Keysight Technologies B2980A Series User manual

Keysight Technologies
Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with
B2980A Series
B2980A Femto/Picoammeter and Electrometer/High Resistance
Meter
Demo Guide

Introduction
The Keysight Technologies, Inc. B2980A Series of Femto/Picoammeters and Electrometers/High Resistance
Meters offers not only the best-in-class measurement performance, but also unprecedented measurement
features that can maximize your measurement confidence as you expect.
The femto/picoammeters and electrometers both offer 0.01 fA (10-17 A) minimum current resolution, which
should meet most of your existing and future low-level current measurement
needs.
The electrometers feature a 1,000 V voltage sourcing capability that supports up to 10 PΩ (1016 Ω) resistance
measurements. The electrometers also work with Keysight’s well-proven high resistance meter accessories.
The femto/picometer and electrometer/high resistance meter both have battery-powered versions that
eliminate AC power-line noise. This low-noise environment allows you to make very sensitive, low-level
measurements that were previously impossible.
Unlike conventional picoammeters and electrometers, the B2980A series features a 4.3” color LCD graphical
user interface (GUI) enabling various viewing capabilities such as numeric, graph, histogram and roll (trend
chart), which allows you to easily capture the transient behavior or to efficiently make a quick statistical
analysis without using an external PC.
This demonstration guide highlights the excellent measurement and triggering capabilities of the B2980A
series. The methodology involves sending an electronic trigger signal to a B2980A series electometer and
making a current measurement. In this example, the electrometer receives an external trigger signal with
specific timing parameters, such as 500 ms measurement delay, while sourcing 1 V across 100 GΩresistor.
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 B2987A demo units except for the external trigger source.
Keysight B2987A Electrometer B2981-61715
Banana to lug cable 16494A-001 Triax cable
16493B-001 Coaxial cableN1422A High resistance demo kit
U8201-60001
Xtention lead set for straight plugs

03 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
Concept
Figure 1 illustrates the connection diagram and basic setup conditions for the demo,
which uses a B2985A/87A ammeter to make current measurements whenever it receives
an external trigger signal. The B2980A series will measure current using the settings
shown below while sourcing voltage across the resistor.
Figure 1. Connection diagram and basic condition
Figure 2 shows the parameters used to define the measurement timing from the instru-
ment’s front panel. The specified source value is outputted immediately after pressing
Voltage Source . Next, you will need to configure the B2985A/87A ammeter to
accept an external trigger and make a current measurement.
Figure 3 shows the external trigger signal requirements to initiate a current measurement
from the ammeter. Positive or negative logic can be used to set the external trigger pulse.
A
Input
Common
High
Low
B2985A/87A
Ammeter
B2985A/87A
Voltage Source
External Trigger Signal
Trigger In
DUT : 100 GΩResistor
Sourced Voltage : 1 V
Measure Delay : 300 μs
Trigger Count : Any or INF.
J1J2
N1422A (DUT)
-
Figure 2. Timing chart for the current measurement
External TriggerOutput ON
Source Value
Output
Off State
V
Time
TMD TAP TMD TAP
TMP
TMD TAP
TMP TMP
TAP : Aperture Time
TMD : Measure Delay TMP : Measure Trigger Period
: Measurement
tW: Trigger Pulse Width > 10 µs
tW
V
Time
Positive Logic
5 V
V
Time
Negative Logic
5 V tW
Figure 3. External trigger signal requirements

04 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
Setup
Connection
1. Connect the Common terminal to the Earth terminal of the B2985A/87A with a banana to
screw-lug cable.
2. Connect the Voltage Source Low terminal to the Common terminal of the B2985A/87A with a
black banana test lead.
3. Connect the Ammeter Input terminal of the B2985A/87A to the J1 terminal of the N1422A with
a triaxial cable.
4. Connect the Voltage Source High terminal of the B2985A/87A to the J2 terminal of the N1422A
with a red banana test lead.
5. Connect the trigger source to the Trigger In port of the B2985A/87A with a BNC cable.
N1422A B2985A/87A Terminals

05 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
LAB: Using external trigger signals and a B2980A series ammeter to make a
current measurement.
Objective
This demo illustrates the ability of a
B2980A series ammeter to respond to
an external trigger and make a current
measurement.
Procedure
1. Change View mode to Meter View
2. Confirm the measurement parameter
3. Configure the trigger condition
4. (Optional) Configure voltage source
condition
5. Initiate the ammeter to wait for an
external trigger signal
6. (Optional) Abort the ammeter to
stop waiting for an external trigger
signal
7. (Optional) If you’d like to change
aperture mode
8. (Optional) If you’d like to change
measurement range operation
Demonstration
1. Change View mode to Meter View
1) Press repeatedly until the Meter View appears
on the screen.
2. Confirm the measurement parameter
1) Make sure that the measurement parameter is set to current.
If it is NOT set to current, take the procedure “2)” to set it to current.
2) (Optional) Press to set the measurement parameter to current.
3. Configure the trigger condition
1) Press and then press to show the Trigger Sub-Panel.
2) Press to edit the Trigger type, and then select to set the Trigger type to
MANUAL.

