Metrology Podcast May 20th is a special day - World Metrology Day! Get a bit of history and learn about all things metrology when you join Daniel Bogdanoff, Bob Stern, and Chris Cox in this special Metrology Day electrical engineering podcast! App note mentioned by Bob: https://bit.ly/DecisionRules More about Keysight metrology, calibration, and services: https://www.keysight.com/find/metrology Topics and time tags:  0:00 World metrology day, and a brief history of the meter and the ohm  2:00 Keysight University has FREE test gear courses!  2:45 Bob Stern, Keysight Metrologist Chris Cox, Keysight Regional Metrologist  4:30 Why does metrology matter? How does it impact us? The global economy relies on a consistency of measurement and test, which is why metrology is important. It allows measurements made in one country to be used and replicated in other countries. 7:25 Metrology and measurement traceability is important. An unbroken chain of traceability is one of the key components of metrology and calibration. It's a bit like a game of telephone leading back to SI units. 10:00 Keysight DMMs get calibrated off the first commercially available Josephson Junction - a tool that uses quantum physics to provide a very stable voltage.  11:16 Accuracy vs. Measurement Uncertainty A production engineer might say "accuracy" but really it's all about "measurement uncertainty" Vocabulary of international metrology (VIM): https://www.bipm.org/en/publications/guides/vim.html  12:15 A practical example of how different instruments have different levels of uncertainty  13:45 What's the significance of measurement uncertainty for a user of test gear or a production engineer?  15:33 The internal adjustments that the factory makes to an instrument are some of the most closely guarded intellectual property / trade secrets. 18:15 The Army uses mobile Josephson junctions to test the DMMs used in Apache helicopter field testing. 18:45 Metrology overkills - times when people went overboard with their measurement uncertainty 21:10 How do you quantify measurement uncertainty? There's "test uncertainty ratio" which uses your expanded measurement uncertainty. 23:00 You can also get to percent risk, which is easy to wrap your head around. Bob Stern and Chris Cox authored some papers on this topic. 24:00 Why do people make measurements in the first place? There are no perfect measurements 26:45 Metrology in the government/military vs. private sector 29:00 There are a lot of factors for metrology equipment calibration and the engineering metrology equipment. There are different "levels" of calibration and different depth of reporting

<h2>Metrology Podcast</h2> May 20th is a special day - World Metrology Day! Get a bit of history and learn about all things metrology when you join Daniel Bogdanoff, Bob Stern, and Chris Cox in this special Metrology Day <a href="https://www.eestalktech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">electrical engineering podcast</a>! App note mentioned by Bob: <a href="https://bit.ly/DecisionRules" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/DecisionRules</a> More about Keysight <a href="http://www.keysight.com/find/metrology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">metrology</a>, calibration, and services: <a href="https://www.keysight.com/find/metrology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.keysight.com/find/metrology</a> <h2>Topics and time tags: </h2> 0:00 World metrology day, and a brief history of the meter and the ohm 2:00 <a href="https://bit.ly/KU_Blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keysight University</a> has FREE test gear courses! 2:45 Bob Stern, Keysight Metrologist Chris Cox, Keysight Regional Metrologist 4:30 Why does metrology matter? How does it impact us? The global economy relies on a consistency of measurement and test, which is why metrology is important. It allows measurements made in one country to be used and replicated in other countries. 7:25 Metrology and measurement traceability is important. An unbroken chain of traceability is one of the key components of metrology and calibration. It's a bit like a game of telephone leading back to <a href="https://eestalktech.com/the-seven-ways-we-describe-the-universe-si-units/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SI units</a>. 10:00 Keysight DMMs get calibrated off the first commercially available Josephson Junction - a tool that uses quantum physics to provide a very stable voltage. 11:16 Accuracy vs. Measurement Uncertainty A production engineer might say "accuracy" but really it's all about "measurement uncertainty" Vocabulary of international metrology (VIM): <a href="https://www.bipm.org/en/publications/guides/vim.html " rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bipm.org/en/publications/guides/vim.html </a> 12:15 A practical example of how different instruments have different levels of uncertainty 13:45 What's the significance of measurement uncertainty for a user of test gear or a production engineer? 15:33 The internal adjustments that the factory makes to an instrument are some of the most closely guarded intellectual property / trade secrets. 18:15 The Army uses mobile Josephson junctions to test the DMMs used in Apache helicopter field testing. 18:45 Metrology overkills - times when people went overboard with their measurement uncertainty 21:10 How do you quantify measurement uncertainty? There's "test uncertainty ratio" which uses your expanded measurement uncertainty. 23:00 You can also get to percent risk, which is easy to wrap your head around. Bob Stern and Chris Cox authored some papers on this topic. 24:00 Why do people make measurements in the first place? There are no perfect measurements 26:45 Metrology in the government/military vs. private sector 29:00 There are a lot of factors for metrology equipment calibration and the engineering metrology equipment. There are different "levels" of calibration and different depth of reporting

Measurement Overkill and why “Accuracy” is the Wrong Word – #42

That time Mehdi almost died on camera, science &amp; tech on YouTube, 50 takes of the same scene, and more life advice from Mehdi Sadaghdar, aka electroBOOM! Join Mehdi and Daniel Bogdanoff in an random park in downtown New York City in this electrical engineering podcast episode. Mehdi is awesome check him out at: https://www.youtube.com/electroboom  Episode sponsored by the 5G track, everything you need to know about 5G everything: https://www.keysight.com/find/LEARN5G  Video: Audio: Approximate time tags: 1:00He gives away tools to people that actually need it 1:30electroBOOM is bringing electronics and electrical engineering to the mainstream Science channels are really growing on YouTube  2:55How much does Mehdi prepare for his videos? 3:30Most of Mehdi's mistakes and explosions are planned and scripted 4:30The comment section is always interesting 5:10Mehdi has a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering 6:00He doesn't have a very good pain tolerance 6:40He has a hard time keeping a straight face when something's coming in the video 7:00Jacob's Ladder project - he almost died and learned that he should not be a mechanical engineer"I would be dead if it wasn't for my flimsy wiring…" 8:40Before he became a full time YouTuber he worked doing electronics for a boating steering and control company 9:50Mehdi got his undergrad degree in Iran, Master's in Canada 10:00How Mehdi got into electronics - one of his relatives got him an electronics kit as a kid and he loved it 10:40electroBOOM is not as good of a channel name as his daughter's channel, electroCUTE 11:40Mehdi works really hard on his videos Most underrated joke: "I don't have a very long term memory" 12:25Mehdi's wife didn't used to like his videos, she thought they were boring. But, she's since come around 13:30He watches PewDiePie and lots of science channels 14:40Mehdi and "Mr. Tripod" do all his production work 16:20The content is what matters, it's not about the production value 17:10Every paragraph that he reads, he tries it 10 - 50 times so that it comes out straight. Usually it's just the last take that he keeps 17:40Is it "recording" or "taping"? Can you still say "taping?" 18:10Batteries can explode in beautiful ways 18:45what other good science channels do you recommend?Cody's Lab, Smarter Every Day, Veratisium, The Sci Show 19:20Follow Mehditation on YouTube as well: https://www.youtube.com/mehditation 19:35If you really want to learn electronics, you must experiment. Just pickup some random project, start building, and you will learn.And if you don't care about electronics, do something else. I don't know… …but don't play with high voltage!

That time Mehdi almost died on camera, science &amp; tech on YouTube, 50 takes of the same scene, and more life advice from Mehdi Sadaghdar, aka electroBOOM! Join Mehdi and Daniel Bogdanoff in an random park in downtown New York City in this electrical engineering podcast episode. Mehdi is awesome check him out at: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/electroboom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/electroboom</a> Episode sponsored by the 5G track, everything you need to know about 5G everything: <a href="https://www.keysight.com/find/LEARN5G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.keysight.com/find/LEARN5G</a> Video: Audio: Approximate time tags: 1:00 He gives away tools to people that actually need it 1:30 electroBOOM is bringing electronics and electrical engineering to the mainstream Science channels are really growing on YouTube 2:55 How much does Mehdi prepare for his videos? 3:30 Most of Mehdi's mistakes and explosions are planned and scripted 4:30 The comment section is always interesting 5:10 Mehdi has a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering 6:00 He doesn't have a very good pain tolerance 6:40 He has a hard time keeping a straight face when something's coming in the video 7:00 Jacob's Ladder project - he almost died and learned that he should not be a mechanical engineer "I would be dead if it wasn't for my flimsy wiring…" 8:40 Before he became a full time YouTuber he worked doing electronics for a boating steering and control company 9:50 Mehdi got his undergrad degree in Iran, Master's in Canada 10:00 How Mehdi got into electronics - one of his relatives got him an electronics kit as a kid and he loved it 10:40 electroBOOM is not as good of a channel name as his daughter's channel, electroCUTE 11:40 Mehdi works really hard on his videos Most underrated joke: "I don't have a very long term memory" 12:25 Mehdi's wife didn't used to like his videos, she thought they were boring. But, she's since come around 13:30 He watches PewDiePie and lots of science channels 14:40 Mehdi and "Mr. Tripod" do all his production work 16:20 The content is what matters, it's not about the production value 17:10 Every paragraph that he reads, he tries it 10 - 50 times so that it comes out straight. Usually it's just the last take that he keeps 17:40 Is it "recording" or "taping"? Can you still say "taping?" 18:10 Batteries can explode in beautiful ways 18:45 what other good science channels do you recommend? Cody's Lab, Smarter Every Day, Veratisium, The Sci Show 19:20 Follow Mehditation on YouTube as well: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/mehditation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/mehditation</a> 19:35 If you really want to learn electronics, you must experiment. Just pickup some random project, start building, and you will learn. And if you don't care about electronics, do something else. I don't know… …but don't play with high voltage!

Life Lessons from electroBOOM! – DON’T PLAY WITH HIGH VOLTAGE! (Mehdi Sadaghdar Interview) – #41

When power systems get ridiculous...  Power goes way beyond basic bench power supplies. Daniel Bogdanoff sits down with Chris Cain to explore femtoamp measurements, 100 kV multi-quadrant regenerative power systems, noise, and space-borne solar arrays in this EEs Talk Tech electrical engineering podcast!  Audio: Learn more about the Keysight RP7900 regenerative power systems (RPS) and the  Keysight CX3300 Dynamic Current Analyzers 0:17Recording from New Jersey with Chris Cain, who manages teams for electronic industrial products, like power, DMMs, function generators, DAQs, board test, etc. 1:15Current analyzer behind us measures FEMTOAMPERES of current. This is useful for RF and IoT systems. 4:20Chris’s most spectacular equipment failure – a new engineer put their electrolytics in backwards 6:30For extra large electrolytic capacitors people design vent holes in PCB 8:15 High power power supplies. 5kW and 10 kW power supplies 9:00Two quadrant power supplies vs. one quadrant power supplies 10:30A 100 kV power supply!? What’s that used for? Battery emulation for things like electric cars. The supply has to be able to both source and sink power, and switch between the two very quickly 12:15A regenerative power supply (RPS) rectifies input voltage and puts it back on the AC mains instead of dissipating it as heat like a normal electronic load. So, the overall cooling requirements are very different for an RPS than a normal electronic load. One of the big costs for industrial factories is air conditioning and heat management. So, a regenerative power supply is very useful because it reduces heat. 15:15Regenerative power supplies are also useful for testing photovoltaic inverters, for both terrestrial and space solar systems. 18:45Noise parameters for high power systems 20:30Power is very complex, and the systems are very dynamic 22:15Giant toroidal transformers are used for power supplies and are dynamically controlled. They also are leveraged from systems like source measure units (SMUs). 24:30Precision current measurement is very different than measurement, it often uses a triax 25:30Some systems have 5 or 6 wire measurements to help with guardbanding 

When power systems get ridiculous... Power goes way beyond basic bench power supplies. Daniel Bogdanoff sits down with Chris Cain to explore femtoamp measurements, 100 kV multi-quadrant regenerative power systems, noise, and space-borne solar arrays in this EEs Talk Tech electrical engineering podcast! Audio: Learn more about the <a href="https://www.keysight.com/en/pc-2812419/5-kw-and-10-kw-rp7900-series-regenerative-power-system?cc=US&amp;lc=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keysight RP7900 regenerative power systems (RPS)</a> and the <a href="https://www.keysight.com/en/pc-2633352/device-current-waveform-analyzers?cc=US&amp;lc=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keysight CX3300 Dynamic Current Analyzers</a> 0:17 Recording from New Jersey with Chris Cain, who manages teams for electronic industrial products, like power, DMMs, function generators, DAQs, board test, etc. 1:15 Current analyzer behind us measures FEMTOAMPERES of current. This is useful for RF and IoT systems. 4:20 Chris’s most spectacular equipment failure – a new engineer put their electrolytics in backwards 6:30 For extra large electrolytic capacitors people design vent holes in PCB 8:15 High power power supplies. 5kW and 10 kW power supplies 9:00 Two quadrant power supplies vs. one quadrant power supplies 10:30 A 100 kV power supply!? What’s that used for? Battery emulation for things like electric cars. The supply has to be able to both source and sink power, and switch between the two very quickly 12:15 A regenerative power supply (RPS) rectifies input voltage and puts it back on the AC mains instead of dissipating it as heat like a normal electronic load. So, the overall cooling requirements are very different for an RPS than a normal electronic load. One of the big costs for industrial factories is air conditioning and heat management. So, a regenerative power supply is very useful because it reduces heat. 15:15 Regenerative power supplies are also useful for testing photovoltaic inverters, for both terrestrial and space solar systems. 18:45 Noise parameters for high power systems 20:30 Power is very complex, and the systems are very dynamic 22:15 Giant toroidal transformers are used for power supplies and are dynamically controlled. They also are leveraged from systems like source measure units (SMUs). 24:30 Precision current measurement is very different than measurement, it often uses a triax 25:30 Some systems have 5 or 6 wire measurements to help with guardbanding

Little Big Power: Femtoamps and Regenerative Supplies – #40

5G means business. With wired speeds coming in over the air, designers are turning to new wireless techniques like beamforming, MIMO, and advanced tower synchonization designed to pump you full of bits. Find out more as Daniel Bogdanoff sits down with Brig Asay and Joe Haver to discuss the changing wireless ecosystem of tomorrow. Audio: Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX0r22fSBwI 1:004G was sub 6 GHz, but 5G is much higher frequencies (24 GHz, 28 GHz, 39 GHz, and above 50 GHz) 2:154G test strategies: simple source and a middle-of-the-line signal analyzer. There were also some combo boxes that were both signal sources and signal analyzers. 4:005G testing requires more powerful setups. There are still generators, but they have to be more powerful. FR2, 100 MHz, 200 MHz, 400 MHz wide bands make things more complicated. Chambers and OTA (over the air) testing and MIMO systems make things much more complicated. And, a 5G system has to cover all of these ranges. 5:30MIMO for 5G - MIMO means "Multiple Input Multiple Output" Beamforming is also being implemented. Designers need to be able to test and see all the 5G signals at once. 7:00 Beamforming explanation and discussion - essentially beams can be directed with constructive and destructive interference to send signals to UEs (user equipment). 5G beamforming significantly increases the power delivered to a UE. Want to try it? Try "Build a beam" here: https://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=2800374 10:005G brings wired-level speeds to wireless systems, which will open up brand new markets that haven't even been defined yet. 11:155G security 12:00Are 5G bandwidths a challenge? A wider carrier channel means more interference and a lower effective number of bits / SNR (signal to noise ratio). So, the wide 5G bands require a more robust design. This is especially true for distance. Even windows are potentially a challenge with 5G frequencies, so beamforming becomes critical. 15:30Testing 5G with a signal analyzer / spectrum analyzer - is it doable? Sorta... How do you look at four distinct bands at one time? 18:00The UXR oscilloscope can actually look at multiple bands at once at 0.5 EVM (error vector magnitude). 20:00Why does 5G have so many different frequencies and bands? Isn't that excessive? 21:00Will 5G make it where I can get rid of my home internet provider? 22:00Beamforming from a cell tower is pretty easy, but it's much harder for a handset. So, there are systems that propose 5G downlinks, but 4G or 3G back up to the tower. 23:00Multiple towers can talk to the same handset AT THE SAME TIME! Multiple towers can provide the same packet at the same time to the same UE to increase the power. This means they are all working on the same clock as well. 25:00There are a number of ways to synchronize multiple cell towers at the same time. GPS is common, but there are a number of other feasible technologies. 27:00Brig has to get in his "vicious Keysight plug" for the mmWave extension on the UXR that lets an oscilloscope behave like a signal analyzer. It also uses a 1mm connector on the front end. 31:45Stupid question: if you had to describe 5G using five words that start with "G" what would they be?

5G means business. With wired speeds coming in over the air, designers are turning to new wireless techniques like beamforming, MIMO, and advanced tower synchonization designed to pump you full of bits. Find out more as Daniel Bogdanoff sits down with Brig Asay and Joe Haver to discuss the changing wireless ecosystem of tomorrow. Audio: Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX0r22fSBwI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX0r22fSBwI</a> 1:00 4G was sub 6 GHz, but 5G is much higher frequencies (24 GHz, 28 GHz, 39 GHz, and above 50 GHz) 2:15 4G test strategies: simple source and a middle-of-the-line signal analyzer. There were also some combo boxes that were both signal sources and signal analyzers. 4:00 <a href="https://www.keysight.com/us/en/solutions/5g.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5G testing</a> requires more powerful setups. There are still generators, but they have to be more powerful. FR2, 100 MHz, 200 MHz, 400 MHz wide bands make things more complicated. Chambers and OTA (over the air) testing and MIMO systems make things much more complicated. And, a 5G system has to cover all of these ranges. 5:30 <a href="https://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?id=1179977&amp;cc=US&amp;lc=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MIMO</a> for 5G - MIMO means "Multiple Input Multiple Output" Beamforming is also being implemented. Designers need to be able to test and see all the 5G signals at once. 7:00 Beamforming explanation and discussion - essentially beams can be directed with constructive and destructive interference to send signals to UEs (user equipment). <a href="https://blogs.keysight.com/blogs/inds.entry.html/2019/05/31/5g_beamforming_how-JPG6.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5G beamforming </a>significantly increases the power delivered to a UE. Want to try it? Try "Build a beam" here: <a href="https://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=2800374&amp;nid=-11143.0.00&amp;id=2800374" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=2800374</a> 10:00 5G brings wired-level speeds to wireless systems, which will open up brand new markets that haven't even been defined yet. 11:15 5G security 12:00 Are 5G bandwidths a challenge? A wider carrier channel means more interference and a lower effective number of bits / SNR (signal to noise ratio). So, the wide 5G bands require a more robust design. This is especially true for distance. Even windows are potentially a challenge with 5G frequencies, so beamforming becomes critical. 15:30 Testing 5G with a signal analyzer / spectrum analyzer - is it doable? Sorta... How do you look at four distinct bands at one time? 18:00 The <a href="https://www.keysight.com/en/pcx-2935671/uxr-series-real-time-infiniium-oscilloscopes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UXR oscilloscope</a> can actually look at multiple bands at once at 0.5 EVM (error vector magnitude). 20:00 Why does 5G have so many different frequencies and bands? Isn't that excessive? 21:00 Will 5G make it where I can get rid of my home internet provider? 22:00 Beamforming from a cell tower is pretty easy, but it's much harder for a handset. So, there are systems that propose 5G downlinks, but 4G or 3G back up to the tower. 23:00 Multiple towers can talk to the same handset AT THE SAME TIME! Multiple towers can provide the same packet at the same time to the same UE to increase the power. This means they are all working on the same clock as well. 25:00 There are a number of ways to synchronize multiple cell towers at the same time. GPS is common, but there are a number of other feasible technologies. 27:00 Brig has to get in his "vicious Keysight plug" for the mmWave extension on the UXR that lets an oscilloscope behave like a signal analyzer. It also uses a 1mm connector on the front end. 31:45 Stupid question: if you had to describe 5G using five words that start with "G" what would they be?

