R&S®ESSENTIALS

The nerve! Neural dust and the FPL

What if a medical device company developed tiny, wireless sensors that could be implanted in the body to monitor neural activity and help medical staff better treat diseases? It did. This happened. Raise the roof!

Importantly, our very own R&S®FPL spectrum analyzer was a small – but nevertheless significant – part of the development of “neural dust”. As a battery-free solution, the millimeter-sized devices are powered wirelessly and communicate with ultrasound which can be measured in the electrical domain. Coincidentally, with low phase noise and low displayed noise level, the FPL is great at this. Yee-haw!

Hands-on: Art and the R&S®NGP804

These days art is all about multi-sensory art experiences. Think installations that bring interactivity into their environment by engaging the audience in a shared experience. Like a sculpture that responds to movement or touch. Thumbs up.

This kind of art can only mean one thing: very specific, often unpredictable, fluctuating power demands (among other things). So, it’s really no surprise that a prestigious studio that creates these art installations used the R&S®NGP804 power supply, which features FlexPower, QuickArb and EasyRamp, to make the magic happen. Bada-bing, bada-boom.

Vrzzzz! Chainsaws and the R&S®NGE102B

Handheld chainsaws are quite a marvel, wouldn’t you say? Light enough to be held by one person but powerful enough to cut through a tree. Performance flex.

However, before they can help you transform a garden or carve an impressive wooden sculpture, chainsaws – in particular their control boards – have to be designed. And that’s where the R&S®NGE102B enters this story.

This R&S®ESSENTIALS power supply, which features 100% electrically equivalent output channels, was instrumental to the design verification of a series of new chainsaws for one of the world’s best known machinery manufacturers. Mm-hmm. #humblebrag

Blast off! Reusable rockets and the R&S®NGP824

Water bottles, coffee cups, a trendy Scandinavian backpack – these are typically what comes to mind in connection to reusable items. But there is a rocket company that has managed to cut costs and increase space accessibility with the development of 100% reusable rockets. Astronomical!

As you can imagine, battery simulation is a rather critical part of ensuring every component, no matter how big or small, is ready for launch . Which is why we are thrilled that the R&S®NGP824 four-channel power supply was a part of the test and measurement setup that made the feat come to life. You might even say it is out of this world. Ba-dum tss!

Pole position: Miniature Monaco and the R&S®MXO 5

By all accounts, Monaco is not a large country. But it is still quite an achievement for it to be shrunk down to 36 square meters. Especially when the miniature version features a fully functioning Formula 1 racetrack replica. Jaw-meet-floor.

In fact, an authentic Formula 1 race in Monaco is one of the most technically inspiring attractions at Minatur Wunderland Hamburg. A completely new technology had to be developed to create the realistic Grand Prix on a scale of 1:87. And, to our great delight, our R&S®MXO 5, the world’s fastest oscilloscope, was an instrumental part of this achievement – and continues to be used to further develop the software for the attraction. #victorylap.

So well connected! Wi-Fi and the FPL

Wi-Fi dropping out when you move from room to room is, at best, frustrating and, at worst, dangerously disruptive. However, solving the problem is rather complicated – not least due to the requirement of switching between radio bands to find the cleanest signal. The plot thickens.

Luckily, an R&S®ESSENTIALS customer was among the first to pioneer a system which allowed multiple routers to work together to send Wi-Fi throughout the house, minimizing dead spots and drop-offs. And they used none other than the R&S®FPL to do so. The spectrum analyzer was part of the test and measurement setup that got the system through EMI-precompliance hardware testing. Some heroes don’t wear capes.