Evaluation Engineering - 18

MODULAR TEST

She added that Newark offers softwareupgradeable instruments, including the
Tektronix MDO3000 Series oscilloscope
(which offers software modules/upgrades
to add an arbitrary function generator,
logic analyzer, and serial protocol trigger and analysis capability) and Rhode
& Schwarz FPC1500 spectrum analyzer
(for which key-code options can unlock
up to 3-GHz performance).
According to Odhner at Keithley, "We
currently lean towards the discrete instrument side of modularity. We often
find that chassis-based systems are
confusing and cumbersome to the large
portion of engineers that don't operate
their equipment exclusively over a remote
interface." He added that for Keithley instruments that support TSP, such as the
Model 2450 source-measure unit, customers get the benefits of a single-box instrument plus the speed and synchronization
of a modular system.
"That said, we do offer several instruments that take qualities from chassisbased instruments," he continued. "The
Keithley 4200A-SCS, for example, is a parameter analyzer with nine customizable
instrument slots for current-voltage (I-V),
capacitance-voltage (C-V), and ultra-fast
pulsed I-V instruments."
Jim Shaw, Diversif ied Technical
Systems' director of sales and marketing,
said, "DTS manufactures the smallest,
most rugged, modular data-acquisition
systems on the planet. DTS DAQ can be
positioned on or in small test articles
without altering test dynamics. Userconfigurable SLICE data recorders are
designed to be embedded close to the
point of interest, reducing complex and
costly sensor wiring and improving measurement quality." He added that DTS
modular instrumentation offers dynamic
measurement capabilities including acceleration, shock, vibration, and angular
rate. Shaw added that DTS miniature
SLICE DAQ can be integrated with other
modular architectures via an API or run
out of the box using DTS software.
Pemmaiah at Copper Mountain
Technologies said all his company's VNAs
are USB-based metrology-grade instruments. "Our 2-port Compact Series and
1-Port Series network analyzers deliver

18

EVALUATION ENGINEERING MAY/JUNE 2020

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lab-grade performance despite being very
compact in size. The patented 1-Port VNA
can even be directly connected to an antenna or other DUT without the need of
a test cable," he said.

AXIe products
Addressing AXIe, Giga-tronics offers an
upconverter and downconverter for building test solutions used in the evaluation of
radar and EW systems. "These converters
cover 100 MHz to 20 GHz with 1 GHz of
instantaneous bandwidth; they switch
frequencies phase coherently in under 1
µsec and offer low phase noise, harmonics,
and spurs," said Regazzi and Kirby. "The
company also offers two AXIe-compliant
chassis-a 4U size handling two channels
and a 7U version that can house up to four
separate converter blades. It's possible to
mix and match up- and downconverters
within the same chassis."
They continued, "To assist in the coordination and phase stability between
channels, Giga-tronics produced a separate frequency reference module that supplies reference signals to each converter
blade and allows tying multiple chassis
together for larger systems. This reference
module takes advantage of AXIe's Zone3
provision within the standard and shares
its reference signals across the backplane
eliminating a patchwork of cables on the
front panel."
Regazzi and Kirby emphasized Gigatronics' converter approach to signal generation and analysis. "For example, rather
than creating a traditional signal generator and post modulating the output, the
company chose to build a converter that
allows modulation at the IF," they said.
"This means the modulator needs only
operate at one frequency and simplifies
optimizing performance over a wide instantaneous bandwidth. And because of
advances in ADC and DAC technology,
the digital portion of the solution can
now be directly provided at the IF from
digital cards plugged into open PCIe
slots within a standard PC workstation."
The cost-effective COTS approach, they
added, allows customers to upgrade as
technology improves, permits customers
to add their own IP and other third-party
hardware, and makes for easier servicing

of the resulting test system. "Delivering
the RF blades in a modular format is the
best approach for the target market due to
the need for multiple channels of stimulus
and measurement," they concluded.
According to Pickard at V I AV I
Solutions, "The CMP provides a highly
scalable computing, signal-processing,
and automation framework. Its modular
hardware and component-based software
support rapidly tailored solutions that are
easily upgradeable and reconfigurable.
Utilizing the Software Communications
Architecture (SCA) and modern 'realtime' CORBA, it scales from embedded
single-processor systems up through
fully distributed heterogeneous systems
of various CPU, FPGA, GPU, and DSP assets running multiple operating systems
and communicating over multiple businterface architectures."
Pickard said VIAVI's CMP is architected similarly to a software-defined
radio (SDR). "Like SDR, the CMP is implemented using generic hardware modules
and component-based, software-defined
functionality," he said. VIAVI's AXIe products include a mass data-storage module
with up to 12.8 TB of waveform storage,
a 6-GHz vector signal transceiver with
30-GHz Downconverter module, a single
or dual i7 embedded computer module,
5- and 2-slot AXIe chassis, the Ranger vector signal analyzer and generator system,
and the Raptor integrated development
and test platform.
"The new Raptor versions of our CMP
are configurable for use as a development
platform as well as a test system and can
provide both functions simultaneously,"
said Pickard. "Due to the platform's modularity, we can even implement solutions
that integrate the combined functionality of our Raptor systems and our Ranger
signal-generation, analysis, record, and
playback platforms."

From DFT to maintenance software
Jahangiri at Mentor elaborated on the
company's Tessent family of DFT products, which include automation software that analyzes the design, creates
and inserts the necessary hardware
instruments for test, generates and retargets patterns, and performs silicon
http://go-asg.gigatronics.com
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