National Instruments PXI-4130 Manual

CALIBRATION PROCEDURE
NI PXI-4130
Programmable Source Measure Unit
This document contains the verification and adjustment procedures for the National
Instruments PXI-4130 (NI 4130) programmable, high-power source measure unit (SMU). For
more information about calibration solutions, visit ni.com/calibration.
Contents
Software.................................................................................................................................... 2
Related Documentation ............................................................................................................ 3
Password................................................................................................................................... 3
Calibration Interval................................................................................................................... 3
Test Equipment......................................................................................................................... 4
Test Conditions......................................................................................................................... 4
Calibration Procedures ............................................................................................................. 5
Initial Setup....................................................................................................................... 5
Verification ....................................................................................................................... 6
Verifying Voltage Programming Accuracy.............................................................. 8
Verifying Voltage Measurement Accuracy.............................................................. 10
Verifying Current Programming Accuracy .............................................................. 11
Verifying Current Measurement Accuracy .............................................................. 16
Verifying Load Regulation....................................................................................... 19
Voltage Load Regulation.......................................................................................... 20
Current Load Regulation .......................................................................................... 22
Verifying Line Regulation........................................................................................ 25
Voltage Line Regulation........................................................................................... 25
Verifying Remote Sense Output............................................................................... 30
Adjustment........................................................................................................................ 32
Considerations .......................................................................................................... 32
Adjusting Voltage Programming Accuracy ............................................................. 33
Adjusting Voltage Measurement Accuracy.............................................................. 35
Adjusting Current Programming Accuracy .............................................................. 36
Adjusting Current Measurement Accuracy .............................................................. 42
Where to Go for Support .......................................................................................................... 44

2|ni.com |NI PXI-4130 Calibration Procedure
Software
To calibrate the NI 4130, you must install the NI-DCPower instrument driver version 1.2 or later
on the Windows calibration system. You can download the latest version of NI-DCPower at
ni.com/downloads. NI-DCPower supports LabVIEW and LabWindows™/CVI™. When you
install NI-DCPower, you need to install only the application software that you intend to use.
LabVIEW support is in the nidcpower.llb file, and all calibration VIs are accessible from
the NI-DCPower Calibration palette. For LabWindows/CVI users, the nidcpower.fp
provides access to the calibration functions. Refer to Table 1 for file locations.
C function calls are valid for any compiler capable of calling a 32-bit or 64-bit DLL. Many of
the functions use constants defined in the nidcpower.h file. To use these constants in C, you
must include nidcpower.h in the calibration program.
For more information about calibration VIs and functions, refer to the Programming with
NI-DCPower book in the NI DC Power Supplies and SMUs Help. The NI DC Power Supplies
and SMUs Help is accessible at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DCPower»
Documentation»NI DC Power Supplies and SMUs Help.
Table 1. Calibration File Locations (NI-DCPower 1.2 or Later)
File Name and Location Description
IVI\Bin\nidcpower_32.dll NI-DCPower driver containing the entire
NI-DCPower API, including calibration functions.
IVI\Bin\nidcpower_64.dll NI-DCPower driver containing the entire
NI-DCPower API, including calibration functions.
IVI\Lib\msc\nidcpower.lib NI-DCPower library for Microsoft C containing
the entire NI-DCPower API, including calibration
functions.
<LabVIEW >\instr.lib\
niDCPower\niDCPower.llb
LabVIEW VI library containing VIs for calling the
NI-DCPower calibration API. You can access
calibration functions from the NI-DCPower
calibration section of the LabVIEW function
palette.
IVI\Drivers\niDCPower\
nidcpower.fp
LabWindows/CVI function panel file that includes
calibration function prototypes and help on using
NI-DCPower in the LabWindows/CVI
environment.
IVI\Include\nidcpower.h NI-DCPower header file, which you must include
in any C program accessing calibration functions.
This file includes the entire NI-DCPower API,
including calibration functions.

NI PXI-4130 Calibration Procedure |© National Instruments |3
Related Documentation
Consult the following documents for information about the NI 4130, NI-DCPower, and your
application software. All documents install with the software and are available at ni.com/
manuals.
Password
The default calibration password is NI.
Calibration Interval
National Instruments recommends that you perform a complete calibration for the NI 4130 at
least once a year. You can shorten this calibration interval based on the accuracy demands
of your application. Refer to Where to Go for Support for more information.
NI DC Power Supplies and SMUs Getting Started Guide
Contains instructions for NI-DCPower installation, hardware installation, and
hardware programming.
NI PXI-4130 Specifications
Contains NI PXI-4130 specifications and calibration interval.
NI-DCPower Readme
Contains operating system and application software support in NI-DCPower.
NI DC Power Supplies and SMUs Help
Contains detailed information about the NI PXI-4130.
LabVIEW Help
Contains LabVIEW programming concepts and reference information about
NI-DCPower VIs and functions.
NI-DCPower C Reference Help
Contains reference information for NI-DCPower C functions and NI-DCPower
C properties.

