Measurement Considerations
F-15
Light
Some components, such as semiconductor junctions and MOS capacitors on semiconductor
wafers, are excellent light detectors. Consequently, these components must be tested in a light-
free environment. While many test
fi
xtures provide adequate light protection, others may allow
suf
fi
cient light penetration to affect the test results. Areas to check for light leaks include doors
and door hinges, tubing entry points, and connectors or connector panels.
Electrostatic interference
Electrostatic interference occurs when an electrically charged object is brought near an
uncharged object, thus inducing a charge on the previously uncharged object. Usually, effects
of such electrostatic action are not noticeable because low impedance levels allow the induced
charge to dissipate quickly. However, the high impedance levels of many measurements do not
allow these charges to decay rapidly, and erroneous or unstable readings may result. These
erroneous or unstable readings may be caused in the following ways:
•
DC electrostatic
fi
eld can cause undetected errors or noise in the reading.
•
AC electrostatic
fi
elds can cause errors by driving the input preampli
fi
er into saturation,
or through recti
fi
cation that produces DC errors.
Electrostatic interference is
fi
rst recognizable when hand or body movements near the
experiment cause
fl
uctuations in the reading. Means of minimizing electrostatic interference
include:
1.
Shielding. Possibilities include: a shielded room, a shielded booth, shielding the sensi-
tive circuit, and using shielded cable. The shield should always be connected to a solid
connector that is connected to signal low. If circuit low is
fl
oated above ground, observe
safety precautions, and avoid touching the shield. Meshed screen or loosely braided
cable could be inadequate for high impedances, or in strong
fi
elds. Note, however, that
shielding can increase capacitance in the measuring circuit, possibly slowing down
response time.
2.
Reduction of electrostatic
fi
elds. Moving power lines or other sources away from the
experiment reduces the amount of electrostatic interference seen in the measurement.
Magnetic
fi
elds
A magnetic
fi
eld passing through a loop in a test circuit will generate a magnetic EMF (volt-
age) that is proportional to the strength of the
fi
eld, the loop area, and the rate at which these
factors are changing. Magnetic
fi
elds can be minimized by following these guidelines:
•
Locate the test circuit as far away as possible from such magnetic
fi
eld sources as
motors, transformers and magnets.
•
Avoid moving any part of the test circuit within the magnetic
fi
eld.
•
Minimize the loop area by keeping leads as short as possible and twisting them
together.
Summary of Contents for 6430
Page 26: ......
Page 32: ......
Page 78: ...2 14 Connections ...
Page 98: ...3 20 Basic Source Measure Operation ...
Page 138: ...5 30 Source Measure Concepts ...
Page 156: ...6 18 Range Digits Speed and Filters ...
Page 168: ...7 12 Relative and Math ...
Page 176: ...8 8 Data Store ...
Page 202: ...9 26 Sweep Operation ...
Page 248: ...11 22 Limit Testing ...
Page 310: ...16 6 SCPI Signal Oriented Measurement Commands ...
Page 418: ...17 108 SCPI Command Reference ...
Page 450: ...18 32 Performance Verification ...
Page 477: ...A Specifications ...
Page 489: ...B StatusandErrorMessages ...
Page 498: ...B 10 Status and Error Messages ...
Page 499: ...C DataFlow ...
Page 503: ...D IEEE 488BusOverview ...
Page 518: ...D 16 IEEE 488 Bus Overview ...
Page 519: ...E IEEE 488andSCPI ConformanceInformation ...
Page 523: ...F MeasurementConsiderations ...
Page 539: ...G GPIB488 1Protocol ...
Page 557: ......