Instrumentation: Smaller and smarter: Performance is up and prices are down as advances in ICs and clever packaging techniques abound

Prices of test and measurement instruments continue to drop, with the microprocessor IC greatly increasing instrument dollar value by providing more measurement power for the same purchase dollar. And the trend extending instrument frequency ranges and increasing measurement accuracies, as well as features, for the same or less cost also continues. Digital multimeters are now available that provide field accuracies under 100 ppin. And frequency counters that reach into the GHz region are also available at attractive prices, usually at a few hundred dollars.