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Peak Atlas DCA Pro User Guide - Peak Electronic Design Limited

1. 14 16 File Edt View Format Insert Tal 12 Show Point Values E eo B E of ES Ci E maem O pe 10 Set Scale to Defaut f a Rename Ib 50uA E 8 t Delete lb 50pA e v Copy all 6 ielcica ss Te Speers eee irae ee TA oP asd peng AE E t daea beat 0 Q 1 2 Pasting the data into a spreadsheet is an ideal way of documenting important test results Simply right click on one of the curves and select Copy all All the raw measurement data that created the curves is now in the clipboard You can then paste the data into your spreadsheet This feature has been tested with Microsoft Excel Softmaker Planmaker and Apache Open Office Other spreadsheet programs should work fine too Once the raw data is pasted into your spreadsheet you can perform your own tasks such as charting and mathematical analysis Page 35 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Special Functions Firmware Upgrade From the program s Help menu select Check for Updates If you are connected to the internet the program will check for new PC Software that includes the latest firmware If newer software is available you will be guided to the download location The programming operation should take no more than a minute or so Don t interrupt the process and wait for the confirmation that the programming operation has been successfully comp
2. The DCA Pro may not be able to identify Zener diodes with a Zener voltage of more than 11V It will however still identify the diode junction in its forward biased mode Page 9 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Diode Networks r The DCA Pro will identify multiple diode junctions between the probes For three terminal devices such as SOT 23 diode networks all three test clips must be connected The instrument will show the results for each diode junction in turn Firstly the unit will show that it has found a number of diode junctions 2 diode junctions 1 Diode junction Green K Blue 4 The details for the first diode are then 3 displayed Diode 1 In this example 1 Diode junction the Green test clip is on the Cathode of Green k Blue 4 diode 1 and the Blue test clip is on the VPSO 699 ot 500m4 Anode The details for the second diode are 2 Diode junction then displayed by briefly pressing Fed A Blue E scroll off YF 0 683Y of 5 00m It can be seen in the above example that the blue test clip is connected to both the anode on Diode 1 and to the cathode of Diode 2 This means that the two diodes are effectively connected in series with the blue clip at the mid point This example is illustrated below 1 2 eA Green A Red Blue In the same way as the single diode analysis the forward voltage for each diode is measured for a nominal test current of 5mA Page
3. Roson resolution JFETs Pinch off V asorr range Pinch off drain source current Turn on Vason range Turn on drain source test current Vos accuracy Transconductance gg range 8gs test drain current span gs accuracy lt 20mA V gs accuracy gt 20mA V Vps for Ipss measurement Vgs 0 Roson drain test current Roson gate test voltage Rps on accuracy Rpsow resolution Thyristors and Triacs 10 0V 2 5uA 9 0V 4 75mA 5 0uA 10 0pA 5 00mA 5 25mA 10 5mA V 3 0V 3 25V 5 00mA 5 25mA 0 0V 2 2 0Q N 5 1 0Q 2 0Q 2 0Q 2 5V w N Diode forward voltage accuracy Acceptable V for a diode SmA Vr for LED identification 1 0 006V Gate trigger test current 8 0mA 10 0mA 12 0mA Load hold test current 10 0mA 15 0mA Diodes and LEDs Diode forward test current 4 75mA 5 25mA a wv lt Page 42 4 00V Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Specifications continued Parameter Zener Diodes carrer ena roe Zener voltage range at 5mA Zener voltage range below 5mA 9 Rro Zener diode test current 5 00mA 5 25mA Voltage Regulators ee ee Input test voltage range Ig lt 3 0mA Input test voltage range Ig lt 5 0mA 0O 0 T 8w OEY 6 00mA Quiescent current range Ig Quiescent current accuracy Dropout voltage range Vpo Dropout vo
4. 3 During the setup process you may be asked to install INET Framework 4 The installation files for that are included on the USB flash drive and don t need to be downloaded If you are running the installation from a downloaded copy of our software then you may be prompted to download the NET package You need to accept the Microsoft agreement and the process will complete in a few minutes sometimes up to 10 minutes 4 Some systems may warn you that the driver is not signed The driver is in fact a standard Microsoft WinUSB Poetic panies aie driver that is set to look for the DCA Pro identifier so it is fine to accept the warning and proceed amp Windows can t verify the publisher of this driver software gt Install this driver software anyway Only install driver software obtained from your di Unsigne igned software from other sa anufacturer s website or Ey harm your computer or steal 5 When the DCA Pro software installation is complete you can plug in your DCA Pro to a convenient USB socket It s best to choose a socket directly on your computer rather than a hub Windows should install the drivers automatically although it can take a minute or two You should see the driver installation activity in the bottom right of your screen 4 Installing device driver software X Click here for status 6 If prompted let Windows download the latest WinUSB drivers Don t worry if it t
5. each LED within the bicolour LED is detailed in turn This example shows that LED 1 has its Cathode connected to the Red test Bicolour LED 2 lead 1 LED clip and its Anode connected to the Fed E Blue Blue test clip The forward bias characteristic is shown for LED 1 1 LED 1 823V at 5mA in this example Red K Blue na VP Le2ay ot 5 00 rei Pressing scroll off then shows the details for the 2 LED in the bicolour 2 LED LED package Red 4 Blue K na VFEL944 at 5 00rn4 As expected for 2 lead bicolour LEDs we can see in this example that LED 2 has its connections in exactly the opposite configuration to LED 1 Note that it is common for the two LEDs within a bicolour LED to have different forward voltage characteristics Red is often the lowest forward voltage progressing through amber yellow green and then blue or white with the highest forward voltage See the table at the bottom of the next page Page 12 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Bicolour LEDs 3 lead types 3 lead bicolour LEDs are available in Ja common cathode and common anode x varieties The DCA Pro supports both types In the same way as the 2 lead bicolour LED analysis each internal LED is detailed separately on the Vy DCA Pro screen here in this example we have a Common Cathode P 1 LED common cathode variety The type of bicolour LED is shown Bicolour LED 3 lead Po 1 LED The details
