Keithley
Instruments, Inc., a world leader in advanced electrical
test instruments and systems, announced a low-cost addition to
its popular Series 2400 SourceMeter® instrument family. Like all of Keithley's
SMU (source measurement unit) instruments, the new Model 2401 SourceMeter
instrument is optimized for high precision test applications such as current
vs. voltage (I V) characterization of photovoltaic(solar)
cells, high brightness LEDs (HBLEDs), low voltage materials, and semiconductor
devices, as well as resistance measurements; however, it now provides these
advanced source and measurement unit capabilities at 20V and 1A signal levels
and at an unprecedented low price.
According to marketing manager Charles Cimino, "The Model
2401 is priced at $USD2995, making it the test and measurement industry's
lowest cost standalone source measurement instrument with a complete set of
measurement ranges, features, and programmable operating modes." He went
on to note that it offers an economical alternative to test systems configured with
separate programmable power supplies and digital multimeters or applications
for which precision programmable power supplies lack sufficient accuracy,
signal range, or resolution.
The Model 2401 operates and is programmed in exactly the same way
as the other Series 2400 family member units within its 1A/20V range
boundaries. Like the rest of this popular source measurement unit family, the
Model 2401 integrates a highly stable DC power source with a true
instrument-grade 5-1/2 or 6-1/2-digit multimeter in
a single enclosure.
In operation, the Model 2401 can act as a voltage source, a
current source, a voltmeter, an ammeter, and an ohmmeter, and provides
four-quadrant bipolar and automatic source/sink operation. Referring to
Keithley SMU convention, operating in I vs. V quadrants 1 or 3, it operates as
a source, delivering power to a load. In quadrants 2 or 4, it operates as a
sink, dissipating power internally from an external source such as a PV cell or
other energy source.
Model 2401 Applications
The Model 2401's combination of low cost, tightly integrated
sourcing and measurement and wide dynamic range makes it well suited for a
variety of both benchtop and system applications with low voltage requirements
and with limited test hardware budgets:
·
High brightness LED forward/reverse I-V and LIV
(light-current-voltage) testing
·
Solar
cell efficiency test (source and sink current)
·
Precision DC load characterization, replacing readback supplies or
supply/DMM combinations, which typically provide
insufficient accuracy (IDDQ testing)
·
Other applications include:
o Active/passive component
test, voltage/current/resistance measurements
o Battery operation
validation for portable electronic devices
o Characterizing
implantable medical devices (pacemakers, etc.)
o Characterizing
low-leakage electronic device/circuits (forward/reverse, transistor
gain/leakage)
o Calibrating 3½- to
4½-digit data acquisition boards, meters, and DMMs
Pricing and Availability
The U.S. list price of the Model 2401 SourceMeter instrument is
$2,995, with sales beginning immediately. Units will ship within eight weeks
ARO through September 2011, then within four weeks ARO thereafter.
For More Information
Additional information on the Model 2401 is available on
Keithley's website: www.keithley.com/products/dcac/currentvoltage/highvoltage/?mn=2401.
To learn more about Keithley, contact the company.
About Keithley Instruments, Inc.
With more than 60 years of measurement expertise, Keithley
Instruments has become a world leader in advanced electrical test instruments
and systems. Our customers are scientists and engineers in the worldwide
electronics industry involved with advanced materials research, semiconductor
device development and fabrication, and the production of end products such as
portable wireless devices. The value we provide them is a combination of
products for their critical measurement needs and a rich understanding of their
applications to improve the quality of their products and reduce their cost of
test. In 2010, Keithley Instruments joined Tektronix as part of its test and
measurement portfolio.