The 57th Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy is being held in Orlando, FL, March 12-17. Attendees who register online by February 12 will get a break: 50% off the registration fee. The conference will include an exposition of the latest equipment in applied spectroscopy.

Go here for details and to register.

The StellarNet, Inc. EPP2000 Spectrometers are portable fiber optic instruments for UV, VIS, and NIR measurements in 190 to 2200 nm ranges. These units represent a step up in low cost instrument design. Numerous models offer standard or high resolution (HR) optics for selected spectral operating ranges.

The IRPrestige can measure in the near IR, mid-IR, and far IR ranges with the simple exchange of the light source, beam splitter, and detector. Users can easily accomplish these component changes. The standard optical bench features a mid-IR measuring range of 7,800 to 350 cm^-1. Read more about Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc.

Taking up no more bench space than a DVD case, the HR4000 spectrometer from Ocean Optics achieves sub-angstrom resolution with a 4 in. (101.6 mm) focal length. The unit connects to a PC and draws its power from its USB interface, making it highly portable. For more information, check out the company’s news release.

By offering a USB 2.0 interface, the AvaSpec-3648-USB2 provides a plug-and-play spectrometer for portable applications. The unit handles 200 nm to 100 nm wavelengths and a programmable integration time of 10 usec to 10 minutes.

The CP-3800 GC is Varian, Inc's top-of-the-line gas chromatograph with a flexible platform for single-, dual-, or three-channel configuration for maximum productivity. The CP-3800 Gas Chromatograph is easily upgraded to multi-valve, multi-column configuration to handle complicated analysis.

The LabAlliance Prep 200 System meets your basic needs for routine automated semi-preparative and preparative HPLC. Now you can isolate and purify microgram to multigram quantities of analytes with a high level of performance for all your scale-up and preparative applications. View Scientific Systems, Inc./LabAlliance's company profile.

The Shimadzu CBM series of high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) controllers come equipped with a LAN interface, allowing users to operate the units via standard web browser. The unit operates without the need for any extra software on the host system, and can be controlled from anywhere across the Web. Go here for more details.

Offering what it calls the smallest available ICP (inductively coupled plasma) spectrometer, Thermo Electron Corp. has released its iCAP 6000 series. The devices feature a high-power solid-state plasma generator that can handle all sample types. For more information, visit this link.

If you're looking for a direct-reading metrology instrument and an electronic size comparator for use on the production floor, look no further — the third-generation External Supermicrometer® provides durability, digital accuracy, speed of measurement, and range of applications. Learn more about Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems, Inc.

When used in conjunction with Keithley Instruments, Inc.’s models 6220 DC current source and 6221 AC/DC current source, the Model 2182A enables users to make resistance measurements, pulsed I-V measurements, and differential conductance measurements faster and more accurately, often eliminating the need for an expensive lock-in amplifier or AC resistance bridge.

Veeco Instruments has blended the resolution of an atomic force microscope with the long scan of an atomic force profiler to speed surface metrology for semiconductor manufacturing. Efforts such as planarization and etch control can benefit from the new instrument, named Dimension®.

The former National Council of Standards Laboratories, NCSL International, will be producing a new quarterly trade journal dedicated to the field of metrology. The new journal, Measure, will debut in March and will cover such topics as calibration techniques and measurement standards. You can check out the magazine’s article and advertising requirements by following this link.

The large LCD display and LED indicators on the Cal Plus™ Calibration Station show whether or not the instrument passed or failed the desired function. A PC is not required to operate this stand-alone calibration system, making the unit extremely portable and flexible. Read more about Industrial Scientific Corporation.

The Model 1120 Thermocouple Simulator/Calibrator is a precision voltage source designed to perform calibration of thermocouple temperature measuring. In addition to providing thermocouple simulation, it is a precision DC voltage calibrator with a conventional linear output from -11 to +11 volts. View ECTRON Corporation's company profile.

In South Queensferry, UK, a new capability has arisen. Here, the UK’s National Physical Laboratory has established a certified ability to perform network analyzer and other calibration functions over the Internet. This allows users to perform calibrations from any location worldwide. Follow this link to find more details.

Keeping a laboratory of equipment properly tuned and calibrated can be a daunting task. Fortunately, there is Windows-based software to help automate things and keep them on track. You can learn about and download the GE Intercal product by going to this Web site.

If you are new to the field of metrology, it can be hard figuring out where to start. Agilent has put together a series of short tutorials on its Web site that you can use as a springboard. Learn about calibration requirements, myths, and other topics at the Agilent Basics site.

Tired of trying an online job search and having Google suggest that you misspelled “meteorology?” Here is a Web site that provides a list of current openings in the field of metrology, with no clouds in sight.

Metric prefixes can be entertaining when used creatively. For instance, 2000 mockingbirds make up a Pulitzer prizewinner: two kilomockingbird. For more metric fun, check out this list from the Metrology Forum: Just for Fun.

If you like making things perform at their absolute best, check out the AGC monitor calibration shareware. This program includes test patterns and a calibration wizard to make the task fast, fun, and mathematically correct. You can obtain the software at this site.

Celebrate National Engineers Week: February 19-25, 2006

Sponsored by the National Engineering Foundation, this special week is set aside every year to introduce school children and college students to a career in engineering. National Engineering Week is scheduled for February 19-25. This year's focus: Introduce a Girl to Engineering. Full details can be found here.

Change your e-mail address or edit your GlobalSpec profile here.

To continue receiving GlobalSpec's Scientific Instruments eNewsletter in your e–mail inbox, please add announce@news.globalspec.com to your address book.

If a friend forwarded this newsletter and you'd like to receive it directly, register here.

To be removed from our newsletter mailing list, follow this link.