6. Mode MOSFETS c cccsssssseceseceeesesteeeeeees 21 Depletion Mode MOSFETS nsnnnnsssesssenesessessssreesssessseres 22 Enhancement Mode IGBTS cccceescceeseceseeceneeceneeeeeneees 23 Depletion Mode BV si25 cucctaln i8 Av a ea ttincta Seatac 24 Junction FETs JRE US cc wssel cok eee eee 25 Thyristors SCRs and Triaes 0 c20 navawinde ere dais 27 Voltage Remi ators 19h sis 5 05 h chess vast ear a scar tenbcladoedivanua 28 Contents continued on next page Page 2 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Contents continued Page PC Software Installation 0 ccc ececececesneceecenneeeeeeeeeeeeeaes 29 Windows XP Installation 2 0625chacceches55s fivcicdeeeesccSlis edeentens 30 Windows Vista 7 and 8 Installation ececeeeeeeeeseeeeeees 31 Running the DCA Pro software for the first time ceee 32 Analysing Semiconductors PC mode cccccccesssceesesseeeeeees 33 PC mode Curve Tracing functions cccccecessceeeeereeeeeees 34 PC mode Exporting your data ccccccccsssceeeeeseeeeesseeeeeeens 35 PC mode Special functions i2 0 2c 0 0c ie as eee 36 Audible Setting Smeren inni Ae orcas cee ie sce ee Soak 37 Care of your Atlas DCA Pro cccccccccccccccccceetceeeetteeetesnseeeseseeeees 38 Self Test Procedure 2 cae ita the neath se ea ee 39 Appendix A Troubleshooting ccccccccccesseceecesseeeeseseeeeeens 40 Appendix B Technical
7. Pressing scroll off will then result in Gate threshold the gate threshold of the MOSFET being GSlon s b25y displayed at D 5 00rrd The on gate threshold voltage is the gate source voltage at which conduction between the source and drain starts The DCA Pro determines that drain source conduction has started when it reaches a current of 5 00mA this is confirmed on the display An enhancement MOSFET will always have a gate threshold voltage of greater than OV i e always positive relative to the source pin for N channel devices The DCA Pro can drive the gate from OV to 8V for enhancement mode MOSFETs Page 21 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Depletion Mode MOSFETs D The fairly rare Depletion Mode MOSFET is very similar to the conventional Junction FET JFET except that the gate terminal is insulated from the other two terminals The input G S resistance of these devices can typically be greater than 1000MQ for negative and positive gate source voltages Depletion Mode devices are characterised by the gate source voltage required to control the drain source current mode MOSFET Fed Green G Blue D H Ch Depletion h Gate threshold Modern Depletion Mode devices are YGSlon 2 918Y generally only available in N Channel at D 5 00m varieties and will conduct some current between its drain and source terminals even with a zero voltage applied across the gate and the source The device c
8. Specifications ccccccessceceeesteeeeeees 41 Appendix C Analysis test CIrCUlts ccccccccceesseecesseeeeeeeeeeeeens 44 Transistor test circuit xsi gs cae coo Gece Ge ge Gan ecu 44 JFET MOSFET IGBT test Circuit cccccecsccesseeeeeeseeeeeens 45 IDIOUCTES CHOU 07 cite ee ie a reese 46 Voltage regulator test cireuit c see eet 47 Appendix D Warranty Information cccceeeeeeeseceeteeeeeeeeeees 48 Appendix E Disposal information c cccecceceeseeeeeeeeseeeeeees 48 Page 3 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Introduction The Peak Atlas DCA Pro is an advanced semiconductor analyser that combines simplicity ease of use and a range of advanced features You can use your DCA Pro on its own or in combination with a laptop or desktop PC Summary Features Automatic component type identification and schematic display Bipolar transistors 7 Darlington transistors 7 Enhancement Mode and Depletion Mode MOSFETs n Enhancement Mode and Depletion Mode IGBTs 7 Junction FETs including normally off types 7 Low power sensitive Triacs and Thyristors Light Emitting Diodes 7 Bicolour LEDs Diodes and Diode networks Zener diodes 7 Voltage regulators Automatic pinout identification just connect any way round Special feature identification such as free wheeling diodes and resistor shunts Gain measurement for bipolar transistors Leakage current measurement for bipolar t
9. Veson range Vason accuracy Drain current at Vason Drain Source voltage at Vason Acceptable gate source resistance Collector saturation threshold Vcesar Collector test current Vcesan gate test voltage Vcesar accuracy 50kO 2 0 02mA 4 75mA 0 95mA 0 0V 5 0V 4 75mA 3 5V k 7 80V amp gt o0 5 00mA 5 25mA 1 00mA 1 05mA E1 0 006 2 0 01V 0 40V 5 00mA 5 25mA 8 00V 8 20V 1 0 006V Lae hrg test voltage Veco 3 0V 9 0V 2 hre collector test current 5 00mA 5 25mA Base current for Vgz measurement 5 00mA 5 25mA Vopr accuracy 1 0 006V Var resolution TT 3mm Ver for Darlington identification Vee for Darlington shunted types Ver threshold for leaky Ge Si 0 Vpr threshold for Ge Si Acceptable Vpg pp F m 1 Specifications continued on next page Page 41 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide Specifications continued lettre MOSFETs Enhancement mode Vason range Depletion mode Vason range Vason accuracy Drain Source current at Veson Drain Source voltage at Vason Drain Source current at Vesorr Roson drain test current Min 0 0V 5 0V 2 0 01V September 2015 Rev 1 5 Typ 3 5V 4 75mA 2 5uA 5 00mA 5 0pA OmA 0 Max Note 8 0V 0 0V 9 0V 5 25 10 0uA 5 25mA Roson gate test voltage 8 20V Rpsiony accuracy
10. for each internal LED are Red 4 Green K a see et VPEL935 ot 5 00nnd It can be seen here that our example has 2 LED its common cathode terminal connected Green K Blue 4 oo to the Green test clip WREL6F TY ot S 00rrnd Typical values of forward voltage for LED colours are shown here LED types manufacturers may vary significantly LED Colour Typical Vr 5mA Red 1 81V Amber 1 86V Yellow 1 90V Green standard type 1 95V Green deep green emerald 2 84V Blue and white 2 95V Page 13 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Bipolar Junction Transistors BJTs CG Bipolar Junction Transistors are simply conventional B transistors although variants of these do exist such as Darlingtons devices with free wheeling diodes resistor E shunted types and combinations of these types All of these variations are automatically identified by the DCA Pro and their schematic symbol is displayed on the screen Both NPN and PNP types are supported The 3 test clips can be applied to the transistor in any configuration As an example testing a common PHP Silicon BIT PNP transistor such as the 2N5401 Ped E Green B Blue will result in a display similar to this hFE 106 This example shows that the Red test at 1 5 00red clip is connected to the Emitter the are Ree Green is connected to the Base and YBE 0 754W the Blue test clip is connected to the at IB 5 00rnd Collector WLeok 0 000riee4 Pres
