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Oscilloscope Mistakes: #1 (Part 1 of 4)

Avoiding these common pitfalls will get you better data with minimum effort. Steve Sandler takes a look at four common scope mistakes and gives…
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Article
FAQ# 27: Why is PDN measured using a VNA and not an oscilloscope?

Steve Sandler Answers Your PDN Questions (Power Electronics’ Q&A Series) Power Electronics received a question about why PDN is measured using a VNA and…
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Article
Troubleshooting Distributed Power Systems: Measuring Impedance Using VNAs (2-Port) (Part 4 of the ongoing video series.)

As Part 3 of this video series explained, recently introduced vector network analyzers (VNAs) have made it possible for these frequency domain instruments to…
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Video
FAQ# 26: How do I pick a voltage regulator that will be good for my circuit?

Steve Sandler Answers Your Voltage Regulator Questions (Power Electronics’ Q&A Series) Power Electronics received a question about how to pick a voltage regulator that…
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Article
FAQ#25: How do you measure PSRR of a linear regulator circuit that powers an oscillator for an ADC? How can I make this measurement using an oscilloscope?

Steve Sandler Answers Your PSRR Questions (Power Electronics’ Q&A Series Follow Up) Earlier this month Power Electronics received a question about “How to measure…
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Article
How to Solve 8 of 10 Design Issues

The vast majority of design issues are directly or indirectly attributable to control loop stability. The most common offenders: Linear regulators Voltage references Op-amps…
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Article
Inductors for the Uninitiated

Michael Jones, Linear Technology, Aug 21st 2013 What could be simpler than inductors? Pick one from a catalog based on saturation, inductance, DCR, etc,…
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Article
Troubleshooting Distributed Power Systems: Measuring Impedance Using Vector Network Analyzers (One-Port Tests) (Part 3 of the ongoing video series.)

Vector network analyzers (VNAs) have always had measurement capabilities that looked like they would be particularly useful in assessing the performance of analog and…
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Video
FAQ #24 J2180A 0.1Hz -100MHz Ultra Low Noise Preamp: Do you have any figures for the noise level ie, the input noise voltage [nV/sqrt(Hz)]?

Here is a typical noise plot showing the typical noise is 2.4nV/rt_Hz when using the J2180A Ultra Low Noise Preamp. Related Products Insights Categories…
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Article
Troubleshooting Distributed Power Systems: Impedance Is the Critical Measurement (Part 2 of the ongoing video series.)

Whether your goal is to optimize system performance or to troubleshoot issues in distributed power systems, impedance measurement is an indispensable tool. That’s because…
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Video
Troubleshooting Distributed Power Systems: Why Stability Matters (Part 1 of the ongoing video series.)

Control-loop stability impacts power supply performance in multiple ways. Even if the control loop is not oscillating, poor stability—as evidenced by low phase margin—in…
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Video
Target impedance based solutions for PDN may not provide realistic assessment

One of the more common design techniques for power distribution networks (PDN) is the determination of the peak impedance that will assure that the…
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Article
FAQ #23 What Injectors do I need for PDN Measurements?

Our J2112A current injector has been the most requested product to date. It provides a very fast low current pulse, though based on a…
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Article
How to Make Higher Voltage Power-Distribution-Network Measurements

A two-port power distribution network (PDN) measurement is arguably the most accurate method of measuring low-value impedances, such as the output of point of…
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Article
Clock Power Optimization Depends On Jitter Control

Clock-jitter performance has become a top priority among clock, analog-to-digital controller (ADC), and power-supply manufacturers. Why? Simply, it interferes with the performance of digital…
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Article
Assessing Point-Of-Load Regulators Using Non-Invasive Techniques

Evaluating the stability of a Point-Of-Load (“POL”) regulator can be performed using both traditional Bode plot and output impedance measurement techniques. Measuring output impedance…
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Article
FAQ #22: So how does this non-invasive measurement relate to phase margin and gain margin?

