It wasn't long ago that I posted about saying "Hello" to FPGA thanks to a prize received from one of the many FPGA quizzes on element14. As it turns out, the random number generator must have been smiling down at me because I was select...
When I hear the word "hello", my mind immediately thinks of three things - the greeting "hello", the first program one would probably write - "Hello, world!" and perhaps the Japanese fictional character, "Hello Kitt...
It’s been a great journey reviewing the Aim-TTi QPX750SP 750W Programmable DC Power Supply so far, but wouldn’t it be nice to end it all with a peek under the covers? After all, I don’t see any warranty void seals and the fuse is inside the cover, so...
The most important part of an instrument is how well it performs. This section covers some tests done using other benchtop equipment to try and characterise the performance of the QPX750SP. As the power envelope of the QPX750SP far exceeds most of my...
Being the fortunate recipient of a 750W power supply, I thought it would be a shame if it were not given a chance to stretch its legs. It wasn’t originally part of my RoadTest proposal, but it seemed essential enough that I decided to spend just a li...
As the QPX750SP has an extended voltage range capability that reaches 80V, a key application would be to test telecommunications-based equipment which may be 48V nominal, but require voltages up to 60V to properly test. Initially, I thought I would t...
When it comes to high-current requirements, the first thing that comes to my mind is testing MOSFETs. Ever since I received a batch of counterfeit MOSFETs, I’ve delved down into the rabbit-hole of testing MOSFETs under quasi-realistic application sce...
In this chapter, I will be looking at the various remote interfaces and PC connectivity options, including their latest Test Bridge software which was still in Beta/Release Candidate stage of development at the time of review. PC ConnectivityThe...
This chapter will examine the QPX750SP’s user interface and menus, provide some of my thoughts about the bench-top user experience and evaluate the documentation provided by Aim-TTi to support users. User Interface & MenusTurning on the unit...
This post will focus on the unboxing process, showing the product from all sides and any included accessories.UnboxingThe power supply is packed in an ordinary plain brown cardboard box. If it were not for the labels on one end, I wouldn’t even know ...
In this section, I will examine the key features of the Aim-TTi QPX750SP and ascertain its value for money by comparing its capabilities and price with similar products on the market. Feature IntroductionAim-TTi are perhaps not as widely known a...
It has been a while since my last update for my Keithley 2450 SMU RoadTest, however, it seems that there have been some relatively-recently released improvements to the firmware and KickStart 2 software which are worth noting. While I was aware of th...
It’s the holiday season – traditionally a time for reflection and being thankful for our blessings. Around element14, there are plenty of reasons to be thankful – a community of mostly like-minded professional engineers, mentors, hobbyists, tinkerers...
While the last section looked at MOSFETs, this final section will cover some of the results from my experiments on lighting technologies. The first section will look at the humble NE-2 neon indicator bulb and trying to build a nice I-V curve from act...
As one of the fortunate members to be selected to RoadTest the Keithley 2450 SMU, I delivered a review earlier this year with a significant caveat as a hardware issue stopped me from being able to perform some of the experiments I had initially plann...
Now that the Keithley 2450 SMU has passed its initiation and been “accepted” by my family of instruments, it’s time to look at various applications of the SMU. During my original RoadTest review, I had already looked at some basic I-V testing (with K...
Now that I’ve had my 2450 SMU serviced, returning with a fresh calibration, the first thing I thought I’d do was to check the calibration of the 2450 SMU against my suite of instruments - or more accurately, check the calibration of my instruments ag...
I worked hard to quickly deliver a comprehensive Omron Sensor Evaluation Board 2JCIE-EV RoadTest Review as it seemed to be a rather straightforward. This was because I had other things to worry about including the current RoadTest I'm undertaking...
I was the first to publish my review of the Keithley 2450 SMU in July this year, however, the review itself was couched in a major caveat. This was the fact that the instrument was not performing correctly under certain circumstances and appeared to ...
For most instruments, this chapter is perhaps the most exciting one as I delve into the instrument’s performance capabilities across a number of parameters. However, this time around for some metrics especially, I have been thwarted by two considerat...
This in-depth blog posting considers the ways in which I-V testing can be performed “on-device” using the Keithley 2450 SMU in standalone operation. On-Device I-V Tracing, Let Me Count the Ways!Performing I-V testing on the Keithley 2450 SMU can...
This blog focuses on using the Keithley KickStart 2 software with the 2450 SMU, which provides the I-V Characterizer function for PC-connected I-V tracing. *PLEASE READ* - This Review is with Caveats!Unfortunately, the SMU I received appears to ...
This blog looks at the Keithley 2450 SMU’s remote interfaces and programming capability. USB ConnectivityThe Keithley 2450 offers both a front panel USB-A connection and a rear panel USB-B connection. The front panel supports the use of USB Mass...
What is the Keithley 2450 SMU like to use and what do I think of it? This blog looks at the process of getting up-and-running with the 2450 SMU, the user interface and features, my opinion on the user experience, the quality of the documentation and ...
