White Paper Digest

WHITE PAPER DIGEST
AUGUST 2021
Sponsored by
WHITE PAPER DIGEST
CONTENTS
1 Aerospace & Aeronautics _____________ 16 Power & Energy __________________
1 Design Considerations for Harsh-Environment 16 Simplified Fuel Cell Testing Made Easy
Connectivity 17 Testing Electric Vehicle Motor and Controller with a
2 Automotive ____________________ Bidirectional Power Supply

18 How to Choose the Right DC Power Supply for Emerging
2 A Detailed Introduction to Automotive Radar Technology Test Challenges
3 Digitalization of New Product Development 19 Why You Need Bidirectional DC Power Supplies to Test
4 High Rate Pulse Ultrawideband Physical Layer Testing Batteries
and Certification 20 The Future of Active Front End Drives
5 Design & Simulation Software ____________ 21 Robotics & Automation ______________

5 A Closer Look at TVS Diodes for ESD Protection 21 Three Key Decisions for Building a Deterministic Machine
6 Electronics ___________________ Vision System
6 Flexible Footprints 22 Test & Measurement ________________

7 Health & Biotech ___________________ 22 Oscilloscope Frequency Response
23 New Spectral Analysis System Measures High-
7 Biological Detection Using rTMV and M13 Virus Lasers Performance Optical Filters
8 Imaging _______________________ 24 Measuring Multi-Antenna Isolation Using a Multiport VNA

25 Testing and Optimizing Low-Power Designs
8 Automated Optical Inspection (AOI): 101 26 Understanding and Selecting Power Sensors
9 Manufacturing __________________
9 Say Goodbye to Stencils
10 The Perfect Climate Inside Your Enclosure ON THE COVER
11 Materials & Coatings ________________ A power sensor is a fundamental
tool in RF engineering. But how
11 Metal Alloys for Stamping & Deep Drawn Part do you determine which sensor
Manufacturing will meet the requirements of a
specific measurement? Check
12 Mechanical & Motion Control ____________ out the white paper on page 26
to learn how.
12 How All-Software RTOS Machine Control Architecture (Image: Rohde & Schwarz)
Protects Machine Builders
13 RTX – The Ideal RTOS Platform for
the IoT Era
14 Symmetric Multiprocessing or Virtualization
15 Direct Drive Motor vs. Rotary Gear Motor:
A Quantification of Design Advantages
II August 2021 WHITE PAPER DIGEST

AEROSPACE & AERONAUTICS
Design Considerations for Harsh-

Environment Connectivity
LEMO
A s humans continue to explore the depths of the

oceans, the heights of the mountains, and the far
reaches of galaxies, the technologies we use in these
Connectors need to meet electrical, optical, and
mechanical requirements within lightweight and
compact form factors. They must be able to perform
extreme conditions push computing and connectivity in challenging environments where extreme
to its limits. However, for the computing systems and temperatures, punishing vibrations, and chemicals
robotics used in these applications, failure is not an may be present.
option. To succeed in these harsh environments and Durable, high-reliability connectors are critical in
meet continually increasing requirements, engineers systems that connect sensors, valves, cameras,
must use creative, collaborative strategies. thermocouples, and other components to computer
The connector industry is being called on to provide controls. If a connector does not meet the strict
power and data products that can meet or exceed standards indicated for its specific usage, it can result
demanding and ever-changing requirements. in catastrophe.
Download The Complete White Paper
WHITE PAPER DIGEST August 2021 1

AUTOMOTIVE
A Detailed Introduction to Automotive

Radar Technology
Continental Automotive Systems
A utomotive radars have become a ubiquitous part

of safety systems in modern vehicles. This article
introduces some of the most fundamental concepts
that may be needed to better understand the use and
engineering of automotive radar technology. Topics
such as application, operating concept, major
functional blocks, and system considerations are
discussed.
Even with today’s high-tech collision avoidance
systems, 1.3 million people still lose their lives in
vehicle accidents every year. And although LiDAR
(Light Detection and Ranging), a remote sensing
method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser
to measure ranges, gets all the attention in the news,
it is easy to forget that automotive radar is still the
most important automotive collision prevention
sensor on the road today.
Radar is the most robust technology in terms of
availability in various weather conditions and provides
highly accurate range and detection capability, all in
an economical package. Almost all modern Advanced
Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) come with one or
more radar sensors. As vehicle autonomy levels
increase, the quantity of automotive radars sold in
the world only stands to rise. This article will attempt
to provide a technical overview of automotive radar
for readers who may not have background knowledge
on the subject.
2 August 2021 WHITE PAPER DIGEST

