Evaluation Engineering - 15

Keysight Technologies M980xA Series vector
network analyzers in PXI chassis with computer
and accessories.
Copyright Keysight Technologies. Reproduced
with Permission

Modular hardware
Specific modular products include
Keysight Technologies' E5080B, P50xxA,
and M980xA Series vector network analyzers, which come in benchtop, USB, and
PXI formfactors, respectively. These analyzers combine built-in pulse generators
and modulators and perform spectrum
analysis and time-domain analysis in a
single instrument to fully characterize
modern devices without the need for additional test hardware. Offering frequency
ranges from 9 kHz to 4.5/6.5/9/14/20 GHz
and 100 kHz to 26.5/32/44/53 GHz, the
instruments simplify and reduce the
number of parts in a test setup, accelerate
test times and improve throughput with
automated setup, and enhance accuracy
by eliminating loss from extra connectors
and external switches. In addition, customers can adapt their hardware to meet
future test requirements. Application
software supports automatic fixture removal, time-domain and spectrum analysis, basic pulsed-RF measurements, and
gain-compression measurements.
Gibson at VTI described several of
the company's modular products. The
EX1200-3604 and EX1200-3608 LXI
modules are 4- and 8-channel isolated
DACs with 200-VDC and 200-VAC peak
isolation; the EX1200-7416 LXI comparator module enables the capture of signals
as narrow as 1 µs for detection of glitches;

the EX1200-7008 LXI RTD simulator simulates up to eight RTD sensors for testing
and calibrating an RTD-based temperature monitoring system; the EX1200-7600
LXI programmable load module presents
resistances from 0.5 Ω to 1.5 MΩ, which
can be used both to test power sources
and to calibrate test sources; the EX1214ICA LXI mainframe (with an integrated
test adaptor) eliminates cabling between
the DUT and the test modules; and the
EX1200 LXI switch modules enable users
to define switch-closure configurations
that cannot be enabled to avoid creating
switch paths that can cause damage to
the system or to the DUT.
"VTI's goal is to maximize the life of
its modular products for all customers,"

Gibson said. "VTI supports all modular
instrument standards for interoperability,
and software drivers provide the flexibility to work with any test software on any
operating system."
Stasonis said Pickering Interfaces is
known for its selection of switching and
simulation products in the PXI formfactor. "To address newer market demands,
we have created a line of modular chassis
that are controlled by either LXI/Ethernet
or USB and can accept virtually any of
Pickering's range of PXI switching and
simulation modules," he said. "This chassis range goes from two slots to 17 slots."
These chassis serve applications that need
a few extra slots of switching as well as
remote switching-only applications,
they simplify interfacing with a PC controller, and they can isolate electrically
noisy switching from instrumentation,
he added.
"We have also created switching systems based on LXI/Ethernet and USB
control with a proprietary modular design
that has certain advantages over PXI in
specific applications," Stasonis continued.
"The advantages include larger PCB real
estate for very dense switching, internal
backplane buses for easy expansion of a
matrix, and higher DC power to control
more relays simultaneously."
Hughes at Astronics Test Systems said
the company offers chassis, instruments,
switching subsystems, and integrated
systems using modular architectures such
as AXIe, LXI, PXI, and VXI. "In addition,
we provide configurable and modular
test system solutions," he said. Specific

Pickering Interfaces modular
chassis family.

MAY/JUNE 2020 EVALUATIONENGINEERING.COM

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Evaluation Engineering

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Evaluation Engineering

Editorial: How Exact Are the Lines On Your Ruler?
By The Numbers
Industry Report
Modular Test: Leveraging Modularity from Measurement Hardware to DFT Software
Data Acquisition: DAQ Vendors Combine Fast Sampling, Wide Input Ranges, Ease of Use
Featured Tech
Tech Focus
Wearables: Innovations Drive Wearables Market
Evaluation Engineering - 1
Evaluation Engineering - 2
Evaluation Engineering - 3
Evaluation Engineering - 4
Evaluation Engineering - 5
Evaluation Engineering - By The Numbers
Evaluation Engineering - 7
Evaluation Engineering - Industry Report
Evaluation Engineering - 9
Evaluation Engineering - Modular Test: Leveraging Modularity from Measurement Hardware to DFT Software
Evaluation Engineering - 11
Evaluation Engineering - 12
Evaluation Engineering - 13
Evaluation Engineering - 14
Evaluation Engineering - 15
Evaluation Engineering - 16
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Evaluation Engineering - 19
Evaluation Engineering - Data Acquisition: DAQ Vendors Combine Fast Sampling, Wide Input Ranges, Ease of Use
Evaluation Engineering - 21
Evaluation Engineering - 22
Evaluation Engineering - 23
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Evaluation Engineering - Featured Tech
Evaluation Engineering - 31
Evaluation Engineering - Tech Focus
Evaluation Engineering - 33
Evaluation Engineering - Wearables: Innovations Drive Wearables Market
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