5G, Beamforming, & MIMO – #39

New tunneling modes, the scoop on plugfests, and 40 Gbps! Get the FREE! Tech Tip eBook about testing 6 emerging technolgy standards: http://bit.ly/PodcastTechTrends Subscribe on YouTube ► http://bit.ly/KeysPodcastSub ◄ It feels like USB 3.2 just came out, but USB4 is HERE! With USB4, gone are the days of wondering what's behind that USB Type-C connector - all the functionality is mandatory. And, you get double the speed! 40 Gbps over two 20 Gpbs lines keeps Moore's law happy (which makes us happy). Find out more in today's podcast with Jit Lim, Mike Hoffman, and Daniel Bogdanoff. Video version: Twitter: @DanielBogdanoff: https://twitter.com/DanielBogdanoff Subscribe with your podcast tool: iTunes:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ees-talk-tech-an-electrical-engineering-podcast/id1238385165 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/4j9CG7Z1iy9zkjnOSVHB6f Google:https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9lZXN0YWxrdGVjaC5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0&amp;hl=en Stitcher:https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/keysight-technologies/ees-talk-tech RSS:https://eestalktech.com/feed/podcast/ees-talk-tech Notes &amp; Topics: 1:45 The USB-IF released the USB4 Spec in September USB4 requires that you use the USB Type C connector USB4 is fully backwards compatible USB4 uses a 20 Gbps x2 link (pronounced "by two") so Moore’s law still holds (yay!) USB 3.2 took 10 Gbps and doubled it to 20 Gbps It’s USB4 not USB 4.0 and not USB 4 (confirmed) 10:00With USB4 you must implement USB-PD (USB Power Delivery), but in the past it was optional.USB4 brings a doubling bitrates, you must use Type C connector, and must be backwards compatible all the way to USB2 13:30USB 3 and USB 3.2 had a lot of alternate modes, but USB4 implements a tunneling mode. With tunneling allows you to send packets of USB, DisplayPort, or PCIe inside of the USB protocol. This means you don’t have to run it as an alternate mode, which requires extra silicon. 17:00The silicon is often prototyped before a spec is actually released, so that the spec can match reality and be possible to build. 18:30USB4 is already being prototyped and tested. At the USB workshop-plugfestUSB plugfests are very secret, and company names aren’t used. They use a “test ID number” instead of company name, and the attendance is very limited. In many cases, only Keysight and the company testing their device are allowed to be in the room while the testing is done. 21:00A “Compliance Test Spec” describes how you test a device against a specification. Because, you can’t test for every single thing in the spec, but you can test a subset of things to verify performance. 22:00Will USB take over everything? It depends on the other organizations and specifications groups. There are other ecosystems and organizations like VESA (DisplayPort) and HDMI that are autonomous. But, both HDMI and VESA have a USB Type-C mode that allows the protocols to work over a USB Type C connector 26:00USB4 implementation is very complex! The different speeds that could be used are pretty complex. USB4 is advertised 40 Gbps, but it’s actually 20 Gbps x2. 30:15It can be 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 20 Gbps, and run at x1 or x2, and it can also do alt modes. 31:55Are there any main competitors to USB4? What about the lightning connector from Apple? 35:30There’s evidence that there will be a USB4 native display, and some high end USB4 monitors already exist. 36:30USB4 is coming, and if you want to be on the leading edge you better get started now (and why)! 38:20 - stupid questions:When will see USB5? What’s the lamest way someone could use USB4? If USB4 is truly universal, shouldn’t it go into space? Helpful Links: Keysight Bench Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/keysightbench Keysight RF Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/keysightrf EEs Talk Tech Electrical Engineering podcast:https://www.eestalktech.com https://www.youtube.com/KeysightPodcasts Check out our blog: http://bit.ly/KeysTechBlogs

New tunneling modes, the scoop on plugfests, and 40 Gbps! Get the FREE! Tech Tip eBook about testing 6 emerging technolgy standards: <a href="http://bit.ly/PodcastTechTrends" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PodcastTechTrends</a> Subscribe on YouTube ► <a href="http://bit.ly/KeysPodcastSub" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/KeysPodcastSub</a> ◄ It feels like USB 3.2 just came out, but USB4 is HERE! With USB4, gone are the days of wondering what's behind that USB Type-C connector - all the functionality is mandatory. And, you get double the speed! 40 Gbps over two 20 Gpbs lines keeps Moore's law happy (which makes us happy). Find out more in today's podcast with Jit Lim, Mike Hoffman, and Daniel Bogdanoff. Video version: Twitter: @DanielBogdanoff: <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielBogdanoff" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/DanielBogdanoff</a> Subscribe with your podcast tool: iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ees-talk-tech-an-electrical-engineering-podcast/id1238385165" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ees-talk-tech-an-electrical-engineering-podcast/id1238385165</a> Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4j9CG7Z1iy9zkjnOSVHB6f" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/show/4j9CG7Z1iy9zkjnOSVHB6f</a> Google: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9lZXN0YWxrdGVjaC5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9lZXN0YWxrdGVjaC5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0&amp;hl=en</a> Stitcher: <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/keysight-technologies/ees-talk-tech" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/keysight-technologies/ees-talk-tech</a> RSS: <a href="https://eestalktech.com/feed/podcast/ees-talk-tech" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://eestalktech.com/feed/podcast/ees-talk-tech</a> Notes &amp; Topics: 1:45 The <a href="https://www.usb.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">USB-IF</a> released the USB4 Spec in September USB4 requires that you use the USB Type C connector USB4 is fully backwards compatible USB4 uses a 20 Gbps x2 link (pronounced "by two") so Moore’s law still holds (yay!) USB 3.2 took 10 Gbps and doubled it to 20 Gbps It’s USB4 not USB 4.0 and not USB 4 (confirmed) 10:00 With USB4 you must implement USB-PD (USB Power Delivery), but in the past it was optional. USB4 brings a doubling bitrates, you must use Type C connector, and must be backwards compatible all the way to USB2 13:30 USB 3 and USB 3.2 had a lot of alternate modes, but USB4 implements a tunneling mode. With tunneling allows you to send packets of USB, DisplayPort, or PCIe inside of the USB protocol. This means you don’t have to run it as an alternate mode, which requires extra silicon. 17:00 The silicon is often prototyped before a spec is actually released, so that the spec can match reality and be possible to build. 18:30 USB4 is already being prototyped and tested. At the USB workshop-plugfest USB plugfests are very secret, and company names aren’t used. They use a “test ID number” instead of company name, and the attendance is very limited. In many cases, only Keysight and the company testing their device are allowed to be in the room while the testing is done. 21:00 A “Compliance Test Spec” describes how you test a device against a specification. Because, you can’t test for every single thing in the spec, but you can test a subset of things to verify performance. 22:00 Will USB take over everything? It depends on the other organizations and specifications groups. There are other ecosystems and organizations like VESA (DisplayPort) and HDMI that are autonomous. But, both HDMI and VESA have a USB Type-C mode that allows the protocols to work over a USB Type C connector 26:00 USB4 implementation is very complex! The different speeds that could be used are pretty complex. USB4 is advertised 40 Gbps, but it’s actually 20 Gbps x2. 30:15 It can be 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 20 Gbps, and run at x1 or x2, and it can also do alt modes. 31:55 Are there any main competitors to USB4? What about the lightning connector from Apple? 35:30 There’s evidence that there will be a USB4 native display, and some high end USB4 monitors already exist. 36:30 USB4 is coming, and if you want to be on the leading edge you better get started now (and why)! 38:20 - stupid questions: When will see USB5? What’s the lamest way someone could use USB4? If USB4 is truly universal, shouldn’t it go into space? Helpful Links: Keysight Bench Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/keysightbench" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/keysightbench</a> Keysight RF Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/keysightrf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/keysightrf</a> EEs Talk Tech Electrical Engineering podcast: <a href="https://www.eestalktech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.eestalktech.com</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/KeysightPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/KeysightPodcasts</a> Check out our blog: <a href="http://bit.ly/KeysTechBlogs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/KeysTechBlogs</a>

USB4 – No more Mr. Nice Guy, your USB-C connector has to do it all! – #38

It ain't over. We're back with a hot new season, premiering November 21, 2019! Audio: Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYlmB1OUQck iTunes:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ees-talk-tech-an-electrical-engineering-podcast/id1238385165  Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/4j9CG7Z1iy9zkjnOSVHB6f Stitcher:https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/keysight-technologies/ees-talk-tech  Google Play and Google Podcasts:https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9lZXN0YWxrdGVjaC5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0&amp;hl=en 

It ain't over. We're back with a hot new season, premiering November 21, 2019! Audio: Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYlmB1OUQck" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYlmB1OUQck</a> iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ees-talk-tech-an-electrical-engineering-podcast/id1238385165" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ees-talk-tech-an-electrical-engineering-podcast/id1238385165 </a> Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4j9CG7Z1iy9zkjnOSVHB6f" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/show/4j9CG7Z1iy9zkjnOSVHB6f</a> Stitcher: <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/keysight-technologies/ees-talk-tech" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/keysight-technologies/ees-talk-tech </a> Google Play and Google Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9lZXN0YWxrdGVjaC5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9lZXN0YWxrdGVjaC5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0&amp;hl=en</a>

Teaser: EEs Talk Tech Season 2!

The unsung heroes of the IC world - packaging engineers!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQeBgRy8fJkThe pictures I promised:The UXR Amplifier Fanout Package:Bert Signal Conditioning Hybrid Packaging:UXR Data Processor Flip Chip Packaging:

The unsung heroes of the IC world - packaging engineers! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQeBgRy8fJk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQeBgRy8fJk</a> The pictures I promised: The UXR Amplifier Fanout Package: Bert Signal Conditioning Hybrid Packaging: UXR Data Processor Flip Chip Packaging:

IC Packaging – #37

Space requires new technologies. Much like the space race of the 1950s, engineers are feverishly working to gain a competitive advantage. Mark Lombardi sits down to explore rad hardening, thermal vacuum chambers, space mining, CubeSats, and battery technology.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTi_LMNZ708Mark Lombardi - 25 years at HP/Agilent/Keysight. He worked for RT logic for a few years, where he got into space.2:00 - Your odds of survival getting to space are better than getting to the top of Everest.2:30 - Space mining from the Asteroid belt has the potential to create the worlds first trillionaire.3:20 - We need to establish manufacturing in space. For example, what if you manufactured satellites on the moon instead of on earth?4:00 - The main driver is price-per-pound6:10 - The Space Force - it sounds a little silly at first but is very reasonable when you take a closer look.7:45 - How do you test objects bound for space?8:30 - Space is transitioning from government-only to commercial. Businesses are starting to explore how to add value to society and make a profit from space.9:15 - Phased arrays, reusable rockets, LEO satellites are all changing space technology.10:00 - Low earth orbit satellites have much lower delay. Geosynchronous satellites have a 250 ms propagation delay.This has interesting implications for 5G - that 250 ms latency is too long for 5G requirements. So, LEO satellites are what will be used.12:00 - Using LEO satellites will be deployed in force instead of as singles, as mentioned in the Weather Cubesat podcast.13:45 - Ghana launched their own satellite, which is a huge step. They eventually won't be dependent on others for their space access. And, they can do specialized things for reasonable prices.15:00 - Announcements - we haven't podcasted in a long time, sorry! We are switching to 1x per month16:45 - Radiation hardening for electronics, sometimes called electronics hardening. Historically, you had to plan for a long life in a satellite. Now, you don't have to.17:30 - It's also hard to get a rad hardened cutting-edge technology.18:00 - LEO satellites get less radiation, so it's less of a problem. And, since they are cheaper, you can build in an expected mortality rate.19:00 - You can also rev hardware faster, allowing you to use newer technology. Think about imagers, the technology has moved a long way in seven years.19:55 - Space is cold. Space is a vacuum. So, to test our gear you have to reproduce that on earth. To do that, we use special chambers.20:50 - Thermal vacuum chambers (T vac) are used to test space objects. Automotive parts are actually very resilient to temperature changes and can be leveraged into space designs.21:30 - What happens to electronics in space? The vacuum is a bigger challenge than the temperature changes.23:30 - To get more bandwidth, we have to increase frequency. This leads to attenuation in the air and in cables. Some designers are switching to waveguides.25:00 - With modular test equipment, you could potentially have test gear that can survive in space.27:00 - What is the current and projected size of the space industry?28:10 - What batteries are used in space? What factors into battery decisions? - Lithium ion batteries work well in space, and are used when we can charge them with solar energy.28:40 - Deep space exploration uses all sorts of obscure battery technology.29:10 - Electronic propulsion30:05 - Over 150V, things get interesting. The breakdown voltage is different in space than it is on earth. So, designers have to be very careful.

Space requires new technologies. Much like the space race of the 1950s, engineers are feverishly working to gain a competitive advantage. Mark Lombardi sits down to explore rad hardening, thermal vacuum chambers, space mining, CubeSats, and battery technology. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTi_LMNZ708" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTi_LMNZ708</a> Mark Lombardi - 25 years at HP/Agilent/Keysight. He worked for RT logic for a few years, where he got into space. 2:00 - Your odds of survival getting to space are better than getting to the top of Everest. 2:30 - Space mining from the Asteroid belt has the potential to create the worlds first trillionaire. 3:20 - We need to establish manufacturing in space. For example, what if you manufactured satellites on the moon instead of on earth? 4:00 - The main driver is price-per-pound 6:10 - The Space Force - it sounds a little silly at first but is very reasonable when you take a closer look. 7:45 - How do you test objects bound for space? 8:30 - Space is transitioning from government-only to commercial. Businesses are starting to explore how to add value to society and make a profit from space. 9:15 - Phased arrays, reusable rockets, LEO satellites are all changing space technology. 10:00 - Low earth orbit satellites have much lower delay. Geosynchronous satellites have a 250 ms propagation delay. This has interesting implications for 5G - that 250 ms latency is too long for 5G requirements. So, LEO satellites are what will be used. 12:00 - Using LEO satellites will be deployed in force instead of as singles, as mentioned in the Weather <a href="https://eestalktech.com/weather-cubesats/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cubesat </a>podcast. 13:45 - Ghana launched their own satellite, which is a huge step. They eventually won't be dependent on others for their space access. And, they can do specialized things for reasonable prices. 15:00 - Announcements - we haven't podcasted in a long time, sorry! We are switching to 1x per month 16:45 - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_hardening" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Radiation hardening</a> for electronics, sometimes called electronics hardening. Historically, you had to plan for a long life in a satellite. Now, you don't have to. 17:30 - It's also hard to get a rad hardened cutting-edge technology. 18:00 - LEO satellites get less radiation, so it's less of a problem. And, since they are cheaper, you can build in an expected mortality rate. 19:00 - You can also rev hardware faster, allowing you to use newer technology. Think about imagers, the technology has moved a long way in seven years. 19:55 - Space is cold. Space is a vacuum. So, to test our gear you have to reproduce that on earth. To do that, we use special chambers. 20:50 - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_vacuum_chamber" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thermal vacuum chambers</a> (T vac) are used to test space objects. Automotive parts are actually very resilient to temperature changes and can be leveraged into space designs. 21:30 - What happens to electronics in space? The vacuum is a bigger challenge than the temperature changes. 23:30 - To get more bandwidth, we have to increase frequency. This leads to attenuation in the air and in cables. Some designers are switching to waveguides. 25:00 - With modular test equipment, you could potentially have test gear that can survive in space. 27:00 - What is the current and projected size of the space industry? 28:10 - What batteries are used in space? What factors into battery decisions? - Lithium ion batteries work well in space, and are used when we can charge them with solar energy. 28:40 - Deep space exploration uses all sorts of obscure battery technology. 29:10 - Electronic propulsion 30:05 - Over 150V, things get interesting. The breakdown voltage is different in space than it is on earth. So, designers have to be very careful.