It doesn’t, at least not directly. Since stability is an assessment of the proximity of the gain vector to the singular unstable point, (1,0)…
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Article
New Injector Supports Testing of POLs

High Fidelity POL Testing with the J2112A The J2112A: Faster, Non-Invasive, and High Fidelity POL Step Load Testing Testing the step load performance of…
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Article
FAQ #21: How do you use the Picotest injectors and the Agilent analyzer to measure output impedance and/or non-invasive step loading?

How do you use the Picotest injectors and the Agilent analyzer to measure output impedance and/or non-invasive step loading? How do you use the…
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Article
Making Ripple Measurements

Making ripple measurements has traditionally been using an oscilloscope. For a number of technical reasons, an oscilloscope, in general, is not necessarily the best…
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Article
Sharpen Rising and Falling Edges

Wherever you find a digital control signal, you find sharp rising and falling edges that need characterization. These edges occur on switching power supplies…
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Article
Exploring Bandwidth, Gain Margin and Phase Margin in Non-Invasive Measurement

SummaryAmong the most frequently asked questions regarding non-invasive stability measurement are “How do I determine the bandwidth, phase margin and gain margin from the…
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Article
Use A Signal Analyzer To Measure Power Supply, Regulator, and Reference Noise

Noise from the power supply, linear regulators, and voltage references is a major contributor to the limitations of system performance, especially in instrumentation and…
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Article
Making Sense of Two-Wire Current-Sense Resistors

Four-wire sense resistors provide two power connections and two sense wires in order to make a precision measurement. Newer two-wire devices are available in…
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Article
Low Power And High Efficiency Can Degrade Performance Significantly

The general industry trend is to make electronic products more efficient and, in general, consume less energy. One of the major considerations is to…
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Article
Essential Test Adapters for Your Network / Impedance Analyzer

The network analyzer, sometimes referred to as a Frequency Response Analyzer (FRA) is a common piece of equipment in most of our labs today.…
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Article
Understanding the Data Sheet Key to Effective Circuit Design

Consider this first example excerpt from a datasheet; a plot of the output impedance of a voltage reference with and without a capacitor. Identifying…
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Article
Effectively Using the EM-6992 Near Field Probe Kit to Troubleshoot EMI Issues

Introduction The EM-6992 Probe Kit includes three magnetic (H) field and two electric (E) field passive, near-field probes and an extension handle designed to…
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Article
How To Measure Ultra-Low Impedances

High-speed digital circuits need clean power, but can stress power systems in ways that make it difficult for the system to deliver what’s needed.…
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Article
FAQ #20: 2 Port Shunt Thru Impedance Measurement With The Bode 100

2 Port Shunt Thru Impedance Measurement With The Bode 100 Below are a few diagrams on how to do a 2-port impedance measurement and…
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Article
Making The Connection Key To Accurate Test Data

We often give even less thought to how we connect our circuits and systems to the test equipment that we use to power and…
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Article
Troubleshooting EMI: Use Versatile Instrument And Preamp To Search For Embedded Noise

Most engineers do not have convenient access to the equipment necessary for electromagnetic compliance (EMC) or electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing. Certified test labs, while…
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Video
When Bode Plots Fail Us

It may come as a surprise to some that a control loop’s Bode plot does not always depict the loop stability and that the…
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Article
Evaluate Feedback Stability When There’s No Test Point

It’s impossible to directly measure the stability (gain/phase) characteristics of a device if the device’s control loop lacks an access point to apply a…
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Article
New Test Adapters Improve Your PDN Measurements

This article discusses measurement of small resistances, such as those encountered during PDN measurement, using the OMICRON Lab Bode 100, Keysight E5061B, and the…
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Article
An Unconditionally Stable Linear Voltage Regulator

Is it possible to design an unconditionally stable linear voltage regulator? In fact, many believe that most regulator ICs are unconditionally stable. The answer…
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Article
Introduction to the J2110A Solid State Injector

Most of us have experience using a wideband signal injection transformer to introduce a modulation signal into our loop stability test. While a high-quality…
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Article
FAQ #19: What is the difference between a Frequency Response Analyzer (FRA) and a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA)?

