Automotive DesignLine has a nice article written by Matthew Duff of Analog Devices on five mistakes to avoid when using instrumentation amplifiers. These mistakes include:

RFI rectification,
common-mode range,
voltage protection,
driving the reference pin, and
floating voltages.

The Agilent 82351A PCIe-GPIB is a half-height interface card for compact next-generation PCs that harnesses the fast data transfer rate of PCI Express to support high-bandwidth PC applications. The card provides a 1.4 MB/s data rate in a 68.9 mm (half-height) plug-in card. It also provides the flexibility of up-plugging, which makes it possible […]

Automotive Design Line, an online publication of CMP, is running an article by Steve Stetler of Agilent on LXI instrumentation. The article, titled “Use LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation (LXI) for automobile electronics testing,” is kind of basic, but a good intro to the topic.

C-MAC MicroTechnology has added a conformal coating service to its ISO 17025 accredited test house offering.
Conformal coating with a translucent acrylic or polyurethane material is vital for the long-term reliability of electronic systems and offers excellent protection from condensation and airborne contaminates. The coating is applied by either dipping or spraying with meticulous […]

The Mahle Test Systems’ TestLogiq(R) Mobile platform is a portable evaporative system dry leak tester that performs a vacuum-based test on a fuel system through the vehicle’s fuel-tank filler neck. The test, which does not require disassembly of the vehicle, can detect leaks as small as 0.010 inches. The test can be conducted without using […]

I can see this being useful in some automotive test applications. At the very least, it seems pretty cool……..Dan
Bud Industries is now selling what is claims is the first totally transparent NEMA-rated enclosure. Users can see inside the BT Series box from every direction and can inspect for moisture and read indicators without opening the […]

These all arrived in my inbox this morning, so it seemed like a good opportunity to revive this blog…….Dan
Mentor Graphics, Agilent Partner on Auto Net Design and Test Tools
Mentor Graphics will license certain products in the Mentor Graphics Volcano product line to Agilent Technologies. The Agilent LIN Tester, derived from Mentor’s Volcano LIN Spector product, […]

The Agilent L4411A LXI digital multimeter can make up to 50,000 readings per second at 4-1/2 digits accuracy, and with its reduced 1U size, is a good fit fo space-constrained applications, such as aerospace/defense depot test. The meter can also make 6-1/2 digit measurements, and trigger jitter is less than 1 microsecond.
The instrument has […]

Frost & Sullivan recently published a report, “World Mechanical Test Equipment Market” that provides a comprehensive view of the mechanical testing industry including:

revenue forecasts for various mechanical testing techniques,
latest technological developments, and
key market trends.

The report examines

universal testing machines,
servohydraulic testing machines,
hardness test equipment, and
impact test equipment.

The report notes that fast-paced industrial growth in Asia Pacific […]

A specialized buying guide and directory of enclosure manufacturers is now available online. The new directory includes offerings from manufacturers and suppliers of all types of enclosures for industrial and construction applications. Including offerings primarily but not limited to manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, India, China, Germany, […]