Portable, Durable Lab Brick Equipment

In a previous blog we suggested that “it doesn't take much imagination to envision a ‘homebrew' test system (built using Vaunix) components”, and we weren't kidding. The fact is that all of our products were created to give engineers, whether they're in design, prototype, or production, a great deal of flexibility. Here's what we mean.

Our signal generators, phase shifters, attenuators, and switches are all powered by 5 VDC, which means that if you connect them to a laptop computer, USB car charger, USB AC adapter (all of which deliver about 1 A at 5 VDC and cost $10 or less), or even a battery pack of your own construction, no other power sources are needed.

As they're all connected by USB (we also make matching rugged, four-port powered USB hubs), you can connect them to configure an incredibly small yet powerful little test setup that fits in a shoebox -- laptop notwithstanding, although in many cases you actually won't need one. If a laptop or tablet is part of the system, our Windows software provides a simple yet effective “control panel” that provides a window to setting measurement parameters as well as programmability, test routines, and data management.

And for those among you, and we're sure there are many, who use LabVIEW you can apply your expertise to create entire custom test routines that use our components alone or with any of your other instruments. No doubt our contribution in terms of size and cost will be minimal compared to even one instrument on the bench. In fact, if you stack one of our LMS or LSG Series signal generators, and our SPDT or 4PDT switch, attenuator, phase shifter, and USB hub, the result is a 7.5 inch high, 3 inch wide, 4 inch long measurement system that probably weighs less than the laptop it might be connected to. In an ATE system, you'd hardly notice it, but what you would notice is what we stress: high performance in a small space at low cost