11. the gate from 0V to 8V for enhancement mode IGBTs IGBT symbol based on EN60617 05 05 19 Page 23 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Depletion Mode IGBTs c Like MOSFETs IGBTs are available as enhancement mode and depletion mode types Depletion mode IGBTs are characterised by the fact that E current can flow between the collector and emitter when there is zero voltage across the gate emitter terminals For an N Channel depletion mode IGBT the device can only be turned off fully if the gate terminal is taken more negative with respect to the emitter lead In this example we have an N H Ch Depletion Channel depletion mode IGBT with mode IGET no free wheeling diode Fed E Green Blue E Note the negative gate threshold Gate threshold ng voltage characteristic of a depletion pac reece mode device The DCA Pro can drive the gate from OV to 5V for depletion mode IGBTs Page 24 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Junction FETs JFETs D Junction FETs are conventional Field Effect Transistors The voltage applied across the gate source terminals controls 5 S current between the drain and source terminals N Channel JFETs require a negative voltage on their gate with respect to their source the more negative the voltage the less current can flow between the drain and source Unlike Depletion Mode MOSFETs JFETs have no insulation layer on the gate This means that a
12. their package connected between the collector and emitter If a free wheeling diode has been detected it is shown on the schematic symbol Some examples are shown here HPH Darlington PHP Silicon BT Red C Green E Blue B Red B Green Blue E hPE 6320 hFE 61 The Philips BUSOSDF is a typical example of a diode protected bipolar transistor Remember that the diode if present is always internally connected between the collector and the emitter so that it is normally reverse biased For NPN transistors the anode of the diode is connected to the emitter of the transistor For PNP transistors the anode of the diode is connected to the collector of the transistor Page 19 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Faulty or Very Low Gain Transistors Faulty transistors that exhibit very low gain may cause the DCA Pro to only identify one or C more diode junctions within the device This is_ p because NPN transistors consist of a structure of junctions that behave like a common anode diode network PNP transistors can appear to be E common cathode diode networks The common junction represents the base terminal This is normal for situations where the current gain is so low that it is immeasurable at the test currents used by the DCA Pro Please note that the equivalent diode pattern may not be correctly identified by the DCA Pro if your transistor is a darlington type or has additional diode s in its pa
13. 10 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 An LED light emitting diode is really just another type of diode however the DCA Pro will determine that an LED or LED network has been detected if the diode s measured forward voltage drop is larger than 1 5V This also enables the DCA Pro to intelligently identify bicolour LEDs both two lead and three lead varieties See the section on bicolour LEDs for more information For two leaded parts connect any pair of the 3 test clips to your LED Leave the 3 lead unconnected LED In this example the Red test clip is Fed E Blues x connected to the LED s Cathode ae negative and the Blue test clip is VPeLabey ot SiimA connected to the Anode positive The forward voltage of the LED is measured at a nominal current of 5mA During the analysis process the LED will briefly illuminate so you can see it s illumination colour The test current of 5mA means that it may not be as bright as you expect LEDs are often used at currents of 10 20mA Power LEDs are sometimes driven at 350mA or more Page 11 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Bicolour LEDs 2 lead types Bicolour LEDs are generally available in two main varieties 2 lead and 3 lead types Ri f l l This section describes the testing of 2 lead bicolour LEDs These types are internally connected in inverse parallel back to back v X Similar to the diode network analysis
14. A Pro uses to analyse various components are shown below These test circuits are presented here to assist in your understanding of the test conditions that are possible when testing in standalone mode and in the PC mode for curve tracing etc Transistor Test Circuit VOLTAGE SOURCE 0 12V CURRENT SOURCE 4 10 000UA Example shown is for an NPN transistor Polarities are reversed for PNP devices Page 44 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 JFET MOSFET IGBT Test Circuit VOLTAGE SOURCE 0 12V Vps VOLTAGE VOLTAGE SOURCE SOURCE 0 10V It s important to note that the gate source voltage can be driven negative by making the source voltage drive higher than the gate voltage drive When this is done however there is less voltage available to be across the drain source nodes and the load resistor Example shown is for an N Channel JFET Polarities are reversed for P Channel devices Page 45 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Diode Test Circuit E RLIMIT 700R l Y F VOLTAGE fese SOURCE 0 12V DIODE Ve This test circuit is used for testing both the forward and reverse characteristics of diodes Reverse characteristics are particularly useful for the testing of Zener diodes For the standalone mode the voltage is automatically adjusted to obtain a target current of 5mA For Zener diodes that have a breakdown voltage of more tha
15. GB75 1 5 Peak Atlas DCA Pro Advanced Semiconductor Component Analyser with Graphics Display and PC connectivity Model DCA75 atlas DCA Pro USB Graphies a rest scroll off Designed and manufactured with pride in the UK Peak Electronic Design Limited 2012 2015 In the interests of development information in this guide is subject to change without notice E amp OE PEAK i C electronic design Itd Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Want to use it now We understand that you want to use your Atlas DCA Pro right now The unit is ready to go and you should have little need to refer to this user guide but please make sure that you do at least take a look at the notices on page 5 Contents Page Introductio cuireann rent erusavon a A AREER ER SRT 4 IniportanityCONSid erations 25 20 vis sisotveccuasarebetacavesrimnetonneatadieacvaiseads 5 Analysing Semiconductors Standalone mode cccceeeeeeeeees 6 WTOC ES ive cscsch aee yates r aa aa S aei saepe ET er re 8 Zenef DIOdeS siera A AOO E E 9 Diode Networks insinuerar nia aaa iaaa 10 LEDSrefrelenuren aree ea a a a aN 11 Bicolour LEDs 2 lead types cccccesccccessteeeeeseceeesesteeeeeees 12 Bicolour LEDs 3 lead types cccesccccessseeeeeseceeessseeeeenes 13 Bipolar Junction Transistors BJTS ccccccceeseecesssseeeeeees 14 Darlington LransistOrs lt g axcs lt acbsh auierisoscisaleaeten tienes 18 Enhancement
16. akes a few minutes 7 Your DCA Pro should chime when your software is ready to use Page 31 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Running the DCA Pro PC software for the first time Now you re ready to start the DCA Pro companion software You can start the software in the following ways All Windows Versions Double click on the desktop icon or Click on the DCA Pro item in the Peak folder of your start menu Windows Vista 7 and 8 Desktop mode Type DCA Pro into your start menu search box It doesn t matter if you connect your DCA Pro before or after starting the software When your DCA Pro is connected and your software is running you should see the green message in the bottom left corner of the program window For the first time you use the software if you see the message then try unplugging the USB cable wait a few seconds and plug back in If that doesn t work depending on your version of Windows then you may need to restart your PC to allow the WinUSB drivers to initialise If you re still having problems then you may wish to try uninstalling the software and drivers and then re trying the installation process by following the step by step instructions shown earlier Please contact us if you have any difficulties we re here to help Page 32 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Analysing Semiconductors PC mode When the DCA Pro is