06 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
3) Rotate to select the Measure trigger delay and press to edit it. Then
enter 500 ms to set the Measure trigger delay to 500 ms.
4) Rotate to select the Measure trigger period and press to edit it. Then
enter 1 s to set the Measure trigger period to 1 s, which should be longer than the
sum of the measurement delay time and the aperture time.
5) Rotate to select the Measure trigger source and press to edit it.
6) Press , , to change the keys shown in Assist keys, and then
press to set the Measure trigger source to Trigger In port.
7) Press , , , and then press to open the BNC
Configuration dialogue.
(1) Press System Menu
(2) Press More…(1 of 2)
(3) Press I/O
(4) Press BNC…

07 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
8) Press to edit the Input Polarity, and then press to set it to Positive polarity.
9) Press to make save your settings.
10) Rotate to select the Measure trigger count and press to edit it. Then enter
the Number of trigger signals which will be sent to the instrument as the Measure trigger
count.
11) Or press to set it to INFINITY if you’d like to continue to measure current until it
is aborted.
If you set the trigger count to INFINITY, be sure you abort the process at the end of the
test.

08 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
4. (Optional) Configure voltage source condition
The B2987A has an internal voltage source. This demo makes use of it to source voltage
across the resistor and induce current across it.
1) Rotate to select the Voltage source and press to edit it.
2) Then rotate until the Voltage Source value reaches 1 V and press to fix it.
3) Press Voltage Source to enable Voltage Source.
5. Initiate the ammeter to wait for an external trigger signal
1) Press Ammeter to enable Ammeter
2) Press , , , and then press to make the ammeter
ready to receive an external trigger signal.
(1) Press System Menu
(2) Press Trigger
(3) Press Initiate
(4) Press Acq.

09 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
When the B2980A series ammeter is ready, send the external trigger signal to it and
make the current measurement.
6. (Optional) Abort the ammeter to stop waiting for an external trigger
signal
If you set the measure trigger count to INFINITY, or the number of external trigger
signals was less than the specified measure trigger count, be sure you abort the process
at the end of the test.
1) Press , , , and then press to make the ammeter
stop waiting for an external trigger signal.
7. (Optional) If you’d like to change the aperture mode
The automatic aperture mode is selected in the default setting and Normal is selected
as the aperture type. When the automatic aperture mode is selected, an appropriate
aperture time is set automatically by the instrument depending on the current measure-
ment range. If the manual aperture mode is selected, the instrument uses the aperture
time specified by the user.
1) Press the measurement navigation key to select shorter aperature type.
(1) Press System Menu
(2) Press Trigger
(3) Press Abort
(4) Press Acq.

10 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
2) Press the measurement navigation key to select longer aperature type.
3) For example, if you’d like to select the manual aperture mode, press .
4) If you’d like to set the mode to the automatic aperture mode again, press .
5) If you’d like to set the aperture mode to the default one, press , the center of
the measurement navigation key.

11 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
The current measurement range operation is set to AUTO in the default settings. When
the operation is set to AUTO, an appropriate current measurement range is selected
automatically by the instrument depending on the current measurement result. If the
mode is set to FIXED, the current measurement range is fixed to the one specified by the
user during the measurement.
1) Press to hide Trigger Parameters.
2) Press to set the current measurement range operation to FIXED.
3) Press the measurement navigation key to select a larger current
measurement range.
4) Press the measurement navigation key to select a smaller current
measurement range.
8. (Optional) If you’d like to change the measurement range operation

12 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
Controlling the B2980A Series using SCPI commands
If you prefer to control the B2980A Series remotely using SCPI remote commands, then
the following material explains how to do this.
The series of commands shown in group “A” configure the measurement parameter and
trigger condition. Next the series of commands shown in group “B” should be sent to
set up the voltage source optionally. Finally, the series of commands shown in group
“C” should be sent to initiate the ammeter in the B2980A Series to wait for an external
trigger signal.
The series of commands shown in group “D”, “E”, and “F” are optional to abort the
ammeter to stop waiting for an external trigger signal, to change the aperture mode, and
to change the measurement range operation.
*RST
:DISP:ENAB OFF
:SENS:FUNC "CURR"
:TRIG:ACQ:DEL 0.5
:TRIG:ACQ:TIM 1
:TRIG:ACQ:SOUR TIN
:SYST:TIN:POL POS
:TRIG:ACQ:COUN 10
:SOUR:VOLT 1
:OUTP ON
B2985A/87A SCPI command example
A
B
:INP ON
:INIT:ACQ (@1)
:ABOR:ACQ (@1)
:SENS:CURR:APER:AUTO:MODE SHOR
:SENS:CURR:APER:AUTO OFF
:SENS:CURR:RANG:AUTO OFF
:SENS:CURR:RANG 2E -5
E
F
C
D
5) If you’d like to set the operation to AUTO again, press .
6) If you’d like to reset the measurement range setting to the default one, press
, the center of the measurement navigation key.

13 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
B2900 Precision Instrument Family
The B2900 family contains products that perform both precision sourcing and precision
measurement. www.keysight.com/find/b2900a
Conclusion
The Keysight B2980A Series of Femto/Picoammeters and Electrometers/High Resistance
Meters offers not only the best-in-class measurement performance, but also unprecedented
measurement features that can maximize your measurement confidence. The 0.01 fA (10-17
A) minimum current resolution is available for both Femto/Picoammeters and Electrometers/
High Resistance Meters and should meet most of your existing and future sensitive current
measurement needs.
In addition to its excellent measurement capabilities, the B2980A series can use an external
trigger to make current measurements. This ability to synchronize accurately with other
instruments expands your test flexibility. You can further improve your measurement fidelity by
using a B2980A series battery-powered model to eliminate AC power line noise.

14 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide14 | Keysight | Using an External Trigger to Measure Current with B2980A Series – Demo Guide
www.keysight.com/find/b2900a
This information is subject to change without notice.
© Keysight Technologies, 2017
Published in USA, December 1, 2017
5992-1791EN
www.keysight.com
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