www.electronicspecifier.com volume 3, issue 1 Protocol observed Meeting the eMBMS conformance test Signal integrity On with the show Nice touch Sounds good – Probing voltage – embedded world – Scope displays – Audio test software Power rails 2015 preview capacitive screen is enhanced Touch. Discover. Solve. Oscilloscopes redefined. We’ve improved on the proven. The new Keysight 3000T oscilloscope is the Keysight 3000T X-Series next-generation of the InfiniiVision X-Series. With its zone touch triggering, Bandwidth 100 MHz-1 GHz you can trigger on any signal in just two steps. So you can isolate a signal in seconds—much faster than with any competing scope. The 3000T is also Uncompromised 1M wfms/s Update Rate a 6-in-1 instrument. Along with your oscilloscope, you can get an MSO, 8.5-inch Capacitive Touch Screen WaveGen function generator, protocol analyzer, DVM and counter. Get in touch Zone Touch Triggering with the future of scopes. Take the Trigger Challenge today. Sample Rate 5 GSa/s Take the Trigger Challenge at: www.keysight.com/find/scopetriggerchallenge © Keysight Technologies, Inc. 2015 Keysight_3000T_Comparative_PE_ELECSPEC.indd 1 08/01/2015 18:23 On the menu: Power analyser with Contents 28 added oscilloscope Keysight Technologies has combined the attributes of an Show Business: oscilloscope into its IntegraVision 06 Embedded World 2015 power analyser. It means R&D The cream of the test and measurement engineers designing and testing market will be heading electronic power conversion to Nuremberg later this systems can now use one instrument to access dynamic month for the embedded views of current, voltage and power. .Neither will they world exhibition and have to use a power analyser to make an accurate conference. New measurement and then turn to an oscilloscope to oscilloscopes including visualise repetitive and single-shot events such as turn-on some using capacitive touch screen technology look and occurrence of transients. certain to catch the eye of visitors Portable PC Scopes Feature 200MHz Probing Voltage Power Rails with 29 Bandwidth 10 Optimum Signal Integrity Deep memory on the benchtop or in the field. Just one Oscilloscopes continue to be a valuable tool for of the attractions of Pico Technology’s 3000D Series measuring power rail characteristics such as transient oscilloscopes. As is the modern way, the oscilloscopes response and periodic and random deviation. There are multi-functional and incorporate both a spectrum are various probing options available for making analyser and arbitrary waveform generator and advanced these measurements, from blocking capacitors to functions as standard including serial bus decoding and active probes, each with benefits and drawbacks. mask limit testing. Understanding the various probing tradeoffs is crucial in order to achieve the best signal integrity. Gentle Touch: DMM Displays 30 Capacitive Touch Screen Testing Devices’ eMBMS The iPhone generation don’t do knobs. So goes the 18 Performance: Why Conformance thinking behind the rash of capacitive touch screen Alone Is Not Enough introductions. Most of us, never mind the new kids The mobile phone industry is on the block, are comfortable with the intuitive embarking on its second attempt to approach the technology provides. Keithley implement broadcasting. This time Instruments Model DMM7510 digital multimeter around, the prospects of success look offers capacitive touch and a powerful 18-bit much brighter. With users expecting waveform digitiser. And there is a rotary control the service to work in widely varying knob for the more venerable engineer conditions, manufacturers and MNOs will need to devise and perform Test Solutions Accelerate USB 3.1 sophisticated test routines that will 35 Compliance uncover any vulnerabilities or faults in broadcasting Faster time to market and service when operating in difficult or changing conditions. reduced costs are cat nip to engineers and their Ease of Use Combined with bosses. A comprehensive 24 Powerful Analysis Tools set of USB 3.1 compliance Digital oscilloscopes can be used for a wide range test solutions that allows of applications from simple measurements such designers to quickly as frequency and rise and fall times to complex verify designs against the latest USB specifications has analyses such as determining the switching loss of a been launched by Tektronix. The new release expands switched-mode power supply. The most important Tektronix’ already extensive USB 3.1 and USB 2.0 test factor for users is that they can rely on the quality of capabilities to include a new USB 3.1 receiver test measurement results. solution supporting the 10 Gb/s data rate. Editor: Ad sales: Head Office: Copyright 2013 Electronic Specifier. Contents