MI Technologies Introduces New MI-788 Networked Acquisition Controller

December 9, 2008

MI Technologies Introduces New MI-788 Networked Acquisition Controller

New instrument speeds test and measurement throughput in acquisition systems

ATLANTA -- MI Technologies, the leading supplier of RF and microwave test and measurement products, systems and services, is introducing a new Networked Acquisition Controller (NAC) designed to optimize and reduce the 'overhead' time that instruments and network components require for handshaking, coordinating, triggering and managing data flow in test systems.

The new product streamlines the cycle of triggering and data flow among instruments for higher throughput and faster data collection. The MI-788 NAC is specifically designed to work with vector network analyzers and the MI Technologies family of microwave receivers.

Marion Baggett, Manager, Applications and Systems Engineering at MI Technologies, said, "The typical antenna test and measurement system has several instruments that need to communicate with each other to acquire and process data. The time it takes for all of these instruments to coordinate data collection is the overhead. The MI-788 NAC delivers significant improvement in test systems by reducing the amount of overhead required to acquire and process measurements."

The MI-788 NAC manages the position trigger from the position control devices, the external trigger to the receiver and the "measurement done" signal from the receiver. This optimizes the triggering cycle among these different instruments for high throughput timing and data collection.

"The NAC buffers acquisition data, provides external RF multiplexer control switching and controls device-under-test beam steering; all in a single acquisition trigger sequence,” Baggett said. "Multi-axis position data can be recorded at each receiver measurement for additional test system accuracy," he added.

MI Technologies, (http://www.mi-technologies.com), headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia, delivers engineering solutions and advanced products, systems, and software to address a wide range of technical applications where precise measurement, control or data acquisition is required. For more than 50 years, the business has been a leading supplier of products, systems and services for RF and Microwave antenna, radome, and radar cross section (RCS) testing. MI Technologies' test, measurement and precision motion control products are used in research, development, monitoring and manufacturing processes worldwide.

Editors:
Click here to download a high resolution photograph of the MI-788 Networked Acquisition Controller.

Click here to download the MI-788 NAC technical data sheet.