Test & measurement
Feature sponsored by
Figure 2: Pros and cons of the portable PXES-2314T platform.
management/control, and the conversion between analogue and digital data. In other words, a basic power supply unit (PSU) and multimeter would be wholly inadequate in testing modern power amplifiers. This is because signal transmission complexity through electronic components has increased dramatically over the past few decades - electric devices have multiple functions, leverage faster signals, and employ complex signal/power modulation schemes. Box-type instruments have another issue that often occurs over time: the product line gets discontinued. In this case, all support for troubleshooting test equipment including software, hardware, and vendor information often gets lost, severely limiting options for repairing/upgrading legacy test equipment. The PXES-2314T side-steps this issue with the ability to combine the device (and other older PXI products) within its testing platform in order to continue and complete product measurement services via the familiar software/hardware interface. Field-testing applications typically leverage
highly specialised handheld equipment to test for specific parameters. While this is often adequate for many circumstances, it is insufficient for troubleshooting, hands-on demos, and training. The PXES-2314T offers a robust solution for all of the above-listed
problems in a range of environments with only a power adapter, portable computing device, and TB3 cables.
THE PXES-2314T: SERVING THE TESTING NICHES ON THE SPECTRUM BETWEEN ATE FOR BULK MANUFACTURING AND HYPER- SPECIALISED R&D TEST The PXES-2314T solves the portability issue found with PXI equipment by removing the need for an expansion card, chassis module, and respective cabling with dual Thunderbolt 3 (TB3) ports that interface directly with most laptops, notebook computers, and PCs (see Figure 2). The benefits include:
Time savings in setting up a test and measurement system
Space savings at the office but especially on the factory floor
Fast TB3 connection lowering barriers for using complex PXI systems
up to 40 Gbps over a USB-C cable assembly - a data throughput that is double the standard USB-C connection. First introduced by Intel in 2015, the TB3 connection brings PC processing capability to mobile computing platforms with functions such as reliable 4K video streaming (supports two 4K displays), single-cable docks with charging, and rapid charging. These benefits can be brought to the ATE PXI platform, as TB3 also features 4 lanes of PCI Express Gen3 and bi-directional, dual- protocol communications for low-latency communication with peripheral devices (for example, smartphone PC, and tablets.). The PXES-2314T uses the high-speed PCIe Gen2/3 interfaces with hybrid PXIe slots
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The TB3 connection allows for data transfers
achieving data rates up to 8 Gbps and combines it with the rapid TB3 connection. The portability benefits of leveraging TB3 are
compounded with the small size of the 4-slot portable PXIe chassis (i.e., 207.9mm x 148.4mm x 220.5mm) - it can be carried with a single hand. And, because the PXES-2314T leverages the proven PXI chassis, multiple functions such as spectrum analysis, signal generation, RF attenuation, and electric metering can be enabled reliably over a singular, portable sharing the host machine's resources (e.g., power source, chassis, bus interface, etc). This way, R&D engineers are able to readily complete multiple measurements in a test lab or even at their office desks. Moreover, the common issues production line operators face with changing models of ICs or multiple production lines is bypassed with a portable and dynamic testing interface. The litany of tests for individual ICs can be accomplished via the PXES-2314T on the factory floor without the need for bulky test equipment. However, test engineers are also able to integrate their familiar testing platforms with the PXES-2314T, allowing modular test setups to be rapidly configured and used without the common failure modes that modern production lines are often faced with.
BRINGING PORTABILITY TO PXI The highly versatile PXIe platform with chassis, controller and custom instrumentation and software control can now be leveraged in more portable/space-limited applications with the PXES-2314T. The Thunderbolt 3 port implementation removes all the expansion/ connector considerations that come with PXIe equipment with a high-speed connection directly to a computing platform of choice. The removal of this bulkiness opens up doors to implement PXI in more mobile testing applications both in the field and in the lab.
ADLINK Technology
www.adlinktech.com January 2023 Instrumentation Monthly
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