KEITHLEY 4200 ACS Standard Edition

GENERAL INFORMATION

This document describes the features added to the Keithley Instruments Automation Characterization Suite (ACS) Standard Edition software (version 6.3). The Keithley Instruments ACS Standard Edition software supports component characterization testing of packaged parts and wafer-level testing using probers. ACS Standard Edition software can be installed on any computer, including the Keithley Instruments Model 4200A-SCS Parameter Analyzer and Model 4200A Semiconductor Characterization System (4200-SCS).

SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEMS

• ACS Standard Edition software is supported on the following operating systems: Microsoft® Windows® 11, 64-bit
• Microsoft Windows 10, 64-bit
• Microsoft Windows 10, 32-bit
• Microsoft Windows 7, 64-bit (with Service pack 1)
• Microsoft Windows 7, 32-bit (with Service pack 1)

ACS STANDARD REVISION HISTORY

INSTALL ACS

To install ACS software on a personal computer or 4200A-SCS:

1. Log in to your computer as an Administrator.
2. Open the ACS executable file.
3. Follow the software installation instructions.
4. Select Yes if you have an older version of ACS installed, as shown in the following figure.
5. Follow the instructions to specify how you want to install the software on your system.
6. If you have projects you need to backup or restore from a previous version of ACS, see the following Update previous versions of ACS files.

INSTALL ACS ON A 4200A-SCS PARAMETER ANALYZER

If you are installing ACS on a 4200A-SCS Parameter Analyzer, the following dialog box is displayed, indicating the applications identified are needed for installation. Make sure you select Do not close applications and Next to install (see the following figure).

UPDATE PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF ACS FILES

NOTE
Once ACS is installed, you can use the UpgradeTool.exe to convert your ACS 6.0 files or later to the current version, which includes projects, libraries, and settings from previous versions.

To update previous software files:

1. Go to C:\ACS\UpgradeTool\.
2. Double-click UpgradeTool.exe.
3. Choose the items in the folder you want to update (see the following figure).
4. Select Copy. When the updated version of ACS is installed, the previous version is renamed. You can copy the projects and libraries from the previous version using the following steps.

NOTE
If you have ACS version 5.4, or a previous version, you must manually copy the projects and libraries by following the steps below.

To copy and paste folders:

1. Find the C:\ACS_DDMMYYYY_HHMMSS\Projects\ folder.
2. Copy and paste to the present C:\ACS\Projects\ folder.
3. Find the C:\ACS_DDMMYYYY_HHMMSS\library\pyLibrary\PTMLib\ folder.
4. Copy and paste to the present C:\ACS\library\pyLibrary\PTMLib\ folder.
5. Find the C:\ACS_DDMMYYYY_HHMMSS\library\26library\ folder.
6. Copy and paste to the present C:\ACS\library\26library\ folder.

ACS 6.3 is based on the Python 3.7 programming language. If you customized your projects in a previous version of ACS you may need to change the projects created in the previous version of ACS, which includes the Python language test module (PTM) script libraries. You can go to this site to review the Python changes for more detail: <https://docs.python.org/3/whatsnew/3.7.html

porting-to-python-37>

INSTALL ACS AFTER INSTALLING NI-488.2 DRIVERS
If you are installing ACS on a system that contains NI-488.2 drivers, the following dialog box is displayed, indicating the applications identified are needed for installation. Make sure you select Do not close applications and Next to install (see the following figure)

SUPPORTED MODELS AND TEST CONFIGURATIONS

ACS software is used to characterize semiconductor devices with a variety of Keithley Instruments products in a variety of different test configurations. The ACS Fundamentals Reference Manual (part number ACS-914-01) and ACS Advanced Features Reference Manual (part number ACS-908-01) contain detailed information about the supported hardware and test configurations.

• Perform multi-group testing with the Series 2600B and 2400 Graphical Touchscreen Series (GTS) instruments using ACS software installed on a personal computer or laptop.
• Control hardware using ACS software installed on the Model 4200A-SCS Parameter Analyzer or Model 4200-SCS.
• Perform combined group testing with a 4200A-SCS Parameter Analyzer or 4200-SCS and Series 2600B instruments using the combined test-execution engine in ACS software.
• Control other external GPIB, LAN, or USB instruments using ACS software installed on a personal computer or laptop.