Space Technology – #36

Brig Asay, Melissa, and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down to answer the internet's questions about the new 110 GHz UXR oscilloscope. How long did it take? What did it cost? Find out!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GxotFVQ8HESome of the questions &amp; commentsS K on YouTube: How long does it take to engineer something like this? With custom ASICs all over the place and what not…Glitch on YouTube: Can you make a budget version of it for $99?Steve Sousa on YouTube: But how do you test the test instrument?? It's already so massively difficult to make this, how can you measure and qualify it's gain, linearity etc?TechNiqueBeatz on YouTube: About halfway through the video now.. what would the practical application(s) of an oscilloscope like this be?Alberto Vaudagna on YouTube: Do you know what happen to the data after the dsp? It go to the CPU motherboard and processed by the CPU or the data is overlayed on the screen and the gui is runner's by the CPU?How does a piece of equipment like that get delivered? I just don't think UPS or Fedex is going to cut it for million+ dollar prototype. It would be nice to see some higher magnification views of the front end.Ulrich Frank:mNice sturdy-looking handles at the side of the instrument - to hold on to and keep you steady when you hear the price...SAI Peregrinus: That price! It costs less than half the price of a condo in Brooklyn, NY! (Search on Zillow, sort by price high to low. Pg 20 has a few for $2.7M, several of which are 1 bedroom...)RoGeorgeRoGeorge: Wow, speechless!R Bhalakiya: THIS IS ALL VOODOO MAGICMaic Salazar Diagnostics: This is majestic!!Sean Bosse: Holy poop. Bet it was hard keeping this quiet until the release.jonka1: Looking at the front end it looks as if the clock signal paths are of different lengths. How is phase dealt with? Is it in this module or later in software?cims: The Bugatti Veyron of scopes with a price to match, lolOne scope to rule them all...wow! Keyesight drops the proverbial mic with this oneMike Oliver: That is a truly beautiful piece of equipment. It is more of a piece of art work than any other equipment I have ever seen.Gyro on EEVBlog: It's certainly a step change in just how bad a bad day at the office could really get!TiN: I have another question, regarding the input. Are there any scopes that have waveguide input port, instead of very pricey precision 1.0mm/etc connectors?Or in this target scope field, that's not important as much, since owner would connect the input cable and never disconnect? Don't see those to last many cable swaps in field, even 2.4mm is quite fragile.User on EEVBlog: According to the specs, It looks like the 2 channel version he looked at "only" requires 1370 VA and can run off 120V.  The 4 channel version only works off 200-240VThe really interesting question: how do they calibrate that calibration probe.They have to characterize the imperfections in it's output to a significantly better accuracy than this scope can measure.  Unless there's something new under the sun in calibration methodology?Mikes Electric Stuff‏ @mikelectricstuf: Can I get it in beige?Yaghiyah‏ @yaghiyah: Does it support Zone Triggering?User on Twitter:It’ll be a couple paychecks before I’m in the market, but I’d really be interested in some detail on the probes and signal acquisition techniques. Are folks just dropping a coax connector on the PCB as a test point? The test setup alone has to be a science in itself.I’d also be interested in knowing if the visiting aliens that you guys mugged to get this scope design are alive and being well cared for.Hi Daniel, just out of curiosity and within any limits of NDAs, can you go into how the design process goes for one of these bleeding-edge instruments? Mostly curious how much of the physical design, like the channels in the hybrid, are designed by a human versus designed parametrically and synthesized

Brig Asay, Melissa, and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down to answer the internet's questions about the new 110 GHz UXR oscilloscope. How long did it take? What did it cost? Find out! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GxotFVQ8HE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GxotFVQ8HE</a> Some of the questions &amp; comments S K on YouTube: How long does it take to engineer something like this? With custom ASICs all over the place and what not… Glitch on YouTube: Can you make a budget version of it for $99? Steve Sousa on YouTube: But how do you test the test instrument?? It's already so massively difficult to make this, how can you measure and qualify it's gain, linearity etc? TechNiqueBeatz on YouTube: About halfway through the video now.. what would the practical application(s) of an oscilloscope like this be? Alberto Vaudagna on YouTube: Do you know what happen to the data after the dsp? It go to the CPU motherboard and processed by the CPU or the data is overlayed on the screen and the gui is runner's by the CPU? How does a piece of equipment like that get delivered? I just don't think UPS or Fedex is going to cut it for million+ dollar prototype. It would be nice to see some higher magnification views of the front end. Ulrich Frank:mNice sturdy-looking handles at the side of the instrument - to hold on to and keep you steady when you hear the price... SAI Peregrinus: That price! It costs less than half the price of a condo in Brooklyn, NY! (Search on Zillow, sort by price high to low. Pg 20 has a few for $2.7M, several of which are 1 bedroom...) RoGeorgeRoGeorge: Wow, speechless! R Bhalakiya: THIS IS ALL VOODOO MAGIC Maic Salazar Diagnostics: This is majestic!! Sean Bosse: Holy poop. Bet it was hard keeping this quiet until the release. jonka1: Looking at the front end it looks as if the clock signal paths are of different lengths. How is phase dealt with? Is it in this module or later in software? cims: The Bugatti Veyron of scopes with a price to match, lol One scope to rule them all...wow! Keyesight drops the proverbial mic with this one Mike Oliver: That is a truly beautiful piece of equipment. It is more of a piece of art work than any other equipment I have ever seen. Gyro on EEVBlog: It's certainly a step change in just how bad a bad day at the office could really get! TiN: I have another question, regarding the input. Are there any scopes that have waveguide input port, instead of very pricey precision 1.0mm/etc connectors? Or in this target scope field, that's not important as much, since owner would connect the input cable and never disconnect? Don't see those to last many cable swaps in field, even 2.4mm is quite fragile. User on EEVBlog: According to the specs, It looks like the 2 channel version he looked at "only" requires 1370 VA and can run off 120V.  The 4 channel version only works off 200-240V The really interesting question: how do they calibrate that calibration probe. They have to characterize the imperfections in it's output to a significantly better accuracy than this scope can measure.  Unless there's something new under the sun in calibration methodology? <a href="https://twitter.com/mikelectricstuf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mikes Electric Stuff‏ @mikelectricstuf</a>: Can I get it in beige? <a href="https://twitter.com/yaghiyah" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yaghiyah‏ @yaghiyah: </a>Does it support Zone Triggering? User on Twitter: It’ll be a couple paychecks before I’m in the market, but I’d really be interested in some detail on the probes and signal acquisition techniques. Are folks just dropping a coax connector on the PCB as a test point? The test setup alone has to be a science in itself. I’d also be interested in knowing if the visiting aliens that you guys mugged to get this scope design are alive and being well cared for. Hi Daniel, just out of curiosity and within any limits of NDAs, can you go into how the design process goes for one of these bleeding-edge instruments? Mostly curious how much of the physical design, like the channels in the hybrid, are designed by a human versus designed parametrically and synthesized

New 110 GHz Oscilloscope – UXR Q&A #35

USB Type-C brings a lot of protocols into one physical connector, but is there room for one protocol to handle all our IO needs? Mike Hoffman and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down with high speed digital communications expert Jit Lim to find out.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYGXPbCfEHg0:00 This is Jit's 3rd podcast of the series1:00 We already have one connector to rule them all with USB Type-C, but it's just a connector. Will we ever have one specification to rule them all?2:00 Prior to USB Type-C, each protocol required it's own connector. With USB TYpe-C, you can run multiple protocols over the same physical connector3:00 This would make everything more simple for engineers, they would only need to test and characterize one technology.3:30 Jit proposes a "Type-C I/O"4:00 Thunderbolt already allows displayport to tunnel through it4:30 Thunderbolt already has a combination of capabilities. It has a display mode - you can buy a Thunderbolt display. This means you can run data and display using the same technology6:30 There's a notion of a muxed signals7:00 The PHY speed is the most important. Thunderbolt is running 20 Gb/s7:15 What would the physical connection look like? Will the existing USB Type-C interface work? Currently we already see 80 Gb/s ports (4 lanes) in existing consumer PCs9:20 Daniel hates charging his phone without fast charging9:40 The USB protocol is for data transfer, but is there going to be a future USB dispaly protocol? There are already some audio and video modes in current USB, like a PC headset11:30 Why are we changing? The vision is to plug it in and have it "just work"12:00 Today, standards groups are quite separate. They each have their own ecosystems that they are comfortable in. So, this is a big challenge for getting to a single spec13:15 Performance capabilities, like cable loss, is also a concern and challenge14:00 For a tech like this were to exist, will the groups have to merge? Or, will someone just come out with a spec that obsoletes all of the others?15:30 Everyone has a cable hoard. Daniel's is a drawer, Mike's is a shoebox16:30 You still have to be aware of the USB Type-C cables that you buy. There's room for improvement17:30 Mike wants a world of only USB Type-C connectors and 3.5mm headphone jacks18:30 From a test and measurement perspective, it's very attractive to have a single protocol. You'd only have to test at one rate, one time19:30 Stupid questions

USB Type-C brings a lot of protocols into one physical connector, but is there room for one protocol to handle all our IO needs? Mike Hoffman and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down with high speed digital communications expert Jit Lim to find out. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYGXPbCfEHg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYGXPbCfEHg</a> 0:00 This is Jit's 3rd podcast of the series 1:00 We already have one connector to rule them all with USB Type-C, but it's just a connector. Will we ever have one specification to rule them all? 2:00 Prior to USB Type-C, each protocol required it's own connector. With USB TYpe-C, you can run multiple protocols over the same physical connector 3:00 This would make everything more simple for engineers, they would only need to test and characterize one technology. 3:30 Jit proposes a "Type-C I/O" 4:00 Thunderbolt already allows displayport to tunnel through it 4:30 Thunderbolt already has a combination of capabilities. It has a display mode - you can buy a Thunderbolt display. This means you can run data and display using the same technology 6:30 There's a notion of a muxed signals 7:00 The PHY speed is the most important. Thunderbolt is running 20 Gb/s 7:15 What would the physical connection look like? Will the existing USB Type-C interface work? Currently we already see 80 Gb/s ports (4 lanes) in existing consumer PCs 9:20 Daniel hates charging his phone without fast charging 9:40 The USB protocol is for data transfer, but is there going to be a future USB dispaly protocol? There are already some audio and video modes in current USB, like a PC headset 11:30 Why are we changing? The vision is to plug it in and have it "just work" 12:00 Today, standards groups are quite separate. They each have their own ecosystems that they are comfortable in. So, this is a big challenge for getting to a single spec 13:15 Performance capabilities, like cable loss, is also a concern and challenge 14:00 For a tech like this were to exist, will the groups have to merge? Or, will someone just come out with a spec that obsoletes all of the others? 15:30 Everyone has a cable hoard. Daniel's is a drawer, Mike's is a shoebox 16:30 You still have to be aware of the USB Type-C cables that you buy. There's room for improvement 17:30 Mike wants a world of only USB Type-C connectors and 3.5mm headphone jacks 18:30 From a test and measurement perspective, it's very attractive to have a single protocol. You'd only have to test at one rate, one time 19:30 Stupid questions

One Protocol to Rule Them All!? – #34

Inspired by over-the-cubical-wall conversations about the changing world of electronics and electrical engineering, Daniel Bogdanoff and Mike Hoffman created an electrical engineering podcast. Covering a broad range of topics from the basics of electrical engineering to the tough engineering problems of tomorrow’s technologies, Daniel &amp; Mike bring in members of Keysight’s engineering team to provide their unique perspectives.

This podcast is interesting and entertaining. I always look forward to listening.

Excellent podcast

As an EE undergrad I love listening to this podcast. Keep it up, gentleman!

Excellent Conversations

EEs Talk Tech - An Electrical Engineering Podcast

We sit down with Phil Gresock to talk about the basics of RF for "DC plebians." Learn about RF designs, radio frequencies, RADAR, GPS, and RF terms you need to know in today's electrical engineering podcast!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZlpOXjaxTI Agenda: RF stands for radio frequency00:40 Phil Gresock was an RF application engineer1:15 Everything is time domain, but a lot of RF testing tools end up being frequency domain oriented2:15 Think about radio, for example. A tall radio tower isn’t actually one big antenna!3:50 Check out the FCC spectrum allocation chart4:10 RF communication is useful when we want to communicate and it doesn’t make sense to run a cable to what we're communicating to.4:50 When you tune your radio to a frequency, you are tuning to a center frequency. The center frequency is then down converted into a range6:30 Check out Mike’s blog on how signal modulation works:7:00 Communication is just one use case. RADAR also is an RF application.8:10 The principles between RF and DC or digital use models are very similar, but the words we use tend to be different.Bandwidth for oscilloscopes means DC to a frequency, but for RF it means the analysis bandwidth around a center frequency9:22 Cellular and FCC allocation chart will talk about different "channels."Channel in the RF world refers to frequency ranges, but in the DC domain it typically refers to a specific input.10:25 Basic RF block diagram:First, there’s an input from an FPGA or data creating device. Then, the signal gets mixed with a local oscillator (LO). That then connects to a transmission medium, like a fiber optic cable or through the air.Cable TV is an RF signal that is cabled, not wireless.Then, the transmitted signal connects to an RF downcoverter, which is basically another mixer, and that gets fed into a processing block.13:50 Tesla created a remote control boat and pretended it was voice controlled.15:30 Does the military arena influence consumer electronics, or does the consumer electronics industry influence military technology?16:00 GPS is a great example of military tech moving to consumer electronics17:00 IoT (internet of things) is also driving a lot of the technology18:00 The ISM band is unregulated!19:15 A router uses a regulated frequency and hops off the frequency when it’s being used for emergency communications20:50 RADAR, how does it work?22:22 To learn more about RF, check out App Note 150 here:http://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=459160&amp;id=459160&amp;cmpid=zzfindappnote150

We sit down with Phil Gresock to talk about the basics of RF for "DC plebians." Learn about RF designs, radio frequencies, RADAR, GPS, and RF terms you need to know in today's electrical <a href="https://eestalktech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">engineering podcast</a>! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZlpOXjaxTI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZlpOXjaxTI</a> <h2>Agenda:</h2> <h2>RF stands for radio frequency</h2>00:40 Phil Gresock was an RF application engineer 1:15 Everything is time domain, but a lot of RF testing tools end up being frequency domain oriented 2:15 Think about radio, for example. A tall radio tower isn’t actually one big antenna! 3:50 Check out the FCC <a href="https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/2003-allochrt.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">spectrum allocation chart</a> 4:10 RF communication is useful when we want to communicate and it doesn’t make sense to run a cable to what we're communicating to. 4:50 When you tune your radio to a frequency, you are tuning to a center frequency. The center frequency is then down converted into a range 6:30 Check out Mike’s blog on <a href="https://community.keysight.com/community/keysight-blogs/oscilloscopes/blog/2017/06/20/how-signal-modulation-works" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">how signal modulation works</a>: 7:00 Communication is just one use case. RADAR also is an RF application. 8:10 The principles between RF and DC or digital use models are very similar, but the words we use tend to be different. <a href="http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5989-5733EN.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bandwidth</a> for oscilloscopes means DC to a frequency, but for RF it means the analysis bandwidth around a center frequency 9:22 Cellular and FCC allocation chart will talk about different "channels." Channel in the RF world refers to frequency ranges, but in the DC domain it typically refers to a specific input. 10:25 Basic RF block diagram: First, there’s an input from an FPGA or data creating device. Then, the signal gets mixed with a local oscillator (LO). That then connects to a transmission medium, like a fiber optic cable or through the air. Cable TV is an RF signal that is cabled, not wireless. Then, the transmitted signal connects to an RF downcoverter, which is basically another mixer, and that gets fed into a processing block. 13:50 Tesla created a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_control" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">remote control boat </a>and pretended it was voice controlled. 15:30 Does the military arena influence consumer electronics, or does the consumer electronics industry influence military technology? 16:00 GPS is a great example of military tech moving to consumer electronics 17:00 IoT (internet of things) is also driving a lot of the technology 18:00 The<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISM_band" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> ISM band</a> is unregulated! 19:15 A router uses a regulated frequency and hops off the frequency when it’s being used for emergency communications 20:50 RADAR, how does it work? 22:22 To learn more about RF, check out App Note 150 here: <a href="http://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=459160&amp;id=459160&amp;cmpid=zzfindappnote150" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=459160&amp;id=459160&amp;cmpid=zzfindappnote150</a>

Intro to RF – EEs Talk Tech Electrical Engineering Podcast #21

Mike Hoffman and Daniel Bogdanoff continue their discussion with Stefan Loeffler about optical communication. In the first episode, we looked at "what is optical communication?" and "how does optical communication work?" This week we dig deeper into some of the latest optical communication techniques and advances in the industry as well as the use of fiber optic cable in electronics and long-range telecommunication networks.Video version (YouTube):https://youtu.be/sZXxltWJwIU Audio Version:Discussion Overview: Installation of optical fiber and maintenance of optical fiberWe can use optical communication techniques such as phase multiplexingThere’s a race between using more colors and higher bitrates to increase data communication rates.Indium doped fiber amplifiers can multiply multiple channels at different colors on the same optical PHY.You can use up to 80 colors on a single fiber optic channel! 3:52How is optical communication similar to RF? Optical communication is a lot like WiFi 4:07Light color in optical fiber is the equivalent of carrier frequencies in RFHow do we increase the data rate in optical fiber?There are many multiplexing methods such as multicore, wavelength division, and polarization 4:50Practically, only two polarization modes can be used at once. The limiting factor is the separation technology on the receiver side. 6:20But, this still doubles our bandwidth!What about dark fiber? Dark fiber is the physical piece of optical fiber that is unused. 7:07Using dark fiber on an existing optical fiber is the first step to increasing fiber optic bandwidth.But wavelengths can also be added.Optical C-band vs L-band 7:48Optical C-band was the first long-distance band. It is now joined by the L-band.Is there a difference between using different colors and different wavelengths?Optical fibers are a light show for mosquitos! 8:30How do we fix optical fibers? 10:36For short distances, an OTDR or visual light fault detectors are often used by sending red light into a fiber and lights up when there's a break in the fiberAre there other ways to extend the amount of data we can push through a fiber? 11:35Pulses per second can be increased, but we will eventually bleed into neighboring channelsPhase modulation is also usedPAM-4 comes into play with coding (putting multiple bits in a symbol)And QAM which relies on both amplitude and phase modulationPAM-4 test solutionsHow do we visualize optical fibers?  14:05We can use constellation diagrams which plot magnitude and phaseDo we plan for data error? 15:00Forward error correction is used, but this redundancy involves significant overheadQAM vs PAM64 Gigabot (QAM-64) was the buzzword at OFC 2017 16:52PAM is used for shorter links while QAM is used for longer linksHow do we evaluate fiber? 18:02We can calculate cost per managed bit and energy per managed bitEnergy consumption is a real concern 18:28The race between copper and fiber 19:13Fiber wins on long distance because of power consumptionBut does fiber win on data rate?Google Fiber should come to Colorado Springs...and Germany!To compensate for the loss of the signal on the distance, you push more power in for transmitting and decryptingFibers attenuate the signal much less than copper doesBut the problem comes when we have to translate the signal back into electrical on the receiving endIs there a break-even point with fiber and copper? 22:15Optical communication technology in the futureWhat speed are we at now and what’s the next technology? 23:05600 G technology will be here eventuallyWe can expect 1.5 years between iterations in bandwidth. This is really slow in terms of today's fast-paced technology.We typically see 100 G speeds todayPredictions 26:00

