You do not exactly know at which frequency your measurement looks most interesting? No problem, use the zoom and copy from zoom functions of the Bode Analyzer Suite!
In addition we show how to set the cursor to the maximum and minimum value of a curve. Watch our new video tutorial!

New Article available on our webpage:
Mr. Steven Sandler describes in his new article how the output capacitor ESR need of a voltage regulator to reach a desired phase margin can be determined by one simple output impedance measurement. If you are interested, feel free to download the article. Please note that this article is also available in German language.

In our new application note we show how the Bode 100 can be used to measure the impedance of solar cells under dark conditions. The Bode 100 is used in conjunction with the Picotest J2130A DC-Bias Injector to apply a DC voltage to the PV module which simulates the operation point instead of exposing the module to light. If you are interested, feel free to download the application note.

What do Eddy Currents and Skin Effects have in common? Well, both can easily be measured using the Bode 100.
Have a look at our new articles on Eddy Current Testing and how to measure Skin Effects.

Assess the stability of voltage regulators using the Bode 100 and the B-WIT 100. We demonstrate how to measure the phase margin of an LM317 voltage regulator. Watch our new video tutorial!

The impedance values of current sensing resistors are generally in the range of several milliohms.
Measuring such low impedance values at high frequencies is a challenging task. In our new application note we did measure a 20 milliohm SMD resistor and a 20 milliohm 4-wire current sense resistor. If you are interested, have a look.

OMICRON Lab has started a new series of online learning tutorials. These short videos contain information about features of the Bode Analyzer Suite and show applications of the Bode 100. Users or people interested in our products now have the chance to inform themselves about the handling and the capabilities of our Smart Measurement Solutions. In our first video we demonstrate the data and memory functionality of the Bode Analyzer Suite.

The Bode 100 offers several functions that are useful to evaluate antenna characteristics. All reflection parameters can be displayed in linear, logarithmic, polar or Smith-diagrams. In our new application note we did measure a 1026 MHz medium wave and two Ham-radio antennas. Furthermore this application note contains information about the use of the Bode 100 in conjunction with an external coupler and an external amplifier.

The stability of a power supply can depend on the performance of the used optocoupler. In our new application note we use the Bode 100 and the J2130A DC Bias injector to measure the current transfer ratio over frequency.

The new Bode Analyzer Suite V2.32 now allows to store comments together with a performed measurement. The comments can be easily entered in a separate area below the measurement. Entered comments are stored together with the measurement results in the *.bode file.  When measurements are printed or copy  to the clipboard the comment is printed or copied as well. For more function on this new functionality please refer to this document.
You can download the new Bode Analyzer Suite V 2.32 in the download area.

Battery impedance includes information about the internal state of a battery. The Bode 100 in conjunction with the Picotest J2111A Current Injector offers a test set for measuring the impedance spectrum of a battery in the range from 1 Hz to 10 MHz. Check out our new application note!

Crosstalk can cause serious problems in power supply systems with multiple regulators. The Bode 100 and the Picotest J2111A Current Injector form the perfect test set to measure crosstalk in the full frequency range from 1 Hz to 40 MHz. Have a look at our new AppNote on Crosstalk measurements.

In our new AppNote we used the Bode 100 to perform impedance matching of a 27MHz antenna coil. Furthermore we did analyze a transmission link between two matched antenna coils.
If you are interested have a look at our new Application Note.

The DC operation point can have a strong influence on the impedance of a device. Using the Bode 100 in conjunction with the J2130A Picotest Injector you can measure impedance with a DC offset up to 50 volts. Check out our new Application Note.

Reverse transfer is an unappreciated and rarely discussed characteristic of voltage regulators. The Bode 100 together with the PICOTEST Current Injector is the perfect test set to measure Reverse Transfer. Have a look at our new Application Note!

In circuits with transformers the overall performance of the circuit is often dependent on the characteristics of the transformer itself. It can therefore be very important to fully characterize the used transformer. AEi Systems uses the Bode 100 to model transformers. If you are interested, download the article on our webpage!

The Bode 100 offers great possibilities to determine equivalent circuit parameters. Measuring complex impedances and resonance frequencies enables the calculation of many parameters. A customer did measure printed circuit coils using the Bode 100. In addition a matching network was designed using the Smith Chart. If you are interested, click here.

