February 2014 Product Picks

Midrange Oscilloscopes

The MSO/DPO5000B Series oscilloscopes represent an extension of the vendor’s midrange oscilloscope segment. The new scopes offer bandwidth up to 2 GHz with a 10-GS/s sample rate and 50M standard record length. This acquisition performance and the advanced analysis capabilities give designers the test capabilities they need for today’s faster and more complex embedded systems at a midlevel price point.

For lower-data rate applications, the MSO/DPO5000B oscilloscopes start at $12,300 for 350-MHz, four-channel DPO models. At the high end of the series, 2-GHz MSO5000B models are priced at $24,800. Tektronix

USB DAQ Starter Kit

The DI-149 USB data-acquisition instrument has a starting price of $59 and includes eight ±10-V analog channels, four dedicated digital inputs, and four discrete digital outputs. One digital input can be used to acquire data (up to 10 kHz), and a second can count up to 16,383 transitions. The included WinDaq data-acquisition software allows users to display and record data to a PC hard drive in real time. Once recorded, data can be played back, analyzed, or exported to an array of data-acquisition and spreadsheet formats.

The DI-149 data protocol allows programmers to access the DI-149 on any Windows, Linux, or MAC operating system. A .NET control is available to Windows users who wish to interface with the DI-149 using a third-party programming language such as Visual Basic or NI LabVIEW. DATAQ Instruments

Reconfigurable I/O Boards

Four new R Series boards (USB-7855R, USB-7856R, USB-7855R OEM, and USB-7856R OEM) with USB connectivity help engineers add FPGA technology to any PC-based system. These products are based on the NI LabVIEW RIO architecture, an integral part of the NI graphical system design platform. A modern approach to designing, prototyping, and deploying embedded monitoring and control systems, graphical system design combines the open NI LabVIEW graphical programming environment with commercial off-the-shelf hardware to simplify development, which results in higher-quality designs with the capability to incorporate custom design. National Instruments

Firmware Development Platform

The Linduino One development tool is an Arduino-compatible platform for developing and distributing firmware libraries and code for the vendor’s SPI- and I²C-compatible integrated circuits. The board interfaces to more than 300 QuikEval demonstration cards, supporting ADCs, DACs, power monitors, intelligent hot-swap controllers, temperature sensors, LED drivers, and battery-management systems.

Firmware libraries for individual devices are written in C and designed to be portable to a wide variety of processors and microcontrollers. The free and open-source Arduino integrated development environment compiles and loads the code into the Linduino One platform with no additional programming hardware required. From $75. Linear Technology

Test Sockets

The CBT-QFN-7033 stamped spring pin socket is designed for testing DFN6 (six-contact dual-flat no-leads) electronic filters. The contactor used in CBT-QFN-7033 socket has 34-gram actuation force per ball and a cycle life of 10,000+ insertions. The self-inductance of the contactor is 0.9 nH, insertion loss is <1 dB at 9.1 GHz, and capacitance is 0.03 pF. The current capacity of each contactor is 2.2 A. Socket temperature range is -55°C to +155°C. The socket also features a clamshell lid, and it accommodates two DFN devices. $543 in unit quantities. Ironwood Electronics

High-Speed USB DAQ

The USB-2020 high-speed USB data-acquisition board offers simultaneous sampling up to 20 MS/s per channel and features two analog input channels with multiple input ranges up to ±10 V. It samples data from both channels at an overall rate of 40 MS/s to the onboard memory, or it continuously streams data to a host computer at up to 8 MS/s. Each channel has its own A/D converter to eliminate channel skew and ensure phase information between channels is maintained.

Flexible triggering and gating ensure data is acquired when needed. Included with the USB-2020 is out-of-the-box TracerDAQ software along with support for Visual Studio and Visual Studio .NET as well as NI LabVIEW. $999. Measurement Computing

All-Purpose Laser Sensor

The LR-T Series multipurpose laser sensor complements the vendor’s sensor lineup. Potentially limiting factors like target characteristics do not affect the LR-T’s detection capability, so it can be used in a range of applications.

The LR-T’s high level of detection capability is due to its Time of Flight technology and custom integrated circuit. The LR-T provides consistently stable detection over long or short distances, regardless of target surface type, color, or finish. Even environmental factors like ambient light, mist, or excessive dust will not affect the LR-T’s detection capability. Keyence

Wind Tunnel

The WT-3200 is a fully controllable wind tunnel for thermal and airflow testing of multiple PCBs. The test chamber has a 2-D converging nozzle with a multipoint measurement area for sensor placement upstream of the test section. The test section is equipped with card guides to allow insertion of actual or simulated PCBs from the side panel.

The WT-3200 can be used to characterize heat sink sizes for natural and forced convection cooling. Two heat sinks can be tested side by side. Actual or simulated PCBs can be tested for thermal flow distribution and pressure drop characterization. The chamber accommodates up to six PCBs with 13-mm card-to-card spacing or three PCBs with 25-mm card-to-card spacing. The test section is made of clear polycarbonate material to accommodate smoke flow visualization. The wind tunnel measures 84.4” x 45” x 35.9”; the test section measures 24” x 18.5” x 3”. Flow range is 0 to 2,000 ft/min; flow uniformity is ±1%. Omega Engineering