17. an only be turned completely off by taking its gate significantly more negative than its source terminal say SV It is this characteristic that makes them so similar to conventional JFETs IDs Enhancement mode MOSFET Ny Depletion mode MOSFET Ny VGS Page 22 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Enhancement Mode IGBTs c IGBT is an acronym for Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor It combines the input characteristics of a MOSFET with the output characteristics of a Bipolar Junction Transistor E IGBTs are available in N or P channel types enhancement mode or depletion mode and with or without a free wheeling diode Generally their operation is very similar to MOSFETs The saturation capability of an IGBT is often better than an equivalent sized MOSFET at high currents At low currents the saturation voltage of an IGBT is often worse than an equivalent sized MOSFET H Ch Enhancement mode IGET Ped G Green Blue E In this example we have an N Channel IGBT with an integral free wheeling diode Gate threshold Note the names of the leads Gate VGoEfon 5 775 is Collector and Emitter at 1 5 00rd Similar to the MOSFET analysis the gate threshold is the voltage between the gate and emitter that causes the device to start conducting between the collector and emitter The DCA Pro determines that conduction has started if the collector current has reached 5 0mA The DCA Pro can drive
18. ard current of 5mA Note that the DCA Pro will detect only one diode even if two diodes are connected in series when the third test clip is not connected to the junction between the diodes The forward voltage drop displayed however will be the voltage across the whole series combination The DCA Pro will determine that the diode s under test is an LED if the measured forward voltage drop exceeds 1 50V Please refer to the section on LED analysis for more information Page 8 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 The DCA Pro supports Zener diodes and Avalanche diodes Additionally the instrument can measure the Zener voltage Connect any pair of the 3 test leads to the Zener diode Fed Blue 4 WeR 5 094 ot 5 00 rit details are displayed fener diode a Following analysis the component In this example a Zener diode with a Red K Blue Wp 5 0944 ot 5 00rre ra reverse voltage Zener voltage of 07 nearly 5 1V has been detected MEZU DEALU Additionally the forward biased voltage characteristic is measured 0 702V at 5mA for this example The DCA Pro attempts to test the Zener diode with a current of nominally 5mA For Zener diodes with a Zener voltage of more than about 9V a lower test current will be used This is illustrated in the following graph Test Current mA o 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 114 12 Zener Voltage Volts
19. ckage such as a collector emitter protection diode This is due to multiple pn junctions and current paths that cannot be uniquely resolved In some circumstances the unit may not be able to deduce anything sensible from the device at all in which case you may see one of these messages Unknown faulty pa m B oponen gt e i etected component Page 20 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Enhancement Mode MOSFETs D MOSFET stands for Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor Like bipolar transistors MOSFETs are available in two main types N Channel and P Channel Most modern G S MOSFETs are of the Enhancement Mode type meaning that the bias of the gate source voltage is always positive For N Channel types The other rarer type of MOSFET is the Depletion Mode type which is described in a later section MOSFETs of all types are sometimes known as IGFETs meaning Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor This term describes a key feature of these devices an insulated gate region that results in negligible gate current for both positive and negative gate source voltages up to the maximum allowed values of course typically 20V IGFETs are not to be confused with IGBTs Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors these are dealt with in a later section The first screen to be displayed gives Ch Enhoneement information on the type of MOSFET de Wee detected and the pinout Ped G Green amp Blue
20. connected to the PC and the PC is running the companion software the instrument can be used from the PC screen or from the instrument itself Pressing Test will initiate a component analysis in just the same way as the standalone mode ae eae 2 rest Scroll op Any test results are automatically passed to the PC software and displayed in a text window Additionally the component schematic and the colour coded pinout are also displayed ease Emitter Collector PHP Darlington BJT PNP Darlington Red E Green B Bluet Transistor Cc HFE 15950 at lce 4 99mA4 B Vbe 1 414 at lb 3 01mA lcLeak 000mA E Note that the component schematic is displayed in colour to illustrate which colour test lead is connected to each component lead Page 33 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 After a component has been analysed you can perform further tests on the component such as curve tracing various component parameters Curve tracing is best performed after the DCA Pro has correctly identified the component and correctly identified the pinout Depending on the component type various curve options will become available from the Graphs menu Selecting the desired curve type will take you to a fresh curve tab In many cases you can simply start a new curve with the automatically selected parameters by clicking the curve start button You may adjust the parameters but any paramete
21. cting the JFET s gain transconductance is measured Transconductance is often measured in mA V mmhos or mSiemens This refers to the change in drain current resulting from a change in gate source voltage 8r Alps AV Gs The DCA Pro measures transconductance by determining the gate voltage change necessary to obtain a drain current change from 3 0mA to 5 0mA If the JFETs saturation current is less than 5 0mA then a proportionately lower gf 13 6m current span will be used ot ID 3 0m to 5 0m Ipss Drain Current for Vgs 0 Finally the drain current for a zero gate source voltage is measured This is measured for a drain source voltage of IDSS 6 6 Frid nominally 3 0V but may be lower if the at VOog 3 004 drain current exceeds 12mA Transconductance is measured by the DCA Pro over a small range of drain current typically a span of 3mA 5mA Values of transconductance higher than 20mA V can yield a coarse measurement resolution as the required change in gate voltage is so tiny Values above 99mA V are displayed as gt 99mA V Page 26 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Thyristors SCRs and Triacs y MT2 G Ik e A Sensitive low power thyristors Silicon Controlled Rectifiers SCRs and triacs that require gate currents and holding currents of less than 10mA can be identified and analysed with the DCA Pro 1 Thyristor terminals are the anode A cathode K and the gate G been