AUTOMOTIVE
Digitalization of New Product Development

Understand how digital platforms can empower and encourage collaboration with engineering
teams in New Product Development and overall help the New Product Development process.
Omnex, Inc.
T oday’s New Product

Development (NPD)
projects are mechatronic
with a tremendous amount
of electronics and software.
In fact, data shows that 20-
50% of warranty issues in
vehicles include software as
a root cause and this could
be extended to similar
complex systems. Today’s
NPD digitalization efforts
often include software, hard
ware, and global product
development teams in im
plementations.
The building blocks of
prevention-based digital-
ization in NPD includes a
planning tool for advanced
quality planning, require
ments management, bi-
directional traceability,
DFMEA/PFMEA product
risk tools, supply chain
planning and tool sets, AI/
machine learning tools, and
the ability to manage com
plex BOMs, PPAPs, or first
piece inspection gates for
flawless manufacturing
launches.
The competitive advantages and concepts of NPD in the supply chain. With a tremendous amount of
digitalization will be shown with a case study in this data available in the digitalization process, Business
presentation. Digitalization makes every field of data Intelligence and analytics play a key role in utilizing
available for analysis whether inside the company or that information.

AUTOMOTIVE
High Rate Pulse Ultrawideband Physical

Layer Testing and Certification
UWB measuring equipment must fulfill multiple requirements to perform all test and
measurement tasks.
Rohde & Schwarz
U ltrawideband (UWB) is a radio technology

operating in the unlicensed spectrum for near-
field communications with low power consumption
and low complexity at low cost. UWB has existed
for quite a long time and was mainly used for
traditional radar imaging without a ratified
communications standard for worldwide
deployment until it was authorized for the first time
in 2002 by the American Federal Communications
Commission (FCC). In addition to the FCC, the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) also later elaborated UWB standardization. UWB is used in various market segments such as
Since then, UWB technology has grown in telecommunications, the automotive industry,
commercial importance for short-range data banking and financial services, healthcare, and the
communications as well as high-accuracy ranging public sector. It is estimated that 80% of smartphones
applications. During recent years, UWB technology and related accessories and 11% of car access devices
has shown a steady growth in market size. Based on will be equipped with UWB technology by 2025.
the market forecast of the UWB Alliance, it is expected This white paper is an introduction to UWB physical
that well over 1 billion UWB-capable devices will be layer fundamentals, the associated test requirements,
produced by 2025. and appropriate test solutions for UWB PHY verification.

DESIGN & SIMULATION SOFTWARE
A Closer Look at TVS Diodes for ESD

Protection
XFdtd’s transient EM/circuit co-simulation capability combines the strength of 3D full-wave
electromagnetic simulation with the flexibility of circuit solvers.
Remcom
T ransient voltage suppression (TVS) diodes help

protect electronic circuits from surge voltages
associated with an electrostatic discharge (ESD)
approximated as inductors, capacitors, or distributed
elements such as a transmission line.
This paper introduces XFdtd’s transient EM/circuit
event and are commonly placed alongside I/O lines, co-simulation capability, which combines the strength
audio hardware, human interface devices, power of 3D full-wave electromagnetic simulation with the
supplies, and an antenna’s RF front end (RFFE). flexibility of circuit solvers. This approach embeds a
TVS diode simulation presents certain challenges. transient nonlinear circuit solver in the full-wave
Full-wave time-domain electromagnetic (EM) solvers simulation so that all electromagnetic phenomena
can analyze a device’s 3D CAD geometry, but the are accounted for in a single time-domain simulation.
circuit component models are limited. Alternatively,
circuit solvers can simulate complex nonlinear
elements, but 3D EM effects and signal delay are

ELECTRONICS
Flexible Footprints
A unique way to ease the pain of part shortages.
Advanced Assembly
U nless you live under a rock, you have heard about

part shortages and how they are impacting
everything in the PCB world. From defense projects
to consumer electronics, not being able to source
parts has slowed prototypes and production builds
nearly to a halt.
Engineers have three options for building
redundancy into their Bill of Materials (BOM) for hard-
to-find parts. The first option is to incorporate two
land patterns side-by-side on their PCB and leave one
unpopulated. The second option is to make a new
version of the board that can use currently available
parts. The third option is to go line-down and wait
weeks or months for the parts to become available.
None of these options is ideal since the first option
wastes valuable PCB space and the second and third
options waste valuable time.
To help bridge the gap, Advanced Assembly’s
Research & Development team, in partnership with
electronics engineer Mike Drake, developed and
tested a flexible-footprint stepped land pattern you
can use on your next design! This whitepaper will talk
through how to use flexible footprints, advantages,
and things to look out for when using them.

