Helping engineers do more with less (continued)
A continuation of our interview with Brad Byrum, General Manager of Yokogawa's Test & Measurement Division, which appeared in the March 2007 Viewpoint column.
Larry Maloney, Contributing Technical Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 3/1/2007
Click here to read the first part of the interview.
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| Brad Byrum General Manager Test & Measurement Division, Yokogawa Corp. of America Newnan, GA Brad Byrum has more than 18 years of experience in the test equipment industry as a test engineer, application engineer, product manager, marketing manager, and business unit manager. At Yokogawa, Byrum is responsible for all marketing, product management and business operations in North America for the Test and Measurement Division. He holds a BS degree in electronic engineering technology. Contributing editor Larry Maloney spoke with Byrum about industry trends in a recent telephone interview. |
A: We continue to be involved, although the growth has been slower than we had hoped. Most of our work has been in monitoring inverter performance, as well as monitoring fuel cell temperature, impedance, voltage, or even a strain on the stack. This work relates both to fuel cells in transportation and to backup power and other applications. I’ve attended major fuel-cell seminars over the last five years, and while there is a lot of excitement in this field, there are still many barriers to overcome.
Q: How do you assess the comeback in the optical communications market?
A: The troubled times are definitely behind us, and the industry is growing again. That means that customers are increasing their R&D, as well as upgrading or expanding their production capabilities. To meet that need, last year we introduced the AQ6370 optical spectrum analyzer for production testing of active and passive components. Another important new product aimed at this market is the AQ7270 fiberXplorer OTDR, which field personnel use for installing and maintaining fiber-optic networks. We have significantly reduced the time it takes to power up the device, take measurements, and analyze and store data.
Q: How is your new VC3300 tester helping to curb testing costs in mobile phones?
A: This tester offers a twofold savings for the customer. First, it is a lower-cost, mid-range product, yet it does most of what high-end testers do. Secondly, this tester offers a substantial boost in testing throughput on the production line of 3G and GSM mobile phones. With the VC3300, the time required to measure the parameters of a phone’s RF block, including transmission power and frequency errors, has been reduced by about 0.2s.
Q: How does your division in the US work with your R&D arm in Japan on the next generation of products?
A: It is a very collaborative process. The R&D and product marketing groups in Japan have a close one-on-one relationship with product managers in the US, Europe, and other key regions. For instance, in the case of digital oscilloscopes, our product manager here in the US works hand in hand with the oscilloscope product manager and development engineers in Japan.
As we start to look at developing a new product, the market research is done not just in Japan but in all the core markets around the world. In the US, that means that our product managers are responsible for telling Japan what kinds of products are needed now. At the same time, we bring Japanese engineers over here to meet with specific customers so that they can have detailed technical discussions on features that customers want to see in new products. It is an iterative process that goes on all around the world, as we discuss the specifications needed in products that will come online in the next two or three years.
Q: How is the Web effecting engineering today?
A: As engineers seek to fill the knowledge gaps that occur as they are asked to take on projects outside their core speciality, they are relying on the Web more and more as a huge reference library. Engineers can spend days on the Web just researching technologies that are new to them so that they do not have to reinvent the wheel. They are also using the Web to search for components and test tools needed to complete their projects, as well as to narrow their vendor choices. Engineers today don’t have time to call five or six vendors.
Q: What new technologies will Yokogawa unveil in 2007?
A: Though I can’t get specific right now, I can say that 2007 will be a very busy year for us. We will be introducing 10 new test and measurement products in such domains as network test, waveform analysis, and power analysis. As far as application areas are concerned, we look for continued growth—particularly in such fields as optical communication and hybrid vehicle design.
Click here to read the first part of the interview.