Mike Hoffman and <a href="https://twitter.com/Keysight_Daniel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Bogdanoff</a> continue their discussion with Stefan Loeffler about optical communication. In the first episode, we looked at "what is optical communication?" and "how does optical communication work?" This week we dig deeper into some of the latest optical communication techniques and advances in the industry as well as the use of fiber optic cable in electronics and long-range telecommunication networks. <a href="https://youtu.be/sZXxltWJwIU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Video</a> version (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/keysightoscilloscope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a>): <a href="https://youtu.be/sZXxltWJwIU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/sZXxltWJwIU</a>  Audio Version: <h2>Discussion Overview:</h2> <h3>Installation of optical fiber and maintenance of optical fiber</h3>We can use<a href="http://eestalktech.com/2017/05/16/optical-101/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> optical communication</a> techniques such as phase multiplexing There’s a race between using more colors and higher bitrates to increase data communication rates. Indium doped fiber amplifiers can multiply multiple channels at different colors on the same optical PHY. You can use up to 80 colors on a single fiber optic channel! 3:52 How is optical communication similar to RF? Optical communication is a lot like WiFi 4:07 Light color in optical fiber is the equivalent of carrier frequencies in RF <h3>How do we increase the data rate in optical fiber?</h3>There are many multiplexing methods such as multicore, wavelength division, and polarization 4:50 Practically, only two polarization modes can be used at once. The limiting factor is the separation technology on the receiver side. 6:20 But, this still doubles our bandwidth! What about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_fibre" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dark fiber</a>? Dark fiber is the physical piece of optical fiber that is unused. 7:07 Using dark fiber on an existing optical fiber is the first step to increasing fiber optic bandwidth. But wavelengths can also be added. Optical C-band vs L-band 7:48 Optical C-band was the first long-distance band. It is now joined by the L-band. Is there a difference between using different colors and different wavelengths? Optical fibers are a light show for mosquitos! 8:30 How do we fix optical fibers? 10:36 For short distances, an OTDR or visual light fault detectors are often used by sending red light into a fiber and lights up when there's a break in the fiber Are there other ways to extend the amount of data we can push through a fiber? 11:35 Pulses per second can be increased, but we will eventually bleed into neighboring channels Phase modulation is also used <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-amplitude_modulation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAM-4</a> comes into play with coding (putting multiple bits in a symbol) And <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrature_amplitude_modulation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">QAM</a> which relies on both amplitude and phase modulation <a href="http://www.keysight.com/main/application.jspx?id=2539363&amp;cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;cmpid=zzfindpam4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAM-4 test solutions</a> How do we visualize optical fibers?  14:05 We can use constellation diagrams which plot magnitude and phase Do we plan for data error? 15:00 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_error_correction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Forward error correction</a> is used, but this redundancy involves significant overhead <h3>QAM vs PAM</h3>64 Gigabot (QAM-64) was the buzzword at <a href="http://www.ofcconference.org/en-us/home/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OFC 2017</a> 16:52 PAM is used for shorter links while QAM is used for longer links How do we evaluate fiber? 18:02 We can calculate cost per managed bit and energy per managed bit Energy consumption is a real concern 18:28 <h3>The race between copper and fiber 19:13</h3>Fiber wins on long distance because of power consumption But does fiber win on data rate? <a href="https://fiber.google.com/about/a/?utm_expid=70049378-49.5jY2c5_dRy2vddeEhKGH6w.1&amp;utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Fiber</a> should come to Colorado Springs...and Germany! To compensate for the loss of the signal on the distance, you push more power in for transmitting and decrypting Fibers attenuate the signal much less than copper does But the problem comes when we have to translate the signal back into electrical on the receiving end Is there a break-even point with fiber and copper? 22:15 <h3>Optical communication technology in the future</h3>What speed are we at now and what’s the next technology? 23:05 600 G technology will be here eventually We can expect 1.5 years between iterations in bandwidth. This is really slow in terms of today's fast-paced technology. We typically see 100 G speeds today Predictions 26:00

Copper vs. Fiber Optic Cable and Optical Communication Techniques – #11

Optical communication 101 - learn about the basics of optics! Daniel Bogdanoff and Mike Hoffman interview Stefan Loeffler.Video Version (YouTube):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWV7Yd1OGa0Audio version:Discussion overview:Similarities between optical and electricalStefan was at OFCWhat is optics? 1:21What is optical communication? 1:30There's a sender and a receiver (optical telecommunication)Usually we use a 9 um fiber optic cable, but sometimes we use lasers and air as a mediumThe transmitter is typically a laserLEDs don't work for opticalOptical fiber alignment is challenging, and is often accomplished using roboticsHow is optical different from electrical engineering?Photodiodes act receivers, use a transimpedance amplifier. It is essentially "electrical in, electrical out" with optical in the middle.Optical used to be binary, but now it's QAM 64Why do we have optical communication?A need for long distance communication led to the use of optical.Communication lines used to follow train tracks, and there were huts every 80 km. So, signals could be regenerated every 80 km.In the 1990s, a new optical amplifier was introduced.Optical amplifier test solutionsSignal reamplifcation vs. signal regenerationThere's a .1 dB per km loss in modern fiber optic cable 11:20This enables undersea fiber optic communication, which has to be very reliableHow does undersea communication get implemented?Usually by consortium: I-ME-WE SEA-ME-WEAT&amp;T was originally a network providerWhat is dark fiber (also known as dark fibre)?Fiber is cheap, installation and right-of-way is expensiveWhat happens if fiber breaks?Dark fiber can be used as a sensor by observing the change in its refractive indexWater in fiber optic line is bad, anchors often break fiber optic cable 17:30Fiber optic cable can be made out of a lot of different thingsUndersea fiber has to have some extra slack in the cableSubmarines are often used to inspect fiber optic cableYou can find breaks in the line using OTDR - "Optical time domain reflectometry"A "distributed reflection" means a mostly linear loss. The slope of the reflection tells you the loss rate.The refractive index in fiber optic cable is about 1.5Latency and delay 23:00The main issue is the data processing, not the data transmissionA lot of optical engineers started in RF engineering 24:00Environmental factors influence the channel, these include temperature, pressure, and physical bendsRecently thunderstorms were found to have an effect on the fiber channelDistributed fiber sensing is used drillingPolarization in fiber, polarization multiplexing techniquesCurrently, we're using 194 THz, which gives 50 nm windowsFuture challenges for optical 28:25It's cost driven. Laying fiber is expensive. And, when all dark fiber is being used, you have to increase bandwidth on existing fiber.Shannon relation 30:00Predictions 31:10Watch the previous episode here!

Optical communication 101 - learn about the basics of optics! <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Keysight_Daniel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Bogdanoff</a> and Mike Hoffman interview Stefan Loeffler. Video Version (YouTube): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWV7Yd1OGa0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWV7Yd1OGa0</a> Audio version: <h2>Discussion overview:</h2>Similarities between optical and electrical Stefan was at <a href="http://www.ofcconference.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OFC</a> What is optics? 1:21 What is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_communication" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">optical communication</a>? 1:30 There's a sender and a receiver (optical telecommunication) Usually we use a 9 um fiber optic cable, but sometimes we use lasers and air as a medium The transmitter is typically a laser <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LEDs</a> don't work for optical Optical fiber alignment is challenging, and is often accomplished using robotics How is optical different from electrical engineering? Photodiodes act receivers, use a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transimpedance_amplifier" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">transimpedance amplifier</a>. It is essentially "electrical in, electrical out" with optical in the middle. Optical used to be binary, but now it's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrature_amplitude_modulation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">QAM</a> 64 Why do we have optical communication? A need for long distance communication led to the use of optical. Communication lines used to follow train tracks, and there were huts every 80 km. So, signals could be regenerated every 80 km. In the 1990s, a new o<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_amplifier" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ptical amplifier</a> was introduced. <a href="http://www.keysight.com/en/pd-87792/optical-amplifier-test-solutions?cc=GB&amp;lc=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Optical amplifier test solutions</a> Signal reamplifcation vs. signal regeneration There's a .1 dB per km loss in modern fiber optic cable 11:20 This enables undersea <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiber-optic_communication" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fiber optic communication</a>, which has to be very reliable How does undersea communication get implemented? Usually by consortium: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-ME-WE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I-ME-WE</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEA-ME-WE_5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SEA-ME-WE</a> AT&amp;T was originally a network provider What is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_fibre" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dark fiber</a> (also known as dark fibre)? Fiber is cheap, installation and right-of-way is expensive What happens if fiber breaks? Dark fiber can be used as a sensor by observing the change in its refractive index Water in fiber optic line is bad, anchors often break fiber optic cable 17:30 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_fiber_cable" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fiber optic cable </a>can be made out of a lot of different things Undersea fiber has to have some extra slack in the cable Submarines are often used to inspect fiber optic cable You can find breaks in the line using OTDR - "Optical time domain reflectometry" A "distributed reflection" means a mostly linear loss. The slope of the reflection tells you the loss rate. The refractive index in fiber optic cable is about 1.5 Latency and delay 23:00 The main issue is the data processing, not the data transmission A lot of optical engineers started in <a href="http://www.keysight.com/main/application.jspx?nid=-34787.0.00" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RF engineering </a>24:00 Environmental factors influence the channel, these include temperature, pressure, and physical bends Recently thunderstorms were found to have an effect on the fiber channel Distributed fiber sensing is used drilling Polarization in fiber, polarization multiplexing techniques Currently, we're using 194 THz, which gives 50 nm windows Future challenges for optical 28:25 It's cost driven. Laying fiber is expensive. And, when all dark fiber is being used, you have to increase bandwidth on existing fiber. Shannon relation 30:00 Predictions 31:10 Watch the previous episode <a href="http://eestalktech.com/2017/04/26/producer-and-consumer-risk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>!

Optical 101 – #9

Phil Gresock, Keysight's Radar Lead, sits down with us to discuss the basics of radar and give us a peek into the world of aerospace electronic warfare.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScwCCTozNuYAgenda:00:20 Adaptive cruise control for cars works really well.1:00 the history of radar - the original radar display was an oscilloscope in WWII. (radar test equipment)http://www.pearl-harbor.com/georgeelliott/scope.html1:45 Early warning radar2:00 The rumor that carrots are good for your eyesight was a British misinformation campaign.2:58 The British had the "chain home radar system" all along the coast that pointed to their western front. They wanted early warning radar because they had limited defensive forces. By knowing what was coming, they could allocate defenses appropriately.3:45 Radar originally was a defensive mechanism.3:50 How does radar work? You send out a pulse that is modulated on a carrier frequency. If that pulse gets reflected back, we can do some math and work out how far away something is.4:30 Typically, there's a specific frequency used. For long range radar, like search and early warning radar, a lower frequency is used.5:15 What does a modern radar system look like?It depends on the application. Early warning systems are often anchored on old oil rigs. The rigs have a radome installed on them.6:25 How does radar detect something so small and so far away? A lot of it depends on the frequencies and processing techniques you use.6:40 There are some radar techniques you can use, for example bouncing off of the sea, the earth, the troposphere.7:15 Radar also has some navigational benefits. For example, wind shear flying into Breckenridge airport. A change in medium is measurable.8:10 Radars also get installed on missiles to do some last-minute corrections.8:35 Ultimately, the goal of radar is to detect something. You're trying to figure out range, elevation (azimuth), velocity, etc.Different target sizes and ranges require different pulse widths, different frequencies, etc.Azimuth is easy to determine because you know what direction your radar is pointing.To detect velocity with radar you can use doppler shift.10:30 Radar cross section analysis gives even more information.11:00 There are spheres in space for radar calibration. You can send pulses to the sphere and measure what you get back.Radar calibration sphere in low earth orbit:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA532032 (for full paper, click the "full text" link)11:40 There are also reflectors on the moon so you can use laser telescopes to measure the reflection.Mirrors on the moon:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Laser_Ranging_experiment12:30 NASA put reflectors in space.12:58 So, you send a pulse out and get a return signal, but there was a scattering effect. There are libraries for what a return pulse for different objects looks like so you can identify what you are looking at.14:00 Radar counter intelligence techniques.First, you have to know you are being painted by radar. Military jets have a number of antennas all around it. And, you generally know what radars are being used in a theater of operation. So, there will be a warning that will let you know you are being painted by a certain type of radar.15:30 Get Daniel on a fighter jet16:05 How do you stop your radar from being detected or interfered with? There are a few techniques.Radar frequency hopping is changing the frequency used from pulse to pulse.Radar frequency modulation changes the modulation pulse to pulse - phase shifts, amplitude changes, frequency chirps, etc.This helps avoid detection, get better performance, or reduce susceptibility to jamming.If you know how your radar responds to different signals, you have a lot of flexibility in what signal you use.How do you spoof a radar? You have to know what is incident upon you and know how that will act over time. You can send out pulses advanced or lagging in time or with different Doppler shifts to give misinformation to the receiver.You can also drown out the pulses so that your pulses get read instead of your reflections.You have to have an intimate understanding of the radar you're trying to defeat, a good system to handle that quickly, and good knowledge that something is actually happening.We need radar profile flash cards.Radar peak energies are anywhere from kilowatts to Megawatts.21:10 A recent US Navy ship had a new hull design, and it has to turn on a beacon because it had so little reflections.https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2016/10/14/some-of-the-numbers-behind-the-u-s-navys-new-zumwalt-class-destroyer-infographic/#da435a17059722:00 Phil thinks radars are pretty cool, and it shows up in a lot more places than you'd expect.Radar stands for "radio detection and ranging."

Phil Gresock, Keysight's Radar Lead, sits down with us to discuss the basics of radar and give us a peek into the world of aerospace electronic warfare. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScwCCTozNuY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScwCCTozNuY</a> Agenda: 00:20 Adaptive cruise control for cars works really well. 1:00 the history of radar - the original radar display was an oscilloscope in WWII. (<a href="https://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?ckey=1510703&amp;id=1510703&amp;nid=-34960.0.00&amp;lc=eng&amp;cc=US" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">radar test equipment</a>) <a href="http://www.pearl-harbor.com/georgeelliott/scope.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.pearl-harbor.com/georgeelliott/scope.html</a> 1:45 Early warning radar 2:00 The rumor that carrots are good for your eyesight was a British misinformation campaign. 2:58 The British had the "chain home radar system" all along the coast that pointed to their western front. They wanted early warning radar because they had limited defensive forces. By knowing what was coming, they could allocate defenses appropriately. 3:45 <a href="http://www.keysight.com/find/radar-focus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Radar</a> originally was a defensive mechanism. 3:50 How does radar work? You send out a pulse that is modulated on a carrier frequency. If that pulse gets reflected back, we can do some math and work out how far away something is. 4:30 Typically, there's a specific frequency used. For long range radar, like search and early warning radar, a lower frequency is used. 5:15 What does a modern radar system look like? It depends on the application. Early warning systems are often anchored on old oil rigs. The rigs have a radome installed on them. 6:25 How does radar detect something so small and so far away? A lot of it depends on the frequencies and processing techniques you use. 6:40 There are some radar techniques you can use, for example bouncing off of the sea, the earth, the troposphere. 7:15 Radar also has some navigational benefits. For example, wind shear flying into Breckenridge airport. A change in medium is measurable. 8:10 Radars also get installed on missiles to do some last-minute corrections. 8:35 Ultimately, the goal of radar is to detect something. You're trying to figure out range, elevation (azimuth), velocity, etc. Different target sizes and ranges require different pulse widths, different frequencies, etc. Azimuth is easy to determine because you know what direction your radar is pointing. To detect velocity with radar you can use doppler shift. 10:30 Radar cross section analysis gives even more information. 11:00 There are spheres in space for radar calibration. You can send pulses to the sphere and measure what you get back. Radar calibration sphere in low earth orbit: <a href="http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA532032" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA532032</a> (for full paper, click the "full text" link) 11:40 There are also reflectors on the moon so you can use laser telescopes to measure the reflection. Mirrors on the moon: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Laser_Ranging_experiment" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Laser_Ranging_experiment</a> 12:30 NASA put reflectors in space. 12:58 So, you send a pulse out and get a return signal, but there was a scattering effect. There are libraries for what a return pulse for different objects looks like so you can identify what you are looking at. 14:00 Radar counter intelligence techniques. First, you have to know you are being painted by radar. Military jets have a number of antennas all around it. And, you generally know what radars are being used in a theater of operation. So, there will be a warning that will let you know you are being painted by a certain type of radar. 15:30 Get Daniel on a fighter jet 16:05 How do you stop your radar from being detected or interfered with? There are a few techniques. Radar frequency hopping is changing the frequency used from pulse to pulse. Radar frequency modulation changes the modulation pulse to pulse - phase shifts, amplitude changes, frequency chirps, etc. This helps avoid detection, get better performance, or reduce susceptibility to jamming. If you know how your radar responds to different signals, you have a lot of flexibility in what signal you use. How do you spoof a radar? You have to know what is incident upon you and know how that will act over time. You can send out pulses advanced or lagging in time or with different Doppler shifts to give misinformation to the receiver. You can also drown out the pulses so that your pulses get read instead of your reflections. You have to have an intimate understanding of the radar you're trying to defeat, a good system to handle that quickly, and good knowledge that something is actually happening. We need radar profile flash cards. Radar peak energies are anywhere from kilowatts to Megawatts. 21:10 A recent US Navy ship had a new hull design, and it has to turn on a beacon because it had so little reflections. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2016/10/14/some-of-the-numbers-behind-the-u-s-navys-new-zumwalt-class-destroyer-infographic/#da435a170597" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2016/10/14/some-of-the-numbers-behind-the-u-s-navys-new-zumwalt-class-destroyer-infographic/#da435a170597</a> 22:00 Phil thinks radars are pretty cool, and it shows up in a lot more places than you'd expect. Radar stands for "radio detection and ranging."

Radar and Electronic Warfare -#22

Kenny shares his experience debugging 800 MHz EMC issues at an unnamed engineering site. The culprit? A power supply! Sometimes, that 1:1 probe just isn't enough...Daniel Bogdanoff and guest host Erin chat with Kenny Johnson about the impact of power supplies on conducted and radiated emissions.Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY5HoXkPQJELinks to discussed topics:Decoupling Capacitor Optimization for Power Integrity Webcast:https://www.keysight.com/main/eventDetail.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=2908999&amp;nid=-35724.0.08Slides:https://www.keysight.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/29March2018WebcastSlides.pdfHow to Design for Power Integrity Video Series:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtq84kH8xZ9FNXAsf-odoGNe6h5A6D3inSlides:https://www.keysight.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/5_Power_Integrity_Ecosystem.pdfKenny's Favorite Probehttps://www.keysight.com/en/pd-1938466/high-voltage-probe-10001-30-kv-50-mhz?cc=US&amp;lc=eng Agenda:00:00Kenny likes textbooks1:30Kenny is a power integrity expert2:00Mobile device design is hard, Kenny feels bad for designers2:15Power integrity is coupled in with their radio, and makes it hard to pass EMI and EMC3:20EMI/EMC is failing, but:Hardware guy has good dataSoftware guy has good softwarePower guy looks to have no issues4:45 FCC, ETSI5:00Types of EMI and EMC are:Conducted emissionsRadiated emissions6:00Example: The IoT processor is only clocking at 5 MHz, but the EMC engineer is picking up noise up to 750-800 MHz. And, the system is dropping bits.7:15The 1:1 passive probe was hiding the higher frequency noise.Then, they were able to trigger on the power supply and see the noise in the data line - power supply induced jitter.A common rule of thumb is to have 20 MHz of bandwidth, but that's not always enough!10:50Optimizing decoupling capacitors. How to choose the right capacitors? Where to place decoupling capacitors?11:50Many complex components come with design guidelines (voltage regulators, capacitors, etc.). But, it shouldn't be treated as law.13:00Helpful resources13:40If you're working on more prosaic devices (they aren't crazy fast), even if you aren't having an EMI issue, the same part of the board that's having the EMI issues can also pollute the antennas.14:30How much bandwidth should you get?15:25Kenny connects to his device at full bandwidth, then pulls up an FFT. Then, he bandwidth limits to where the FFT rolls off.16:15A new power rail probe goes out to 6 GHz. Why do we need this much bandwidth? Higher BW noise!18:00Kenny saw a startup hub in Boston. It had a lot of different startups that pooled their collective resources to get access to higher end test equipment.19:00Kenny feels like the free tools are good for qualitative measurements, but not for quantitative measurements.20:46 - Adam Savage - "Buy the cheapest tool first. If you break it, go buy a nice one."21:30 Kenny is part of the inspiration for this podcast.24:45Stupid Questions:What's the worst possible power integrity advice you could possibly give to someone?What's your favorite probe and why?

