User manual

10-6 Sweep Operation 2400 Series SourceMeter
®
User’s Manual
Custom sweep
This sweep type lets you configure a customized sweep. Programmable parame-
ters include the number of measurement points in the sweep and the source level
at each point.
When this sweep is started, the output goes from the bias level to the first source-
measure point in the sweep. The sweep will continue through the source-measure
points in the order they were programmed and stop after the last source-measure
point. With trigger delay set to zero, the time duration at each step is determined
by the source delay and the time it takes to perform the measurement (NPLC set-
ting). This delay is the same for all sweep points.
Source memory sweep
For a source memory sweep, up to 100 setup configurations can be saved in
memory. When the sweep is performed, the setup at each memory point is
recalled. This allows multiple functions and math expressions to be used in a
sweep. For example, the first point in a source memory sweep may source volt-
age and measure current, the next point may source current and measure volt-
age, the third point may source voltage and measure voltage, and the last point
may use a math expression. This feature allows you to customize each sweep
point with specific instrument settings instead of being tied to one set of settings
for all sweep points.
Once source memory setups are saved and the sweep is initiated, the SourceMe-
ter then sequences through the setups very rapidly. This feature allows you to use
the instrument as a fast, automatic test sequencer.
NOTE NPLC caching can be used to speed up source memory sweeps. See
Section 3, “NPLC caching,” for details.
Current range holdoff
Current range holdoff adds the ability to speed up low-current measurements
when sourcing voltage and measuring current. This feature is only available when
doing source memory sweeps. It will momentarily set the measure range to the
compliance range to overcome the effects of capacitance by quickly charging the
capacitance on the higher range, but return to the lower measurement range to
obtain a good low-current measurement. This avoids being limited by range com-
pliance, which would require either a longer delay time, or having to take the mea-
surement on a higher current range. This feature is available only by remote, but
both parameters are saved for each memory location.