HEALTH & BIOTECH
Biological Detection Using rTMV and M13

Virus Lasers
New method rises above the shortcomings of traditional analytical technology.
Wavelength Electronics
D etecting biomolecules, such as proteins or cells,

with precision and high sensitivity is labor intensive
with traditional assay devices. Researchers from the
COVID-19 virus and improve healthcare quality. The
pandemic has exposed the shortcomings of current
analytical technology for biological detection.
United Kingdom have developed a virus laser for rapid With the virus material used as part of the lasing
biomolecular detection with the precision of medium of the laser, detection of particular molecules
commercial systems. The commercial feasibility and in a sample is no longer difficult. Wavelength
low manufacturing cost of a genetically engineered Electronics’ WLD3343 Laser Diode Driver with the
Tobacco Mosaic virus-like particle (rTMV) is investigated WLD3393 Evaluation Board aided the laser system in
for virus laser applications, and the detection limit and providing constant current and stable wavelength for
amplified lasing signal are quantified for a virus laser accurate and repeatable experiments. The manu
utilizing the rod-like virus, M13. facturability of rTMV was proven a success, and the
A bio-laser is a relatively new technology that M13-based detection probe showed orders of
utilizes biological material as part of the laser cavity magnitude increase in signal from a 50% increase
or part of the gain/lasing medium. A probe is used in probe concentration and is sensitive to 90 fmol
with a special tag to attach to the specific molecule mL-1 monoclonal antibody. Virus lasers show great
for detection. Traditional probes have depended on potential for biological detection for today’s
antibodies and fluorescent dyes to make the binding analytical needs.
detectable. Virus probes attached to the molecule
will emit light as the virus is a part of the lasing system. Permission was granted for use of the images and data from
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting businesses, the corresponding author of: Hales, J. E., Constantinou, L., Sarphie,
social life, and especially the health and life of D. F., Aeppli, G., Viral lasers for biological detection (VL4BD),
everyone, advancing technology for biological ATTRACT (2020). https://attract-eu.com/showroom/project/
detection is critical to prevent further spread of the viral-lasers-for-biological-detection-vl4bd/

IMAGING
Automated Optical Inspection (AOI): 101

An introduction to all things AOI.
Advanced Assembly
A utomated Optical Inspection (AOI) is a process

that uses digital cameras to inspect every square
millimeter of your printed circuit board for defects
and errors. In concert with human inspection, AOI
machines look at first-articles and final assemblies to
find defects that range from insufficient part
placement clearance to floating parts, billboarding,
tombstoning, misaligned parts, incorrect part
placement, etc. With today’s parts shrinking in size
below the visual acuity of mortal man, automated
optical inspection is more important than ever.
Automated Optical Inspection machines locate parts,
capture images, and then analyze one or more images
to determine if the part is correctly attached to the
printed circuit board. In the past, AOI machine learning
algorithms could only learn from a “golden board.” These
AOI machines are increasingly able to use CAD files to
generate the necessary pass/fail parameters.
This article introduces, or refreshes on, the various
machinery used within an AOI machine. It begins by
discussing the differences in views and distortions
made by various lenses and lighting. Then it moves
into the processes of verification used with golden
boards, potential flaws with processing, and
advancements made with machine learning.

MANUFACTURING
Say Goodbye to Stencils

Jet paste printers are making stencils a thing of the past for PCB assembly.
Advanced Assembly
U sing stencils is how assembly manufacturers

traditionally transfer solder paste onto the surface
of printed circuit boards. Simply put, PCB assemblers
the exact right location for each component on a
board. Also known as “jetting,” the solder is dispersed
from a nozzle while it moves above the PCB. Jet
use customer-provided stencil files to laser-cut metal printers can achieve dot rate speeds of up to 1 million
stencils. This can be done in-house or outsourced. dots per hour.
Once a stencil is received, it is placed on top of the While jet paste printers may not be feasible for the
board and a thin layer of solder is laid over the top home hobbyist yet, make sure your assembly partner
using a squeegee. Once the stencil is removed from has top-notch technology to ensure excellent results
the board, solder remains only where the stencil had on your next build. Check out this deep dive into
openings. Advanced Assembly’s jet paste printers.
While this method has been acceptable for many
years, recent trends in the electronics industry have
required some assembly manufacturers to seek a
faster, more reliable solution.
The first jet printer to accommodate solder paste
was introduced in 2006. As the technology has
improved in speed and reliability, the advantages of
an automated system for applying solder over the
traditional manual method have become clear. Jet
paste printing, or stencil-free printing, uses single dots
of solder to place the exact right amount of solder in