Kenny shares his experience debugging 800 MHz EMC issues at an unnamed engineering site. The culprit? A power supply! Sometimes, that 1:1 probe just isn't enough... Daniel Bogdanoff and guest host Erin chat with Kenny Johnson about the impact of power supplies on conducted and radiated emissions. Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY5HoXkPQJE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY5HoXkPQJE</a> Links to discussed topics: Decoupling Capacitor Optimization for Power Integrity Webcast: <a href="https://www.keysight.com/main/eventDetail.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=2908999&amp;nid=-35724.0.08" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.keysight.com/main/eventDetail.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=2908999&amp;nid=-35724.0.08</a> Slides: <a href="https://www.keysight.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/29March2018WebcastSlides.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.keysight.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/29March2018WebcastSlides.pdf</a> How to Design for Power Integrity Video Series: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtq84kH8xZ9FNXAsf-odoGNe6h5A6D3in" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtq84kH8xZ9FNXAsf-odoGNe6h5A6D3in</a> Slides: <a href="https://www.keysight.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/5_Power_Integrity_Ecosystem.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.keysight.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/5_Power_Integrity_Ecosystem.pdf</a> Kenny's Favorite Probe <a href="https://www.keysight.com/en/pd-1938466/high-voltage-probe-10001-30-kv-50-mhz?cc=US&amp;lc=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.keysight.com/en/pd-1938466/high-voltage-probe-10001-30-kv-50-mhz?cc=US&amp;lc=eng</a> <h2>Agenda:</h2>00:00 Kenny likes textbooks 1:30 Kenny is a power integrity expert 2:00 Mobile device design is hard, Kenny feels bad for designers 2:15 Power integrity is coupled in with their radio, and makes it hard to pass EMI and EMC 3:20 EMI/EMC is failing, but: Hardware guy has good data Software guy has good software Power guy looks to have no issues 4:45 FCC, ETSI 5:00 Types of EMI and EMC are: Conducted emissions Radiated emissions 6:00 Example: The IoT processor is only clocking at 5 MHz, but the EMC engineer is picking up noise up to 750-800 MHz. And, the system is dropping bits. 7:15 The 1:1 passive probe was hiding the higher frequency noise. Then, they were able to trigger on the power supply and see the noise in the data line - power supply induced jitter. A common rule of thumb is to have 20 MHz of bandwidth, but that's not always enough! 10:50 Optimizing decoupling capacitors. How to choose the right capacitors? Where to place decoupling capacitors? 11:50 Many complex components come with design guidelines (voltage regulators, capacitors, etc.). But, it shouldn't be treated as law. 13:00 Helpful resources 13:40 If you're working on more prosaic devices (they aren't crazy fast), even if you aren't having an EMI issue, the same part of the board that's having the EMI issues can also pollute the antennas. 14:30 How much bandwidth should you get? 15:25 Kenny connects to his device at full bandwidth, then pulls up an FFT. Then, he bandwidth limits to where the FFT rolls off. 16:15 A new power rail probe goes out to 6 GHz. Why do we need this much bandwidth? Higher BW noise! 18:00 Kenny saw a startup hub in Boston. It had a lot of different startups that pooled their collective resources to get access to higher end test equipment. 19:00 Kenny feels like the free tools are good for qualitative measurements, but not for quantitative measurements. 20:46 - Adam Savage - "Buy the cheapest tool first. If you break it, go buy a nice one." 21:30 Kenny is part of the inspiration for this podcast. 24:45 Stupid Questions: What's the worst possible power integrity advice you could possibly give to someone? What's your favorite probe and why?

Power Supply EMI + BW Woes – #31

We have surprisingly little knowledge of weather. When specifically does a cloud rain? How do these clouds form? We don't have good answers to these questions. Getting those answers is an electrical engineering problem - one that a handful of professors and NASA are solving with CubeSats.Historically, we've used large satellites and ground-based systems to track weather patterns, but CubeSat arrays are becoming a viable option. In this episode, Daniel Bogdanoff sits down with the leading researchers in this area to hear about the challenges and advancements being made in this area.Interviewees:Charles Norton - JPL Engineering and Science Directorate POCJoel T Johnson - ECE Department Chair and Professor at The Ohio State UniversityChristopher Ball - Research Scientist at The Ohio State UniversityDr. V. Chandrasekar (Chandra) - ECE Professor at Colorado State UniversityEva Peral - Radar Digital Systems Group Supervisor at JPLhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBzMM1cW3YIAgendaIntroSpace is changing. Big, expensive satellites used to be our only option. But, as you’ve probably heard on this podcast, when it comes to technology the world is always shrinking – and satellites are no exception. And that’s what we’re exploring today, specifically, the way cubesats (miniature satellites) are revolutionizing the way we look at earth’s weather.Hi, my name is Daniel Bogdanoff, and welcome to EEs Talk Tech. In our last episode, I brought you all along with me to Wallops flight facility in Virginia for a rocket launch. It was an eye-opening experience for me, and I wanted to cover more than was reasonable for a single episode. So today, we’re blending the style of last episode and our standard interview-style podcast. I sat down with some EE professors from Ohio State University and Colorado State University to talk about their cube sat projects – all of which monitor weather using radiometers or radar and are pretty high tech.I also apologize in advance for the background noise during the interviews, I’ve done the best I can to minimize the noise and voiceover parts I feel are hard to hear. I’ve also used clips from their NASA TV presentations wherever possible.Let’s get started, and hear a little bit about the advantages of CubeSats from Charles Norton.Advantages of CubeSats [1:05]Cubesats are nice not just because they’re cheaper and smaller. Thanks to the miniaturization of new technologies in both their physical size and their power consumption, we can deploy more systems, more rapidly, and at a lower cost. They also require smaller teams to develop and operate, and can even have higher measurement accuracy than existing assets.CubeRRT [3:51]At its core, CubeRRT is all about making radiometry measurements better by processing out man made emissions – leaving only the earth’s natural emissions.From NASA: "Microwave radiometers provide important data for Earth science investigations, such as soil moisture, atmospheric water vapor, sea surface temperature and sea surface winds. Man-made radiofrequency interference (RFI) reduces the accuracy of microwave radiometer data, thus the CubeSat Radiometer Radio Frequency Interference Technology Validation (CubeRRT) mission demonstrates technologies to detect and remove these unwanted RFI signals. Successful completion of the CubeRRT mission demonstrates that RFI processing is feasible in space, high volumes of data may be processed aboard a satellite, and that future satellite-based radiometers may utilize RFI mitigation."TEMPEST-D [8:00]Instead of having a big satellite sitting in geosynchronous orbit, an array of CubeSats can be put in orbit such that they each pass over the same spot at set intervals. With some careful calibration, differences in the measurement equipment gets normalized out and they get good weather data.From JPL: "TEMPEST-D is a technology demonstration mission to enable millimeter wave radiometer technologies on a low-cost, short development schedule. The mission ... reduces the risk, cost, and development duration for a future TEMPEST mission, which would provide the first ever temporal observations of cloud and precipitation processes on a global scale.  For TEMPEST-D, JPL developed a mm-wave radiometer payload that operates at five channels from 89 to 182 GHz and fits in a 4U volume within the 6U CubeSat."RainCube [11:47] &amp; the Origami AntennaFrom JPL: "RainCube (Radar in a CubeSat) is a technology demonstration mission to enable Ka-band precipitation radar technologies on a low-cost, quick-turnaround platform. RainCube developed a 35.75 GHz radar payload to operate within the 6U CubeSat form factor. This mission will validate a new architecture for Ka-band radars and an ultra-compact lightweight deployable Ka-band antenna in a space environment to raise the technology readiness level (TRL) of the radar and antenna from 4 to 7 within the three year life of the program. RainCube will also demonstrate the feasibility of a radar payload on a CubeSat platform."Foldable Antenna [12:20]1.5U volume, Ka-band 35.75 GHz RADAR antenna.Why Measure Weather from Space? [15:00]These are just a few of the cubesat projects that went up on the OA9 rocket launch. To hear more about that, check out EEs Talk Tech electrical engineering podcast episode #29 - The Long Road to Space.

We have surprisingly little knowledge of weather. When specifically does a cloud rain? How do these clouds form? We don't have good answers to these questions. Getting those answers is an electrical engineering problem - one that a handful of professors and NASA are solving with CubeSats. Historically, we've used large satellites and ground-based systems to track weather patterns, but CubeSat arrays are becoming a viable option. In this episode, Daniel Bogdanoff sits down with the leading researchers in this area to hear about the challenges and advancements being made in this area. Interviewees: Charles Norton - JPL Engineering and Science Directorate POC Joel T Johnson - ECE Department Chair and Professor at The Ohio State University Christopher Ball - Research Scientist at The Ohio State University Dr. V. Chandrasekar (Chandra) - ECE Professor at Colorado State University Eva Peral - Radar Digital Systems Group Supervisor at JPL <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBzMM1cW3YI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBzMM1cW3YI</a> Agenda <h2>Intro</h2>Space is changing. Big, expensive satellites used to be our only option. But, as you’ve probably heard on this podcast, when it comes to technology the world is always shrinking – and satellites are no exception. And that’s what we’re exploring today, specifically, the way cubesats (miniature satellites) are revolutionizing the way we look at earth’s weather. Hi, my name is Daniel Bogdanoff, and welcome to EEs Talk Tech. In our last episode, I brought you all along with me to Wallops flight facility in Virginia for a rocket launch. It was an eye-opening experience for me, and I wanted to cover more than was reasonable for a single episode. So today, we’re blending the style of last episode and our standard interview-style podcast. I sat down with some EE professors from Ohio State University and Colorado State University to talk about their cube sat projects – all of which monitor weather using radiometers or radar and are pretty high tech. I also apologize in advance for the background noise during the interviews, I’ve done the best I can to minimize the noise and voiceover parts I feel are hard to hear. I’ve also used clips from their NASA TV presentations wherever possible. Let’s get started, and hear a little bit about the advantages of CubeSats from Charles Norton. <h2>Advantages of CubeSats [1:05]</h2>Cubesats are nice not just because they’re cheaper and smaller. Thanks to the miniaturization of new technologies in both their physical size and their power consumption, we can deploy more systems, more rapidly, and at a lower cost. They also require smaller teams to develop and operate, and can even have higher measurement accuracy than existing assets. <h2><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/2575.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CubeRRT</a> [3:51]</h2>At its core, CubeRRT is all about making radiometry measurements better by processing out man made emissions – leaving only the earth’s natural emissions. From NASA: "Microwave radiometers provide important data for Earth science investigations, such as soil moisture, atmospheric water vapor, sea surface temperature and sea surface winds. Man-made radiofrequency interference (RFI) reduces the accuracy of microwave radiometer data, thus the CubeSat Radiometer Radio Frequency Interference Technology Validation (CubeRRT) mission demonstrates technologies to detect and remove these unwanted RFI signals. Successful completion of the CubeRRT mission demonstrates that RFI processing is feasible in space, high volumes of data may be processed aboard a satellite, and that future satellite-based radiometers may utilize RFI mitigation." <h2><a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cubesat/missions/tempest-d.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TEMPEST-D</a> [8:00]</h2>Instead of having a big satellite sitting in geosynchronous orbit, an array of CubeSats can be put in orbit such that they each pass over the same spot at set intervals. With some careful calibration, differences in the measurement equipment gets normalized out and they get good weather data. From JPL: "TEMPEST-D is a technology demonstration mission to enable millimeter wave radiometer technologies on a low-cost, short development schedule. The mission ... reduces the risk, cost, and development duration for a future TEMPEST mission, which would provide the first ever temporal observations of cloud and precipitation processes on a global scale.  For TEMPEST-D, JPL developed a mm-wave radiometer payload that operates at five channels from 89 to 182 GHz and fits in a 4U volume within the 6U CubeSat." <h2><a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cubesat/missions/raincube.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RainCube</a> [11:47] &amp; the Origami Antenna</h2>From JPL: "RainCube (Radar in a CubeSat) is a technology demonstration mission to enable Ka-band precipitation radar technologies on a low-cost, quick-turnaround platform. RainCube developed a 35.75 GHz radar payload to operate within the 6U CubeSat form factor. This mission will validate a new architecture for Ka-band radars and an ultra-compact lightweight deployable Ka-band antenna in a space environment to raise the technology readiness level (TRL) of the radar and antenna from 4 to 7 within the three year life of the program. RainCube will also demonstrate the feasibility of a radar payload on a CubeSat platform." <h2>Foldable Antenna [12:20]</h2>1.5U volume, Ka-band 35.75 GHz <a href="https://eestalktech.com/radar-and-electronic-warfare/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RADAR </a>antenna. <h2>Why Measure Weather from Space? [15:00]</h2>These are just a few of the cubesat projects that went up on the OA9 rocket launch. To hear more about that, check out EEs Talk Tech <a href="https://www.eestalktech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">electrical engineering podcast</a> episode #29 - <a href="https://eestalktech.com/the-long-road-to-space/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Long Road to Space</a>.

Weather CubeSats – #30

The Long Road to Space – #29

The future will be built using ASICs! Daniel Bogdanoff and Mike Hoffman sit down with chip sage and planner Mike Beyers to discuss the challenges of building custom application specific integrated circuits. This podcast was inspired by the blog post "Creating an ASIC - Our Quest to Make the Best Cheap Oscilloscope"Video version (YouTube):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGKY29t-uQsAudio version:Discussion Overview:We’re finally a real podcast now!What is an ASIC? An ASIC is an application specific integrated circuit, an IC designed for a specific task.Why do we use ASICs?ASIC architecture 101 2:46The main specification people talk about is the size smallest thing you can find on a chip - like the gate of a CMOS transistor Effective gate length is shorter than the gate length drawn because of the manufacturing  process.Another key spec is how many transistors you can fit in a square mmMetal layers for interconnects are also more important, but can cause the mask sets to be more expensiveDo we care more about a gate's footprint or its depth? 4:11Will Moore’s Law hit a ceiling? 4:29What about using three dimensional structures? 5:37Is Moore’s Law just a marketing number? 5:51Does technology ever slow down? 6:29Power is often the largest limiter 6:58Google builds data centers next to hydroelectric dams 7:34Battery power 7:43Power drives cost 7:53How does the power problem affect ASICs? 8:25There are power integrity and thermal management concernsDedicated routes on an ASIC vs switching on an FPGA 8:14Who actually uses ASICs? 10:14IOT technology - 7 nm and 14nm chipsA lot of people are using older technology because it's much more affordable (like 45 nm)ASICs on your bike could be a thing? 11:16SRAM wireless electronic bike shifters 11:57Is bike hacking a real thing? Yes! Encrypted wireless communication helps prevent it.Is an opamp (operational amplifier) an ASIC?What to consider when investing in an ASIC 13:23What’s the next best alternative to building this ASIC?With an ASIC, you can often drive lower cost, but you also increase performance and  reliabilityIs there a return on investment? 14:24What happens when Moore’s Law hits a dead end with transistors? 14:46Could we replace electrical with optical? 15:30Is it possible that there other fundamental devices out there, waiting to be discovered? 16:20The theoretical fourth device, the memristor 17:00Will analog design ever die? Mike was told to get into digital design.Non-binary logic could be the future 18:23If someone wants and ASIC, how do they get one? 18:50In-house design vs. external fabs/foundries, total turnkey solutions vs. the foundry modelYou can get a cheaper chip by going to a larger architecture, but the chip will run hotter and slower.RTL - Most common code languages Verilog or VHDL vs. higher level languages like C 22:50Behavioral Verilog vs. Structural Verilog 24:00The history of Keysight ASICs 25:45Predictions 28:40How to connect with us 29:00

The future will be built using ASICs! <a href="http://twitter.com/Keysight_Daniel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Bogdanoff</a> and Mike Hoffman sit down with chip sage and planner Mike Beyers to discuss the challenges of building custom application specific integrated circuits. This podcast was inspired by the blog post "<a href="https://community.keysight.com/community/keysight-blogs/oscilloscopes/blog/2017/05/15/creating-an-asic-our-quest-to-make-the-best-cheap-oscilloscope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creating an ASIC - Our Quest to Make the Best Cheap Oscilloscope</a>" <a href="https://youtu.be/jGKY29t-uQs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Video</a> version (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/KeysightOscilloscope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a>): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGKY29t-uQs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGKY29t-uQs</a> Audio version: <h2>Discussion Overview:</h2>We’re finally a real podcast now! What is an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application-specific_integrated_circuit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ASIC</a>? An ASIC is an application specific integrated circuit, an IC designed for a specific task. Why do we use ASICs? ASIC architecture 101 2:46 The main specification people talk about is the size smallest thing you can find on a chip - like the <a href="https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/digital/chpt-3/cmos-gate-circuitry/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gate of a CMOS transistor</a> <a href="https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/transistor-gate-length.685625/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Effective gate length</a> is shorter than the gate length drawn because of the manufacturing  process. Another key spec is how many transistors you can fit in a square mm Metal layers for interconnects are also more important, but can cause the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photomask" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mask sets</a> to be more expensive Do we care more about a gate's footprint or its depth? 4:11 Will <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_law" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moore’s Law</a> hit a ceiling? 4:29 What about using three dimensional structures? 5:37 Is <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/02/moores-law-really-is-dead-this-time/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moore’s Law</a> just a marketing number? 5:51 Does technology ever slow down? 6:29 Power is often the largest limiter 6:58 <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/04/ebd/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google builds data centers next to hydroelectric dams</a> 7:34 Battery power 7:43 Power drives cost 7:53 How does the power problem affect ASICs? 8:25 There are power integrity and thermal management concerns Dedicated routes on an ASIC vs switching on an FPGA 8:14 Who actually uses ASICs? 10:14 IOT technology - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_nanometer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">7 nm</a> and 14nm chips A lot of people are using older technology because it's much more affordable (like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45_nanometer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">45 nm</a>) ASICs on your bike could be a thing? 11:16 <a href="https://www.sram.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SRAM</a> <a href="http://www.gravelcyclist.com/bicycle-tech/2016-interbike-electronic-shifting-is-here-to-stay-new-offerings-by-sram-shimano-and-fsa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wireless electronic bike shifters</a> 11:57 Is bike hacking a real thing? Yes! Encrypted wireless communication helps prevent it. Is an opamp (<a href="http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/opamp/opamp_1.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">operational amplifier</a>) an ASIC? What to consider when investing in an ASIC 13:23 What’s the next best alternative to building this ASIC? With an ASIC, you can often drive lower cost, but you also increase performance and  reliability Is there a <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/returnoninvestment.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">return on investment</a>? 14:24 What happens when Moore’s Law hits a dead end with transistors? 14:46 Could we replace electrical with <a href="http://eestalktech.com/2017/05/16/optical-101/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">optical</a>? 15:30 Is it possible that there other fundamental devices out there, waiting to be discovered? 16:20 The theoretical fourth device, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memristor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">memristor</a> 17:00 Will <a href="http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322672" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">analog design</a> ever die? Mike was told to get into digital design. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-valued_logic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Non-binary logic</a> could be the future 18:23 If someone wants and ASIC, how do they get one? 18:50 In-house design vs. external <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductor_fabrication_plant" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fabs/foundries</a>, total turnkey solutions vs. the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundry_model" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">foundry model</a> You can get a cheaper chip by going to a larger architecture, but the chip will run hotter and slower. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Register-transfer_level" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RTL</a> - Most common code languages Verilog or VHDL vs. higher level languages like C 22:50 <a href="http://www.asic-world.com/verilog/vbehave1.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Behavioral Verilog vs. Structural Verilog</a> 24:00 The history of Keysight ASICs 25:45 Predictions 28:40 How to connect with us 29:00