The following table summarizes the instruments supported in the ACS test libraries.

2611B,

2612B, 2614B, 2634B, 2635B, 2636B

2600A Series: 2601A, 2602A, 2611A, 2612A, 2635A, 2636A
2400 Graphical Series SMU (KI24XX TTI): 2450, 2460,

2460-NFP, 2460-NFP-RACK, 2460-RACK, 2461, 2461-SYS, 2470

2400 Standard Series SMU: 2401, 2410, 2420, 2430, 2440
2650 Series for High Power: 2651A, 2657A
4200A and the following modules: 4210-CVU, 4215-CVU

4225-PMU/4225-RPM, 4225-RPM-LR, 4200-SMU, 4201-SMU,

4210-SMU, 4211-SMU, 4200-PA, 4200A-CVIV

Parameter Analyzers| DMM6500, DMM7510, 2010 Series
DMMs| 707A/B, 708A/B, 3700A
Ultra-sensitive Current Sources an Nanovoltmeter| 6220, 6221, 2182A
Switching and data acquisition systems| DAQ6510, 707A/B, 708A/B, 3700A
Pulse Generators| 3400 Series

The following probers are supported in ACS:

Probers| Manual Prober Micromanipulator 8860 Prober

Suss MicroTec PA200/Cascade CM300 Prober Cascade 12000 Prober

Cascade S300 Prober Electroglas EG2X Prober Electroglas EG4X Prober TEL P8/P12 Prober

TEL 19S Prober

Tokyo Semitsu TSK9(UF200/UF3000/APM60/70/80/90) Prober Wentworth Pegasus 300S Prober with SRQ check Micromanipulator P300A Prober

Yang Sagi3 Prober with SRQ check Signatone CM500 Prober (WL250) TEL T78S/80S Prober

MPI SENTIO Prober Semiprobe SPFA Prober MJC AP-80 (SP-80) prober

Apollowave AP200/AP300 Prober

Vector Semiconductor AX/VX Series prober HiSOL prober (Python code)

---|---

The graphical interactive test module (ITM) supports 24xx Graphical Series SMU instruments and 26xx instruments at the same time. The 24xx instrument should be connected as the primary instrument, and the 26xx connected as the subordinate. You can control any Test Script Processor (TSPTM) instrument using a script test module (STM) script. You can control any instrument using the Python language test module (PTM) script, including instrumentation from other vendors. Existing ACS STM and PTM libraries support specific instruments based on the library definition.

SUPPORTED COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE

• GPIB
• LAN (Auto Scan and LAN)
• USB
• RS-232

note

If you are using a RS-232 connection, the instrument is not automatically added to the hardware configuration. Add instruments connected with RS-232 manually and change the hardware configuration file that is in the following directory on your computer to the following: C:\ACS\HardwareManagementTool\HWCFG_pref.ini. In this file you change the baud rate, parity, byte, and stopBit settings. Review the following figure for details.

SOFTWARE LICENSE

ACS allows you to create tests, manipulate settings, and view previous data without a license. However, you must have a license for ACS to control and retrieve data from a physical instrument. You can launch a one-time, 60-day trial for ACS after the initial installation. Once the license expires, you need to purchase a full license to use the software.

LICENSE MANAGEMENT
The ACS software license is managed using the Tektronix Asset Management System (TekAMS).

To generate a license file:

1. You must submit your Host ID to TekAMS. For more information about TekAMS, see tek.com/products/product-license.
2. To find the host ID, open the License Manage dialog box from the ACS Help menu. Select License > Host ID, then Click to copy to copy the Host ID.
3. Select Install.

