Despite shorter innovation cycles and evolving digital standards, designing a semiconductor component or device and delivering it to market remains a time-intensive process. Among the challenges for digital development engineers is the need to connect and test multiple ports on a single device under test (DUT) throughout the design cycle to troubleshoot and characterize integrated circuit performance. Using low-density (and inevitably complicated) test setups for validation of multi-port designs can translate to delivery timeline delays.
The PZ2100 Series offers 20 precision SMU channels within a 1U rack space. Source: Keysight TechnologiesKeysight Technologies offers an answer in the form of a high-density source measure unit (SMU), the PZ2100 series, a scalable solution providing up to 20 precision SMU channels within a 1U rack space. The compact solution also speeds time to market through flexible software options, simplified system integration and synchronization, and application-specific measurement capabilities designed to give digital development engineers more time to focus on characterization and less on synchronization.
Keysight said benefits of the PZ2100 series SMU include:
- Single-box solution: Addresses integration and coding complexity by simplifying channel stacking and synchronization, with a user-friendly GUI to accelerate test prototyping, debugging and troubleshooting. Keysight’s PathWave IV Curve Measurement Software also enables quick measurements and synchronization without programming.
- Scalable, compact, flexible: The 1U full-width form factor does not require cooling spacers when stacked. The series is available in five SMU module options that are configurable and upgradeable.
- All-in-one SMU module: Integrates pulser and digitizer functions with conventional SMU functions — such as precise DC voltage and current sourcing and measuring to meet emerging requirements — without additional instruments, reducing costs.
Keysight said the PZ2100 series offers five times more channel density than equivalent SMUs, making it the highest channel density SMU in a 1U form factor in the market.
Additional key specifications include:
- Number of channels: 20 channels/1U
- Maximum voltage: 210 V
- Sampling rate: 15 MSa/s
- Resolution: 10 fA
- Pulse width: 10 us
- Synchronization accuracy less than 50 ns on all 20 channels
As part of its Keysight University, the company also offers technical materials for overcoming challenges in application-specific tests, including low-power integrated circuits test, low-current LED test, VCSEL sensor and module test, narrow-pulsed LIV test, DC bias sourcing tests for optical receivers and modulators and data center applications.