QuickFil is a powerful software for the design of passive filters. It enables the calculation of many filter types up to 50^th order. And the best: It is freeware! Check out our new AppNote Passive Filter Design. This application note includes a step by step guide on how to design a filter in QuickFil and shows how the filter characteristics are measured using the
Bode 100.

In combination with the new Picotest Signal Injectors the Bode 100 is a powerful tool to analyze power supplies. In two new application notes we demonstrate how important power supply parameters can be measured easily. In the AppNote Power Supply Rejection Ratio Measurement we show you how you can measure the influence of supply voltage changes on the stabilized output power of your power supply. In the AppNote Invasive and Non-Invasive Stability Measurements  we demonstrate how you can access the stability of a power supply even if you have no access to the feedback loop.

Company Data RFID Tags have become a part of our daily life. They provide access to buildings or allow us to use vending machines. To ensure that an RFID-Tag really functions it is important that it has the correct resonance frequency. By using the Bode 100 it is possible to perform a touch less measurement of this resonance frequency.
Find out how by reading our newest AppNote.

The new BAS supports non-invasive stability measurements of voltage regulators and switched mode power supplies. In combination with Picotest's current Injector J2111A the Bode 100 is now able to measure the output impedance of voltage regulators and switched mode power supplies. The newly implemented cursor calculations allow to derive the phase margin of a control loop directly from the measured output impedance. For more information please check out our Application Note on Non-invasive stability measurements.
You can download the new BAS V2.31 free of charge at www.omicron-lab.com/downloads.

The filter design software QuickFil is a program which was originally developed under DOS. It allows calculating passive electronic filters up to the 50th order in a quick and efficient way.
With specially designed fast mathimatical algorithms and arithmetic routines in assembler language, QuickFil is still one of the the fastest passive filter design softwares on the market. This was also the reason why we migrated QuickFil to the windows environment. But with the start of the 64 bit area, it seemed that QuickFil had come to an end.
Luckily, we found a workaround which allows to run QuickFil also under Windows Vista and Windows 7. And so it is now possible to offer you our old-fashioned but high performance filter design software as Freeware.

Find out more

The quality of a data connection depends very often on the twisted pair cable used for the network installation. Together with AESA-Cotaillod a leading provider in telecommunication cable measurement systems we have developed this application note that shows how the characteristic of a DSL cable can be checked with the Bode 100.

Find out more

Due to the renewal of the web shop for our customers from the US we can now provide a straight forward and easy handling shopping system. The new American Web Shop now also includes all OMICRON Lab articels and detailed product information.

Please check the new American Webshop out at: www.omicron-lab.com/us-shop/

With the beginning of the year 2010 we have officially released  a new version of the Bode Analyzer Suite. The version V2.23 is a service release and offers the following improvements in comparison to the so far available V2.21:

• Improved Phase performance at low frequencies
• Data/Memory function for impedance and admittance fixed
• Enhanced CSV Export (more data exported)

You can download the Bode Analyzer Suite V2.23 in our download area.

The next major release (V2.3) with a lot more enhancements is planned for spring 2010. Readers of our newsletter will be among the first to learn about the new features. So make sure that you are registered.

The European Web Shop was created in order to provide you with a fast, simple and comfortable way to choose and order the OMICRON Lab product you require for your measuring tasks.
Customers from all European Union countries as well as Switzerland, Norway & Iceland can use this web shop at the moment.

During the development of the European Web Shop we focused on the creation of a platform which offers detailed information about all featured products in combination with a straight forward and easy handling.
Just have a look at www.omicron-lab.com/shop.

Our next target is to offer the same benefits to our US customers by migrating our US Web Shop to the new Web Shop system as well.

One key application of the Bode 100 is the stability analysis of switched mode power supplies. For such an analysis it is necessary to inject the source signal of the Bode 100 into the control loop, usually into the feedback part of the loop. For this purpose an injection transformer is required. OMICRON Lab is now offering an own solution for this problem. The B-WIT 100 was especially developed for the signal insertion using low impedances. This ensures that the transformer's influence on the control loop is minimized.

 For more information visit our Accessories section.

Performing the same measurement over and over again is a pretty boring thing. But by using Bode 100's Automation Interface it is possible to delegate such tasks to an automated measurement setup. To simplify your entry into the world of automated measurements with Bode 100 we have now added automation examples for the most commonly used programming languages and automation programs.

