Keysight Technologies B2900A Series User manual

Keysight Technologies
Making Time Domain Measurement with
Staircase Source Using SMU
B2900A Precision Source/Measure Unit
Demo Guide

Introduction
The Keysight B2900A Series Precision Source/Measure Unit (SMU) is a compact and
cost-effective bench-top SMU with the capability to output and measure both voltage
and current. The B2900A Series SMU enables you to make a wide range of current
versus voltage (IV) measurements more accurately and quickly than ever before. In
addition, the B2900A Series SMU comes with an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI)
and free PC-based application software that make it easy for you to begin making
productive measurements immediately.
This demonstration guide shows how easily you can make a time domain measurement
with sourcing staircase current or voltage using the B2900A Series SMU
Concept
Figure 1 illustrates the connection diagram used in the demo to make a time domain
measurement of voltage with sourcing staircase sweep current to an LED using the
B2900A Series SMU
Figure 1. Connection diagram
Required Instrument and Accessories
All of the accessories required to perform the demos described in this demonstration guide
are provided in a demo kit that is included with Keysight B2902A/12A demo units. The kit
includes items such as a Kelvin Probe Set, an LED.
Keysight B2902A/12A
Precision Source/Measure Unit 11059A Kelvin Probe Set
LED
A-
-
V
High Force
Low Force
B2901/02/11/12A
DUT
Common
DUT : LED
Source Mode : Voltage
Start Value : 0 V
Stop Value : 2 V
Points : 101
Current Limit : 100 mA

03 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
Figure 2. Timing chart for the time domain measurement with staircase sweep source
Figure 2 shows the timing chart for the time domain measurement with staircase source with
the front panel operation. In this case, the specified source value is sourced immediately after
turning on . Then, when you press , the instrument will make a time domain
measurement with staircase source. Because the B2900A series SMU has an independent
trigger system for each of the source and measurement function, the multiple measurements
can be made during each step of staircase source. If it is necessary, you can specify any
measurement trigger delay time which is the wait time before making a measurement. The
measurement time consists of Measurement Speed and some overhead time. Measurement
Speed is the parameter specified by the user. Overhead time includes the time to change the
measurement range, etc.
Setup
1. Connect the yellow banana plug to the Ch 1 Low Force Terminal.
2. Connect the red banana plug to the Ch1 High Force Terminal.
3. Clip the LED cathode terminal with the black gold-plated tweezers.
4. Clip the LED anode terminal with the red gold-plated tweezers.
4
1
2
Cathode
Anode
3
Red (11059A)
Yellow (11059A) Black (11059A)
Red (11059A)
Output ON
Source Value
Output
Off State
:Measurement
Source V or I
Time
Start Value
Press Trigger Internal Source Trigger
Stop Value
TSP TSP TSP
Time
TMP
Internal Measurement Trigger
TMD
TM
TMP
TMD
TM
TMP
TMD
TM
TMP
TMD
TM
TMP
TMD
TM
TMP
TMD
TM
TMP
TMD
TM
TMP
TMD
TM
Measure
V or I
TMD
TM
: Measurement Trigger Delay Time
: Measurement Time
TMP
TSP
: Measurement Trigger Period
: Source Trigger Period

04 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
LAB: Make Time Domain Measurement with Staircase Source Using SMU
Objective
This demo illustrates the function to
make a time domain measurement of
voltage with sourcing staircase voltage
to an LED using a Source/Measure Unit.
Procedure
1. Change View mode to Channel 1
Single View
2. Configure the condition for Time
Domain Measurement
3. Change View mode to Graph View
4. Perform the measurement
5. View the measurement result graph
6. View the list of measurement results
7. (Optional) Configure the measure-
ment speed
8. (Optional) Configure to use AUTO
measurement range operation
Demonstration
1. Change View mode to Channel 1 Single View
1) Press repeatedly until the Channel 1
Single View is displayed.
2. Configure the condition for Time Domain Measurement
1) Press to edit the Source function, and then select to set the Source
function to Voltage source.
2) Press to edit the Source value, and then enter 0 V to set the Source value to 0 V.
3) Press to edit the Limit value, and then enter 100 mA to set the Limit value to 100 mA.
4) Press to configure the Measurement parameter, and then select to set the
Measurement parameter to Current

05 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
5) Press to change the keys shown in Assist keys, and then press to show
Sweep Sub-Panel.
6) Press , then press to turn on Single Linear Sweep Mode. After turning
on Single Linear Sweep Mode, you can see Source Shape which shows the single
linear sweep mode.
7) Rotate to select Channel 1 Sweep Parameters and set them up as below.
(Start: 0 V, Stop: 2 V, Points: 101, Step: 20 mV)
8) Press to show Trigger Sub-Panel.
9) Press to edit the Trigger type, and then select to set the Trigger type
to TIMER.

