Agilent Technologies Inc. ( A - Analyst Report ) has launched its latest USB power sensor, the U2020 X-series.

With the capacity to measure both average and peak power levels, the device may be plugged into a computer through a USB port, facilitating readings. Agilent has improved on the accuracy and reliability of its testing platform in successive generations of the product.

Agilent’s latest USB power sensor offers 3,500 readings per second, a significant improvement over the roughly 1000 readings per second of the earlier version. Therefore, the device should be extremely useful to technicians and engineers, ensuring a high level of accuracy and reliability of test results at significantly higher speeds.

Agilent Technologies is a broad-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of test and measurement equipment and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, electronics and communications.

Agilent provides compact solutions for production testing of wireless components, during the research and development of wireless components and for installation and maintenance of base stations.

Agilent is currently the leading supplier of test and measurement tools for electronics and communications markets, as more than half of the mobile phones manufactured are being tested with Agilent’s solutions (company sources).

In aerospace and defense markets, Agilent’s test solutions are used in the latest electronic systems such as avionics, radar, communication systems, satellite, surveillance and GPS. The company also provides test solutions to other markets such as food testing and agriculture, clinical research, environmental, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, materials testing and research and academics among others.

Agilent’s testing systems have proved effective in the past, enabling it to build a strong position for itself. The electronic measurement segment has been improving over the last few quarters as Agilent has been launching quite a few new products.

Agilent’s revenue in the second quarter of 2012 was up 6.0% sequentially and 3.3% year over year, better than management’s expectations of a 4-5% sequential increase ($1.70 billion to $1.72 billion). Currency was a slight negative in the year-over-year comparison.

Currently, Agilent Technologies Inc. has a Zacks Rank of #3, implying a short-term ‘Hold’ recommendation.