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Responds to queries on electronics. Background of the author in electronics; Design of integrated circuit capable of converting a binary input into a bar graph-like output; Use of digital multimeter in a car; Internet resources for test equipment manuals; Changing of name of the Capitol Radio Electronics Institute to Capitol College in Maryland in the 1970s.

The article offers brief information on several testing equipment including the Series 90 analyzer, a personal computer (PC)-based system from Cablescan Inc., the Model 2650 modular test equipment from DIT-MCO International Corp., and the EasyMate connector system from DIT-MCO International Corp.

The article focuses on the changes on printed circuit board (PCB) industry from 2008 to 2012. It mentions that worldwide PCB output was $59.8 billion in 2012 which is down to 0.21% compared to its output in 2011. It states that 100 PCB fabricators in Taiwan have accounted for 33% in world output of PCB. It discusses why PCB industry in Thailand holds more promise compared to the Brazilian Indian PCB industry.

The article discusses the launch of an automated system, Synervision 2000, by Visionetics Corp., which would optically check circuit boards at each step of production. The system is a combination of two inspection techniques where, one system is responsible for examining the board's copper circuitry making sure that leads and contacts are at their specific locations. Whereas, the other system compares the circuit pattern with its image stored in a computer's memory.

The article evaluates the capability of photolithographic plated contacts to provide reliable results for integrated circuit (IC) testing. Analysis found that photolithographic contact sets improve test socket and load board's positioning accuracy, and allow replacement without major disassembly of the test socket. A discussion on the results of the tests conducted to examine photolithograph contact sets' electrical characterization and mechanical characterization is also offered.

Focuses on the development of eS20XP, an electrical line monitoring methodology to identify buried defects in 300 mm copper devices, by Texas Instruments Inc.'s DMOS6 and KLA-Tencor Corp. Features of the approach; Description for e-beam inspection line monitoring strategy; Optimization of overall wafer inspection strategy using the approach.

Highlights several electronic circuits testing equipment and measuring instruments in the United States. Includes the ST-1D SureTest circuit analyzer, Handy Earth Tester EST101 and Models 87 and 89 IV digital multimeters; List of product manufacturers and advertisers; Contact information.

Reports on innovations in electronic testing equipment in the United States. Increase in the flexibility of testing software for digital storage oscilloscopes; Agilent Technologies Inc.'s release of its 86100A Infinium Digital Communications Analyzer; Tektronix Inc.'s manufacture of real-time-spectrum analyzers. INSETS: A Bump In The Path To 3G.;Testing A Cell Phone's Roller Coaster Power Needs..

Presents electronics test and measurement devices. Includes digital multimeters; Alternating current and direct current clamp-on meters; Portable cable fault locating system; Power monitor.

Discusses the performance characteristics of a variety of electrical test and measurement instruments. Measurement of the heating effect of current using a clamp-on ammeter or a digital multimeter with a current transformer; Crest factor performance specification of measuring instrument; Total harmonic distortion; Meter calculations.

Reports on the lecture series called International Test Conference (ITC) 1999 on electronic test equipment. Aspects to be covered. INSETS: Scalable semiconductor tester family targets system-on-a-chip...;Burn-in board loader/unloader boasts high throughput for...;Incremental wavebridge technology enhances test-pattern...;Memory test system verifies PC133 device designs within 350-ps.

Focuses on the impact of deep-submicron geometries and systems-on-a-chip on design-for-test companies. Utilization of multiple techniques in a single test methodology; Four key areas for memory Built-In Self-Test technology; Need for digital designers to understand what the process parameters are doing to their signals; Test strategy called embedded ATE. INSET: The challenge of system-on-chip testability: An EDA....

The article proposes an approach for stress-free testing of high bump count logic wafers. When testing high bump wafers, such as a 48-core processor that contained 11,700 bumps and had power design requirements of more than 120 amperes, continued collaboration of the probe card, the prober and the test program is suggested. A list of consideration for probe card selection is presented, as well as a discussion on successful testing techniques.

The article offers a look at the role of socketless spring probes in the challenge faced by printed circuit designers in their task of decreasing the size and spacing of test targets commonly used on printed circuit boards. With socketless, spring probes printed circuit board designers can shrink boards, test engineers can continue to test with larger test probes and contract manufacturers can maintain the fixture reliability they need to ship good boards.

Introduces several innovations aimed at addressing the jitter challenge in high-speed high-data volume systems in the U.S. Capability of the touchscreen-equipped 86100c Infiniium digital communication analyzer from Agilent Technologies Inc. to accurately separate random and deterministic jitter; Usability of the differential clock recovery module in acquiring differential electrical signals; Effectiveness of the BA1500 bit-error-rate tester and analyzer in blocking errors and error-free interval statistics.

Cites the efforts of automated test equipment (ATE) vendor Advantest Corp. to create an industrywide platform for integrated circuit test. Aim to help assuage the often rocky relationship between chip suppliers and their automated test automated test equipment providers; Modular platform analogous to personal computers (PC) peripherals; Reactions of industry executives.

The article reports that instrumentation equipment producer Agilent Technologies Inc.'s building block modules are designed to reduce the cost and extend the longevity of automated test systems. The company claims that six of its microwave synthetic instruments are the first Class A LXI products to get certified by the LXI Consortium.

Focuses on the plan of soft-error testing firm Iroc Technologies Corp. to rollout its first commercial tool, SoCFIT, to analyze a design for sensitivity to soft errors. Definition of soft errors; Features of the integrated chip; Details behind the development of the chip.