4|ni.com |NI PXI-4130 Calibration Procedure
Test Equipment
Table 2 lists the equipment required to calibrate the NI 4130. If you do not have the
recommended equipment, select a substitute calibration standard using the specifications listed
in Table 2.
Test Conditions
Follow these guidelines to optimize the connections and the environment during calibration:
• Keep connections to the device as short as possible. Long cables and wires act as antennas,
picking up extra noise that can affect measurements.
• Verify that all connections to the device, including front panel connections, are secure.
• Ensure that the PXI chassis fan speed is set to HI, that the fan filters are clean, and that the
empty slots contain filler panels. For more information, refer to the Maintain Forced-Air
Cooling Note to Users document available at ni.com/manuals.
• Keep relative humidity between 10% and 90%, noncondensing.
• Ensure that the ambient temperature is 23 ±5 °C.
Table 2. Equipment Specifications for NI 4130 Calibration
Equipment Recommended Equipment Specifications
Digital multimeter
(DMM)
NI PXI-4071 Voltage: > ±50 ppm accuracy,
>30μV resolution
Current: > ±0.04% accuracy,
>1μA resolution
Variable power supply Xantrex HPD 30-10 Variable between 11 V and
15.5 V, 5 A
External load Clarostat 240C Power resistor decade box
with a range of 2 Ωto
48,000 Ωand an accuracy
of ±10%
Resistors —Two 50 Ω, 0.25 Ω±10%
resistors, and one 1 kΩ,
0.25 Ω±10% resistor
External calibrator Fluke 5700A/5720A/5730A —
Auxiliary power
supply
NI APS-4100 11Vto15.5V,5A
Twisted pair, shielded
cabling wire
Belden 83319E 009100 18 AWG to 22 AWG

NI PXI-4130 Calibration Procedure |© National Instruments |5
• Allow a warm-up time of at least 30 minutes after you load the NI-DCPower driver. Unless
manually disabled, the NI-DCPower driver automatically loads with the operating system
and enables the device. The warm-up time ensures that the measurement circuitry of the
NI 4130 is at a stable operating temperature.
• Use shielded copper wire for all cable connections to the device. Use twisted-pair wire to
eliminate noise and thermal offsets.
• Plug the chassis and the instrument standard into the same power strip to avoid ground
loops.
Calibration Procedures
The calibration process includes the following procedures:
1. Initial Setup—Install the device and configure it in Measurement & Automation Explorer
(MAX).
2. Verification—Verify the existing operation of the device. This procedure confirms whether
the device is operating within its specified range prior to calibration.
3. Adjustment—Perform an external adjustment of the device that adjusts the calibration
constants with respect to a known voltage source or current source. The adjustment
procedure automatically stores the calibration date on the EEPROM to allow traceability.
4. Reverification—Repeat the verification procedure to ensure that the device is operating
within its specifications after adjustment.
These procedures are described in more detail in the following sections.
Note The complete external calibration procedure consists of verifying the
performance of the SMU, adjusting the calibration constants, and verifying
performance again after the adjustments. In some cases, a complete calibration
procedure may not be required. Refer to Where to Go for Support for more
information.
Initial Setup
Refer to the NI DC Power Supplies and SMUs Getting Started Guide for information about how
to install the software and hardware and how to configure the device in MAX.

6|ni.com |NI PXI-4130 Calibration Procedure
Verification
This section provides instructions for verifying the NI 4130 specifications.
Verification consists of generating and measuring a series of outputs using the NI 4130,
verifying the accuracy with the DMM, and comparing the results to the calibration test limits.
If the results fall within the test limits, the NI 4130 meets its published specifications, and
adjustment is optional. If the results fall outside of the test limits, you must adjust the NI 4130.
Verification tests the following NI 4130 specifications:
• Voltage programming accuracy
• Voltage measurement accuracy
• Current programming accuracy
• Current measurement accuracy
• Voltage load regulation
• Current load regulation
• Voltage line regulation
• Current line regulation
Tables 3 and 4 list configuration information for the calibration equipment required for
verification.
Table 3. Calibration Equipment Configuration for Voltage Programming and Measurement
Verification/Adjustment
NI 4130 DMM*
Channel(s) Range Function Range†
Input
Impedance†
06V DC Voltage 10 V 10 GΩ
16V 10 V 10 GΩ
20 V 100 V 10 MΩ
* Use the highest resolution available on the DMM. The DMM should have a minimum of 6.5 digit
resolution.
† Assumes an NI 4071 DMM. For all other DMMs, use the range and input impedance closest to the
values listed in this table.