ACS STANDARD VERSION 6.3

ENHANCEMENTS

Issue number:

Enhancement:

| ACS-784, CAS-209266-Y5K4F1
---|---
Support for the Keysight E4980A added
Issue number:

Enhancement:

| ACS-716
Support added for TSP-Link connections to the DMM6500 and DMM7510.
Issue number: Enhancement:| ACS-677
Add Hardware Scan Tool support for:

·         6221 through GPIB and ethernet

·         6220 through GPIB

·         2182 and 2182A through RS232 or Trigger Link cable to the 6220 or 6221

HARDWARE CONFIGURATION:
Issue number:

Enhancement:

| ACS-766, CAS-199477-J6M6T8
Slow response when switching between PTMs and ITMs.
Issue number:

Enhancement:

| ACS-762
Support added for saving data to the Microsoft® Excel® format .xlsx.
Issue number:

Enhancement:

| ACS-724
Shared-Stress App: Added example library and project to show how the application works.
Issue number:

Enhancement:

| ACS-694, ACS-721
Develop HiSOL python prober driver in ACS.
Issue number: Enhancement:| ACS-718
DMM7510 and DMM6500 support: added tsp library DMM_SMU_lib.tsp including function

FIMV_Sweep and FIMV_Sample.

Issue number:

Enhancement:

| ACS-717
2601B and DMM7510 support: Add LIV_Lib.tsp library into ACS.
Issue number: Enhancement:| ACS-713, ACS-712
Created test module template Power MOSFET (SiC) Reliability application for ACS, including

VTH_SiC, HTRB, HTGB.

Issue number: Enhancement:| ACS-690, ACS-689
Added standard PTM KI622x_2182_Lib.py to support KI622x+2182(A) Delta and

Differential mode.

Issue number: Enhancement:| ACS-681, ACS-680, ACS-679
Shared-Stress App: Added python library Share_Stress_App.py and

Shared_Stress_Demo.py.

Issue number:| ACS-676
Enhancement:| Add a PTM demo script to run UTM library remotely on 4200A through KXCI.
Issue number:| ACS-664, CAS-143278-Z7L7T3
Enhancement:| Supported generalized Shared-Stress in ACS.
Issue number:| ACS-653, CAS-124875-V3W1G7
Enhancement:| UpgradeTool.exe was added to help convert your ACS 6.0 files or later to the present

version, including projects, libraries, and settings from previous versions.

ACS MANUAL UPDATES:
Issue number: Enhancement:| ACS-790, ACS-783, ACS-733, ACS-729, ACS-728, ACS-725, ACS-719, ACS-711
ACS 2600 RTM User’s Manual, ACS Programmer’s Manual, ACS Advanced Features Manual, ACS Fundamentals Reference Manual, and ACS Quick Start Guide update.

RESOLVED ISSUES

Issue number:

Symptom: Resolution:

| ACS-787|
---|---|---
The status of spool is also 0 when it times out. This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:

Symptom: Resolution:

| ACS-763, CAS-198461-L5X8W7
ACS formula issue, when the VTCI formula returns #REF unable to save data to a .xls file. This issue has been corrected.
Issue number: Symptom:

Resolution:

| ACS-758
ITM 2461 Pulse mode incorrectly reached compliance at current lower than the limiti

setting.

This issue has been corrected.

Issue number:

Symptom: Resolution:

| ACS-755
Formula from the last device-level running file is copied to all ITMs. This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:

Symptom: Resolution:

| ACS-754, CAS-191991-W5S8D8
ACS CSV subsite unit is wrong. This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:

Symptom: Resolution:

| ACS-753, CAS-191970-C6C2F3
ACS graph problem Fixed Scale. This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-752, CAS-191977-V4N4T0|
Symptom:| ACS graph problem Log Scale.|
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.|
Issue number:| ACS-751, CAS-191987-Q2T8Q5|
Symptom:| ACS graph scale format error (Scientific Linear)|
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.|
Issue number:| ACS-750, CAS-191988-X7C2L0|
Symptom:| ACS graph scale format error (Scientific LOG)|
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.|
Issue number:| ACS-740|
Symptom:| The 2450, DMM6500, and DAQ6510 report errors when starting ACS.|
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.|
Issue number:| ACS-737, CAS-183556-J8P1L6|
Symptom:| ACS crashes during an abort test in an ITM sweep.|
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.|
Issue number:| ACS-732|
Symptom:| Need to enable the High C mode in the ITM when connected to a Model 2657A.|
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.|
Issue number:| ACS-706|
Symptom:| sintgv() is missing in TSPLPT.|
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.|
Issue number:| ACS-705|
Symptom:| Enabled the Combine SMU button in the hardware management configuration demo mode.|
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.|
Issue number:| ACS-704, CAS-168192-R6R9C0|
Symptom:| Inaccurate C measurement value is only at 10 kHz with ACS.|
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.|
Issue number:| ACS-703
---|---
Symptom:| Manual – Some graphics are blurry and hard to read.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-701
Symptom:| In the manual, the instructions for the ACSLPT checkparam() command is difficult to understand.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-699
Symptom:| Add a Message Dialog to disallow renaming the ACS pattern, subsites, and device name that start with a number.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-698
Symptom:| Grammar mistake in the error report of ACSLPT and SPLPT matrix functions.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-697
Symptom:| Manual – ACSLPT matrix connection functions mistakenly add content for conpin, conpth, and delcon commands.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-696
Symptom:| Manual – ACSLPT matrix path connection functions and the SMU should not be connected through the path.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-695
Symptom:| TSPLPT delcon command is not working correctly.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-693, CAS-162206-X6Q0Q9
Symptom:| ACS corrected the prober name Apolo to Apollo.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-692, ACS-684, CAS-162203-C3L1R7
Symptom:| ACSPostGData() should be changed to ACSPostGdata() in the ACS Programmer’s manual.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-688
Symptom:| ACS cannot scan the Matrix 707B with 7072B cards in the hardware management tool.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-687, CAS-157136-K7R9R0
Symptom:| High Open Offset Capacitance issue on the PCT HVCV Test.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number: Enhancement:

Resolution:

| ACS-686
Added ACSLPT functions bsweepi, bsweepv, sweepX, rtfary, savgi, savgv, sintgi, sintgv, smeasi, smeasv, sweepi, sweepv, trigig, trigvg, trigil, and trigvl commands for the 4200-SMU, 4201-SMU, 4210-SMU, and 4211-SMU.

This issue has been corrected.

Issue number:| ACS-686
Symptom:| Added ACSLPT sweepX, bsweepX functions for the 4200A SMU.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-685
---|---
Symptom:| Y1 and Y2 min/max scale in the plot setting is automatically changed when running a test.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:

Symptom: Resolution:

| ACS-671
Manual – Missing instructions for the ACSLPT sweep functions.
This issue has been corrected.
Issue number: Symptom:

Resolution:

| ACS-668
Manual – ACSPostArrayDouble function description is missing the array length parameter.
This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:

Symptom: Resolution:

| ACS-659
Added matrix to the TSP LPT instructions in the manual.
This issue has been corrected.
Issue number:| ACS-658
Symptom:| Removed smeasz_sweepv() from ACS programmer’s manual.
Resolution:| This issue has been corrected.

SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY

When you start ACS on a 4200A-SCS that has Clarius software version 1.4 or later (with Windows 10 operating system), a warning message may appear indicating that KXCI did not start successfully. Select Cancel to dismiss the warning.

To manually configure the compatibility settings:

1. Right-click the ACS icon and select Properties.
2. Open the Compatibility tab.
3. Select Run this program as an administrator and select OK to save.

USAGE NOTES

When you install a KUSB-488B GPIB driver, the following message displays. You must select the Keithley Command Compatible option. Select Next to continue the installation.

Microsoft ® Windows® mapped network drive error.

When installing ACS Basic on a personal computer, Microsoft policy settings can limit ACS Basic from accessing mapped network drives in its file windows.

Modifying the registry fixes this issue.

To modify the registry:

1.    Run regedit.

2.    Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Policies/ System.

3.       If one does not exist, create a new DWORD (32-bit) entry named

EnableLinkedConnections.

4.       Set the value to 1.

5.       Restart the computer.

References

• Keithley Instruments & Products | Tektronix
• Product License | Tektronix
• What’s New In Python 3.7 — Python 3.12.1 documentation

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)  >>

Download This Manual (PDF format)

Download this manual  >>