Test & Measurement: High-Speed DAQ Card Races Along At 1 Gsample/s

Nov. 29, 2004

The SMT381 data-acquisition card samples at 1 Gsample/s. As an alternative, data could come via two external digital inputs and be converted at 840 Msamples/s. A 1-Gsample/s Fujitsu MB86064 drives the dual-channel digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The single-width SMT381 expansion module is a daughterboard that plugs into the SMT338-VP base module, which provides the digital inputs via low-voltage differential signaling for the SMT381's conversion. The SMT381 has two clock packages to achieve the full range of the DAC's input frequencies. Cost is $3515. Evaluation units and OEM pricing are available on request.

Sundance DSP Inc.www.sundance.com; (775) 827-3103

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.