Track 14: Virtual Measurement Lab

Hands-on experience with the instruments every SI/PI/EMI engineer must master. Each virtual instrument below simulates real-world measurement scenarios with interactive controls. Adjust parameters and observe how signals behave under different conditions.

1. Virtual Oscilloscope

Observe time-domain waveforms with adjustable timebase, voltage scale, and signal impairments.

Timebase

V/div

Frequency (MHz) 100 MHz

Amplitude (V) 1.0 V

Noise Level 0%

Ringing 0%

Waveform

Freq: -- | Period: -- | Vpp: -- | Rise Time: --

2. Virtual TDR (Time Domain Reflectometer)

Send a step pulse down a transmission line and observe reflections from impedance discontinuities.

Preset Load

Z0 (Ω) 50 Ω

ZL (Ω) 200 Ω

Rise Time (ps) 100 ps

Z0: 50Ω | ZL: 200Ω | Γ: -- | Delay: --

3. Virtual VNA (Vector Network Analyzer)

Measure S-parameters vs frequency. View S11 (return loss) and S21 (insertion loss) for common structures.

Start Freq (MHz)

Stop Freq (GHz)

DUT

Trace Length (cm) 10 cm

Loss Tangent 0.020

S11 @ 1GHz: -- dB | S21 @ 1GHz: -- dB | S21 @ 5GHz: -- dB | BW (-3dB): -- GHz

4. Virtual BERT (Bit Error Rate Tester)

Generate a pseudo-random bit pattern, send it through a channel, and count errors to compute BER.

Bits Transmitted

Errors Detected

BER

Confidence (%)

Pattern

Data Rate (Gbps)

Channel Loss (dB) 10 dB

Jitter (ps rms) 5 ps

Target BER

Status: Idle | Estimated time to confidence: --

5. Virtual Spectrum Analyzer

View the frequency-domain representation (FFT) of a digital signal. Observe harmonics and how rise time affects spectral content.

Signal Type

Fundamental (MHz) 100 MHz

Rise Time (ps) 200 ps

RBW (MHz)

Span (GHz)

Duty Cycle (%) 50%

Peak: -- dBm @ -- MHz | 2nd Harmonic: -- dBm | 3rd Harmonic: -- dBm | f_knee: -- GHz