.)
CEO, Marvin Test
Solutions
tive,” he said. “How can we reduce their
workload?” He cited as an example the
company’s MTS-3060 SmartCan, which
can emulate an AMRAAM (Advanced
Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile).
“We have automated the steps that are
required when you connect the SmartCan
to a launcher,” he said. “Within a very
short time, you can run all the tests, and
if there is a problem, you’re notified right
away. If the test is good, you’re notified
when the test is complete, and you can
move on to the next station.”
Marvin Test Solutions offerings extend from the flightline to the semiconductor production test floor. For
the latter, Sargeant said, customers are
looking for flexibility and affordability.
MTS customers in this area, he said,
tend to be small and medium semiconductor developers and producers that
want an alternative to the very large
and capable but also very expensive
test systems that exist today on many
factory floors. Small and medium producers, he said, are unlikely to cross the
threshold of buying a large system and
consequently could pay a lot to rent time
on one. MTS, he said, offers a flexible
and affordable alternative.
This interview was conducted in the
runup to Autotest 2014 in September.
Sargeant said a conflict would prevent
him from attending but that MTS would
continue to support the show. Indeed,
MTS had a significant presence. Our
December issue will highlight products
and technologies from MTS as well as
other Autotest participants.
Looking ahead, Sargeant said he expects to see government demanding
more investment by its prospective suppliers to “ensure there is skin in the game
on industry’s side. Companies can’t just
wait for a purchase order but will actually have to have prototypes ready to
demonstrate.” You can’t just walk into a
meeting with a PowerPoint presentation,
he said. You’ll need to demonstrate a solution, whether it’s hardware, software,
or a turnkey system. He added that today
customers often want to be part of the
solution—by developing test-program
software, for example.
“I think there are going to be opportunities with our aerospace customers to
be able to show them early on that we’ve
made the right kind of investments in the
hardware and software arena,” he said.
“Coupled with our domain expertise, we
will be able to demonstrate that we can
provide them with the capabilities they
need to meet their requirements for their
very demanding customers.”
Sargeant concluded by noting that
it will be important to deliver what
customers need today—without adding
bells and whistles that will impose costs
in terms of dollars or time to market.
“Not many industries can afford to
pay today for capabilities they might
need in the future,” he said, adding that
nevertheless customers want solutions
they can modernize and expand as
needs change. “We are loathe to deliver
something that already has consumed
all the capabilities available.”
Reference
1. Nelson, R., “Marvin Test Solutions
Looks to Make Test Easy,” EE-Evaluation Engineering, October 2013, p. 40.
www.evaluationengineering.com
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