Grady Keeton
Recent Posts
Sequence Looping Makes SGX Series Ideal for Repetitive Testing
Topics: Sorensen SGX Series, Sequence Looping
One of the cool features of AMETEK Programmable Power's SGX Series of power supplies is that it supports an LXI Class C Ethernet interface. This allows you to connect the SGX Series to your network and control it remotely from any computer on the network.
Topics: Sorensen SGX Series, LXI interface, LXI Class C Ethernet Interface
How To Prevent an Inductive Load from Damaging Your Power Supply
Resistive loads are easy on a DC power supply. When you turn off the power, the current quickly drops to zero and no damage is done.
Topics: dc power supply, inductive loads
AS5553 Keeps Supply Chain Free of Counterfeit Components
Over the past 10-20 years, counterfeit electronic components have become a serious problem. Counterfeit components are parts that have somehow been misrepresented as to their origins or quality. Because counterfeit parts are often of lower quality than what are called “franchise” parts, they may represent a hazard if used in critical systems such as automobiles, aircraft of any kind, military equipment, or space vehicles.
Topics: safety, counterfeit dangers, SAE AS5553
Test Software Makes MIL-STD-1399-300B Testing Easier
Designing equipment to be operated onboard Navy vessels is not like designing a consumer product that plugs into a three-prong wall socket. That being said, it’s important to know the characteristics of the on-board power source and test to make sure that equipment can reliably use that power.
Topics: MIL-STD-1399-300B
Testing AC power sources, such as uninterruptible power supplies, can be a real challenge. These products are often tested with resistive load banks, but this approach does not simulate real-world conditions such as switching DC/AC converters found in many AC powered products.
Topics: Compliance Testing, voltage variation, AC Electronic Load testing
Decreasing Test Time in High-Channel-Count Applications
When performing functional tests, keeping test times as short as possible is often a critical requirement. Time is money, after all. One way to reduce test times is to reduce the latency in setting up signal switch paths, stimulus devices, and measurements. These can all have a significant impact on the overall time it takes to complete a full functional test of a particular DUT.
Topics: automotive testing, Compliance Testing, defense testing, High channel count applications
Calibration is not an option. While today's instruments are more accurate and drift less than previous generations, you still need to periodically check and calibrate your equipment. The way you do this, however, is changing.
In the past, manufacturers would recommend calibration intervals. A digital multimeter manufacturer might, for example, recommend that you calibrate the instrument once a year. When that year was up, you sent the DMM to your company's cal lab or to a third party.
That paradigm is changing. The current trend in metrology is not to blindly follow a manufacturer’s stated calibration interval, but to determine your own interval based on how much each instrument drifts over time and how much risk you're willing to take.
Topics: calibration, metrology, Calibration intervals
Asterion Series Helps Reduce Total Cost of Ownership
Topics: AC Power Sources, Compliance Testing, DC_Power, Electronic Loads, Uninterruptible Power Supplies, Programmable Power, Programmable Power Solutions, Solar Testing, total cost of ownership