The Growing Need for Industry 4.0 Testing and Validation Tools
Industry 4.0 means that manufacturers need to test and validate more sensors. MTI Instruments 1510A portable signal generator can help. Industry 4.0 is spurring a dramatic increase in the number of sensors that manufacturers need to install, test, validate, and maintain. Although these industrial sensors are packaged to withstand harsh environments, they’re still susceptible to performance-related problems. Whether it’s to support predictive maintenance, asset monitoring, or process automation, proper testing and validation is required to keep systems running smoothly. Otherwise, the data that sensors collect won’t enable the operators of smart factories to make the right decisions.Smart factories can [...]
Laser Measurement & Characterization of Flat Panel Displays
Laser Measurement & Characterization of Flat Panel Displays Customer Case This customer's application involves the characterization of flat panel displays (used in laptop computers, computer game displays, etc.) via laser scanning. The laser is bounced off a number of mirrors and then through lenses, from which it is scattered. The scattered laser light must then be analyzed in order to determine the quality of the flat panel display. This laser measurement system is used not only by flat panel display industries, but also by disk drive manufacturers to analyze platter quality and, in the near future, for characterizing silicon [...]
Laser Signals Striking Silicon-Diode Target
Laser Signals Striking Silicon-Diode Target Customer Case The customer wants to capture the output of some silicon diodes looking at a laser target. The typical signal is anywhere from 20mv to 1V in amplitude and 0 to 15ns in length. There are up to 16 of these diodes that are looking at the same target. Each diode has a different filter so the post-trigger depth and amplitude-scale must be user-adjustable. Their main interest is to sample and digitize the signals for archiving, with later retrieval and plotting. Fancy software is not needed for display as the data is gathered [...]
Silicon Carbide vs. Silicon in EV Power Electronics
Compare silicon carbide vs. silicon for electric vehicle (EV) power electronics and learn about SiC wafer measurement. As demand for electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow, manufacturers are comparing two semiconductor technologies, silicon carbide and silicon, for power electronics applications. Silicon carbide (SiC) provides the high temperature resistance, low power consumption, rigidity, and support for smaller, thinner designs that EV power electronics need. Examples of SiC’s current applications include on-board DC/DC converters, off-board DC fast chargers, on-board battery chargers, EV powertrains, and automotive lighting for LEDs. According to Automotive World, SiC technology could also drive future EV innovations [...]
Optical Scanning of Drive Media
Optical Scanning of Drive Media Customer Case The customer's application is optical scanning for drive testing. The goal is to identify burnt or damaged spots on the disk. The scanning system is generally used in Quality Control, Head-Disk Interaction and Failure Analysis. There is a need for continuous acquisition during the spiral scan. The speed of the disk is 10,000 RPM and the requirement is to capture 65,000 to 80,000 samples each revolution. A single channel is needed for the acquisition at 10 MegaSamples/second or greater. High vertical resolution will aid in measuring the properties and ultimately the degradation [...]
Press Release: Vitrek Highlights Updated & Expanded Sections of their Website
Vitrek Highlights Updated & Expanded Sections of their Website The innovative high voltage testing and measurement company offers numerous resources for their customers on their website vitrek.com. […]
MTI Instruments Fulfills Historic Order for the United States Air Force
Lockport, IL, November 16, 2020 — MTI Instruments, Inc. (“MTI Instruments”), the operating subsidiary of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated (OTC Pink: MKTY), announces the completion of its historic order for the United States Air Force, a $3.3 million contract awarded publicly in May 2020 that includes 52 PBS-4100+ engine vibration measurement and balancing systems. This order was made pursuant to the multi-year contract entered into by MTI Instruments and the United States Air Force in July 2016 and marks the single largest order of PBS-4100+ Systems received by MTI Instruments to date. MTI fulfilled the order in its entirety with [...]
Disk Drive Track Scanning
Disk Drive Track Scanning Customer Case The customer is trying to digitize an 83 millisecond long signal coming out of a disk mounted on a rotary motor. This corresponds to one full revolution of the disk. The analog signal coming out of the Device Under Test (DUT) is of approximately 2 MHz bandwidth. Currently, the customer is sampling at 10 MSPS and would like to increase the oversampling to get better time resolution. At present, they are using a CompuScope 225 - 1M, which has sufficient memory to digitize the entire revolution in on-board memory at the 10 MSPS [...]
White Paper: Electrical Safety & Compliance Testing for Appliance & Consumer Product Manufacturers
Introduction Electrical appliances, computers and peripherals, power tools and other devices found in the home and office environments must be tested to confirm adherence to a plethora of stringent certification standards. The vast array of consumer devices for the home and office — from blenders and ovens to computers and high-definition LED TVs — are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Refrigerators, once basic electrical appliances, now often include adjustable speed motor controls, digital displays and Bluetooth communications. While the complexity and functionality found in this class of devices varies extensively, there is one thing they all have in common when [...]
Press Release: Vitrek Announces New SE Series High Voltage Safety Enclosures
Vitrek Announces the SE Series of High Voltage Safety Enclosures The SE Series offers the utmost in operator safety for high voltage testing with solid aluminum frame construction, a durable acrylic cover and a magnetic interlock safety switch. […]