NI PXI-4130 Calibration Procedure |© National Instruments |7
Verification of the NI 4130 is complete only after you successfully complete all tests in this
section.
Note If verification fails post-adjustment, confirm that you have met the required
Test Conditions before you return the NI 4130 to NI for repair.
Table 4. Calibration Equipment Configuration for Current Programming and
Measurement Verification/Adjustment
NI 4130 DMM*
Calibrator
Resistance
Channel Range Function Range
Input
Impedance†
Resolution
in Digits
01A DC
Current
1A N/A 6.5 N/A
1 200 μADC
Voltage
10 V 10 GΩ7.5 10 kΩ
2mA DC
Voltage
10 V 10 GΩ7.5 1kΩ
20 mA DC
Voltage
10 V 10 GΩ7.5 100 Ω
200 mA DC
Voltage
10 V 10 GΩ7.5 10 Ω
2A DC
Current
3A N/A 6.5 N/A
* Use the highest resolution available on the DMM.
† Assumes an NI 4071 DMM. For all other DMMs, use the range and input impedance closest to the
values listed in this table.

8|ni.com |NI PXI-4130 Calibration Procedure
Verifying Voltage Programming Accuracy
To verify the voltage programming accuracy, compare a set of requested voltage test points to
measurements of the actual voltage by the DMM. Refer to the following figure for the necessary
connections.
Figure 1. Voltage Accuracy Verification and Adjustment Setup for the NI 4130
Table 5 lists the voltage test points for each channel that you must request from the NI 4130 and
measure with the DMM to complete verification. Take voltage measurements using the DMM
at each test point, and compare the result to the programmed voltage value from the Output
column of Table 5 to calculate the output error. Compare the output error to the Test Limit for
the iteration of channel xin Table 5. If the output error is outside the test limit, adjust the
NI 4130.
To ensure that the system has had adequate time to settle, wait one second after requesting a new
voltage before taking a measurement with the DMM.
When you have verified all iterations per channel, this part of the verification is complete.
NI 4130
+
–
LO Sense
HI Sense
HI
LO
DMM
Voltage
Mode

NI PXI-4130 Calibration Procedure |© National Instruments |9
Table 5. NI 4130 Output Parameters and Test Limits for Voltage Programming
Accuracy Verification
Channel
Voltage Level
Range (V) Iteration Output (V) Test Limit (mV)
0 6 1 0 ±4.00
21.5 ±4.75
3 3 ±5.50
44.5 ±6.25
5 6 ±7.00
1 6 1 0 ±1.50
21.5 ±2.01
3 3 ±2.52
44.5 ±3.03
5 6 ±3.54
6-1.5 ±2.01
7-3 ±2.52
8-4.5 ±3.03
9-6 ±3.54
20 1 0 ±1.80
2 5 ±3.50
3 10 ±5.20
4 15 ±6.90
5 20 ±8.60
6-5 ±3.50
7-10 ±5.20
8-15 ±6.90
9-20 ±8.60

10 |ni.com |NI PXI-4130 Calibration Procedure
Verifying Voltage Measurement Accuracy
To verify the voltage measurement accuracy of the NI 4130, compare a set of measurements
taken by the NI 4130 to measurements of the actual voltage at the output by a DMM. Refer to
the following figure for the necessary connections.
Figure 2. Voltage Verification Connection Diagram
Table 6 lists the voltage test points that you must request for each channel and then measure with
both the DMM and the NI 4130 to complete verification. Take voltage measurements using the
DMM at each test point, and then take voltage measurements using the NI 4130 at each test point
and compare the two values. Calculate the upper and lower test limits using the gain and offset
listed in the Test Limit column for the iteration of channel xin Table 6. Table 6 lists tolerances
instead of absolute limits because the test limit is based on the output of the DMM and must be
calculated by the user. Each limit is calculated by adding a percentage of the DMM measurement
and an offset voltage. Verify that the difference between the NI 4130 measurement and the
DMM measurement falls between the calculated limits. If the measurement error is outside the
test limit, adjust the NI 4130.
When taking measurements with the NI 4130, set the Samples to Average property to 300.
To ensure the system has had adequate time to settle, wait one second after requesting a new
current before taking a measurement with the DMM. When you verify all iterations per channel,
this part of the verification is complete.
NI 4130
+
–
LO Sense
HI Sense
HI
LO
DMM
Voltage
Mode