22. detected Ped G Green This example shows that a thyristor has Thyristor SCR K Blue A x Triac terminals are MT1 MT2 MT l standing for main terminal and gate Trioc MT 1 is the terminal with which gate Fed MT1 Green G current is referenced Blue MT2 1 The unit determines that the device under test is a triac by checking the gate trigger quadrants that the device will reliably operate in Thyristors operate in only one quadrant positive gate current positive anode current Triacs can typically operate in three or four quadrants hence their use in AC control applications 2 The gate trigger currents used by the DCA Pro are limited to less than 10mA Some thyristors and triacs will not operate at low currents and these types cannot be analysed with this instrument Note also that if only one trigger quadrant of a triac is detected then the unit will conclude that it has found a thyristor Please see the technical specifications for more details The Atlas SCR model SCR100 instrument is designed for analysing triacs and thyristors that require currents up to 100mA to operate Page 27 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Voltage Regulators Voltage regulators are available in many different types and different packages The DCA Pro is able to identify many types of regulator typically regulators with outputs less than 8V depending on current requirements When a regulator is identified its
23. en a pair of the Ped amp Blue probes If this is the case the following lead shorted message or similar will be displayed If all three probes are shorted or very low resistance then the following Ped Green amp Blue a message will be displayed leads shorted It is possible that the DCA Pro may detect one or more diode junctions or other component type within an unknown or faulty part This is because many semiconductors comprise of PN diode junctions Please refer to the section on diodes and diode networks for more information Page 7 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 The DCA Pro will analyse almost any type of diode Any pair of the three test clips can be connected to the diode any way round If the unit detects a single diode a message similar to the following will be displayed In this example the Cathode symbol of K is connected to the Green test clip ur L and the Anode symbol of A is VE 0694Y of 50nd connected to the Blue test clip additionally the Red test clip is unconnected Diode junction Green K Blue 4 Z The forward voltage drop is also displayed this gives an indication of the diode technology In this example it is likely that the diode is a standard silicon diode A germanium or Schottky diode may yield a forward voltage of about 0 25V The current at which the diode was tested is also displayed The DCA Pro typically tests diodes PN junctions at a forw
24. external connections don t influence the measured parameters The three test probes can be connected to the component any way round If the component has only two terminals then any pair of the three test probes can be used The DCA Pro will start component analysis when the on test button is pressed For the first analysis after the unit has been switched off the tests are performed while displaying the Peak logo For subsequent testing when the unit is already powered up the unit displays the Testing screen Depending on the component type analysis may take a few seconds to complete after which the results of the analysis are displayed Information is displayed a page at a time each page can be smoothly scrolled by briefly pressing the scroll off button Although the DCA Pro will switch itself off if left unattended you can manually switch the unit off by holding down the scroll off button for a couple of seconds Page 6 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 If the DCA Pro cannot detect any component between any of the test probes the following message will be Ho component displayed detected If the component is not a supported component type a faulty component or a component that is being tested in Unknown faulty circuit the analysis may result in the component following message being displayed Some components may be faulty due to a shorted junction betwe
25. installation 2am is complete you can plug in your RIE arare Wizard DCA Pro to a convenient USB socket It s best to choose a socket directly on your computer rather than a hub After a few seconds you should be presented with the Found New Hardware Wizard Make sure you select Install from a list or specific location and then click Next This wizard helps you install software for Peak All inUSB Device IF your hardware came with an installation Cl LE or floppy disk insert it now What do you want the wizard to do c You will then be presented with this window Make sure the box Include Mosse chores your search ond Installation options this location in the search is checked It should already be filled with the Search forthe best driver in these locations location for the Peak Driver Then click parla el aie oes ede bled pel Next IV Include this location in the search C Program files Peak Driver Your DCA Pro should chime when your software is ready to use C Dont search will choose the driverto install Page 30 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Windows Vista 7 and 8 Installation 1 Make sure you have the latest Windows Updates and Service Pack 2 Run Setup exe on the supplied USB flash drive Alternatively you can download and run the digitally signed installation file from our website www peakelec co uk downloads dcaprosetup exe
26. leted Don t worry if the firmware upgrade process doesn t succeed first time Windows sometimes takes time to prepare the built in HID driver that is used during the firmware upgrade process If the firmware upgrade process fails don t panic just try again it should be fine once Windows gets its built in driver initialised LCD Contrast The PC software allows you to adjust the instrument s LCD contrast From the program s DCA Pro menu select LCD Contrast You will then be presented with a simple slider to make your contrast adjustments When you re finished you can click on the cross of the slider window Your new contrast value is automatically saved within the DCA Pro Page 36 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Audible Settings Your DCA Pro has a built in sounder for alerting you to various test results and conditions Additionally the sounder produces short tones to reinforce the tactile feedback when pressing buttons Here is a summary of the various tone types Condition Tone Type Power down including auto off Falling 3 notes Very short blip Component detected Short Low High Faulty unknown or no part detected Long High Low If you wish you can switch the audible alerts on or off To change the current setting for audible alerts while the unit is already on simply press and hold the on test button for a few seconds The new sound setting wi