06 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
10) Rotate to select Channel 1 Trigger Parameters and set them up as below.
Source Trigger Count should be the same number as Sweep Points. Measurement
Trigger Count defines the number of sampling and Measurement Trigger Period defines
the interval of sampling.
(Source Trigger Count: 101, Measurement Trigger Count: 1010, Source Trigger Period:
10 ms, Measurement Trigger Delay Time: 500 us, Measurement Trigger Period: 1 ms)
Now you’ve configured a 1 ms measurement trigger period for a sampling measure-
ment. The measurement will be performed every 1 ms periodically. However, please
note that a FIXED current measurement range operation will be used to control the
trigger period strictly. The measurement range is selected by Limit value. In this
example, a 100 mA measurement range will be used.
3. Change View mode to Graph View
1) Press repeatedly until Graph View
is displayed.
2) Rotate and press to edit the X-axis data type.
3) Press , and then select to set the X-axis data type to Time.

07 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
4. Perform the measurement
1) Press to source the voltage specified by the Source value, and then press
to perform a measurement.
(The status information will show during the measurement.)
5. View the measurement result graph
1) Press to adjust the scale of the graph after finishing the measurement.
Now you can see the measurement result on the GUI of the B2900A series SMU as
below.
2) Rotate and press to edit the Y-axis data type, and then select to set
the Y-axis data type to Voltage.
Now you can see the measured voltage, which is sourced to the device, on the GUI of
the B2900A series SMU as below.

08 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
6. View the list of measurement results
The measurement results including the measurement time stamp can be referred by the
following steps.
1) If you aren’t on the top of the Function menu, press repeatedly to return to
the top level.
2) If you’d like to see the list of the measurement result, press , then press
to open Measure Result dialogue.
3) Rotate and press to select the Data Type field.
4) Press to change the keys shown in Assist keys, and then press to
select Time as the Data type.
5) Rotate and press to select the Data field. Then rotate to scroll the data
list.
On the top level of the Function menu
In the middle level of the Function menu
Any tree structure can’t be seen
Some tree structure can be seen
(1) Press Result
(2) Press Measure

09 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
7. (Optional) Configure the measurement speed
In the default setting, the instrument selects the appropriate measurement speed
and range automatically to get the fine accuracy. However, you can also specify these
parameters on the GUI of the B2900A series SMU to meet a variety of the requirement to
the measurement conditions.
For example, let’s try to change the measurement speed to SHORT to make a measure-
ment more quickly. If you select SHORT, the aperture time is set to 0.01 PLC. Here, PLC
stands for power line cycle and the specified number of power line cycles is used per a
measurement.
1) Press repeatedly until the Channel 1
Single View is displayed.
2) Press to edit the Measurement speed, and then select to set the
Measurement speed to SHORT. (If you can’t see in Assist keys, press
to change the keys shown in Assist keys.)

10 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
If you prefer to control the B2900A Series SMU remotely using SCPI remote commands,
then the following material explains how to do this.
The series of commands shown in group “A” configure the sweep condition. Next the
series of commands shown in group “B” configure the trigger condition. Finally, the series
of commands shown in group “C” should be sent to initiate the channel to output signal.
*RST
:SOUR:FUNC:MODE VOLT
:SOUR:VOLT 0
:SENS:FUNC 'CURR'
:SENS:CURR:PROT 0.1
:SOUR:FUNC:SHAP DC
:SOUR:VOLT:MODE SWE
:SOUR:SWE:SPAC LIN
:SOUR:VOLT:STAR 0
:SOUR:VOLT:STOP 2
:SOUR:VOLT:POIN 101
:TRIG:SOUR TIM
:TRIG:TRAN:COUN 101
:TRIG:TRAN:TIM 1E-2
:TRIG:TRAN:DELAY 0
:TRIG:ACQ:COUN 1010
:TRIG:ACQ:DELAY 5E-4
:TRIG:ACQ:TIM 1E-3
:OUTP ON
:INIT (@1)
B2900A Series SMU SCPI command example
A
B
C
Optionally, a command shown in “D” configure the measurement integration condition.
Controlling the B2900A Series SMU using SCPI commands
7. (Optional) Configure the measurement speed
B2900A Series SMU SCPI command example
:SENS:VOLT:NPLC 0.01 D

11 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
Conclusion
The Keysight B2900A Series Precision Source/Measure Unit (SMU) is a compact and cost-ef-
fective bench-top SMU with the capability to output and measure both voltage and current.
Configuring the B2900A series SMU properly enables you not only to make a simple current
versus voltage (IV) measurement, but also to make a time domain measurement with sourcing
staircase sweep current or voltage as if it were an oscilloscope.
B2900 Precision Instrument Family
The B2900 family contains products that perform both precision sourcing and precision
measurement. www.keysight.com/find/b2900a

12 | Keysight | Making Time Domain Measurement with Pulsed Source Using SMU – Demo Guide
This information is subject to change without notice.
© Keysight Technologies, 2017
Published in USA, December 1, 2017
5992-1774EN
www.keysight.com
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