MANUFACTURING
The Perfect Climate Inside Your Enclosure

Learn how to apply climate control principles to reduce energy usage and help ensure long
service life of your equipment.
Rittal
E lectrical systems are becoming increasingly

compact and the number of circuits per unit
volume is growing, leading to higher heat generation
strength of the current, proof by calculation or testing
is required. If such proof has not been provided,
liability and insurance problems may arise in extreme
per unit volume. The rule of thumb for semiconductors cases.
states that increasing the component temperature
by 10 K in relation to the maximum permissible
component temperature reduces the part’s service
life by 50%. A constant temperature is therefore the
best prerequisite for a long service life and high
reliability of all the electronic components. Particularly
in the case of a completely populated enclosure, it is
important that enough cool air flows past the
components. There are several ways of achieving this
as efficiently and responsibly as possible, but the right
choice depends on several factors. In this white paper,
we explain the foundation of a perfect climate for the
sensitive electronic devices in the enclosure.
Industrial Climate Control Considerations

When designing the enclosure, it is important to
think carefully in advance about where it will stand.
It seems logical to avoid places where it would get
particularly hot, but that is not always possible in
practice. You must also take into consideration any
needs for future expansion where additional space
would be required. Is there enough space to
comfortably accommodate the additional control
system? Nevertheless, the most important issue
remains: Is the temperature level within the permissible
operating range of the installed components or does
the enclosure need climate control?
There are also standards that these systems must
meet. One of the requirements relates to the detection
of heat. The DIN EN IEC 61439 standard “Low-voltage
switchgear and control gear assemblies” has been in
effect since November 1, 2014. Depending on the

MATERIALS & COATINGS
Metal Alloys for Stamping & Deep Drawn

Part Manufacturing
How to control grain growth and direction for increased formability, weldability, and workability.
Ulbrich
F ormability and deep draw capabilities are a huge

concern for manufacturers and part-makers. Deep
drawing requires annealed properties with a
homogeneous fine grain microstructure and very
uniform mechanical properties throughout the coil.
There is a combination of many variables that Ulbrich
controls to ensure that our material provides the best
formability for even the most difficult drawing process
applications. This whitepaper explores the factors
stampers should consider when selecting the alloys
that will provide the most optimal formability for their
specific deep draw application.
At Ulbrich, we understand that the stamping
process benefits greatly from materials that are
consistent and uniform through and through. That’s
why we pride ourselves on providing unparalleled
metal flatness, superior surface finish, as well as our
precision capability for surface oxide control. With
our stringent specifications and commitment to buy
only from the highest quality suppliers, our narrow
width rolling mills with automatic gauge control can
provide an extraordinarily tight thickness tolerance
along the width and length of all coils, insuring
stability in the drawing process and producing parts
with minimal burrs. We utilize state-of-the-art
equipment that further enhances our material quality
for stamping and deep draw operations in all the
critical markets we proudly serve.
Ulbrich has been supplying metal strip, foil, and
shaped wire to stampers in over 165 alloys for multiple
generations. Working with our in-house equipment Download our Alloys for Stamping Whitepaper to
and rolling mill team, your order of precision metal learn how Ulbrich provides the highest value material
for deep draw stamping can be slit, cut to length, by offering the least downtime and part variability,
rolled to the thinnest gauges, annealed to various allowing our customers to produce higher quality
common or custom tempers, and more. products at a lower overall cost.

MECHANICAL & MOTION CONTROL
How All-Software RTOS Machine Control

Architecture Protects Machine Builders
Plug-n-play software-enabled components support constantly emerging machine control
requirements.
IntervalZero
A round the world, IntervalZero’s real-time

operating system (RTOS) is used by a multitude
of customers with prestigious brands in dozens of
Industry 4.0 worldwide market. The paper shows how
plug-n-play software-enabled components support
constantly emerging machine control requirements.
different industries like industrial automation, It highlights the industry level challenges these
manufacturing, mobile devices, digital media, medical customers faced, the resulting machine automation
systems, simulation, aerospace, and defense. and motion control requirements that needed to be
This white paper gives an overview of IntervalZero’s addressed, the results they achieved, and the key
best practices from four of their customers who platform strategy. The success story concludes with
represent the most recognizable SMT brands in Japan. why the IntervalZero RTOS Platform makes the
These practices allow them to distinguish themselves most sense for companies in the SMT industry and
in the ever-present Internet of Things (IoT) and beyond.