of Electronic Specifier, its publication, websites and Mick Elliott Ben Price ElectronicSpecifier Ltd newsletters are the property of the publisher. The [email protected] [email protected] Comice Place, Woodfalls Farm publisher and the sponsors of this magazine are not responsible for the results of any actions or Gravelly Ways, Laddingford omissions taken on the basis of information inthis Designer: Publishing Director Kent. ME18 6DA publication. In particular, no liability can be accepted Stuart Pritchard Steve Regnier in result ofany claim based on or in relation to Tel: 01622 871944 material provided for inclusion. Electronic Specifier [email protected] [email protected] www.electronicspecifier.com is a controlled circulation journal. electronicspecifier.com 3 Editor’s comment Keeping the show on the road There is an exhibition – embedded world – in Nuremberg later this month that has increased its audience year on year and topped 26,000 last year. Just down the autobahn electronica in its biennial November slot continues to draw 70,000 plus visitors. In the UK the Southern Manufacturing/Electronics show also defies the forecast that the digital revolution will see the At embedded world 2015 a number of new demise of the exhibition. products will be on parade from test and measurement companies. Keysight will debut Face to face meetings still count in business a power analyser and another significant and some recent research by the Centre for product that I can’t mention because it is under Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) reveals five embargo until the first day if the exhibition. reasons exhibitions will continue to flourish. Pico Technology will give its 200MHz portable Most surprising is the response from younger PC scopes centre stage, Keithley Instruments attendees – people usually seen as devotees will bring its graphical sampling digital of digital communication. The research showed multimeter to Nuremberg, and Tektronix has its that 98% feel they have a strong connection 2800 Euro spectrum analysers primed. to the exhibition channel because they identify important takeaways from attending. There is no better way to “get under the hood” of these products than visiting the show and Encouragingly for the test and measurement getting a first-hand demonstration of exactly industry the CEIR research shows keeping what these products can do and how they informed of leading trends and new products might benefit the visitors business. and gaining a deeper understanding of available products and services as key embedded world runs from February 24 to takeaways for young attendees as well February 26 at the Nuremberg Messe. as interacting and seeing a wide variety of products and meeting with a large number of The CEIR research is available on vendors in a short time period. www.ceir.org 4 electronicspecifier.com More Speed, Less Clicks Try our improved website now! Key improvements include: YRS • Faster product search • New personalised account and checkout options 5 • More detailed product pages 1939-2014 element14 Learn more at: uk.farnell.com/new-features Embedded World 2015 T&M sector heads to Nuremberg The focus, the spotlight that the Embedded World show offers looks set to attract record numbers of exhibitors and visitors as it enters its thirteenth year. The Nuremberg-based event has stayed consistent in its approach to the market sector. Others shows with an Embedded title have come, changed brands and disappeared, while the event in Bavaria motors on smoothly. Semiconductor suppliers, software Figure 1: The PicoScope 3000D Series oscilloscope suppliers, EDA specialists, distributors and test and measurement companies are engineers overcome usability and triggering among the 850 plus exhibitors that will all jostle challenges and improve their problem-solving for attention over the show’s three day run (Feb capability and productivity. 24-26). The shift to capacitive touch screens is being Virtually all the major test and measurement driven by a necessity to catch the eye of the companies will be tuning up their latest products iPhone generation for whom knobs are old hat. and as might be expected oscilloscopes will feature strongly with a peppering of capacitive As if to emphasise the point Keysight says touch screen instruments. that 3000T X-Series was designed specifically for operation with a capacitive touch screen. Keysight Technologies (formerly Agilent To further improve productivity, the interface Technologies if you haven’t been paying includes an alphanumeric touchpad that attention at the back of class) makes its debut replaces tedious knob-based operation and at Embedded World under its new brand to tell touch-based interaction that enables