 For more information visit our Automation Interface section.

These days improving efficiency is a big issue in every aspect of our daily business - especially in production. Therefore automated measurements are continuously gaining importance. With the new Bode Analyzer Suite we focused on this important topic by implementing ALL functionalities of the Bode 100 for its OLE Automation Interface. Furthermore we added a very useful function to the frequency sweep modes.

So what is new in the Bode Analyzer Suite V2.21?

• All functions of Bode 100 were implemented to the OLE  Automation Interface (AI).
  
  • The Frequency Sweep (ext. coupler) Mode has been added.
  • The VSWR Format is now supported by the AI
  • The new unwrapped Phase function is supported.
  • ...
    
    
• Save & Load complete equipment configuration via the Automation Interface for automated switching between measurements.
  
  
• The Unwrapped Phase function available in the Frequency Sweep and the Frequency Sweep (External Coupler) modes allows switching from the wrapped phase reading (+/- 180°) to a continuous phase reading. This function is very useful for applications such as the calculation of phase delay times. (For more information refer to the according manual extension.)
  
  
• Improved CSV Export (Full ANSI compatibility)
  
  

Again many of the implemented features and improvements were proposed by our customers. We are very happy to get such excellent input and ideas.  Many thanks for your great support that helped us to further improve the Bode Analyzer Suite. 

Have fun working with Bode 100 and benefit from the possibilities the new Bode Analyzer Suite provides for you!

P.S: The new Bode Analyzer Suite V2.21 can be downloaded free of charge.

Based on the input of our constantly growing customer base we have developed a full set of new features and functionalities, which further extends the range of application of our versatile Bode 100 Vector Network Analyzer.

Here is a selection of the new features of the Bode Analyzer Suite V2.2:

• The extended measurement range 1Hz – 40MHz allows network analysis and impedance measurements within more than 7 decades.
• The Shaped Level function in the frequency sweep mode adds more convinience for the analysis of control circuits such as DC/DC converters.
• The new measurement mode: Frequency Sweep (External Coupler) adds more flexibility for the impedance measurement (e.g. for broadcast antennas).
• Print your measurement results directly with the integrated Print Report function.
• Extended Copy to Clipboard function copies the curve as well as its settings in editable format.
• And for sure we support the following Windows operating system:
  - Windows 2000
  - Windows XP
  - Windows XP 64 bit (new)
  - Windows Vista (new)
  - Windows Vista 64 bit (new)
  - ...

For more details please check out the document: BAS V2.2 What's new

We thank all our customers for their precious inputs and ideas which helped us to further improve this outstanding software product.

Enjoy your work with Bode 100 and benefit from the new functions of Bode Analyzer Suite!

The new Bode Analyzer Suite V 2.01a provides many additional functions which significantly enhance and extend the area of application of the Bode 100 Vector Network Analyzer.

The new and improved user interface allows a quicker and even more intuitive operation of Bode 100 than ever before.

Here is a selection of the new features of the Bode Analyzer Suite V2.01:

• OLE compatible automation interface for the integration of Bode 100 into automatic measurement setups
• Two calibration methods:
  - User Calibration - to reach highest accuracy by calibrating every single frequency point
  - Probe Calibration - for flexible operation; allows change of frequency settings without the need of re-calibration
• Store & retrieve Bode 100's settings, measurement results and calibration in *.Bode (XML) file format
• Export measurement data in CSV format allows easy data processing with tools like Excel™ and MatLAB™
• Serial and parallel equivalent circuits displayed in the impedance measurement mode
  up to 16501 measurement points supported frequency sweep mode
• …

Audio Amplifier Test, Measuring Quartz Crystal Circuit and Measuring Quartz Crystal Circuit II.

click here

A compact, multifunctional test set with a Vector Network Analyzer, Gain Phase Meter, Impedance Meter, and Sine Wave Generator in a single unit.

A compact, multifunctional test set designed for the electronic laboratory.

Bode 100 is the best value for a computer controlled Vector Network Analyzer, Gain Phase Meter, Impedance Meter and Sine Wave Generator in a single unit. The flexible hardware design combined with PC based software allows the Bode 100 to be used for audio, video, and RF applications in labs or production fields.