RTX – The Ideal RTOS Platform for

the IoT Era
How RTX64 transforms Windows into a real-time operating system.
IntervalZero
N ext-generation industrial, vision, medical, and

other systems that depend on determinism seek
to combine high-end graphics, rich user interfaces,
operating system (RTOS) and this platform is able to
execute deterministic machine control, yet it can run
IoT and non-deterministic Smart Edge and other
Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud connectivity with applications concurrently.
hard real-time performance, prioritization, and This white paper is an overview on how
precision. Today’s industrial PCs running 64-bit IntervalZero’s RTX64 delivers on the promise of IoT
Windows, complemented by a separate deterministic and Industry 4.0. Learn how RTX64 is ideally suited
scheduler on multicore multiprocessors, can deliver for the future of machine control because it
that precise real-time performance on software- capitalizes on commercially available industrial PCs
defined peripherals. to address both the deterministic requirements of
IntervalZero’s RTX64 is remarkable because it machine control and the emerging, strategic
transforms Microsoft Windows into a real-time requirements of IoT.

Symmetric Multiprocessing or
Virtualization
Maximizing the value and power of a PC-based machine control architecture.
IntervalZero
T he continuous advance in multicore technologies

is the catalyst for software innovation that is
spawning a new generation of embedded systems
This white paper examines two prevalent
multiprocessing approaches that are competing
to deliver on the value of PC-based machine
that are less costly to develop, higher performing, control architecture: symmetric multiprocessing
and scalable because tasks run in parallel. (SMP) and asymmetric multiprocessing (ASMP),
System developers are already capitalizing on PC- often referred to as virtualization or hypervisor
based machine control architectures to gain technology.
sustained competitive advantages in markets as Dive into how these approaches can improve your
diverse as industrial automation, medical systems, machine controller and set you up for a successful
test and measurement, and digital media. future.

Direct Drive Motor vs. Rotary Gear Motor:

A Quantification of Design Advantages
Direct drive servo motors can be applied nearly anywhere a geared rotary servo motor is used.
Yaskawa America
F or decades, geared servo motors have been one

of the most common tools in the industrial
automation toolbox. Offering excellent performance
real-world rotary servo systems fall short of this ideal
to varying degrees.
This paper examines direct drive motor technology,
for positioning, velocity matching, electronic compares it in terms of cost and performance with
camming, winding, tensioning, and tightening that of a rotary gear motor in an application sim
applications, geared servo motors efficiently match ulation, and identifies the best applications for direct
the power of a servo motor to the load. drive motors.
This raises the question: Is a geared servo motor Download now to:
the pinnacle of rotary motion technology, or is there • Learn about the effects of backlash and torsional
a better solution? stiffness and how they can degrade performance in
In a perfect world, a rotary servo system would have a servo system.
torque and speed ratings that match the application, • Analyze performance results of a geared servo
such that the motor is neither oversized nor motor vs. a direct drive motor operating a rotary
undersized. Additionally, the combination of motor, indexing table under identical conditions.
transmission elements, and load should have infinite • Identify the best applications where you can benefit
torsional stiffness and zero backlash. Unfortunately, from the use of direct drive motor technology.

POWER & ENERGY
Simplified Fuel Cell Testing Made Easy

Regenerative electronic loads by EA Elektro-Automatik are the solution.
EA Elektro-Automatik
T o determine the safety, service life, and minimum

efficiency of fuel cells, various test procedures are
necessary. However, the special requirements of fuel
Autoranging capacity helps to reduce the cost of the
required load as the wider voltage and current levels
allow optimizing the power capacity to the capacity of
cells create challenges for electrical engineers. Thanks the fuel cell. A higher power load is often not required
to a wide range of features, regenerative electronic to reach a higher voltage or current capacity. Regenerative
loads from EA Elektro-Automatik simplify the test Energy Recovery, with up to 96% efficiency, saves the
procedure for users. significant utility costs associated with a long-duration,
The built-in waveform generator simplifies the setup accelerated life test of a high-power fuel cell. The cost
and testing of fuel cells by eliminating the challenge of savings maximizes the return on investment. In addition,
interfacing a low power waveform generator into a high- the load can run cooler, reducing stress on its electronic
power circuit. With the waveform generator, the ELR components. Power Control software enables quick and
load can easily program sinusoidal variations on a DC easy setup of a test without having to write any code.
load current to create the perturbations to measure In this white paper, we explain the benefits you can
fuel cell resistance. The waveform generator also can achieve with the built-in waveform generator, true
create square waves and ramps for performance and autoranging, efficient mains feedback, and the EA
durability testing. Power Control software in detail.

