CCN has added a new online store to sell lower-cost PCB test products and training. Buyers can make credit card purchases of CCN's 25 GHz Circuit Probes, Skit S-Parameter Training Kits, and of individual subscriptions to the Teledyne LeCroy Signal Integrity Academy.

CCN's probe station and dielectric material test system pages have also been updated to provide online quotation request forms.

Check out both new features. The added features reduce response time to sales requests. Customers may call or complete a contact form to receive personalized support.

CCN introduces DkWGR, a new addition to its line of dielectric material test systems. DkWGR performs dielectric constant and loss tangent testing at X-band frequencies in the range 9-12 GHz. The system is a combination of test fixture, automation and computation software, and a dielectric verification specimen. DkWGR implements a waveguide resonator perturbation method described in test method ASTM D2520 B for room temperature testing. This method has become important again to a number of high-speed and rf electronic applications, and is being called out as a qualification test for a number of material contracts. CCN's website provides a brochure with specification and description. Contact Don at CCN to schedule a demonstration.

CCN has posted new product brochures for our Dielectric Material Test Systems DkSLR and DkSCR; our most popular circuit board probe station, Prober Ranger 1800; and the Vertical Ranger accessory for our probe stations. The brochures provide more technical information and photos depicting each product. Check them out by following in-line links or visiting our Products page.

CCN receives IPC APEX/Expo best paper award. A collaboration led by Glenn Oliver of DuPont received the 2016 APEX/Expo Best Paper award for our contribution, "Round Robin of High Frequency Test Methods by IPC-D24C Task Group.” Glenn Oliver, DuPont Electronics & Communications, presented the paper in a technical session. His co-authors were Jonathan Weldon, DuPont Electronics & Communications; John Andresakis, Park Electrochemical; Chudy Nwachukwu, Isola; John Coonrod, Rogers Corporation; David L. Wynants, Sr., Taconic Advanced Dielectric Division; and Don DeGroot, Connected Community Networks, Inc.

Thanks, Glenn, for leading this effort. CCN was proud to be a part of the work.

Join us in the Chiphead Theater at DesignCon 2016 on Wednesday, January 20 at 1:00 p.m. for the presentation, "How do they come up with those data sheet values." Dr. Don DeGroot of CCN will be joining other industry experts in revealing the truth behind dielectric material specifications and their source.

At DesignCon, Thursday, January 21 at 8:30 a.m., in Ballroom E, Dr. Eric Bogatin of Teledyne LeCroy will be presenting an important new measurement technique for testing signal delay variations in fabricated circuit boards.

CCN proudly provided laboratory and instrument support to this research of the University of Colorado and NanYa. Join us to learn about the new technique and see CCN's nTegrity fixture applied to precise delay skew measurements.

Dr. Don DeGroot of CCN will be participating at DesignCon 2016 in the Panel Presentation and Discussion, "Round Robin of High Frequency Test Methods." The Panel is chaired by Glen Oliver of DuPont and includes John Coonrod of Rogers Corporation and David Wynants of Taconic.

The panel, which will be hosted on Wednesday, January 20, 3:45 p.m. in Ballroom E, will present recent results from a dielectric material round-robin test being conducted by the IPC D24c TaskGroup. The panel participants will show the results collected and describe the methods in use.

​The discussion will center on the relation between manufacturers' specifications, the results from standard test methods, and the level of accuracy required by designers.

​Check out Eric Bogatin's EDN article on differential line performance testing using CCN's nTegrity. nTegrity provides hands-free circuit board coupon probing and automation of Teledyne LeCroy SPARQ to measure differential line loss, impedance, and delay with ultra-high level of repeatability. Suitable for design and production coupon testing, and quite remarkably -- linking fab results to engineering lab results!