Engineers turn to automated test equipment to save time

With engineers rushing tests in order to hit tight product deadlines, the market for test equipment that automatically detects faults in semiconductors and other components is growing. Setting aside time for testing has been a struggle for electrical engineers. The shrinking size – and increasing complexity – of semiconductor circuits is not making life any easier. Nearly 15% of wireless engineers are outsourcing final testing and more than 45% contract

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ENGINEERS TURN TO AUTOMATED TEST EQUIPMENT TO SAVE TIME

With engineers rushing tests in order to hit tight product deadlines, the market for test equipment that automatically detects faults in semiconductors and other components is growing. Setting aside time for testing has been a struggle for electrical engineers. The shrinking size – and increasing complexity – of semiconductor circuits is not making life any easier. Nearly 15% of wireless engineers are outsourcing final testing and more than 45% contract

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Semiconductor Testing

Automated test equipment (ATE) is a computer-controlled test and measurement equipment that allows for testing with minimal human interaction. The tested devices are referred to as a device under test (DUT). The advantages of this kind of testing include reducing testing time, repeatability, and cost-efficiency in high volume. The chief disadvantages are the upfront costs of programming and setup. Automated test equipment can test printed circuit boards, interconnections, and verifications.

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EXPLOITING LABVIEW LIBRARIES

Have you ever viewed a LabVIEW VI Hierarchy and become frustrated with not being able to locate a VI you needed to open?Do you have large applications composed of similar modules but fear to jump, with both feet, into the learning curve of LVOOP?Did you ever try to duplicate a sub-VI at the start of a new set of functions and find yourself deep in a nest of cross-linked VIs,

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IOT: STANDARDS, LEGAL RIGHTS; ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT

It is safe to say that, at this point, the fragmented nature of IoT will hinder, or even discourage the value for users and industry. If IoT products happen to be poorly integrated, or inflexible regarding connectivity or are complex to operate, these factors can drive users as well as developers away from IoT. Also, poorly designed IoT devices can have negative consequences for the networks they connect to. Therefore,

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IOT: SECURITY AND PRIVACY

Two key IoT issues, which are also intertwined, are security and privacy: the data IoT devices store and work with needs to be safe from hackers, so as not to have sensitive data exposed to third parties. It is of utmost importance that IoT devices be secure from vulnerabilities and private so that users would feel safe in their surroundings and trust that their data shall not be exposed or

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WHAT IS RS-232, WHAT IS RS-422, AND WHAT IS RS-485?

RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 are serial connections which can be found in various consumer electronics devices. Namely, RS-232 (ANSI/EIA-232 Standard) is the serial connection which can be historically found on IBM-compatible PCs. It is employed in many different scenarios and for many purposes, such as connecting a mouse, a printer, or a modem, as well as connecting different industrial instrumentation. Due to improvements in line drivers and cables, applications often

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REQUIREMENTS OF REAL-TIME CONTROL

Real time embedded control processors are individual computing units which have been implemented into pieces of larger and far more complicated equipment such as vehicles of all sort (trucks, airplanes, boats, yachts etc.), then other computer peripherals, audio systems and military equipment and weapons. The control processors are said to be embedded because they are integrated into a piece of equipment which is not in itself considered a computer nor

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LABVIEW PROJECTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

STÄUBLI LABVIEW INTEGRATION LIBRARY The DSM LabVIEW-Stäubli Control Library is created to simplify communications between a host PC running LabVIEW and a Stäubli robotic motion controller so as to control the robot from the LabVIEW environment.  Stäubli Robots are usually found in the automation industry. The standard Staubli programming language, VAL3, is an adjustable language allowing for a wide variety of tasking. Although the VAL3 language works well in its environment, there

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I²C AND SPI

Nowadays, at the low end of the transmission protocols, I²C (for ‘Inter-Integrated Circuit’, protocol) and SPI (for ‘Serial Peripheral Interface’) are to be found. Both protocols are well-suited for transmissions betwixt unified circuits, for slow transmission with onboard components. At the essence of these two popular protocols two major companies are found – Philips for I²C and Motorola for SPI – and two diverse histories about why, when and how

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