All About ASICs – #10

Learn more about producer risk and consumer risk! Mike Hoffman, Daniel Bogdanoff, and Matthew Woerner discuss various aspects of the risk involved in manufacturing and buying goods.Audio player:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3s6ASV8VMMore about calibration:http://www.keysight.com/find/americas_cal Discussion Overview:What is consumer risk and producer risk?There's always risk, so how do you manage it?What should consumers do to be safe?How are producers testing their products before selling them?The history of the ballpoint pen is a good object lesson for producers @7:00Are lifetime warranties just a marketing ploy?Lifetime warranty transfers consumer risk into producer riskAs a producer how do you decide how long your warranty should be?How to build reliability models for products 10:30How can we predict a failure rate for a product?We have use temperature chamber and other test techniques.How do you balance AFR (annualized failure rate) with the risk of experiencing catastrophic failure ?What is a false accept? What is the "escape rate," what is a false pass ?A false accept is the term for test results that should have failed, but instead pass.How do you avoid catastrophic issues in production? 15:15How accurate can you really be? How accurately can you measure something that takes time?Is there a guide for the uncertainty of measurements?Traceability is important for making reliable measurementsFill up your gas tank early in the morning and you get more gasWhat should you do now? 20:00What is margin stackup?Everything in a device has margin, so margin stackup is the combination of all uncertainties.Calibration is a very wide industry, it doesn't just apply to test and measurement! Think, car alignments, etc.What is Matthew's biggest challenge? 24:23How do you make sure your measurements are accurate?Predictions 28:00Some companies test products based on the region that product is being sold into, as different regions can have different quality expectations.

Learn more about producer risk and consumer risk! Mike Hoffman, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Keysight_Daniel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Bogdanoff</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/woernermm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew Woerner</a> discuss various aspects of the risk involved in manufacturing and buying goods. Audio player: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3s6ASV8VM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3s6ASV8VM</a> More about calibration: <a href="http://www.keysight.com/find/americas_cal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.keysight.com/find/americas_cal</a> <h2>Discussion Overview:</h2>What is consumer risk and producer risk? There's always risk, so how do you manage it? What should consumers do to be safe? How are producers testing their products before selling them? The history of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballpoint_pen#History" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ballpoint pen</a> is a good object lesson for producers @7:00 Are lifetime warranties just a marketing ploy? Lifetime warranty transfers consumer risk into producer risk As a producer how do you decide how long your warranty should be? How to build reliability models for products 10:30 How can we predict a failure rate for a product? We have use temperature chamber and other test techniques. How do you balance AFR (<a href="http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5990-6267EN.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">annualized failure rate</a>) with the risk of experiencing catastrophic failure ? What is a false accept? What is the "escape rate," what is a false pass ? A false accept is the term for test results that should have failed, but instead pass. How do you avoid catastrophic issues in production? 15:15 How accurate can you really be? How accurately can you measure something that takes time? Is there a guide for the <a href="http://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=2275719" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">uncertainty of measurements?</a> Traceability is important for making reliable measurements Fill up your gas tank early in the morning and you get more gas What should you do now? 20:00 What is margin stackup? Everything in a device has margin, so margin stackup is the combination of all uncertainties. Calibration is a very wide industry, it doesn't just apply to test and measurement! Think, car alignments, etc. What is Matthew's biggest challenge? 24:23 How do you make sure your <a href="https://community.keysight.com/community/keysight-blogs/oscilloscopes/blog/2016/08/22/this-quick-trick-makes-your-oscilloscope-measurement-1000-times-better" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">measurements are accurate</a>? Predictions 28:00 Some companies test products based on the region that product is being sold into, as different regions can have different quality expectations.

Producer and Consumer Risk – #8

Wide bandgap semiconductors, like Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) are shaping the future of power electronics by boosting power efficiency and reducing physical footprint. Server farms, alternative energy sources, and electrical grids will all be affected! Mike Hoffman and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down with Kenny Johnson to discuss in today's electrical engineering podcast.https://youtu.be/CGEDVYK8lTQLinks:Fact Sheet: https://energy.gov/eere/articles/infographic-wide-bandgap-semiconductorsFact Sheethttps://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/12/f5/wide_bandgap_semiconductors_factsheet.pdfTech Assessment (Good timeline information)https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/02/f19/QTR%20Ch8%20-%20Wide%20Bandgap%20TA%20Feb-13-2015.pdf Agenda - Wide Bandgap Semiconductors Use in Power Electronics3:00 What is a wide bandgap semiconductor? GaN (Gallium Nitride) devices and SiC (Silicon Carbide) can switch on and off much faster than typical silicon power devices. Wide bandgap semiconductors also have better thermal conductivity. And, wide bandgap semiconductors have a significantly lower drain-source resistance (R-on).For switch mode power supplies, the transistor switch time is the key source of inefficiency. So, switching faster makes things more efficient.4:00 They will also reduce the size of power electronics.6:30 Wide bandgap semiconductors have a very fast rise time, which can cause EMI and RFI problems. The high switching speed also means they can’t handle much parasitic inductance. So, today's IC packaging technology isn’t ideal.8:30 Wide bandgap semiconductors are enabling the smart grid. The smart grid essentially means that you only turning on things being used, and turning off power completely when they aren’t being used.9:35 Wide bandgap semiconductors will probably be integrated into server farms before they are used in power grid distribution or in homes.10:20 Google uses a lot of power. 2.3 TWh (terawatt hour)NYT article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/technology/google-details-and-defends-its-use-of-electricity.htmlIt's estimated Google has 900,000 servers, and that accounts for maybe 1% of the world’s servers.So, they are willing to put in the investment to work out the details of this technology.11:50 The US Department of Energy wants people to get an advanced degree in power electronics. Countries want to have technology leadership in this area.13:00 Wide bandgap semiconductors are also very important for wind farms and other alternative forms of energy.Having a solid switch mode power supply means that you don’t have to have extra capacity.USA Dept of Energy: If industrial motor systems were wide bandgap semiconductors took over, it would save a ton of energy.14:45 A huge percentage of the world’s power is consumed by electrical pumps.16:20 Kenny’s oldest son works for a company that goes around and shows companies how to recover energy costs.There aren't many tools available for measuring wide bandgap semiconductor power electronics.19:30 Utilities and servers are the two main industries that will initially adopt wide band gap semiconductors20:35 When will this technology get implemented in the real world? There are parts available today, but it probably won’t be viable for roughly 2-5 years.21:00 Devices with fast switching are beneficial, but have their own set of problems. The faster a devices switches, the more EMI and RFI you have to deal with.Spread spectrum clocking is a technique used to pass EMI compliance.24:00 Band gaps of different materials: Diamond 5.5 eV Gallium Nitride (GaN) 3.4 eV Silicon Carbide (SiC) 3.3 eV

Wide bandgap semiconductors, like Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) are shaping the future of power electronics by boosting power efficiency and reducing physical footprint. Server farms, alternative energy sources, and electrical grids will all be affected! Mike Hoffman and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down with Kenny Johnson to discuss in today's <a href="https://eestalktech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">electrical engineering podcast</a>. <a href="https://youtu.be/CGEDVYK8lTQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/CGEDVYK8lTQ</a> Links: Fact Sheet: <a href="https://energy.gov/eere/articles/infographic-wide-bandgap-semiconductors" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://energy.gov/eere/articles/infographic-wide-bandgap-semiconductors</a> Fact Sheet <a href="https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/12/f5/wide_bandgap_semiconductors_factsheet.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/12/f5/wide_bandgap_semiconductors_factsheet.pdf</a> Tech Assessment (Good timeline information) <a href="https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/02/f19/QTR%20Ch8%20-%20Wide%20Bandgap%20TA%20Feb-13-2015.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/02/f19/QTR%20Ch8%20-%20Wide%20Bandgap%20TA%20Feb-13-2015.pdf</a> <h2>Agenda - Wide Bandgap Semiconductors</h2> <h3>Use in Power Electronics</h3>3:00 What is a wide bandgap semiconductor? GaN (Gallium Nitride) devices and SiC (Silicon Carbide) can switch on and off much faster than typical silicon power devices. Wide bandgap semiconductors also have better thermal conductivity. And, wide bandgap semiconductors have a significantly lower drain-source resistance (R-on). For switch mode power supplies, the transistor switch time is the key source of inefficiency. So, switching faster makes things more efficient. 4:00 They will also reduce the size of power electronics. 6:30 Wide bandgap semiconductors have a very fast rise time, which can cause EMI and RFI problems. The high switching speed also means they can’t handle much <a href="https://youtu.be/heufatGyL1s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">parasitic inductance</a>. So, today's IC packaging technology isn’t ideal. 8:30 Wide bandgap semiconductors are enabling the smart grid. The smart grid essentially means that you only turning on things being used, and turning off power completely when they aren’t being used. 9:35 Wide bandgap semiconductors will probably be integrated into server farms before they are used in power grid distribution or in homes. 10:20 Google uses a lot of power. 2.3 TWh (terawatt hour) NYT article: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/technology/google-details-and-defends-its-use-of-electricity.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/technology/google-details-and-defends-its-use-of-electricity.html</a> It's estimated Google has 900,000 servers, and that accounts for maybe 1% of the world’s servers. So, they are willing to put in the investment to work out the details of this technology. 11:50 The US Department of Energy wants people to get an advanced degree in power electronics. Countries want to have technology leadership in this area. 13:00 Wide bandgap semiconductors are also very important for wind farms and other alternative forms of energy. Having a solid switch mode power supply means that you don’t have to have extra capacity. USA Dept of Energy: If industrial motor systems were wide bandgap semiconductors took over, it would save a ton of energy. 14:45 A huge percentage of the world’s power is consumed by electrical pumps. 16:20 Kenny’s oldest son works for a company that goes around and shows companies how to recover energy costs. There aren't many tools available for measuring wide bandgap semiconductor power electronics. 19:30 Utilities and servers are the two main industries that will initially adopt wide band gap semiconductors 20:35 When will this technology get implemented in the real world? There are parts available today, but it probably won’t be viable for roughly 2-5 years. 21:00 Devices with fast switching are beneficial, but have their own set of problems. The faster a devices switches, the more EMI and RFI you have to deal with. Spread spectrum clocking is a technique used to pass EMI compliance. 24:00 Band gaps of different materials: Diamond 5.5 eV Gallium Nitride (GaN) 3.4 eV Silicon Carbide (SiC) 3.3 eV

Wide Bandgap Semiconductors for Power Electronics – Electrical Engineering Podcast #20

How's the impedance of your ground plane? Do you look at your power rails in the frequency domain? Mike Hoffman and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down with power integrity expert Kenny Johnson to discuss the latest trends and techniques for measuring power supplies in today's electrical engineering podcast.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg3miTJIA5M00:15 Kenny gave us a tip during scope month01:26 There are two types of power people.There are power producers, like the wind farms, power plants, and AC/DC adapter creatorsThere are power consumers, who care very much about their power quality. The ripple on power supplies, etc.3:03 Power integrity is the study of the effectiveness of the conversion and delivery of DC power from the source to the gates on the IC.3:45 If Moore's Law holds out for another 600 years, we will have a computer that is capable of simulating every atom in the known universe.4:35 Thermal hotspots were causing problems, so voltage levels started dropping5:00 Kenny went to Amazon to look for a power integrity book. There were only 2-3 books a few years agoPower integrity has been a thing since the 1930s5:50 Product functional reliability is directly proportional to the power quality in a product.We're supplying a voltage to devices, but also current. So, this starts to look a lot like Ohm's law.A device has both power and a ground plane.Power integrity pioneers include Istvan Novak and Ray Ridley and they talk about flat impedance power planes.7:15 Flat impedance power planes - divide the supply power by the peak current, multiply it by your tolerance, you get a target impedance for your power planes.If you can maintain a frequency flat impedance, you don't see noise on your power supplies.7:55 Think back to circuits 101, an inductor is open at a high frequency. And, a power plane is basically a big inductor. If you are, for example, writing high speed digital data to memory, it will be a problem.8:40 When you look at boards, you see bypass capacitors to counteract the inductors10:30 Experienced engineers use a lot of intuition when working out power distribution. Now, there's a lot of localized power distribution.11:15 A typical SSD has 12 power suppliesA tablet can have 50 power suppliesSome of our oscilloscopes have 180 power supply railsNext generation mobile electronics 100-200 power supplies12:25 There are redundant power supplies spread out across the device to help improve reliability. For example, there may be multiple converters that all power the same rail to help spread the loads.The reason intuition is used is that a lot of people don't have access to good simulation tools. They just have to use some rules of thumb and over-engineer the device to try to get reliability.15:10 Kenny has a lot of patents. Our CTO Jay Alexander used to hold the record for most patents at the Colorado Springs site. Kenny has nearly 30 patents.17:15 Kenny started as a probe designer, then got into power integrity.Kenny recommends one by Bogatin about signal integrity, and a second edition called Signal Integrity and Power Integrity18:35 SIPI labs - signal integrity and power integrity lab. Power integrity will affect your signal integrity, your EMI (electromagnetic interference) and your EMC (electromagnetic compatibility). (measure power integrity with a power rail probe)So, the progressive companies have these SIPI labs. There are more advanced tools available.20:10 Multiple papers say that power supply induced jitter is the single biggest source of data jitter in a digital system.Kenny has some IOT development kits, and it's easy to make them drop bits. Dropping bits will have an effect on battery life, performance, etc.21:08 How to clean up a power supply? The majority of the time, it's easiest to use a bypass capacitor. After you've looked at your supply in the time domain, look at it in the frequency domain. That will help you debug where the noise is coming from. And, if you know the frequency you are having trouble with, you can work backward into a bypass capacitor22:42 There are some general rules that seem to apply to everything in electronics. Closer to the device is always better.Next podcast - wide bandgap! The US Department of Energy will pay for some people to go back to university and get a degree in power engineering. Wide bandgap semiconductors have a huge potential to reduce energy usage.

How's the impedance of your ground plane? Do you look at your power rails in the frequency domain? Mike Hoffman and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down with power integrity expert Kenny Johnson to discuss the latest trends and techniques for measuring power supplies in today's <a href="https://eestalktech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">electrical engineering podcast</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg3miTJIA5M" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg3miTJIA5M</a> 00:15 Kenny gave us a tip during <a href="http://www.scopemonth.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">scope month</a> 01:26 There are two types of power people. There are power producers, like the wind farms, power plants, and AC/DC adapter creators There are power consumers, who care very much about their power quality. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVB_n4t57Yc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ripple on power supplies</a>, etc. 3:03 <a href="http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5992-0493EN.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Power integrity</a> is the study of the effectiveness of the conversion and delivery of DC power from the source to the gates on the IC. 3:45 If <a href="http://eestalktech.com/2017/04/26/artificial-intelligence-and-dispersed-computing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moore's Law</a> holds out for another 600 years, we will have a computer that is capable of simulating every atom in the known universe. 4:35 Thermal hotspots were causing problems, so voltage levels started dropping 5:00 Kenny went to Amazon to look for a power integrity book. There were only 2-3 books a few years ago Power integrity has been a thing since the 1930s 5:50 Product functional reliability is directly proportional to the power quality in a product. We're supplying a voltage to devices, but also current. So, this starts to look a lot like Ohm's law. A device has both power and a ground plane. Power integrity pioneers include Istvan Novak and Ray Ridley and they talk about flat impedance power planes. 7:15 Flat impedance power planes - divide the supply power by the peak current, multiply it by your tolerance, you get a target impedance for your power planes. If you can maintain a frequency flat impedance, you don't see noise on your power supplies. 7:55 Think back to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heufatGyL1s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">circuits 101</a>, an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btv0uRi3xJ0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">inductor</a> is open at a high frequency. And, a power plane is basically a big inductor. If you are, for example, writing high speed digital data to memory, it will be a problem. 8:40 When you look at boards, you see bypass capacitors to counteract the inductors 10:30 Experienced engineers use a lot of intuition when working out power distribution. Now, there's a lot of localized power distribution. 11:15 A typical SSD has 12 power supplies A tablet can have 50 power supplies Some of our <a href="http://www.keysight.com/en/pcx-x2015004/oscilloscopes?cc=US" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">oscilloscopes</a> have 180 power supply rails Next generation mobile electronics 100-200 power supplies 12:25 There are redundant power supplies spread out across the device to help improve reliability. For example, there may be multiple converters that all power the same rail to help spread the loads. The reason intuition is used is that a lot of people don't have access to good simulation tools. They just have to use some rules of thumb and over-engineer the device to try to get reliability. 15:10 Kenny has a lot of patents. Our CTO Jay Alexander used to hold the record for most patents at the Colorado Springs site. Kenny has nearly 30 patents. 17:15 Kenny started as a probe designer, then got into power integrity. Kenny recommends one by Bogatin about signal integrity, and a second edition called Signal Integrity and Power Integrity 18:35 SIPI labs - signal integrity and power integrity lab. Power integrity will affect your signal integrity, your EMI (electromagnetic interference) and your EMC (electromagnetic compatibility). (measure <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVsenI36nRI&amp;t=1s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">power integrity</a> with a <a href="http://www.keysight.com/en/pd-2471132-pn-N7020A/power-rail-probe?cc=US&amp;lc=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">power rail probe</a>) So, the progressive companies have these SIPI labs. There are more advanced tools available. 20:10 Multiple papers say that power supply induced jitter is the single biggest source of data jitter in a digital system. Kenny has some <a href="http://www.keysight.com/main/application.jspx?id=2549061&amp;cc=US&amp;lc=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IOT</a> development kits, and it's easy to make them drop bits. Dropping bits will have an effect on battery life, performance, etc. 21:08 How to clean up a power supply? The majority of the time, it's easiest to use a bypass capacitor. After you've looked at your supply in the time domain, look at it in the frequency domain. That will help you debug where the noise is coming from. And, if you know the frequency you are having trouble with, you can work backward into a bypass capacitor 22:42 There are some general rules that seem to apply to everything in electronics. Closer to the device is always better. Next podcast - wide bandgap! The US Department of Energy will pay for some people to go back to university and get a degree in power engineering. Wide bandgap semiconductors have a huge potential to reduce energy usage.