27. ll then be confirmed on the screen sound is Off sound is On j To change back again simply press and hold the on test button again for a few seconds Page 37 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Care of your Atlas DCA Pro Your DCA Pro should provide many years of service if used in accordance with this user guide Care should be taken not to expose your unit to excessive heat shock or moisture Additionally the battery should be replaced at least every 12 months to reduce the risk of leak damage appears immediate replacement of the battery is required Please replace If a low battery warning message the battery The battery can be replaced by carefully opening the DCA Pro by removing the three screws from the rear of the unit Take care not to damage the electronics Avoid touching this area We recommend that the battery is replaced with a high quality battery equivalent to an Alkaline AAA LRO3 or MN2400 1 5V Replacement Alkaline AAA batteries are available from many retail outlets DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE SCREWS Page 38 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Self Test Procedure Each time the DCA Pro is powered up a self test procedure is performed In addition to a battery voltage test the unit measures the performance of many internal functions such as the voltage and current sources amplifiers analogue to digital converters and test lead multiplexers If an
28. ltage accuracy E2 4 Output voltage accuracy Load test current 1 25mA General Parameters ooe eO O Peak test current into S C Peak test voltage across O C Short circuit threshold Battery type 1 x AAA LR03 MN2400 Alkaline 1 5V Battery voltage range 1 00V Battery warning threshold USB current consumption Dimensions body All values are at 25 C unless otherwise specified Specifications subject to change Specification notes Between any pair of test clips Collector current of 5 0mA Gain accuracy valid for gains less than 2000 Resistance across reverse biased base emitter gt 60kQ Resistance across reverse biased base emitter lt 60kQ Load current of 5 0mA Collector emitter voltage of 5 0V Thyristor quadrant I Triac quadrants I and III BJT with no shunt resistors Load current typically 10 0mA 10 Transistor has leakage of 10A or more 11 IGBT MOSFET Gate test voltage is reduced to 5V if the gate is a protected or active type 12 Lower drain test current used if Ipss lt 7mA 13 For normally off JFETs a gate voltage that results in 101A of gate current will be used LENDA N Page 43 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Appendix C Analysis Test Circuits The DCA Pro analyses components by applying signals to the component under test while in a test circuit The test circuits that the DC
29. lthough the input resistance between the gate and source is normally very high greater than 100MQ the gate current can rise if the semiconductor junction between the gate and source or between the gate and drain become forward biased This can happen if the gate voltage becomes about 0 6V higher than either the drain or source terminals for N Channel devices or 0 6V lower than the drain or source for P Channel devices The internal structure of JFETs is essentially symmetrical about the gate Hele a FET Fi terminal this means that the drain and g ERA Erne Sre Drn source terminals are often a indistinguishable by the DCA Pro The JFET type gate terminal and measured parameters are displayed however Pinch Off A common parameter to be specified for JFETs is Pinch Off This is the voltage needed between the gate source to turn off the JFET The DCA Pro will determine that the JFET is off when the iGS ot t B 65 i drain current is less than 5uA at ID 5 0u Page 25 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 On Characteristics The DCA Pro measures the gate source WGS on 10 voltage required to reach the onset of at Na la good conduction through the JFET s drain source Good conduction is determined when the drain source current reaches 5mA For JFETs that have a lower saturation current than 5mA the DCA Pro will try to use a lower on current Transconductance While the JFET is condu
30. n about 9V the target current of 5mA cannot be obtained Page 46 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Voltage Regulator Test Circuit Vreg VOLTAGE SOURCE 0 12V RSENSE 00R The test circuit shown here is used for the analysis of voltage regulators positive regulators in this example Note that the range of regulator voltages supported will depend on the quiescent current Ig A higher quiescent current will cause more voltage to be dropped across the sense resistor and yield less voltage for the regulator itself Note also that some voltage regulators particularly low dropout types LDO are not stable when tested by the DCA Pro Page 47 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Appendix D Warranty Information Peak Satisfaction Guarantee If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your DCA Pro within 14 days of purchase you may return the unit to your distributor You will receive a refund covering the full purchase price if the unit is returned in perfect condition Peak Warranty The warranty is valid for 24 months from date of purchase This warranty covers the cost of repair or replacement due to defects in materials and or manufacturing faults The warranty does not cover malfunction or defects caused by a Operation outside the scope of the user guide b Unauthorised access of the unit except for battery replacement c Accidental physical damage or abu
31. pinout output voltage quiescent current consumption and drop out voltage are displayed VouT 5 024y W 2 Strid 1 Negative voltage regulators such as VWOoO 1Leay the popular 79L05 will be shown with a negative Vour figure Voltage Regulator Red IM Green OUT Blue GHD The displayed drop out voltage Vpo is the voltage that is required between input and output of the regulator to enable voltage regulation to take place Common regulators have a drop out voltage of around 2V Many Low drop out regulators may have a drop out voltage of 0 5V or less The DCA Pro measures drop out at very low load currents on the regulator s output typically less than 1mA The drop out voltage of a regulator increases significantly with load current Some voltage regulators are not stable when used outside of their intended circuitry decoupling capacitors proper loads etc The DCA Pro may not be able to identify the regulator correctly if it is not stable during analysis Page 28 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 PC Software Installation The DCA Pro can be used in conjunction with a PC running Windows XP or later Software is provided on the included USB flash drive Alternatively you can download the latest PC software package from www peakelec co uk downloads dcaprosetup exe Before you install the software ensure you have sufficient administrator rights on your machine Additionally ens
