Extending Portable USB Measurements with New DC and RF Instruments
PrintNational Instruments is expanding the measurements offered by portable instrumentation with a new set of small, bus-powered performance measurement devices. While some stand-alone instruments use USB as a new means of data transfer for existing hardware, NI has introduced a variety of PC-based instruments that feature a new USB architecture conducive to portability. NI offers more than 40 bus-powered devices, including a line of 16-bit multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) devices as well as the new NI USB-5133 100 MS/s digitizer. With the introduction of two additional USB devices, the NI USB-4065 digital multimeter (DMM) and the NI USB-5680 RF power meter, NI is extending the reach of portable measurements to both high-precision DC and RF applications.
Figure 1. The USB-4065 61⁄2-digit DMM and the USB-5680 6 GHz RF power meter offer USB measurements from high-precision DC to RF.
The USB-4065 DMM delivers 61⁄2-digit resolution at up to 10 readings per second and up to 3,000 readings per second at lower resolutions. For quick and easy measurements, the USB-4065 includes NI LabVIEW SignalExpress LE, a software program engineers can use to acquire and analyze data without programming. With ±300 VDC/Vrms of isolation, current measurements up to 3 A, and 2- or 4-wire resistance measurements, the USB-4065 DMM offers a complete solution for basic 61⁄2-digit measurements.
The USB-5680 RF power meter features high measurement accuracy and wide dynamic range in a package similar in size to a typical power head. This instrument features better than ±0.18 dB of linearity from -40 to +23 dBm and from 50 MHz to 6 GHz. As a true RMS power meter, this device is ideal for measuring both continuous wave and modulated signals. The USB-5680 includes a full-featured, soft front panel and an intuitive, easy-to-use API for programming in NI LabVIEW and LabWindows™/CVI as well as Microsoft .NET environments. Finally, the small size of this instrument saves valuable space in automated test applications.
Figure 2. New NI USB products expand the range of portable PC-based measurements
Together, the new DMM and RF power meter offer capabilities for DC and RF measurements not previously available with portable instrumentation. With the growing availability of small, bus-powered measurement devices, the number of applications that portable PC-based instruments can accommodate is continuing to expand.
Learn more about new performance instruments for USB.
The mark LabWindows is used under a license from Microsoft Corporation.
This article first appeared in the Q1 2008 issue of Instrumentation Newsletter.
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