Picotest 8/10

May 24, 20121 min read

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...

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Picotest

May 22, 20121 min read

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 output impedance...

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Evaluate Feedback Stability When There’s No Test Point

Picotest

May 16, 20121 min read

Evaluate Feedback Stability When There’s No Test Point

Fortunately, a new technique permits non-invasive stability testing of such devices.1 Designers can evaluate stability by measuring (on...

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New Test Adapters Improve Your PDN Measurements

Picotest

Apr 30, 20121 min read

New Test Adapters Improve Your PDN Measurements

The resistor being measured is a 250uOhm 1% resistor manufactured by Stackpole. The datasheet is not clear about how the device...

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Picotest

Mar 24, 20121 min read

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...

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Introduction to the J2110A Solid State Injector

Picotest

Mar 1, 20121 min read

Introduction to the J2110A Solid State Injector

Introduction Most of us have experience using a wideband signal injection transformer to introduce a modulation signal into our loop...

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

Picotest

Feb 28, 20124 min read

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

What is the difference between a Frequency Response Analyzer (FRA) and a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA)? The FRA is generally designed to...

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Picotest

Feb 28, 20121 min read

Measuring Op Amp PSRR

One characteristic of Op Amps that limits the performance of low noise and precision circuits is PSRR. The output of the Op Amp is not...

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FAQ #18: What injection resistor value should I use? Is it okay to use a little larger resistor like

Picotest

Feb 27, 20122 min read

FAQ #18: What injection resistor value should I use? Is it okay to use a little larger resistor like

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...

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Picotest

Feb 27, 20121 min read

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...

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Stability Assessment of Fixed Regulators

Picotest

Feb 17, 20122 min read

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...

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Picotest

Jan 30, 20121 min read

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...

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Measuring the Output Impedance of Voltage References and Zener Diodes

Picotest

Sep 7, 20111 min read

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...

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Picotest

Sep 7, 20111 min read

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...

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Picotest

Sep 6, 20111 min read

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

The measurements are performed on the Picotest Voltage Regulator Test Standard (VRTS) testing board1 which comes with the regulators...

29 views0 comments

New Technique for Non-Invasive Testing of Regulator Stability

Picotest

Sep 1, 20111 min read

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...

106 views0 comments

Picotest

Aug 4, 20111 min read

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...

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

Picotest

Aug 1, 20111 min read

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

In this measurement the J2130A provides a DC bias to the Optocoupler LED, which returns to ground through a termination resistor. The...

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

Picotest

Jul 29, 20111 min read

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

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.<p>[Javascript required to view Flash movie, please turn it on and refresh this page]</p>...

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Picotest

Jun 29, 20111 min read

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

The measurements are performed on the Picotest Voltage Regulator Test Standard (VRTS) testing board1Picotest. Click here to read the...

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