POWER & ENERGY
Testing Electric Vehicle Motor and Controller

with a Bidirectional Power Supply
Reduce assets and test complexity by using a bidirectional programmable power supply.
E ach year, vehicle electrification continues to in

crease, with all signs pointing to this trend
accelerating in the future. Some of the factors con
concept not only reduces the energy requirement
from the grid but also eliminates the inefficiencies by
putting energy back on the grid.
tributing to this development are the increasing use This application note provides an example of testing
of hybrid and fully electric vehicles to meet “green an E-Motor and Controller for electric vehicles.
energy” goals, the desire for the greater reliability that Traditional test setups require a dedicated DC source
electronic components generally provide, and the and load in parallel to deal with bi-directional energy
need to reduce automotive recalls. flow. This can require a complex test setup to co
Electric Motor and Drivetrain (Electric Mobility) ordinate energy flow and to avoid damaging expensive
Testing is a critical part of bringing any electric drive- test equipment. A bidirectional DC source with a
train into production. In this paper, the requirements built-in regenerative electronic load greatly simplifies
for an electric drivetrain test cell are discussed. The the test setup, avoids catastrophic damage, and
implementations of such test cells are described, and decreases test times. This electronic load being
examples of test results are provided. The energy and regenerative also has the unique option of back-
power requirements for three-phase motor and feeding converted energy into the grid, providing
controller Unit Under Test (UUT) connected through energy recover and reducing HVAC costs of operation
a common dc bus are described. The data used by more than 90%. Read the full application note to
represents various steady state load conditions during learn more.
durability test cycles. This “Smart Green Technology”

POWER & ENERGY
How to Choose the Right DC Power Supply

for Emerging Test Challenges
Specify the correct programmable DC power supply to future-proof your test capability.
C hoosing the right DC programmable power supply

for your test system or application can feel
overwhelming if you are not sure of all the
• Should I consider a bidirectional power supply?
• What input am I able to give my power supply?
• How do I plan on controlling my power supply?
considerations involved. This book guides you through DC power supplies come in a variety of voltage and
the process of selecting a DC power supply that is current combinations, so naturally the key speci
right for your application and paired with how you fications are maximum output voltage, maximum
intend to use it. Defining the power requirements for output current, and maximum output power. Tra
your application is the first place to start, but this is ditional power supplies are rated at their maximum
only the beginning of the process. Once you know the power point, which is maximum current and maximum
voltages and currents that you need, you must voltage. Any voltage below that point will be limited
determine how you will power your source and how to the same current, which means you only get full
you intend to control it. So, before you issue a power out at one operating point. To address this
purchase order, you would be wise to consider the limitation, one selection criteria is a feature known as
following questions and others to be discussed: autoranging, which provides a wider output of both
• What output do I really need from my power supply? voltage and current to maintain full power across a
• What is autoranging and how can it help me? much larger operating range.

POWER & ENERGY
Why You Need Bidirectional DC Power

Supplies to Test Batteries
Reduce assets and test complexity by using a bidirectional programmable power supply.
In today’s fast-paced world, the need to create quicker,

more mobile mechanical devices is steadily increasing.
One primary method for doing this is to replace tra
but most will need to protect their battery under test,
the DC power supply, and of course the operator.
Planning with three elements in mind — control,
ditional gas-powered or plugged-in devices with battery monitoring, and safety — will give you the best chance
power. Batteries have become smaller and increasingly at developing a complete and safe battery test
efficient as a result. In order to keep up with the rate of solution.
technology advancement, the equipment used to test Using the described bidirectional programmable
advanced technology must also be advanced, flexible, power supply will further simplify a system by being
and responsive. For these reasons, the bidirectional able to charge and discharge from one unit, avoiding
programmable DC power supply with an integrated the need to move the battery around or utilizing
regenerative electronic load is a perfect fit for advanced multiple relays to switch between a power supply and
battery test. This bidirectional supply can seamlessly load going to the battery. Read the full white paper
switch between providing power to charge the battery to learn more.
and controlling the discharge of the battery.
Specifying just the right equipment, this white paper
will provide some basic guidance and considerations
on how to build a robust battery test system to ensure
the safety and proper functioning of all test equipment
and batteries under test.
The most important thing to remember is to plan
out your test procedure and setup before attempting
to use a programmable DC power supply for battery
testing. A simplified approach may work for some,