What is the difference between a Frequency Response Analyzer (FRA) and a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA)? The FRA is generally designed to measure Bode…
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Article
Measuring Op Amp PSRR

In this article we detail the process of measuring a key performance characteristic of operational amplifiers (Op Amps), power supply rejection ratio or “PSRR”,…
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Article
FAQ #18: What injection resistor value should I use? Is it okay to use a little larger resistor like 30 or 50 ohm instead of 5 ohm (like many app notes recommend)?

What injection resistor value should I use? Is it okay to use a little larger resistor like 30 or 50 ohm instead of 5…
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Article

All

Oscilloscope Mistakes: #1 (Part 1 of 4)

FAQ# 27: Why is PDN measured using a VNA and not an oscilloscope?

Troubleshooting Distributed Power Systems: Measuring Impedance Using VNAs (2-Port) (Part 4 of the ongoing video series.)

FAQ# 26: How do I pick a voltage regulator that will be good for my circuit?

FAQ#25: How do you measure PSRR of a linear regulator circuit that powers an oscillator for an ADC? How can I make this measurement using an oscilloscope?

How to Solve 8 of 10 Design Issues

Inductors for the Uninitiated

Troubleshooting Distributed Power Systems: Measuring Impedance Using Vector Network Analyzers (One-Port Tests) (Part 3 of the ongoing video series.)

FAQ #24 J2180A 0.1Hz -100MHz Ultra Low Noise Preamp: Do you have any figures for the noise level ie, the input noise voltage [nV/sqrt(Hz)]?

Troubleshooting Distributed Power Systems: Impedance Is the Critical Measurement (Part 2 of the ongoing video series.)

Troubleshooting Distributed Power Systems: Why Stability Matters (Part 1 of the ongoing video series.)

Target impedance based solutions for PDN may not provide realistic assessment

FAQ #23 What Injectors do I need for PDN Measurements?

How to Make Higher Voltage Power-Distribution-Network Measurements

Clock Power Optimization Depends On Jitter Control

Assessing Point-Of-Load Regulators Using Non-Invasive Techniques

FAQ #22: So how does this non-invasive measurement relate to phase margin and gain margin?

New Injector Supports Testing of POLs

FAQ #21: How do you use the Picotest injectors and the Agilent analyzer to measure output impedance and/or non-invasive step loading?

Making Ripple Measurements

Sharpen Rising and Falling Edges

Exploring Bandwidth, Gain Margin and Phase Margin in Non-Invasive Measurement

Use A Signal Analyzer To Measure Power Supply, Regulator, and Reference Noise

Making Sense of Two-Wire Current-Sense Resistors

Low Power And High Efficiency Can Degrade Performance Significantly

Essential Test Adapters for Your Network / Impedance Analyzer

Understanding the Data Sheet Key to Effective Circuit Design

Effectively Using the EM-6992 Near Field Probe Kit to Troubleshoot EMI Issues

How To Measure Ultra-Low Impedances

FAQ #20: 2 Port Shunt Thru Impedance Measurement With The Bode 100

Making The Connection Key To Accurate Test Data

Troubleshooting EMI: Use Versatile Instrument And Preamp To Search For Embedded Noise

When Bode Plots Fail Us

Evaluate Feedback Stability When There’s No Test Point

New Test Adapters Improve Your PDN Measurements

An Unconditionally Stable Linear Voltage Regulator

Introduction to the J2110A Solid State Injector

FAQ #19: What is the difference between a Frequency Response Analyzer (FRA) and a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA)?

Measuring Op Amp PSRR

FAQ #18: What injection resistor value should I use? Is it okay to use a little larger resistor like 30 or 50 ohm instead of 5 ohm (like many app notes recommend)?