The Tektronix Vector Signal Analysis Software SignalVu has a great mapping tool, Tektronix RSA Map. Unfortunately, the default map supplied is extremely coarse and not really useful for real world measurements. This short article is going to show how to acquire free map files from openly available sources. If you use Tektronix SignalVu, odds are […]
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Tiger / Rat Tail for Handheld Radios
Handheld radios are getting more and more sophisticated and versatile. The bottleneck for modern handheld radios is often the stock antenna. There is an extremely simple yet very effective add-on called a “Tiger Tail” or “Rat Tail” to remedy this situation. This article is going to explain how to make your own. For less than […]
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Measuring filter response using a noise source
If you own a spectrum analyzer with tracking generator or, even better, a good vector network analyzer, measuring the frequency response of a filter is fairly easy. But there is one old approach using a noise source that can turn any oscilloscope with a FFT spectrum view into a useful tool for determining the frequency […]
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Look Inside: Teledyne LeCroy HDO4024
True beauty lies within, or so they say. For an exclusive look under the hood, I decided to break the warranty seal on my Teledyne LeCroy HDO4024. It took me a while to debate with myself whether or not I should void the warranty on this scope. Curiosity won and I couldn’t resist, I just […]
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Review: ADSP-BF592 EZ Lite Kit
Blackfin processors from Analog Devices (ADI) precede their reputation. Anyone who has even remotely thought about Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) has come across ADI’s Blackfin processor series. ADI considers the BF592 as the low-cost entry point into the Blackfin portfolio of processors. To make evaluation a piece of cake, ADI offers the BF592 EZ-KIT Lite […]
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12-bit vs. 8-bit – What’s the difference?
Teledyne LeCroy and Agilent offer brand new 12-bit oscilloscopes and promise clearer, crisper waveform displays than an 8-bit oscilloscope can deliver. But what does it really mean for a real world application to have 12 instead of 8-bit resolution? I have no idea if that was just my perception or if the year 2012 was […]
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Review: Texas Instruments CC2531 USB Evaluation Module Kit
The CC2531 is the second generation ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 compliant System-onChip with an optimized 8051 MCU core and radio for the 2.4 GHz unlicensed ISM/SRD band from Texas Instruments. But what good is it, really? To make the evaluation of the CC2531 a bit easier, TI put together the CC2531EMK. The CC2531EMK is a an evaluation […]
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Review: Goldsource 2000 W Step Up & Down Transformer
Goldsource STU-2000 is a 2000 Watt step up/down transformer designed to convert 110 Volts to 220 Volts and vice versa. It’s also equipped with a 5 V USB output suitable for powering USB devices. The STU-2000 is available for less than 100 [1]. For that price, I decided I’d give it a try. There’s no […]
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DIY Passive Probe for the GHz range
Passive probes for the GHz range are costly and it’s usually not too economical to invest into one if you’re just a hobbyist. But regular, cheap probes will not work on signals in the GHz range. So is there a homebrew solution? Yes, there is, check it out! Every passive probe and every piece of […]
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Source for toroids, magnet wire and IF cans
This article is probably going to be the shortest and most straight to the point article I will ever write. While I was looking for different kinds of toroidal ferrite / iron cores, I came across the online shop of amateur radio operator Dieter Gentzow, W8DIZ [1]. Dieter has a huge selection of toroids and […]
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