POWER & ENERGY
The Future of Active Front End Drives

Matrix Drive technology is an all-in-one solution for extremely low harmonics and/or full
regeneration.
Yaskawa America
A variable frequency drive is an electronic device

that allows for the control of speed in an electric
motor. Depending on the application, having this
all-in-one solution for extremely low harmonics and/
or full regeneration.
This white paper details the Matrix Drive’s innovative
ability can provide a number of benefits including low harmonic and regenerative technology and
improvements in process control, efficiency, and compares it to conventional and active front end
power factor. Reductions in latent heating as well as (AFE) drive technologies.
extended machine life due to its inherent soft starting Download now to:
ability may also be gained. VFDs are used in a • Learn how Matrix technology differs from that of
multitude of applications from relatively simple conventional 6 pulse drives and active front end
applications like pumps and fans to more complicated drive technology.
applications like dynamometers. • Analyze laboratory performance results of Matrix
The evolution of VFD technology stems from the drives vs. active front end drive configurations in
need to boost motor control performance and to terms of harmonic performance, regenerative
provide clean, efficient use of line power. Recent capability, efficiency, and system footprint.
advancements in VFD technology have made way for • D ispel common myths regarding Matrix drive
a drive using Matrix technology. A Matrix Drive is an technology.

ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION
Three Key Decisions for Building a

Deterministic Machine Vision System
Why PC-based machine vision software is superior to smart cameras when determinism is
required in high-precision machines or processes.
IntervalZero
M achine vision is used in most manufacturing

industries to boost quality, productivity, and
performance and is becoming a major differentiator
amazing functionality, they tend to be expensive
islands of automation, so they are not as versatile as
a PC-based architecture. This is especially true in the
for machine builders in the Industry 4.0 era. Having Industry 4.0 era, which will demand more edge
an open-source, deterministic machine vision solution analytics and data sharing with the cloud.
on PC offers strategic value to a machine builder that This white paper defines the process of machine
is seeking to differentiate its next-generation machine. vision and answers three key questions that optimize
There are two prevailing architectures that can a machine vision solution for high-performance and
deliver machine vision: the smart camera and PC- high-precision machines that demand determinism
based solutions. While smart cameras can deliver or hard real-time computing.

TEST & MEASUREMENT
Oscilloscope Frequency Response

Knowing the limitations of your testing equipment can be invaluable.
Advanced Assembly
A s electrical engineers move towards digital circuits

with increasingly short rise-times, it is sometimes
useful to remember that our test equipment is not
presented on the screen to a viewer, but oscilloscopes
have signal chain limitations in the frequency-domain.
Since frequency limitations can alter a waveform’s
always able to properly represent a signal. Knowing appearance in the time-domain, it is worth under
what is going on with your signal and test equipment standing a bit more about the frequency limitations
at a basic level might prevent you from making of your oscilloscope and how they can affect the
incorrect assumptions during your next project. time-domain signal you see. If you are tracking signals
Oscilloscopes display potential differences that are near the upper limitations of your test equipment’s
measured in the time-domain. Analog to Digital frequency response, there is an excellent chance that
converters track and display the potential difference you are seeing a modified version of your board’s
between the probe tip and the ground return over signal.
some period of time. The time-domain signal is To learn a bit more, check out this whitepaper. Enjoy!

TEST & MEASUREMENT
New Spectral Analysis System Measures

High-Performance Optical Filters
The HELIX™ Spectral Analysis System addresses the limitations of most commercially available
spectrophotometers.
Alluxa Engineering
A n increased demand for high-performance optical

filters with edge transitions steeper than 0.5% of
edge wavelength from 90% transmission to OD6
photometers, and other advanced methods to obtain
more accurate measurements.
Unfortunately, many of these solutions can be cost-
(-60dB), wide-range blocking beyond OD6, and ultra- prohibitive, sensitive to misalignment, or have a
narrow filters with sub-nanometer bandwidths has limited wavelength range, so they are not ideal for
driven recent advancements in thin-film design and use in a high-volume manufacturing scenario.
coating technologies. However, measuring the true Alluxa has developed a custom spectral analysis
spectral performance of these filters is particularly system that is capable of accurately measuring the
challenging due to the inherent limitations of standard highest-performance optical filters, while still being
spectrophotometers and other grating-based robust enough for use in a high-volume manufacturing
measurement systems. setting. This white paper describes the HELIX System
For this reason, many thin-film manufacturers have and why it is an essential tool for evaluating true
started utilizing tunable lasers, custom-built spectro optical filter performance.

