The Effects of Passive Probe Ground Leads
This article explains how the inductance of passive probe ground leads can dramatically reduce effective bandwidth, distort measurements, and introduce resonance and frequency-response errors.
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Back to Basics: Fundamentals of AC Line Power (Part II)
AC line power is a rotating voltage vector measured in RMS terms, with peak, peak-to-peak, and rectified values that differ significantly from the familiar “120 VAC” rating.
Back to Basics: Three-Phase Sinusoidal Voltages
Three-phase AC voltages consist of three balanced sinusoidal vectors separated by 120°, with measurable differences between line-to-line and line-to-neutral values.
Back to Basics: AC Sinusoidal Line Current
AC line current is a rotating sinusoidal vector—single- or three-phase—whose accurate measurement depends on system configuration and the right choice of current sensor.
More Basics of Three-Phase AC Sinusoidal Voltages
Understanding Wye and Delta configurations and line-line versus line-neutral voltages is essential for accurate three-phase AC calculations.
Power Calculations for Distorted Waveforms
Distorted voltage and current waveforms require per-cycle digital sampling methods to accurately calculate real, apparent, and reactive power.
Power Calculations for Pure Sine Waves
Understanding phase angle and power factor is essential for correctly calculating real, apparent, and reactive power in sinusoidal AC systems.
Three-Phase Power Calculations
Three-phase power is calculated by summing individual phase values, with special considerations for line-to-line measurements, delta windings, and two-wattmeter methods.
Six Ways Not to be Confused by S-parameters (Part I)
Clear definition of DUT boundaries and correct interpretation of port indexing are essential to accurately measuring and understanding S-parameters.
Six Ways Not to be Confused by S-parameters (Part II)
Understanding the differences between reflection coefficient, return loss, transmission coefficient, and insertion loss eliminates common S-parameter confusion.
Probe Safety Demystified: CAT Ratings
CAT ratings define measurement safety based on source impedance and location—not probe performance or measurement accuracy.
Fundamentals of Power Integrity: Characterizing PDN Noise
Characterizing PDN noise—whether from self-aggression, board coupling, or mutual aggressors—is essential to maintaining millivolt-level power integrity margins.
Fundamentals of Power Integrity: Board Pollution
Board pollution noise arises when switching activity and VRM ripple couple onto PCB power planes, and spectral analysis can reveal the dominant aggressors.