32. ransistors Silicon and Germanium detection for bipolar transistors Gate threshold measurement for Enhancement Mode MOSFETs Semiconductor forward voltage measurement for diodes LEDs and transistor Base Emitter junctions Zener voltage measurement PC connectivity providing Larger component identification display Detailed characteristics measurement Curve tracing functions Single alkaline AAA battery not used when USB connected Automatic and manual power off Page 4 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Important Considerations Please observe the following guidelines e This instrument must NEVER be connected to powered equipment components or equipment components with any stored energy e g charged capacitors Failure to comply with this warning may result in personal injury damage to the equipment under test damage to your DCA Pro and invalidation of the manufacturer s warranty e The DCA Pro is designed to analyse semiconductors that are not in circuit otherwise complex circuit effects will result in erroneous measurements e Avoid rough treatment hard knocks and extreme temperatures e This unit is not waterproof e Only use a good quality AAA Alkaline battery N TE a Page 5 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Analysing Semiconductors Standalone mode The DCA Pro is designed to analyse discrete unconnected unpowered components This ensures that
33. rs that are out of range may lead to unexpected results Refer to Appendix C in this user guide that shows the analysis test circuits to see how test parameters are applied You may not be able to perform curve tracing in the following circumstances Transistor gain is very low and the DCA Pro is unable to generate sufficient base current to obtain a sufficient span of collector current Transistor Darlington gain is extremely high which means that the tiny base currents cannot be generated with fine enough resolution If the component requires more than 12mA into a short circuit to analyse If the component requires more than 12V into an open circuit to analyse If the component requires a combination of voltage and current that cannot be generated due to 700 Ohm current limiting resistance If you want to test other components using the same test parameters to easily compare parts connect your component in exactly the same configuration and press Start on the graph tab Don t press Test as that will cause the test parameters to be re evaluated for the new component and you won t be able to plot with the same values as your previous test Page 34 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Curve Tracing Export Raw Data After the curve tracing operation has completed you can copy the raw measurement data into the clipboard ready to be pasted into your spreadsheet program
34. se d Normal wear and tear Statutory rights unaffected Claims must be accompanied by proof of purchase Appendix E Disposal Information WEEE Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Products a In 2006 the European Union introduced regulations WEEE for the collection and recycling of all waste electrical and electronic equipment It is no longer permissible to simply throw away electrical and electronic equipment Instead these products must enter the recycling process Each individual EU member state has implemented the WEEE regulations into national law in slightly different ways Please follow your national law when you want to dispose of any electrical or electronic products More details can be obtained from your national WEEE recycling agency If in doubt you may send your Peak Product to us for safe and environmentally responsible disposal At Peak Electronic Design Ltd we are committed to continual product development and improvement The specifications of our products are therefore subject to change without notice 2012 2015 Peak Electronic Design Limited E amp OE Designed and manufactured in the UK www peakelec co uk Tel 44 0 1298 70012 Fax 44 0 1298 70046 Page 48
35. sing scroll off allows further details to be displayed The DC current gain hre base emitter voltage drop Vg and collector leakage current I Leak are all shown along with their test conditions Refer to the following sections for more details on these measurements Page 14 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Current Gain hfe DC current gain hre is the ratio of the collector current less leakage to the hFE IC lCleak l base current for a particular operating A condition ICleak eakage current Ic 5 0mA The DCA Pro measures hre at a collector IB current of nominally 5 0mA and a collector emitter voltage of between 3V and 9V The gain of all transistors can vary considerably with collector current hFE 16 collector voltage and also temperature at I 5 00rnd The displayed value for gain therefore may not represent the gain experienced at other collector currents and voltages This is particularly true for large devices The displayed value of gain is very useful however for comparing transistors of a similar type for the purposes of gain matching or fault finding Darlington transistors can have very high gain values and more variation of gain will be evident as a result of this The current gain of germanium transistors can vary a large amount with changes in temperature Even the warmth from your fingers can alter the gain of a germanium device It is quite normal for transi
36. stors exhibit Ic extremely low values of leakage Ip 0 Leakage current often less than 1A even for very high collector emitter voltages YBE 0 270 at B 5 00 recy Aa Older Germanium types however can ICLeak U 1 ind suffer from significant collector leakage current particular at high temperatures leakage current can be very temperature dependant Leakage current is automatically taken into account for the gain measurement unlike many multimeters gain measurement that can be fooled by leakage current If your transistor is a Silicon type you should expect to see a leakage current of close to 0 000mA unless the transistor is faulty The leakage current of germanium transistors can vary a large amount with changes in temperature roughly doubling with every 5 C increase Even the warmth from your fingers can alter the leakage current of a germanium device Conversely a cooling transistor after a little handling can result in a falling leakage current measurement over the period of a few seconds minutes This is completely normal Page 17 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Darlington Transistors If the device is a Darlington transistor two BJTs connected together the unit will display a similar message to this HFH Darlington Red B Green E Blue hr E 94 10 HFH Darlington Red C Green E Blue B hFE 6 As expected for Darlington devices that do not have internal resis