TEST & MEASUREMENT
Measuring Multi-Antenna Isolation Using a

Multiport VNA
A high-performance VNA can help reduce product failure rates and test times.
Rohde & Schwarz
T he proliferation of wireless technology is leading

to higher densities of Radio Frequency (RF)
transmitter and receiver antennas on many platforms.
antenna isolation allows engineers to assess the
filtering requirements in wireless receivers, in addition
to mitigating Cosite Interference issues at the
A single platform — such as an automobile, police car, Platform Level and in System Integration.
airplane, or military platform — can have numerous While it is possible to analyze electrical lengths and
antennas that are located in relatively close proximity errors and speculate on the outcome, the best way
to one another. to evaluate an outcome is by conducting an actual
In this application note, antenna-to-antenna test. Engineers and technicians are encouraged to
isolation using a Rohde and Schwarz multiport Vector evaluate their situation and come to their own
Network Analyzer (VNA) is analyzed. These antenna- conclusion by performing evaluations with VNA
to-antenna isolation measurements are presented in demonstration units. The best way to evaluate if a
generalized real-world deployments that are appli high-performance Rohde and Schwarz ZNBT VNA
cable to Internet of Things (wireless refrigerators, can help reduce product failure rates and test times
stoves, etc.), automobiles, aircraft, tanks, submarines, is by performing an in-house evaluation.
boats and ships, etc. Knowing the actual antenna-to-

TEST & MEASUREMENT
Testing and Optimizing Low-Power Designs

Wireless devices must provide optimal RF performance to ensure smooth communications.
Rohde & Schwarz
P ower consumption is a key performance parameter

for almost every electronics device. Conserving
energy is good for the environment and has a large
often have to last 10 years or more, such as those in
smart water meters. Delivering this kind of low power
consumption involves more than just low-power
impact on operational costs, customer experience, technologies and components.
and a solution’s lifetime. Low power consumption is Manufacturers have to make sure that their wireless
relevant for all electronic devices, whether powered devices provide optimal RF performance to ensure
by the grid, a large battery pack, a coin size battery, smooth communications in all situations and lo
or energy harvesting. cations. The impact of poor RF performance on power
As the Internet of Things (IoT) grows more popular, consumption is often underestimated; sending a
low-power design becomes more important for message twice more than doubles the time on air and
battery-powered devices. They rely on low-power the power consumption. This makes verifying RF
wireless technologies such as Bluetooth® Low Energy, performance in the transmission and receiving path
NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, or Sigfox. Batteries in IoT devices essential.
11
See also the application card: Antenna matching

in IoT and low-power devices with R&S®FPC

TEST & MEASUREMENT
Understanding and Selecting Power

a multipath sensor. Its capabilities are limited to
. As an example, these sensors are well-suited to
Sensors
ocus on average power in specific frequency
Determining which sensor will meet the requirements of a specific measurement is key.
Rohde & Schwarz
used in radio telecommunications (e.g., up to 18
A
down to 8 kHz).
powerWithin these
sensor is ranges, they
a fundamental offer
measurement This primer outlines the basics of RF power sensors
ee-path diode
tool sensors. The disadvantage
in RF engineering. However, is the
today’s and highlights a few key characteristics that will help
marketplace is filled with myriad choices, and many you select the best one for each application. The
are making bold claims about attributes such as narrative has three parts. First, we focus on choosing
measurement speed and readings per second. As the right type of sensor: multipath, wideband, average
a result, it can be difficult to cut through the power, and thermal can satisfy slightly different
hyperbole and determine which sensor will measurement needs. The second section covers the
actually meet the requirements of a specific five major attributes of sensor performance and what
measurement. to look for relative to your requirements. Finally, we
outline three ways to integrate a sensor into your
ns measurement application.
ze
s
hest
s or
y,
:
.

Figure 4. With exceptional linearity and rapid heat
dissipation, thermal sensors can deliver excellent
performance
26 August 2021 in reference applications. WHITE PAPER DIGEST

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2 Automotive ____________________ Bidirectional Power Supply

5 Design & Simulation Software ____________ 21 Robotics & Automation ______________

6 Electronics ___________________ Vision System

6 Flexible Footprints 22 Test & Measurement ________________

8 Imaging _______________________ 24 Measuring Multi-Antenna Isolation Using a Multiport VNA

II August 2021 WHITE PAPER DIGEST

Design Considerations for Harsh-

A s humans continue to explore the depths of the

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