Hi all
After watch one of Mr Carlsons YouTube videos were he introduced his Signature Tracer , and it got me thinking I might find one useful but a quick search on the interweb got me a little confused (easy to do these days) so a few of questions
Is a Signature Tracer the same as a Curve Tracer.
Anyone got a usable schematic for a DIY option.
Are they as useful as they appear in the Videos.
Here is the Video, obviously his is is built into a modified scope chassis but they can be built as a standalone unit to work with a scope set to XY mode
YouTube
Thanks for any help or input on this.
Paul
After watch one of Mr Carlsons YouTube videos were he introduced his Signature Tracer , and it got me thinking I might find one useful but a quick search on the interweb got me a little confused (easy to do these days) so a few of questions
Is a Signature Tracer the same as a Curve Tracer.
Anyone got a usable schematic for a DIY option.
Are they as useful as they appear in the Videos.
Here is the Video, obviously his is is built into a modified scope chassis but they can be built as a standalone unit to work with a scope set to XY mode
YouTube
Thanks for any help or input on this.
Paul
Yes, it is a very crude and simplified curve tracer.
Standalone instruments like Polar or Vu-Data exist, but they are sometimes part of a scope: some Hameg had one.
You could easily build an interface to use with any scope.
I have one, but I use it rather rarely (a previous scope had one, and I didn't use it more often).
The good thing is that you can at a glance evaluate a number of different parameters: forward and reverse behavior, impedances magnitudes and argument, etc, but it is simply visual: you cannot use it for hard data, meaning you can miss not so obvious issues.
Another problem is the stress they put on the DUT: tens of volts and hundreds of mA for the Vu-Data for example.
It was OK in the era of prehistoric discretes, but if you test a delicate, 50GHz process IC that way, you may do some damage
Standalone instruments like Polar or Vu-Data exist, but they are sometimes part of a scope: some Hameg had one.
You could easily build an interface to use with any scope.
I have one, but I use it rather rarely (a previous scope had one, and I didn't use it more often).
The good thing is that you can at a glance evaluate a number of different parameters: forward and reverse behavior, impedances magnitudes and argument, etc, but it is simply visual: you cannot use it for hard data, meaning you can miss not so obvious issues.
Another problem is the stress they put on the DUT: tens of volts and hundreds of mA for the Vu-Data for example.
It was OK in the era of prehistoric discretes, but if you test a delicate, 50GHz process IC that way, you may do some damage
BEFORE choosing a tracer design check your scope capabilities. The design you choose will depend on the scopes capabilities.
1. Does your scope offer "true" X-Y with X being CH1 and Y being CH2? Some scopes have very limited X capability. You want calibrated X/Y steps.
2. Does CH2 offer invert capability? Important depending on how you sense current. Simple tracers use a resistor for sensing current. Where you place the resistor determines polarity. The two common choices are the transformer return or the DUT return.
3. Will your scope max input match your transformer P-P voltage. You might need voltage dividers.
The next choice is what Vmax/Imax you want to test and what transformer is required to do it. Do you want to test with AC and/or rectified AC. There are multiple tracer designs to choose from depending on the above.
1. Does your scope offer "true" X-Y with X being CH1 and Y being CH2? Some scopes have very limited X capability. You want calibrated X/Y steps.
2. Does CH2 offer invert capability? Important depending on how you sense current. Simple tracers use a resistor for sensing current. Where you place the resistor determines polarity. The two common choices are the transformer return or the DUT return.
3. Will your scope max input match your transformer P-P voltage. You might need voltage dividers.
The next choice is what Vmax/Imax you want to test and what transformer is required to do it. Do you want to test with AC and/or rectified AC. There are multiple tracer designs to choose from depending on the above.
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