Analysis Software A Boon To Power Measurement

July 21, 2003

The PMA2 Powermeasure Analysis Software crafted by LeCroy brings the analysis capability, customization, and ease of use of the company's X-Stream technology to power-measurement applications. Designed for use with the WavePro 7000 series and WaveMaster digital oscilloscopes, its tools let power-conversion engineers quickly and easily view and analyze signals from switched-mode power converters, such as power supplies, power semiconductors, motor drives, electronic lamp ballasts, and uninterruptible power supplies.

Using either the original PMA1 or PMA2 packages and LeCroy's 350-MHz to 6-GHz bandwidth oscilloscopes, design engineers can plot instantaneous power versus time. They also can measure peak power, safe operating area, total energy dissipation, real and apparent power, and other key power-conversion figures.

PMA2 provides a full range of modulation analysis capability, such as signal width, duty cycle, period, or frequency modulation; level modulation; and modulation analysis for an unlimited number of events or cycles. Users can perform line power measurements, line current harmonic measurements, and pre-compliance testing to EN 61000-3-2.

PMA2 can be used with a WavePro 7000 or WaveMaster Series DSO, including analyzers based on the WaveMaster, such as the SDA Series Serial Data Analyzers. The software costs $1495.

See associated figure

LeCroy Corp.www.lecroy.com

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.