Bench notes and field guides on test equipment repair, calibration, and selection.
Function vs RF analog vs vector vs arbitrary waveform generators, the four specs that actually decide a purchase, why used vector-generator pricing varies so much by installed options, and the common signal generator "fault" that is really just a setting.
Read the guide →A bench-level guide to O-band laser sources at 1310 nm: which models to buy used (Keysight 8168x, Anritsu MG9638A), what to verify on arrival, the real reasons demand spiked in 2023-2024, and who actually needs a tunable vs fixed-wavelength source.
Read the guide →The N7776C tunable laser and N7745C eight-channel power meter are a matched system, not two separate purchases. Bench notes on specs, failure modes, buying used, and why pairing them wrong wastes most of what you paid for.
Read the guide →A bench technician's guide to VXI module types, CLK10 and RESMAN problems diagnosed from the field, VXI vs PXI, chassis compatibility, and what to check before buying in volume.
Read the guide →The most common fusion splicer problems explained from the bench - high splice loss after a clean break, electrode replacement timing, arc calibration, error messages decoded, core vs cladding vs PM, and repair vs replace.
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