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Extracting Bode Plots from Output Impedance

Many articles and application notes describe the extraction of phase margin, using a non-invasive technique that extracts the phase margin from an output impedance…
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Article
Stability Assessment of Fixed Regulators

There are cases where a Bode (gain?phase) plot cannot be obtained from a control loop. For example, a three terminal regulator or hybrid may…
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Article
Are We Focused On The Wrong Reference Parameters?

Designing a reliable circuit that employs a voltage reference requires a more detailed look at device parameters than most data sheets provide. The key…
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Article
Measuring the Output Impedance of Voltage References and Zener Diodes

In this article we examine the process of measuring a key performance characteristic, output impedance, using the Picotest J2130 DC Dias Injector and the…
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Article
Measuring the PSRR of Voltage References

In this article we detail the process of measuring a key performance characteristic of voltage references, power supply rejection ratio or “PSRR”, using the…
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Article
Power Supply Crosstalk Measurement: Using the Bode 100 and the Picotest J2111A Current Injector

This application note shows how the crosstalk characteristic of a system of two linear voltage regulators can be measured using the OMICRON Lab Bode…
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Article
New Technique for Non-Invasive Testing of Regulator Stability

Output impedance is the key to testing filter and regulator phase margin, even when the control loop is inaccessible. Many voltage regulators are of…
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Article
A Simple Method to Determine ESR Requirements for Stable Regulators

A single, simple measurement is described that allows the determination of the ESR required to achieve a desired phase margin, using a particular value…
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Article
Measuring Optocouplers with the J2130 DC Bias Injector and the OMICRON Lab Bode 100 VNA

Many power supplies use optocouplers in the feedback loop. The stability and overall performance of the power supply are often dependent on the CTR…
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Article
Power Supply Measurement Techniques: Non-Invasive Phase Margin using the J2111A Current Injector

This instructional seminar shows power supply measurement techniques using Picotest Signal Injectors. Volume two discusses the Non-Invasive Phase Margin measurement of Voltage Regulators using…
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Article
Reverse Transfer Measurement: Using the Bode 100 and the Picotest J2111A Current Injector

This application note shows how the reverse transfer characteristic of a linear voltage regulator (LM317) can be measured using the OMICRON Lab Bode 100…
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Article
Selecting Test Signal Injectors

A number of test signal injectors are used when evaluating the performance of power supplies and other low-frequency components with a network analyzer. Network…
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Article
Powering RF and Microwave Systems

RF/microwave design engineers faced with developing effective power circuits for a system require more complete data sheets, appropriate computer-aided simulation models, and suitable test…
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Article
These Seven Trends May Change Power Design Dramatically

New power semiconductor technologies such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) promise to rewrite the record books with respect to power supply…
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Article
An Accurate Method For Measuring Capacitor ESL

The equivalent series inductance (ESL) of chip capacitors is becoming an increasingly important parameter as bandwidths and switching frequencies rise in many high-performance systems.…
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Article
Measuring MOSFET Gate Resistance

The OMICRON Lab Bode 100 Network Analyzer, used in conjunction with the Picotest J2130A DC Bias Injector, is a perfect combination for measuring the…
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Article
Power Supply Measurement Techniques Instructional Videos: PSRR Measurement using the J2120A Line Injector

The instructional video demonstrates the PSRR measurement of a voltage regulator using the Picotest J2120A Line Injector and also discusses what the measurement represents.…
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Video
Step-by-Step Guide to Measuring PSRR Using a Network Analyzer and the Line Injector

This application note shows how the Power Supply Rejection Ratio, or PSRR, of a linear voltage regulator (LM317) can be measured using the Picotest…
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Article
FAQ #17: Does the J2110A Bode Box accept both +12V and -12V power supply at the same time?

Does the J2110A Bode Box accept both +12V and -12V power supply at the same time? I saw only one red banana jack and…
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Article
Making Invasive and Non-Invasive Stability Measurements Using the Bode 100 and the PICOTEST J2111A Current Injector

The Picotest J2111A Current Injector, together with the Bode 100, allows direct measurement of the output impedance, group delay and Q of the system.…
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Article
Measuring LDOs requires more bandwidth than you think

Most electronic systems contain at least one voltage regulator, with many systems requiring several regulators, each providing a different voltage. The performance of these…
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Article
Why Network Analyzer Signal Levels Affect Measurement Results

When measuring a circuit or device with our network analyzers, engineers generally inject a signal and believe that the measured results reflect that of…
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Article
Signal Injection Transformers – What makes them special?

