PXI Newsletter

Newsletter: Fiber-Optically Isolated Instrumentation for Pulsed Power System Diagnostics			4/21/2010
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From Elizabeth Persico, PXISA Marketing Committee member:

PXI System Alliance Links

Welcome to the April 2010 edition of the PXI Newsletter. Our intent is to educate and inform you about how the PXI standard is being used in automated test systems for a wide variety of industries.

Bandwidth in PXI Express: With the point-to-point capabilities of PCI Express, the PXI Express backplane can handle up to 18 GB/s. PXI Express therefore can address applications including high frequency, high resolution IF/RF systems; high speed digital interfaces; high channel count data acquisition; or high speed imaging.

Our two articles in this issue come to you from the Naval Surface Warfare Center and Agilent Technologies. In the article titled, Modular Data Acquisition Technology Helps Increase Yield in Large Scale Integrated (LSI) Circuits, we explore how an Acqiris PXI DAQ module aided a consumer electronic manufacturer in the testing of ICs at a fraction of the cost. And, in the fiber optic world, the article Fiber-Optically Isolated Instrumentation for Pulsed Power System Diagnostics talks about the development of a capability based on the use of a high bandwidth PXI digitizer packaged in a compact configuration where the sampled data is transmitted digitally using TCP/IP network protocol.

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Main Article

Fiber-Optically Isolated Instrumentation
for Pulsed Power System Diagnostics

Frank E. Peterkin, Benjamin M. Grady
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Code B20,
17320 Dahlgren Rd., Dahlgren, Virginia, 22448

Abstract
Advances in high sample rate/wide bandwidth analog-to-digital converters have enabled the development of increasingly sophisticated instrumentation which is suited for use in the presence of high electromagnetic fields associated with many pulsed power systems. This article discusses the development of an instrument capability based on the use of a high bandwidth digitizer which is packaged in a compact configuration where the sampled data is transmitted digitally using the TCP/IP network protocol. The system is battery powered and heavily shielded to allow measurements to be made in regions of extremely high field strengths. Connection with external instrumentation and control systems is accomplished by using only fiber optic cabling, providing completely isolated measurements.

Thanks to all our readers.
Bob Helsel, Editor
www.pxisa.org

Application Article

Modular Data Acquisition Technology Helps Increase Yield in Large Scale Integrated (LSI) Circuits

by Robin Hassell, Agilent Technologies
Modular Product Operation-Geneva

Abstract
As the integrated circuit (IC) has grown from holding merely ten transistors when it was first invented in the 1950s to the millions it can hold today, the level of chip complexity as well as the density of circuit components have grown comparatively. Automatic testing equipment (ATE) has done an excellent job of testing system components, but semiconductor manufacturing facilities are constantly aiming to increase product yield from any given wafer, maintain their test flexibility, while lowering their production testing costs.