Power Integrity and Signal Integrity – #19

We talk to ASIC Planner Mike Beyers about what it takes to design the world's fastest ADC in today's electrical engineering podcast.Video Version (YouTube):https://youtu.be/2NLzJBhdlv4Audio Only:Intro:Mike is an ASIC planner on the ASIC Design Team.Prestudy, learn about making an ASIC.00:30What is an ADC?An ADC is an analog to digital converter, it takes analog data inputs and provides digital data outputs.What's the difference between analog and digital ASICs?1:00There are three types of ASICs:1.Signal conditioning ASICs2. Between 1 and 3 is a converter, either digital to analog (DAC) or analog to digital (ADC)3. Signal processing ASICs, also known as digital ASICs1:50Signal conditioning ASICs can be very simple or very complicatede.g. Stripline filters are simple, front end of an oscilloscope can be complicated2:45There's a distinction between a converter vs. an analog chip with some digital functionalityA converter has both digital and analog. But there are some analog chips with a digital interface, like an I2C or SPI interface.4:25How do you get what's happening into the analog world onto a digital interface, and how fast can you do it?4:35Mike Hoffman designed a basic ADC design in school using a chain of operational amplifiers (opamps)A ladder converter, or "thermometer code" is the most basic of ADC designs6:00A slow ADC can use single ended CMOS, a faster ADC might use parallel LVDS, now it's almost always SERDES for highest performance chips6:35The world's fastest ADC?6:55Why do we design ADCs? We usually don't make what we can buy off the shelf.The Nyquist rate determines the necessary sample rate, for example, a 10 GHz signal needs to be sampled at 20 - 25 Gigasamples per second1/25 GHz = 40 ps8:45ADC Vertical resolution, or the number of bits.So, ADCs generally have two main specs, speed (sample rate) and vertical resolution.9:00The ability to measure time very accurately is often most important, but people often miss the noise side of things.9:45It's easy to oversimplify into just two specs. But, there's more that hast to be considered. Specifications like bandwidth, frequency flatness, noise, and SFDR10:20It's much easier to add bits to an ADC design than it is to decrease the ADCs noise.10:42Noise floor, SFDR, and SNR measure how good an analog to digital converter is.SFDR means "spurious free dynamic range" and SNR means "signal to noise ratio"11:00Other things you need to worry about are error codes, especially for instrumentation.For some ADC folding architectures and successive approximation architectures, there can be big errors. This is acceptable for communication systems but not for visualizing equipment.12:30So, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing ADC.12:45Where does ADC noise come from? It comes from both the ADC and from the support circuitry.13:00We start with a noise budget for the instrument and allocate the budget to different blocks of the oscilloscope or instrument design.13:35Is an ADC the ultimate ASIC challenge? It's both difficult analog design and difficult high-speed digital design, so we have to use fine geometry CMOS processes to make it happen.15:00How fast are our current ADCs? 160 Gigasamples per second.15:45We accomplish that with a chain of ADCs, not just a single ADC.16:15ADC interleaving. If you think about it simply, if you want to double your sample rate you can just double the number of ADCs and shift their sampling clocks.But this has two problems. First, they still have the same bandwidth, you don't get an increase. Second, you have to get a very good clock and offset them carefully.17:00To get higher bandwidth, you can use a sampler, which is basically just a very fast switch with higher bandwidth that then delivers the signal to the ADCs at a lower bandwidthBut, you have to deal with new problems like intersymbol interference (ISI).18:20So, what are the downsides of interleaving?Getting everything to match up is hard, so you have to have a lot of adjustability to calibrate the samplers.For example, if the q levels of one ADC are higher than the other, you'll get a lot of problems. Like frequency spurs and gain spurs.We can minimize this with calibration and some DSP  (digital signal processing) after the capture.20:00Triple interleaving and double interleaving - the devil is in the details21:00Internally, our ADCs are made up of a number of slices of smaller, slower ADC blocks.21:15Internally, we have three teams. An analog ASIC team, a digital ASIC team, and also an ADC ASIC team.22:15Technology for ADCs is "marching forward at an incredible rate"The off-the-shelf ADC technologies are enabling new technologies like 5G, 100G/400G/1T Ethernet, and DSP processing.23:00Is processing driven by ADCs, or are ADCs advancing processor technology? Both!24:00Predictions?Mike H.: New "stupid question for the guest" sectionWhat is your favorite sample rate and why?400 MSa - one of the first scopes Mike B. worked on. Remember "4 equals 5"

We talk to ASIC Planner Mike Beyers about what it takes to design the world's fastest ADC in today's electrical engineering podcast. Video Version (YouTube): <a href="https://youtu.be/2NLzJBhdlv4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/2NLzJBhdlv4</a> Audio Only: Intro: Mike is an <a href="http://eestalktech.com/2017/05/25/all-about-asics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ASIC</a> planner on the ASIC Design Team. Prestudy, <a href="https://community.keysight.com/community/keysight-blogs/oscilloscopes/blog/2017/05/15/creating-an-asic-our-quest-to-make-the-best-cheap-oscilloscope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">learn about making an ASIC</a>. 00:30 What is an ADC? An ADC is an analog to digital converter, it takes analog data inputs and provides digital data outputs. What's the difference between analog and digital ASICs? 1:00 There are three types of ASICs: 1.Signal conditioning ASICs 2. Between 1 and 3 is a converter, either digital to analog (DAC) or analog to digital (ADC) 3. Signal processing ASICs, also known as digital ASICs 1:50 Signal conditioning ASICs can be very simple or very complicated e.g. Stripline filters are simple, front end of an <a href="http://www.keysight.com/en/pcx-x2015004/oscilloscopes?cc=US&amp;lc=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">oscilloscope</a> can be complicated 2:45 There's a distinction between a converter vs. an analog chip with some digital functionality A converter has both digital and analog. But there are some analog chips with a digital interface, like an I2C or SPI interface. 4:25 How do you get what's happening into the analog world onto a digital interface, and how fast can you do it? 4:35 Mike Hoffman designed a basic ADC design in school using a chain of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_amplifier" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">operational amplifiers</a> (opamps) A ladder converter, or "thermometer code" is the most basic of ADC designs 6:00 A slow ADC can use single ended CMOS, a faster ADC might use parallel LVDS, now it's almost always <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SerDes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SERDES </a>for highest performance chips 6:35 The world's fastest ADC? 6:55 Why do we <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzHyxysSubUmxGOMVpiKLxouweh2AAlG1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">design ADCs</a>? We usually don't make what we can buy off the shelf. The Nyquist rate determines the necessary sample rate, for example, a 10 GHz signal needs to be sampled at 20 - 25 Gigasamples per second 1/25 GHz = 40 ps 8:45 ADC Vertical resolution, or the number of bits. So, ADCs generally have two main specs, speed (sample rate) and vertical resolution. 9:00 The ability to measure time very accurately is often most important, but people often miss the <a href="http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5989-3020EN.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">noise</a> side of things. 9:45 It's easy to oversimplify into just two specs. But, there's more that hast to be considered. Specifications like bandwidth, frequency flatness, noise, and SFDR 10:20 It's much easier to add bits to an ADC design than it is to decrease the ADCs noise. 10:42 Noise floor, SFDR, and SNR measure how good an analog to digital converter is. SFDR means "spurious free dynamic range" and <a href="https://community.keysight.com/community/keysight-blogs/oscilloscopes/blog/2017/01/04/how-to-extend-snr-in-wideband-oscilloscope-based-pulsed-rf-measurements" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SNR</a> means "signal to noise ratio" 11:00 Other things you need to worry about are error codes, especially for instrumentation. For some ADC folding architectures and successive approximation architectures, there can be big errors. This is acceptable for communication systems but not for visualizing equipment. 12:30 So, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing ADC. 12:45 Where does ADC noise come from? It comes from <a href="http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5992-0946EN.pdf?id=2653138" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">both the ADC and from the support circuitry</a>. 13:00 We start with a noise budget for the instrument and allocate the budget to different blocks of the oscilloscope or instrument design. 13:35 Is an ADC the ultimate ASIC challenge? It's both difficult analog design and difficult high-speed digital design, so we have to use fine geometry CMOS processes to make it happen. 15:00 How fast are our current ADCs? 160 Gigasamples per second. 15:45 We accomplish that with a chain of ADCs, not just a single ADC. 16:15 ADC interleaving. If you think about it simply, if you want to double your sample rate you can just double the number of ADCs and shift their sampling clocks. But this has two problems. First, they still have the same bandwidth, you don't get an increase. Second, you have to get a very good clock and offset them carefully. 17:00 To get higher bandwidth, you can use a sampler, which is basically just a very fast switch with higher bandwidth that then delivers the signal to the ADCs at a lower bandwidth But, you have to deal with new problems like intersymbol interference (ISI). 18:20 So, what are the downsides of interleaving? Getting everything to match up is hard, so you have to have a lot of adjustability to calibrate the samplers. For example, if the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic_level" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">q levels</a> of one ADC are higher than the other, you'll get a lot of problems. Like frequency spurs and gain spurs. We can minimize this with calibration and some <a href="http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5989-1145EN.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DSP</a>  (digital signal processing) after the capture. 20:00 Triple interleaving and double interleaving - <a href="http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5990-6515EN.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the devil is in the details</a> 21:00 Internally, our ADCs are made up of a number of slices of smaller, slower ADC blocks. 21:15 Internally, we have three teams. An analog ASIC team, a digital ASIC team, and also an ADC ASIC team. 22:15 Technology for ADCs is "marching forward at an incredible rate" The off-the-shelf ADC technologies are enabling new technologies like 5G, 100G/400G/1T Ethernet, and DSP processing. 23:00 Is processing driven by ADCs, or are ADCs advancing processor technology? Both! 24:00 Predictions? Mike H.: New "stupid question for the guest" section What is your favorite sample rate and why? 400 MSa - one of the first scopes Mike B. worked on. Remember "4 equals 5"

The World’s Fastest ADC – #13

Astronaut Kay Hire answers the question: "What advice would you give to an engineer hoping to become an astronaut?"

BONUS: EEs as Astronauts – Audio Exclusive

Keeping specs secret is just part of the job. Getting a usable, working spec is another. We sat down with Jennie Grosslight to learn why JEDEC guards a spec, the basic DDR architecture, and geek out  about the challenges of probing DDR.Hosted by Daniel Bogdanoff and Mike Hoffman, EEs Talk Tech is a twice-monthly engineering podcast discussing tech trends and industry news from an electrical engineer's perspective.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opPsgSrDCOo Agenda:1:00How are electrical engineering and protocol specifications defined?2:00Bigger companies tend to drive specifications because they can afford to put money into new productsSometimes small or midsize companies with an idea can make something new happen, but they have to push it2:50Most memory technologies have a couple players:1. The chipset and the memory controller industry2. The actual devices that store data (DRAM)3:30There's a tremendous amount of work between all the players to make all the parts work together.5:00Why JEDEC keeps information about new products private as they're being developed:If you spread your information too wide then you can get a lot of misinformation. Fake news!Early discussions also might not resemble the end product6:20DDR5, LPDDR, and 3D silicon die stacking are new and exciting in memory7:00We keep pushing physics to new edges7:20Heat management in 3D silicon is a big challenge8:20LPDDR5 is the new low power memory for devices like cell phones and embedded devices9:105G devices will likely depend on low power memory10:20Once the RF challenges of 5G are figured out there will be even more challenges on the digital side. Systems have to deal with large bandwidths and low latencies11:10Higher performance and lower power is driving development of LPDDR5It will be interesting to see if improvements are made in jumps or very slowly12:00Dropping voltage swing and increasing speed both make the eye smallerMaking the eye smaller makes you more vulnerable to crosstalk12:20 - Completely closed eyes for DDR513:00How to probe DDR?We use a lot of simulation because the circuits are so sensitive14:20Crosstalk is often a problem when making DDR and LPDDR measurements14:50Economics drives everything so new technology is often based on existing systems15:40What comes next is up to who comes up with the best idea16:40What will drive change is when the existing materials can no longer meet performance17:50Power is important for big data farms as well as cell phones19:50GDDR and DDR21:00Chipset rank on a DIMMThe pieces share a common data bus so you need to know the order to properly test24:20DIMM interposer used for logic measurements for servers25:50With a scope a ball grid array is used under a device or the pins are probedOscilloscope interposers are available that work similarly to the logic analyzer interposersThe logic analyzer looks at all the signals at once, typically the oscilloscope only looks at a few28:10When testing you want to validate that the device followed the protocal in the right sequence29:10Data rates of DDRDDR5 is supposed to get to 6400 MT/s

Keeping specs secret is just part of the job. Getting a usable, working spec is another. We sat down with Jennie Grosslight to learn why JEDEC guards a spec, the basic DDR architecture, and geek out  about the challenges of probing DDR. Hosted by Daniel Bogdanoff and Mike Hoffman, EEs Talk Tech is a twice-monthly engineering podcast discussing tech trends and industry news from an electrical engineer's perspective. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opPsgSrDCOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opPsgSrDCOo</a> <h3>Agenda:</h3>1:00 How are electrical engineering and protocol specifications defined? 2:00 Bigger companies tend to drive specifications because they can afford to put money into new products Sometimes small or midsize companies with an idea can make something new happen, but they have to push it 2:50 Most memory technologies have a couple players: 1. The chipset and the memory controller industry 2. The actual devices that store data (DRAM) 3:30 There's a tremendous amount of work between all the players to make all the parts work together. 5:00 Why<a href="http://eestalktech.com/2018/02/22/memory-ddr5-and-jedec/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> JEDEC</a> keeps information about new products private as they're being developed: If you spread your information too wide then you can get a lot of misinformation. Fake news! Early discussions also might not resemble the end product 6:20 DDR5, LPDDR, and <a href="http://eestalktech.com/2018/04/12/3d-silicon-ddr5/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3D silicon </a>die stacking are new and exciting in memory 7:00 We keep pushing physics to new edges 7:20 Heat management in 3D silicon is a big challenge 8:20 LPDDR5 is the new low power memory for devices like cell phones and embedded devices 9:10 5G devices will likely depend on low power memory 10:20 Once the RF challenges of 5G are figured out there will be even more challenges on the digital side. Systems have to deal with large bandwidths and low latencies 11:10 Higher performance and lower power is driving development of LPDDR5 It will be interesting to see if improvements are made in jumps or very slowly 12:00 Dropping voltage swing and increasing speed both make the eye smaller Making the eye smaller makes you more vulnerable to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae4Ci6ucANk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">crosstalk</a> 12:20 - Completely closed eyes for <a href="http://eestalktech.com/2018/02/22/memory-ddr5-and-jedec/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DDR5</a> 13:00 How to probe DDR? We use a lot of simulation because the circuits are so sensitive 14:20 Crosstalk is often a problem when making DDR and LPDDR measurements 14:50 Economics drives everything so new technology is often based on existing systems 15:40 What comes next is up to who comes up with the best idea 16:40 What will drive change is when the existing materials can no longer meet performance 17:50 Power is important for big data farms as well as cell phones 19:50 GDDR and DDR 21:00 Chipset rank on a DIMM The pieces share a common data bus so you need to know the order to properly test 24:20 DIMM interposer used for logic measurements for servers 25:50 With a scope a ball grid array is used under a device or the pins are probed <a href="http://www.keysight.com/en/pcx-x2015004/oscilloscopes?cc=US" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oscilloscope</a> interposers are available that work similarly to the logic analyzer interposers The logic analyzer looks at all the signals at once, typically the oscilloscope only looks at a few 28:10 When testing you want to validate that the device followed the protocal in the right sequence 29:10 Data rates of DDR DDR5 is supposed to get to 6400 MT/s

