It can measure and evaluate high-output power devices up to 10A and 1000W.

Tektronix announced the new 2461 Source Meter, which adds a graphic interface function to user-friendly touch capabilities. This instrument can be used for measurement and evaluation in the high-power materials, power devices, and power modules sectors.

The Keithley 2461 high-power source meter SMU can apply 10A/100V, 1000-watt current pulses, minimizing heat generation in power devices and maintaining device reliability. Equipped with two 18-bit high-speed digitizers, it allows for the measurement of operational characteristics while the device is in operation, and the measurement results are displayed directly on the screen for immediate analysis. Based on the successful 2450 and 2460 SMU platforms, the 2461 features best-in-class DC and pulse source and sink performance, enabling users to gain a more detailed understanding of their designs.

Researchers, scientists, and design engineers developing next-generation power materials and devices must be able to verify device performance by measuring various DC and pulses. Simultaneously with measurement, they must reduce the impact of self-heating, which leads to defects in devices or modules. This equipment can be applied to materials research for consumer electronics, semiconductor devices, circuit protection devices, optical technology, energy storage and output components, and power management.

"Mike Flaherty, General Manager of the Keithley product family at Tektronix, said, 'Modern high-power applications are very demanding and require test equipment capable of characterizing much higher currents, higher power levels, higher peak currents, and lower leakage currents than ever before.'" "The 2461 meets these demands by combining unrivaled, best-in-class performance with user-friendly operation," he said.

Provides an intuitive user environment including touch, test, and event

Like other Tektronix Keithley graphic SMUs, the 2461 Source Meter shortens and simplifies test setup time and provides an intuitive Touch, Test, Invent® user experience to minimize learning time and derive rapid solutions. Through the graphic touchscreen interface, users can use natural gestures similar to those on a smartphone or tablet to quickly zoom in and out on data while viewing results directly on the front panel and performing detailed analysis. The built-in open-source scripting language enables users to create reusable and customizable test software libraries for specialized measurement applications.

Engineers can minimize the self-heating of the device under test, which can interfere with determining actual operating characteristics compared to DC current testing, by applying greater power to the device for a shorter period of time using the 2461's 10A/100V, 1000W pulse power. Additionally, DC testing can damage the device if current is applied for too long.

The 2461 can simultaneously measure and visualize actual device operation, waveforms, current, and voltage abnormal signal events using an 18-bit dual 1MS/s digitizer. The new high-speed "Contact Check" feature helps minimize measurement errors caused by contact fatigue, false product failures, probe tip contamination, weak or damaged connections, and relay failures. This feature enables users to make design and engineering decisions more quickly with confidence in test results.