37. stors of the same type to have a wide range of gain values For this reason transistor circuits are often designed so that their operation has little dependence on the absolute value of current gain Page 15 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Base Emitter Voltage Drop The DC characteristics of the base emitter junction are displayed both the base emitter forward voltage drop Vpr and the base current Ig used for the measurement vac a emitter voltage Vse of 0 703V for a at IB 5 00rne base test current Is of SmA WEE 0 7034 xX This example shows an NPN base The forward base emitter voltage drop can aid in the identification of silicon or germanium devices Germanium devices can have base emitter voltages as low as 0 2V Silicon types exhibit readings of about 0 7V and Darlington transistors can exhibit readings of about 1 2V because of the multiple base emitter junctions being measured It is important to note that the DCA Pro does not perform the base emitter voltage drop tests at the same base current as that used for the current gain measurement Vgg is measured at a base current of approximately SmA The base current used during the gain measurement is equal to Ic hre Page 16 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Collector Leakage Current The collector current that takes place when no base current is flowing is referred to as Leakage Current Most modern transi
38. tors the gain hre can be very high This second example however left shows the display for a Darlington transistor that has internal resistors connected to the base emitter connections This causes the hr measurement to become much lower at the test currents used by the DCA Pro This is normal and is not a fault with the transistor or the DCA Pro It is important to note that if a Darlington does contain a base emitter shunt resistor network any measurements of current gain hre will be very low at the test currents used by the DCA Pro This is due to the resistors providing an additional path for the base current The readings for gain however can still be used for comparing transistors of a similar type for the purposes of matching or gain band selecting Note that the DCA Pro will determine that the transistor under test is a Darlington type if the base emitter voltage drop is greater than 1 00V for devices with a base emitter shunt resistance of greater than 60kQ or if the base emitter voltage drop is greater than 0 80V for devices with a base emitter shunt resistance of less than 60kQ The measured base emitter voltage drop is displayed as detailed later in this section Page 18 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Free Wheeling Diode Some transistors particularly CRT deflection transistors and many large Darlingtons have a protection diode free wheeling diode or body diode inside
39. tware always says Unplug USB wait a few seconds and plug Disconnected even when back in the DCA Pro is connected Try a different USB socket on your PC and powered up Restart your PC Uninstall and then Re install the software Unit displays It is possible that your battery is in poor Boost timeout condition Replace with a new Alkaline AAA battery Measured parameters don t Most semiconductors have very wide agree with the component tolerances and even identical transistor types datasheet can show huge gain variation between them Characteristics shown in datasheets may be specified at different test conditions compared to the test conditions used by the DCA Pro Much more help is available at www peakelec co uk content support html Feel free to contact us for technical assistance Our contact details are shown at the end of this user guide Page 40 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Appendix B Summary Technical Specifications Parameter Bipolar Transistors Measurable current gain hpg range hrg accuracy hpg lt 2000 Min Typ WED 32000 3 5 hrg Note 2 N oo Base emitter shunt threshold Acceptable collector leakage for Si Acceptable collector leakage for Ge Leakage current accuracy Vcesar Collector test current Vcrat base test current Vcegsar accuracy IGBTs Enhancement mode Vason range Depletion mode
40. ure your PC meets the following requirements Windows XP SP3 Vista 7 or later 1GB RAM 1GB Hard Disk free Display size 1024 x 600 minimum typical netbook resolution 16 bit colour or better USB 1 1 or better NET framework 4 automatically installed if required Internet connection required for online updates Verified on UK localisation of Windows 8 at time of this user guide going to print The installation process varies depending on your version of Windows Select the appropriate section over the next few pages and follow the step by step instructions very carefully Please don t connect your DCA pro just yet Page 29 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Windows XP Installation l 2 Make sure you have the latest Windows Updates and Service Pack 3 Run Setup exe on the supplied USB flash drive Alternatively you can download and run the digitally signed installation file from our website www peakelec co uk downloads dcaprosetup exe During the setup process you may be asked to install NET Framework 4 The installation files for that are included on the USB flash drive and don t need to be downloaded If you are running the installation from a downloaded copy of our software then you may be prompted to download the NET package You need to accept the Microsoft agreement and the process will complete in a few minutes sometimes up to 10 minutes When the DCA Pro software
41. y of these function measurements fall outside tight performance limits a message will be displayed and the instrument will switch off automatically If the problem was caused by a i temporary condition on the test clips self test foiled such as applying power to the test clips CODE 2 then simply re starting the unit may clear the problem If a persistent problem does arise it is likely that damage has been caused by an external event such as excessive power being applied to the test clips If the problem persists please contact us for further advice quoting the displayed fault code If there is a low battery condition the automatic self test procedure will not be performed For this reason it is highly recommended that the battery is replaced as soon as possible following a low battery warning Page 39 Atlas DCA Pro User Guide September 2015 Rev 1 5 Appendix A Troubleshooting First thing to do It is important that you ensure you ve got the latest version of firmware software that s inside the DCA Pro instrument and the latest version of PC software You can do this by connecting the unit to your PC and selecting the Help menu and then click on Check for Updates It is possible that a firmware update and or a PC software update will resolve your problem Here s a further guide to helping you with your DCA Pro if you re having problems Problem Possible Solutions PC sof

Peak Atlas DCA Pro User Guide - Peak Electronic Design Limited

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