You can now Load Compensate ALL individual tests to an external reference part, or Load Compensate a whole program to exiting AT3600 results
The release of the new dotNET AT Editor has allowed us to add Load compensation to all the available tests.
This allows you to scale the raw AT5600 result to match an externally measured quantity using a “golden sample part” that it fitted during load compensation.
This can be helpful in cases of
A) Very small signal tests, or very small measurements at the bottom of the measurement range., e.g., 0-10 milliohms for resistance.
B) Tests where the result in within the published unit spec, and stable, but you wish to normalize the number against an external piece of test equipment.
C) Certain cases where you wish to get better consistency of results between AT3600 and AT5600, for example Surge, where the result is a characteristic of the unit and UUT.
Using the AT Editor, edit the test you would like to load compensate.
In this example we have a part with a resistance of 0.543 Ohms, so we have entered the external reading into the dialog box as our externally measured reference value.
Once the program is loaded to the AT5600 the usual compensation screen will be shown for Short and Open Circuit compensation, but now with a third Load Compensation option enabled.
The Short Circuit and Open Circuit compensation are performed in the normal manner as before.
On entering the Load Compensation screen, follow the prompts and fit your golden measured part, and press RUN.
The unit will measure the golden part and scale the results on all your subsequent test runs to be in line with the gold sample measurement you have programmed into the test program.
The Load Compensation offsets (as with the OC and SC compensation) will be stored in the units non-volatile memory. This can be removed or remeasured as often as you wish.
This feature allows you to quickly load compensate an entire test program against a set of AT3600 results using a golden part as a transfer standard.
This feature is only available with the latest AT5600 firmware AND when used with the new dotNET AT Server.
This is useful in cases where you are using test limits tighter than the AT3600 or AT5600 spec and wish to maintain one program of use on both units.
For example, it will help with use of the SURG test.
The SURG results are a characteristic Volt-second product of both the UUT and the internal hardware of the AT36/AT56 unit being used.
Due to differences in design the AT5600 and AT3600 may give different (but both valid and repeatable) readings for the same part.
The compatibility mode allows you to scale the AT5600 results to match the AT3600 results, whilst still applying your usual Pass/Fail limits as needed.
If compatibility mode is enabled on an AT5600, then on a program download, the AT5600 will request the average results of any previous PASS AT3600 test data that is already stored in the dotNET AT Server.
The program is then load compensated against a physical golden test part that you fit to the AT5600, and the scaling factors saved as the load compensation in the AT5600.
This is similar to the above manual One-Test method, in that the average AT3600 PASS results are automatically used as the load compensation values for all tests in a program.
However with Compatibility Mode, the original ATP test program is not edited or altered in anyway, and the load compensation is applied to ALL tests. If you wish to apply to only one or two tests, then please use the method described above.
The load compensation factors are only stored in the specific AT5600 and can be removed or reapplied at any time using the compensation screen.
The feature can be turned OFF at any time to revert to normal AT5600 measurements.
Using the dotNET AT Server, save some AT3600 results to the built in LocalDB database. (for security reasons, any results stored in CSV/ATR files, or your own external database, are not used)
This can be several runs on your golden part, or several runs from a batch.
Once you have collected at least 10 run results, connect the AT5600 to the same dotNET AT Server
On the AT5600 front panel, go to
Set-up > Compatibility
and enable the AT3600 Compatibility Mode option.
Now, on any program load, as well as the usual Short and Open Circuit compensation, Load Compensation will be available
On entering the Load Compensation screen, follow the prompts and fit your golden measured part, and press RUN. The unit will silently request the average PASS result from the Server.
The unit will measure the golden part and scale the results on all subsequent runs to match the average AT3600 results you have saved to the dotNET AT Server.
The Load Compensation offsets (as with the OC and SC compensation) will be stored in the units non-volatile memory and can be removed or remeasured as often as you wish.
Requirements
AT5600 Firmware V1.003.060 or later
AT dotNET Editor
AT dotNET Server
Please see AT5600 user manual 8.1.13 for more detail.
Please note
The AT3600 and ATi firmware do NOT support this option.