Company Profiles

LXI Digitizers with up to 500 MS/s Sample Rate and 16 Bit Resolution

22 January 2015 - Spectrum has expanded its range of digitizerNETBOX products by adding nine new models. Featuring state-of-the-art ADC technology the new units are capable of sampling signals at rates of up to 500 MS/s with 14 bit resolution and 250 MS/s with 16 bit resolution. The products can be easily integrated with any PC, Laptop or even the company network and, as the products come complete with software, they can capture, store and analyse signals virtually straight out of the box.

“ The unique sampling rate and resolution of our new digitizerNETBOX products make them the fastest Ethernet/LXI digitizers on the market today,” explained Gisela Hassler, MD of Spectrum.

Controlling and accessing the data collected by the digitizerNETBOX is done by simply connecting it via GBit Ethernet to a host computer (e.g. laptop or workstation) or anywhere on the corporate network. The platform is fully LXI compliant (following Core 2011 Specifications) and offers an IVI compatible interface for the IVI Scope and Digitizer classes. Control programs can be written using almost any popular language including, Visual C++, Borland C++, Gnu C++, Visual Basic, VB.NET, C#, J#, Delphi and Python code. Alternatively Spectrum's own software, SBench6 Professional can be used.

SBench6-Pro comes as standard with the products and controls all the modes and settings of the hardware via a simple, easy to use, interface. The software also has a host of built-in features for data analysis and documentation. These include FFT analysis, XY display, a function interpreter, several integrated analysis functions, export into ASCII, Wave, MATLAB, comment functions for annotating signals or displays and even a simple printout function.

The new digitizerNETBOX models are available with two, four or eight channels. Each channel has its own ADC and an independent amplifier. The amplifiers have calibrated gain with selectable ranges from ±200 mV to ±10 V full scale. Variable gain allow input signals to be scaled so that they cover the full dynamic range of the ADC and therefore maintain the best possible measurement accuracy. All the channels are synchronously clocked so that phase errors are minimized and inter-channel measurements can be made with absolute precision. Large on-board memories also make it possible to acquire and store the longest and most complex of waveforms.

The units include an array of smart triggering capabilities and acquisition modes. Trigger on problem signals like glitches, drop-outs and bursts, or even when specific patterns occur, and then store the recorded waveforms in the most memory efficient way possible. Transient capture, gated sampling, data streaming and chart recorder modes are all supported.

www.spectrum-instrumentation.com/