In this article we’ll take a look at what makes the signal injection transformer special, why an audio or video transformer is not a…
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Video
Deconstructing the Step Load Response Reveals a Wealth of Information

What can be learned from the Step Load response and why we should care? When analyzing power circuits, engineers routinely evaluate the stability using…
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Article
Transformer Parameter Extraction

It is often the case, in circuits which use a transformer, that the performance of the circuit is significantly dependent on the characteristics of…
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Article
Broad Injector Product Line Eases Power Supply Stability Analysis

Developed to aid power supply designers in control-loop stability analysis, Picotest’s line of signal injectors are being introduced as the “most flexible and sophisticated…
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Article
SPICE Modeling Using Two Picotest 6.5 Digit DMM’s

I was thinking about how a typical engineer would go about creating a SPICE model for a simple diode. This seems like a pretty…
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Article
Generating Stable Voltage For Multiple Applications

Understanding the key parameters of diodes and other components used in reference voltage circuits can help avoid issues in different application circuits across many…
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Article
FAQ #16

What Calibration Services do you offer? Apart from warranty repairs, calibration and servicing, done directly at Picotest, we work with Precision Metrology, a calibration…
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Article
FAQ #15

What injectors should I order? Most users purchase cost saving “bundles” and we have several to choose from on our website. Please see Injector…
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Article
FAQ #14

Please specify what is the maximum AC injection signal voltage and current for the J2120 Line Injector? We need to measure PSRR of our DUT…
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Article
FAQ #13

Which measurements (Output impedance Vout/Iout, audio susceptibility Vout/Vin, input admittance Iint/Vin and reverse transfer Iin/Iout, loop gain are we are able to perform utilizing our…
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Article
FAQ #12

Is it possible to also measure the audio susceptibility (Vout/Vin) of a power supply with the current injector J2111A? Yes. The J2111A is a small…
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Article
FAQ #11

Are all of these devices compatible with our Hewlett Packard 4194A Impedance / Gain-Phase Analyzer? Yes. The Agilent (HP) analyzer will work well with our…
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Article
FAQ #10

What are the main differences between J2100A injection transformer, J2110A solid state injector and the J2111A current injector? The J2110A is a solid state voltage injector,…
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Article
FAQ #9

My Bode plot doesn’t look right, what am I doing wrong? The most common error made when measuring Bode plots is that the signal…
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Article
FAQ #8

Why do I have to calibrate my measurements? Isn’t the equipment calibrated? Yes the devices are calibrated, however for accurate results you still need…
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Article
FAQ #7

How do I choose between the J2100A, J2101A and J2110A? If you plan to measure PFC’s, then the J2100A is a good choice, whereas…
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Article
FAQ #6

Why do I need the J2111A if I already have an electronic load? The J2111A is not the same as an electronic load. In…
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Article
FAQ #5

How do I get a Bode plot with the J2111A? It is not possible to get a Bode plot using this method, only the…
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Article

All

Extracting Bode Plots from Output Impedance

Stability Assessment of Fixed Regulators

Are We Focused On The Wrong Reference Parameters?

Measuring the Output Impedance of Voltage References and Zener Diodes

Measuring the PSRR of Voltage References

Power Supply Crosstalk Measurement: Using the Bode 100 and the Picotest J2111A Current Injector

New Technique for Non-Invasive Testing of Regulator Stability

A Simple Method to Determine ESR Requirements for Stable Regulators

Measuring Optocouplers with the J2130 DC Bias Injector and the OMICRON Lab Bode 100 VNA

Power Supply Measurement Techniques: Non-Invasive Phase Margin using the J2111A Current Injector

Reverse Transfer Measurement: Using the Bode 100 and the Picotest J2111A Current Injector

Selecting Test Signal Injectors

Powering RF and Microwave Systems

These Seven Trends May Change Power Design Dramatically

An Accurate Method For Measuring Capacitor ESL

Measuring MOSFET Gate Resistance

Power Supply Measurement Techniques Instructional Videos: PSRR Measurement using the J2120A Line Injector

Step-by-Step Guide to Measuring PSRR Using a Network Analyzer and the Line Injector

FAQ #17: Does the J2110A Bode Box accept both +12V and -12V power supply at the same time?

Making Invasive and Non-Invasive Stability Measurements Using the Bode 100 and the PICOTEST J2111A Current Injector

Measuring LDOs requires more bandwidth than you think

Why Network Analyzer Signal Levels Affect Measurement Results

Signal Injection Transformers – What makes them special?

Deconstructing the Step Load Response Reveals a Wealth of Information

Transformer Parameter Extraction

Broad Injector Product Line Eases Power Supply Stability Analysis

SPICE Modeling Using Two Picotest 6.5 Digit DMM’s

Generating Stable Voltage For Multiple Applications

FAQ #16

FAQ #15

FAQ #14

FAQ #13

FAQ #12

FAQ #11

FAQ #10

FAQ #9

FAQ #8

FAQ #7

FAQ #6

FAQ #5