Measurement solutions for your power integrity needs
Picotest products are designed to simplify measurements while providing the ultimate resolution using your test instruments. This allows the optimum use of your instruments, maximizing their value.
Training: Master the Fundamentals of Power Integrity and Power Supply Testing
This course is now available on-demand and covers how to master the most important power supply measurements including those associated with Power Integrity and today?s power distribution systems.
The topics and tests are discussed in detail with a variety of lab demonstrations.
Bode 500 Vector Network Analyzer & Frequency Response Analyzer
The most powerful analyzer from OMICRON Lab. Its ultra-wide frequency range enables precise measurements from 10 mHz* up to 450 MHz.
The Bode 500 offers high linearity and a high dynamic range of > 120 dB to enable accurate vector network analysis, frequency response analysis, and impedance measurements. The switchable inputs provide 50 Ω termination and a high impedance setting with ac-coupled 1 MΩ for measurements on active systems and the use with external probes.
With 66 dB of dynamic range on the output and a maximum power level of 16 dBm, the analyzer offers enough signal injection power for loop gain and output impedance measurements on switching converters and power distribution networks (PDN).
These capabilities make the Bode 500 the instrument of choice for power integrity verifications and loop stability measurements.
This VNA is a silent, fanless, portable instrument that can be powered by Ethernet (PoE), USB (USB-PD), or a standard power supply. The analyzer offers a USB-C and an Ethernet interface for connection to the network or the control computer.
When used with the powerful Bode Analyzer Suite, the Bode 500 offers the same user experience and ease of use as the popular Bode 100.
Besides the Bode Analyzer Suite, the Bode 500 can be controlled directly via SCPI commands, enabling stand-alone, platform-independent automated measurements.
Download or watch the presentation from Florian Hämmerle of OMICRON Lab at this year’s 13th Power Analysis & Design Symposium “PDN Impedance Measurements Using Bode 500 and Picotest PDN Probes.”
The power delivery network (PDN) describes the complete system delivering the power from the power source (i.e. a battery or a AC/DC power supply) to the power sink (i.e. a processor or FPGA).
The PDN must be able to provide a sufficiently low source impedance such that the voltage drop does not exceed the limits when the maximum current is flowing. The faster the current transients, the more challenging this gets.
Adding decoupling capacitors to the PDN helps to provide a low impedance over a wide frequency range but also brings the risk of resonance peaks in the PDN. A simple PDN impedance measurement can help in verifying the PDN design.
It will reveal critical resonances that could lead to system failures. This presentation will cover the basics of dynamic output impedance and PDN impedance, focusing on measuring low impedance using the Bode 500 in conjunction with Picotest PDN probes.
It’s quite amazing and as simple to use as is shown in the video. You test your component’s impedance in any suitable manner. Then you can fit the data with pre-programmed (i.e., simpler) templates or you can let the full power of the curve fitting software chose an arbitrary network, synthesized to your percent error and weighting. You can check the fit and when finished, a simple button click exports the SPICE subcircuit netlist for use in your favorite simulation tool.
Benefits:
Quickly generate measurement-based models
Produce electrical models for challenging circuit structures (cable assemblies, passive devices, filters, VRMs, source impedance, beads, black-box, etc.)
Electrical network synthesis from test data
Produce models for parts lacking manufacturer support
Test – simulation waveform overlay shows instant accuracy/error of the fit
Features:
SPICE Model generation from test data
Exports SPICE 3 compatible subcircuit netlist ready for use with any simulator
Curve fitting with various circuit template structures – more useful for tolerancing
General curve fitting algorithm for more accuracy – up to 20 poles
Passivity option eliminates negative values
User-defined % target error (Root mean squared error)
Various weighting options
Graphical display of test result, simulated waveform, and error