Amplifier Research emcware EMC Software

The Amplifier Research emcware® Suite by AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation provides automated Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing and report generation for all types of users from corporate to professional test laboratories. It is a standalone software application designed to operate on a PC running a Microsoft WindowsTM operating system. The export classification for this software is EAR99. This software is controlled for export in accordance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations. Diversion contrary to U.S. law is prohibited.

Software Design

The Amplifier Research emcware® Suite is designed to be userfriendly yet extremely flexible. It is broken up into modules based on different types of EMC testing. Within each module there are predefined standards. The ability to create custom test standards is also provided.

Equipment Management

Contained within the Amplifier Research emcware® is a built-in Equipment List Manager. This tool allows for equipment to be entered one time and then accessed from within any of the modules. The Equipment List Manager also keeps track of calibration dates and can warn the user when the calibration date of a specific piece of equipment is approaching.

EUT Monitoring

Use custom equipment or a National Instruments DAQ card to monitor and report the status of the equipment under test (EUT). The National Instruments DAQ device can monitor Analog or Digital levels from the EUT or reset the EUT using the Digital Outputs. Custom equipment, in conjunction with dynamic link library (DLL) files, allows for complete EUT monitoring and control.

Instrument Drivers

Instrument control is provided through AR RF/ Microwave Instrumentation’s extensive driver library. Creation of new drivers for equipment that is not currently supported is available up on request. Drivers can also be created and imported by the user in the form of dynamic link libraries (DDL) files. For a list of supported remote interfaces, see the Equipment Interface section. 

Signal Routing

The Amplifier Research emcware® is designed to allow the user to select between manual and automatic signal routing. Automatic signal routing is implemented using one or more AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation Model SC2000 System Controllers.

User Security Levels

Define equipment and test set-ups as a System Administrator, then change the security level to Restricted User to ensure secure testing.

Reports

Extensive report generation capability is built into each module. These reports can be customized by the user. All reports are created in Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel.

Help Instructions

A detailed help utility is included with the emcware®. The contents of the help instructions can be searched by keyword or topic. Open the help file using the context-sensitive help buttons located throughout the user interface.

Software Licensing

The Amplifier Research emcware® is fully functional for a period of 60 days from the date of install. Registration is required to obtain a license for operation beyond 60 days.

AR Systems Compatibility

The Amplifier Research emcware® can automatically control select AR Systems using built-in equipment setups. See the Compatible Systems for a complete list.

Amplifier Research emcware Specifications

RECOMMENDED PC HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:

• Intel i5 or equivalent
• 4 GB of RAM
• Screen resolution 1,024 x 768 pixels and higher
• 2 available USB (2.0) Ports

OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS:

• Windows 10, Windows 7 Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1

SUPPORTED INTERFACE HARDWARE (Not Included):

• National Instruments GPIB Controller
• NI GPIB-USB-HS+ [AR P/N 10013688] or equivalent National Instruments device required for GPIB communications
• National Instruments DAQ (Data Acquisition) device
• NI USB-6212 [AR P/N 10025318] is recommended, but the configuration is customizable

SUPPORTED EQUIPMENT COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACES:

• IEEE 488 (GPIB), National Instruments NI GPIB-USBHS+ [AR P/N 10013688] or equivalent device required
• RS-232
• USB
• Ethernet (creation of a National Instruments VISA TCP/IP Resource required)

EQUIPMENT DRIVERS:

• A full list of included equipment drivers can be found at the end of this document.
• For equipment that is not currently supported, please contact the factory.
• Equipment drivers can be written by the user in a multitude of programming languages (LabVIEW, Visual Studios, etc.) and imported as dynamic link library (DLL) files.
• Equipment Driver Templates are included for LabVIEW and Visual C++
• Includes demonstration drivers for all controllable equipment types to allow operation without equipment.

REPORTS:

• Microsoft Word/Excel 2007 or newer required for all output formats
• Output Formats
• Microsoft Word / Excel
• PDF
• Included Data
• All data collected in numerical & graphical formats
• Test information (test standard, file paths, completion date, etc.)
• User and Customer information (optional)
• EUT monitoring data including Pass / Fail status and user comments
• Test setup information (test level, frequencies, dwell times and EUT monitoring setup)
• Equipment names and calibration dates
• Basic equipment interconnect diagram

LEGEND: RS (Radiated Susceptibility), CI (Conducted Immunity), RE (Radiated Emissions, CE (Conducted Emissions)

*NOTE: AR models created after the current release of the software may not be fully supported, but will be supported in subsequent releases within the scope of the emcware® software