Inexpensive Semiconductor Curve Tracers Using LabVIEW

 

 

LabVIEW virtual instruments for the UT-Tyler semiconductor curve tracers are available in compressed form in a .zip archive. The archive includes the following virtual instruments which have been developed with LabVIEW 5.1:

 

            Virtual Instrument                 Display

 

·        BB_CBP_V25.vi                   IC vs. VCB for common-base connected small-signal PNP transistors

·        BB_D_V25.vi                        ID vs. VD for junction diodes

·        BB_NJFET_V25.vi                ID vs. VDS for small-signal n-channel junction field-effect transistors

·        BB_NMOS_V25.vi               ID vs. VDS for low-power n-channel enhancement-mode MOSFETs

·        BB_QNPN_V25.vi                IC vs. VCE for common-emitter connected small-signal NPN transistors

·        BB_QPNP_V25.vi                IC vs. VCE for common-emitter connected small-signal PNP transistors

 

The following virtual instruments are sub-VIs used in the curve tracers above.  They are included in the archive.

 

·        PS_INIT.vi                            Virtual instrument for initialization of the HP E3631A power supply

·        XY CHART BUFFER.vi        Virtual instrument for creating an x-y­ display. 

 

Download the archive and extract its contents.  The extraction process will create a folder named “curve tracers lv5.”  Move the folder and its contents to the LabVIEW directory (typically C:\Program Files\National Instrument\LabVIEW). 

 

These virtual instruments use the following GPIB-based test equipment with the listed GPIB addresses.  The VIs may be edited to use alternate equipment and / or other addresses.

 

            Equipment                                                                              GPIB address

           

HP 34401A Digital Multimeter                                                  4

            HP E3631A Triple-Output DC Power Supply                          5

 

Schematics of the test circuits are available in .pdf format.