Secret Specs, LPDDR5, and Interposers – #26

Today's systems simply can't communicate any faster. Learn how some companies are getting creative and doubling their data rates using PAM4 - and the extra challenge this technology means for engineers.Mike Hoffman and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down with PAM4 transmitter expert Alex Bailes and PAM4 receiver expert Steve Reinhold to discuss the trends, challenges, and rewards of this technology.https://youtu.be/D5Op5EaJsPM1:00PAM isn't just cooking spray.What is PAM4? PAM stands for Pulse Amplitude Modulation, and is a serial data communication technique in which more than one bit of data can be communicated per clock cycle. Instead of just a high (1) or low (0) value, a in PAM4, a voltage level can represent 00, 01, 10, or 11. NRZ is essentially just PAM2.We are reaching the limit of NRZ communication capabilities over the current communication channels.2:10 PAM has been around for a while, it was used in 1000BASE-T. 10GBASE-T uses PAM16, which means it has 16 different possible voltage levels per clock cycle. It acts a bit like an analog to digital converter.2:55 Many existing PAM4 specifications have voltage swings of 600-800 mV3:15 What does a PAM4 receiver look like?  A basic NRZ receiver just needs a comparator, but what about multiple levels?3:40 Engineers add multiple slicers and do post-processing to clean up the data or put an ADC at the receiver and do the data analysis all at once.PAM4 communicates 2-bits per clock cycle, 00, 01, 10, or 11.4:25 Radio engineers have been searching for better modulation techniques for some time, but now digital people are starting to get interested.4:40 With communications going so fast, the channel bandwidth limits the ability to transmit data.PAM4 allows you to effectively double your data rate by doubling the amount of data per clock cycle.5:05 What's the downside of PAM4? The Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for PAM4  worse than traditional NRZ. In a perfect world, the ideal SNR would be 9.6 dB (for four levels instead of two). In reality, it's worse, though.5:30 Each eye may not be the same height, so that also has an effect on the total SNR.6:05 What's the bit error ratio (BER) of a PAM4 vs. NRZ signal if the transmission channel doesn't change?6:45 The channels were already challenged, even for many NRZ signals. So, it doesn't look good for PAM4 signals. Something has to change.7:00 PAM4 is designed to operate at a high BER. NRZ typically specified a 1E-12 or 1E-15 BER, but many PAM4 specs are targeting 1E-4 or 1E-5. It uses forward error correction (or other schemes) to get accurate data transmission.7:50 Companies are designing more complex receivers and more robust computing power to make PAM4 work. This investment is worth it because they don't have to significantly change their existing hardware.8:45 PAM is being driven largely by Ethernet. The goal is to get to a 1 Tb/s data rate.9:15 Currently 400 GbE is the next step towards the 1 Tbps Ethernet rate (terabit per second).10:25 In Steve's HP days, the salesmen would e-mail large pictures (1 MB) to him to try to fill up his drive.11:10 Is there a diminishing rate of return for going to higher PAM levels?PAM3 is used in automotive Ethernet, and 1000BASE-T uses PAM5.Broadcom pushed the development of PAM3. The goal was to have just one pair of cables going through a vehicle instead of the 4 pairs in typical Ethernet cables.Cars are an electrically noisy environment, so Ethernet is very popular for entertainment systems and less critical systems.Essentially, Ethernet is replacing FlexRay. There was a technology battle for different automotive communication techniques. You wouldn't want your ABS running on Ethernet because it's not very robust.14:45 In optical communication systems there is more modulation, but those systems don't have the same noise constraints.For digital communications, PAM8 is not possible over today's channels because of the noise.15:20 PAM4 is the main new scheme for digital communications15:50 Baseband digital data transmission covers a wide frequency range. It goes from DC (all zeroes or all ones) to a frequency of the baud rate over 2 (e.g. 101010). This causes intersymbol interference (ISI) jitter that has to be corrected for - which is why we use transmitter equalization and receiver equalization.16:55 PAM4 also requires clock recovery, and it is much harder to recover a clock when you have multiple possible signal levels.17:35 ISI is easier to think about on an NRZ signal. If a signal has ten 0s in a row, then transitions up to ten 1s in a row,  the channel attenuation will be minimal. But, if you put a transition every bit, the attenuation will be much worse.19:15 To reduce ISI, we use de-emphasis or pre-emphasis on the transmit side, and equalization on the receiver side. Engineers essentially boost the high frequencies at the expense of the low frequencies. It's very similar to Dolby audio.20:40 How do you boost only the high frequencies? There are circuits you can design that react based on the history of the bit stream. At potentially error-inducing transition bits, this circuitry drives a higher amplitude than a normal bit.22:35 Clock recovery is a big challenge, especially for collapsed eyes. In oscilloscopes, there are special techniques to recover the eye and allow system analysis.With different tools, you can profile an impulse response and detect whether you need to de-emphasize or modify the signal before transmission. Essentially, you can get the transfer function of your link.23:45 For Ethernet systems, there are usually three equalization taps. Chip designers can modify the tap coefficients to tweak their systems and get the chip to operate properly. They have to design in enough compensation flexibility to make the communication system operate properly.25:00 PAM vs. QAM? Is QAM just an RF and optical technique, or can it be used in a digital system?25:40 Steve suspects QAM will start to be used for digital communications instead of just being used in coherent communication systems.26:30 PAM4 is mostly applicable to the 200 GbE and 400 GbE, and something has to have to happen for us to get faster data transfer.26:48 Many other technologies are starting to look into PAM4 - InfiniBand, Thunderbolt, and PCIe for example.You can also read the EDN article on PAM4 here. If you're working on PAM4, you can also check out how to prepare for PAM4 technology on this page.

Today's systems simply can't communicate any faster. Learn how some companies are getting creative and doubling their data rates using PAM4 - and the extra challenge this technology means for engineers. Mike Hoffman and Daniel Bogdanoff sit down with PAM4 transmitter expert Alex Bailes and PAM4 receiver expert Steve Reinhold to discuss the trends, challenges, and rewards of this technology. <a href="https://youtu.be/D5Op5EaJsPM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/D5Op5EaJsPM</a> 1:00 PAM isn't just cooking spray. What is PAM4? PAM stands for Pulse Amplitude Modulation, and is a serial data communication technique in which more than one bit of data can be communicated per clock cycle. Instead of just a high (1) or low (0) value, a in PAM4, a voltage level can represent 00, 01, 10, or 11. <a href="http://www.electronicdesign.com/communications/what-s-difference-between-nrz-and-pam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NRZ</a> is essentially just PAM2. We are reaching the limit of NRZ communication capabilities over the current communication channels. 2:10 PAM has been around for a while, it was used in 1000BASE-T. 10GBASE-T uses PAM16, which means it has 16 different possible voltage levels per clock cycle. It acts a bit like an <a href="http://eestalktech.com/2017/07/13/fast-adc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">analog to digital converter</a>. 2:55 Many existing PAM4 specifications have voltage swings of 600-800 mV 3:15 What does a PAM4 receiver look like?  A basic NRZ receiver just needs a comparator, but what about multiple levels? 3:40 Engineers add multiple slicers and do post-processing to clean up the data or put an ADC at the receiver and do the data analysis all at once. PAM4 communicates 2-bits per clock cycle, 00, 01, 10, or 11. 4:25 Radio engineers have been searching for better modulation techniques for some time, but now digital people are starting to get interested. 4:40 With communications going so fast, the channel bandwidth limits the ability to transmit data. PAM4 allows you to effectively double your data rate by doubling the amount of data per clock cycle. 5:05 What's the downside of PAM4? The Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for PAM4  worse than traditional NRZ. In a perfect world, the ideal SNR would be 9.6 dB (for four levels instead of two). In reality, it's worse, though. 5:30 Each eye may not be the same height, so that also has an effect on the total SNR. 6:05 What's the bit error ratio (BER) of a PAM4 vs. NRZ signal if the transmission channel doesn't change? 6:45 The channels were already challenged, even for many NRZ signals. So, it doesn't look good for PAM4 signals. Something has to change. 7:00 PAM4 is designed to operate at a high BER. NRZ typically specified a 1E-12 or 1E-15 BER, but many PAM4 specs are targeting 1E-4 or 1E-5. It uses forward error correction (or other schemes) to get accurate data transmission. 7:50 Companies are designing more complex receivers and more robust computing power to make PAM4 work. This investment is worth it because they don't have to significantly change their existing hardware. 8:45 PAM is being driven largely by Ethernet. The goal is to get to a 1 Tb/s data rate. 9:15 Currently 400 GbE is the next step towards the 1 Tbps Ethernet rate (terabit per second). 10:25 In Steve's HP days, the salesmen would e-mail large pictures (1 MB) to him to try to fill up his drive. 11:10 Is there a diminishing rate of return for going to higher PAM levels? PAM3 is used in automotive Ethernet, and 1000BASE-T uses PAM5. Broadcom pushed the development of PAM3. The goal was to have just one pair of cables going through a vehicle instead of the 4 pairs in typical Ethernet cables. Cars are an electrically noisy environment, so Ethernet is very popular for entertainment systems and less critical systems. Essentially, Ethernet is replacing FlexRay. There was a technology battle for different automotive communication techniques. You wouldn't want your ABS running on Ethernet because it's not very robust. 14:45 In <a href="http://eestalktech.com/2017/06/08/coppervsfiber/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">optical communication systems</a> there is more modulation, but those systems don't have the same noise constraints. For digital communications, PAM8 is not possible over today's channels because of the noise. 15:20 PAM4 is the main new scheme for digital communications 15:50 Baseband digital data transmission covers a wide frequency range. It goes from DC (all zeroes or all ones) to a frequency of the baud rate over 2 (e.g. 101010). This causes intersymbol interference (ISI) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efWlUFRdcA8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">jitter</a> that has to be corrected for - which is why we use transmitter equalization and receiver equalization. 16:55 PAM4 also requires clock recovery, and it is much harder to recover a clock when you have multiple possible signal levels. 17:35 ISI is easier to think about on an NRZ signal. If a signal has ten 0s in a row, then transitions up to ten 1s in a row,  the channel attenuation will be minimal. But, if you put a transition every bit, the attenuation will be much worse. 19:15 To reduce ISI, we use de-emphasis or pre-emphasis on the transmit side, and equalization on the receiver side. Engineers essentially boost the high frequencies at the expense of the low frequencies. It's very similar to Dolby audio. 20:40 How do you boost only the high frequencies? There are circuits you can design that react based on the history of the bit stream. At potentially error-inducing transition bits, this circuitry drives a higher amplitude than a normal bit. 22:35 Clock recovery is a big challenge, especially for collapsed eyes. In oscilloscopes, there are special techniques to recover the eye and allow system analysis. With different tools, you can profile an impulse response and detect whether you need to de-emphasize or modify the signal before transmission. Essentially, you can get the transfer function of your link. 23:45 For Ethernet systems, there are usually three equalization taps. Chip designers can modify the tap coefficients to tweak their systems and get the chip to operate properly. They have to design in enough compensation flexibility to make the communication system operate properly. 25:00 PAM vs. QAM? Is QAM just an RF and optical technique, or can it be used in a digital system? 25:40 Steve suspects QAM will start to be used for digital communications instead of just being used in coherent communication systems. 26:30 PAM4 is mostly applicable to the 200 GbE and 400 GbE, and something has to have to happen for us to get faster data transfer. 26:48 Many other technologies are starting to look into PAM4 - InfiniBand, Thunderbolt, and PCIe for example. You can also read the EDN article on PAM4 <a href="https://www.edn.com/design/systems-design/4441212/The-fundamentals-of-PAM4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. If you're working on PAM4, you can also check out how to prepare for PAM4 technology on this <a href="http://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&amp;lc=eng&amp;ckey=2576779&amp;id=2576779" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">page.</a>

PAM4 and 400G – Ethernet #18

It seems most large labs have a go-to data person. You know, the one who had to upgrade his PC so it could handle insanely complex Excel pivot tables? In large electrical engineering R&amp;D labs, measurement data can often be inaccessible and unreliable.In today's electrical engineering podcast, Daniel Bogdanoff (@Keysight_Daniel) sits down with Ailee Grumbine and Brad Doerr to talk about techniques for managing test &amp; measurement data for large engineering projects.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atsZlEx0WTg Agenda:1:10 - Who is using data analytics?2:00 - for a hobbyist in the garage, they may still have a lot of data. But, because it's a one-person team, it's much easier to handle the data.Medium and large size teams generate a lot of data. There are a lot of prototypes, tests, etc.3:25 - The best teams manage their data efficiently. They are able to make quick, informed decisions.4:25 - A manager told Brad, "I would rather re-make the measurements because I don't trust the data that we have."6:00 - Separate the properties from the measurements. Separate the data from the metadata. Separating data from production lines, prototype units, etc. helps us at Keysight make good engineering decisions.9:30 - Data analytics helps for analyzing simulation data before tape out of a chip.10:30 - It's common to have multiple IT people managing a specific project.11:00 - Engineering companies should use a data analytics tool that is data and domain agnostic.11:45 - Many teams have an engineer or two that manage data for their teams. Often, it's the team lead. They often get buried in data analytics instead of engineering and analysis work. It's a bad investment to have engineers doing IT work.14:00 - A lot of high speed serial standards have workshops and plugfests. They test their products to make sure they are interoperable and how they stack up against their competitors.15:30 - We plan to capture industry-wide data and let people see how their project stacks up against the industry as a whole.16:45 - On the design side, it's important to see how the design team's simulation results stack up against the validation team's empirical results.18:00 - Data analytics is crucial for manufacturing. About 10% of our R&amp;D tests make it to manufacturing. And, manufacturing has a different set of data and metrics.19:00 - Do people get hired/fired based on data? In one situation, there was a lack of data being shared that ended up costing the company over $1M and 6 months of time-to-market.

It seems most large labs have a go-to data person. You know, the one who had to upgrade his PC so it could handle insanely complex Excel pivot tables? In large electrical engineering R&amp;D labs, measurement data can often be inaccessible and unreliable. In today's <a href="http://www.eestalktech.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">electrical engineering podcast</a>, Daniel Bogdanoff (<a href="https://www.twitter.com/Keysight_Daniel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Keysight_Daniel</a>) sits down with Ailee Grumbine and Brad Doerr to talk about techniques for managing test &amp; measurement data for large engineering projects. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atsZlEx0WTg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atsZlEx0WTg</a> <h2>Agenda:</h2>1:10 - Who is using <a href="https://www.keysight.com/en/pd-2747984-pn-N8844A/data-analytics-web-service-software?cc=US&amp;lc=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">data analytics</a>? 2:00 - for a hobbyist in the garage, they may still have a lot of data. But, because it's a one-person team, it's much easier to handle the data. Medium and large size teams generate a lot of data. There are a lot of prototypes, tests, etc. 3:25 - The best teams manage their data efficiently. They are able to make quick, informed decisions. 4:25 - A manager told Brad, "I would rather re-make the measurements because I don't trust the data that we have." 6:00 - Separate the properties from the measurements. Separate the data from the metadata. Separating data from production lines, prototype units, etc. helps us at Keysight make good engineering decisions. 9:30 - Data analytics helps for analyzing simulation data before <a href="http://eestalktech.com/2017/07/13/fast-adc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tape out</a> of a chip. 10:30 - It's common to have multiple IT people managing a specific project. 11:00 - Engineering companies should use a data analytics tool that is data and domain agnostic. 11:45 - Many teams have an engineer or two that manage data for their teams. Often, it's the team lead. They often get buried in data analytics instead of engineering and analysis work. It's a bad investment to have engineers doing IT work. 14:00 - A lot of high speed serial standards have workshops and plugfests. They test their products to make sure they are interoperable and how they stack up against their competitors. 15:30 - We plan to capture industry-wide data and let people see how their project stacks up against the industry as a whole. 16:45 - On the design side, it's important to see how the design team's simulation results stack up against the validation team's empirical results. 18:00 - Data analytics is crucial for manufacturing. About 10% of our R&amp;D tests make it to manufacturing. And, manufacturing has a different set of data and metrics. 19:00 - Do people get hired/fired based on data? In one situation, there was a lack of data being shared that ended up costing the company over $1M and 6 months of time-to-market.

Data Analytics for Engineering Projects – #23

USB 3.2 DOUBLES the data transfer capabilities of previous USB specifications, and could mean the end of having USB ports on just one side of your computer. Find out more in today's electrical engineering podcast with Jit Lim, Daniel Bogdanoff, and Mike Hoffman.https://youtu.be/VEx6b6_XecI1:00Jit is the USB and Thunderbolt lead for Keysight.1:30USB 3.2 specifications were released Fall 2017 and released two main capabilities.USB 3.2 doubles the performance of  USB 3.1. You can now run 10Gb/s x2. It uses both sides of the CC connector.In the x2 mode, both sides of the connectors are used instead of just one.4:00The other new part of USB 3.2 is that it adds the ability to have the USB silicon farther away from the port. It achieves this using retimers, which makes up for the lossy transmission channel.5:00Why laptops only have USB ports on one side! The USB silicon has to be close to the connector.6:30If the silicon is 5 or 6 inches away from the connector, it will fail the compliance tests. That's why we need retimers.7:15USB is very good at maintaining backwards compatibilityThe USB 3.0 spec and the USB 3.1 spec no longer exist. It's only USB 3.2.The USB 3.2 specification includes the 3.0 and the 3.1 specs as part of them, and acts as a special mode.9:00From a protocol layer and a PHY layer, nothing much has changed. It simply adds communication abilities.9:55Who is driving the USB spec? There's a lot of demand! USB Type C is very popular for VR and AR.12:00There's no benefit to using legacy devices with modern USB 3.2 ports.13:45There's a newly released variant of USB Type C that does not have USB 2.0 support. It repurposes the USB 2 pins. It won't be called USB, but it'll essentially be the same thing. It's used for a new headset.15:20USB Type C is hugely popular for VR and AR applications. You can send data, video feeds, and power.17:00Richie's Vive has an audio cable, a power cable, and an HDMI cable. The new version, though, has a USB Type-C that handles some of this.18:00USB 3.2 will be able to put a retimer on a cable as well. You can put one at each end.What is a retimer? A retimer is used when a signal traverses a lossy board or transmission line. A retimer acquires the signal, recovers it, and retransmits it.It's a type of repeater. Repeaters can be either redrivers or repeaters. A redriver just re-amplifies a signal, including any noise. A retimer does a full data recovery and re-transmission.21:20Stupid Questions:What is your favorite alt mode, and why?If you could rename Type-C to anything, what would you call it?

USB 3.2 DOUBLES the data transfer capabilities of previous USB specifications, and could mean the end of having USB ports on just one side of your computer. Find out more in today's electrical engineering podcast with Jit Lim, Daniel Bogdanoff, and Mike Hoffman. <a href="https://youtu.be/VEx6b6_XecI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/VEx6b6_XecI</a> 1:00 Jit is the USB and Thunderbolt lead for Keysight. 1:30 USB 3.2 specifications were released Fall 2017 and released two main capabilities. USB 3.2 doubles the performance of  USB 3.1. You can now run 10Gb/s x2. It uses both sides of the CC connector. In the x2 mode, both sides of the connectors are used instead of just one. 4:00 The other new part of USB 3.2 is that it adds the ability to have the USB silicon farther away from the port. It achieves this using retimers, which makes up for the lossy transmission channel. 5:00 Why laptops only have USB ports on one side! The USB silicon has to be close to the connector. 6:30 If the silicon is 5 or 6 inches away from the connector, it will fail the compliance tests. That's why we need retimers. 7:15 USB is very good at maintaining backwards compatibility The USB 3.0 spec and the USB 3.1 spec no longer exist. It's only USB 3.2. The USB 3.2 specification includes the 3.0 and the 3.1 specs as part of them, and acts as a special mode. 9:00 From a protocol layer and a PHY layer, nothing much has changed. It simply adds communication abilities. 9:55 Who is driving the USB spec? There's a lot of demand! USB Type C is very popular for VR and AR. 12:00 There's no benefit to using legacy devices with modern USB 3.2 ports. 13:45 There's a newly released variant of USB Type C that does not have USB 2.0 support. It repurposes the USB 2 pins. It won't be called USB, but it'll essentially be the same thing. It's used for a new headset. 15:20 USB Type C is hugely popular for VR and AR applications. You can send data, video feeds, and power. 17:00 Richie's Vive has an audio cable, a power cable, and an HDMI cable. The new version, though, has a USB Type-C that handles some of this. 18:00 USB 3.2 will be able to put a retimer on a cable as well. You can put one at each end. What is a retimer? A retimer is used when a signal traverses a lossy board or transmission line. A retimer acquires the signal, recovers it, and retransmits it. It's a type of repeater. Repeaters can be either redrivers or repeaters. A redriver just re-amplifies a signal, including any noise. A retimer does a full data recovery and re-transmission. 21:20 Stupid Questions: What is your favorite alt mode, and why? If you could rename Type-C to anything, what would you call it?

USB 3.2 + Why You Only Have USB Ports On One Side of Your Laptop – #32

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