Comments on the challenge of disruptive change faced by the electronic test equipment industry. Failures of test equipment companies; Things to consider in coping with disruptive changes.

Focuses on the entry of Agilent Technologies and Tektronix in the test and measurement market for systems-on-chip and computer networks. Issues addressed by Ned Barnholt, chief executive officer of Agilent, at the Semicon West held in July 1999; Remarks from Rick Wills, president of the Tektronix Measurement Business Division, regarding the importance of measurement in global networking.

This section offers news briefs on the electronic circuits industry. The LuxDrive Light Emitting Diode (LED) products of LEDdynamics will be distributed by Digi-Key Corp. Communications test and measurement programs will be outsourced by JDS Uniphase to Benchmark Electronics. Assembly Solutions has been selected by Kester as its representative in Washington, Oregon and northern Idaho.

The article focuses on the factors that drive wireless testing and measuring equipment vendors to develop more accurate and faster systems. Evolving and new standards imposed on wireless systems have prompted technology manufacturers to continue to develop new and improved products. Technology vendors also keep on searching for technology that can solve traditional thermal noise problems, reduce digitizer noise and improve spurious-free dynamic range. New technologies sometimes require test equipment manufacturers to come up with instruments for testing special systems such as mesh networks and MIMO.

The article focuses on the challenges confronting the application specific integrated circuits (ASIC)/application specific standard product (ASSP) industry. According to research firm Gartner Research, ASIC/ASSP industry needs to change its value proposition because margins are shrinking while the industry consolidates its resources. Under the European Union's Restrictions on Hazardous Substances initiative, ASIC/ASSP designers are expected to know how to deal with thermal issues and engineers are expected to know more about manufacturing. Researchers will try to locate different materials to replace complementary metal oxide semiconductors, while reducing cost and continuing the downward scaling trend.

The author discusses the importance of the Internet technology and other remote technologies in adding sophistication to the sales process of companies involved in marketing of test and inspection equipment for the printed circuit industry. She explains her reliance to the Internet researching and buying consumer products. She describes the real-time and remote equipment showcased the Apex trade show in February 2007.

The article focuses on the factors that drive manufacturers to continue to develop testing and measuring equipment and discusses the trends in the testing equipment industry. The usual drivers that influence manufacturers to introduce new products include the increasing demand for high-speed serial buses, the need to find better ways of testing microwave products and new technologies and the new and updated standards. Some trends that prompted the testing equipment industry to develop new instruments include the growing use of software, the application of design for test and the more complex multiboard systems used by design engineers and manufacturing test engineers.

The article features the 93000 High-Speed Memory (HSM) Series from Agilent Technologies. This is a high-volume-production, final-test solution for high-speed DRAM devices. The machine is used to test memory device interfaces at speeds of more than 3.6 Gbps. An integrated test cell makes sure that the operation is reliable. Its memory-test language (MTL) permits the use of C++ style program for fast test-program generation.

Features the usability of a low-cost motor-speed-control circuit in the U.S. Design of the system; Production of a counter electromotive force by a permanent-magnet direct circuit motor at its terminals; Main objective of the design; Need of the circuit for some tweaking for different motors and speed ranges.

Reports that Cirrus Logic Inc. sold its semiconductor test operations assets in Austin, Texas to ChipPAC Inc. Terms of the deal.

Editorial. Focuses on electronic diagnostics (e-diagnostics) technology to examine operation of semiconductor equipment. Advantages of e-diagnostics for electronic wafer designers; Features of the technique; Standards for e-diagnostics developed by International SEMATECH and SEMI.

Features the PN9002 radar stability test systems developed byAeroflex Inc. Advantage of the test system; Cost of the tester;Feature of PN9002 test system.

Reports on the emergence of design-for-test (DFT) technology for system-on-a-chip (SOC) designs at the 2001 International Test Conference. Effects of the economic cycle on the market; Move of electronic design automation companies to enter the DFT market; Challenges on the standardization of automated test equipment.

Presents news on the electronic circuits testing equipment industry as of September 10, 2001. Information on the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser wafer probe system for wafer characterization from Karl Suss America Inc. and Labsphere Inc.; Net sales posted by test and assembly house ASAT Holdings Ltd. for the first quarter of 2002.

Focuses on the status of automated test equipment (ATE) companies in the United States as of October 2000. Changes expected in the industry; Approach ATE companies can take to lower the costs of testing; Limitations of structural testing.

Presents news items related to the electronic circuits testing equipment industry in the United States. Includes Keithley Instruments' four miniature instruments; Relocation of Teradyne's Control Automation automated optical inspection product group; ComputerBoards' seven GIPB interface products; TTI Testron's fixtures for GenRad's Viper Test System.

Focuses on developments concerning the electronic circuits testing equipment market as of December 9, 1996. Includes Samsung Semiconductor's selection of Teradyne's J990 series memory test systems for engineering and production wafer test; LTX's sale of a Synchro Plus mixed-signal IC test system to Anam Industrial Co. Ltd.; Electroglas' expansion of its operations in its Asia-Pacific region.

Focuses on developments concerning the integrated circuits (IC) testing equipment market as of September 2, 1996. Includes Ericsson's selection of Teradyne's A575 advanced mixed-signal test system for engineering characterization and production testing of RF ICs; International Test Conference; TTI Testron's patent for their Ultralign probing technology for accessing test pads.