Timer/Counter/Analyzer Sets Performance Marks

June 7, 2004

The CNT-90 high-performance tool measures, analyzes, and calibrates frequencies, time intervals, and phase. Designed by Pendulum Instruments AB, it suits laboratory, test-system, benchtop, and field applications. Its combination of performance parameters is difficult to find in one housing in most commercially available test and measurement products.

The tool can perform 250,000 measurements/s and store them in an internal 750-kbyte memory, enabling rapid modulation-domain analysis. Its display sports 14 digits, while most other instruments only have 12. Also, it features 12-digit/s frequency resolution and 0.001° phase resolution. A versatile menu-oriented interface provides graphical displays of distribution histograms, trends, and modulation domains in addition to graphical and numerical multiparameter displays.

The CNT-90 has a standard frequency range of 300 MHz. It's available in optional frequency ranges of 3, 8, and 20 GHz. Standard USB and GPIB interfaces transfer data at 200 measurements/s. The GPIB interface is available in an SCPI/1999 mode as well as in a 53131A emulation mode for inclusion in test systems. Available now, the CNT-90 timer/counter/analyzer costs $2045.

Pendulum Instruments ABwww.pendulum.se

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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.