Thurlby Thandar Instruments Port Devices Driver

20-04-2021
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A Windows device driver is supplied which creates a virtual COM port, enabling USB to be used with applications that do not directly support it. We Thurlby Thandar Instruments Ltd Glebe Road Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE29 7DR England. Declare that the. If for some reason, the Firewire port stops working, just go into Device Manager and make sure the IEEE 1394 device drive is still set to Legacy. The Fix for Windows 7 For Windows 7 simply replace the new 1394 driver with the Legacy driver that comes with Windows 7. Database updated 01 February 2021 at 11:15 CST. The following table contains a list of I/O devices for which EPICS device and/or driver support has been written, sorted by the manufacturer's name. The table is also available sorted by Bus Type, by Contact Name, or by Link name (you can also click on any active colu.

by Rick Nelson

Recent test innovations address components ranging from passive components to integrated circuits. New and enhanced test equipment ranges from bench-top instruments, such as a Keysight impedance analyzer and Anritsu vector network analyzer, to production-ready semiconductor test systems, such as an ATE system from Marvin Test Solutions and a handler from the Multitest unit of Xcerra.

These innovations build on ones described in recent articles, including a report in our October print edition on modular systems for IC test and a companion Web Exclusive feature on IC, sensor, and passive component test. In addition, in a feature in our November print edition, Senior Technical Editor Tom Lecklider offered a backgrounder on LCR measurements and described instruments from from B&K Precision, Chroma Systems Solutions, GWInstek, Hameg Instruments, IET Labs, Keysight Technologies, Stanford Research Systems, Tegam, Thurlby Thandar Instruments, and Wayne Kerr Electronics.

(See “Modular systems automate IC test” and “Test of ICs, sensors, and passive components gets boost” as well as “Bridging the LCR measurement gap.”)

Since those articles went to print, Keysight, Marvin Test Solutions, and Anritsu have all introduced new products or enhanced features.

Keysight, for example, announced shipment of its E4991B impedance analyzer, specifically designed for R&D, quality assurance, and inspection engineers characterizing and evaluating passive electronic components, semiconductor devices, dielectric materials, and magnetic materials.

Keysight’s E4991B offers 0.65% basic accuracy for evaluating components over a wide impedance range, from 1 MHz to 3 GHz. The analyzer features accurate material measurement options that include temperature characteristics analysis from -55°C to 150°C (Option 007) and direct read function of permittivity and permeability up to 1 GHz (Option 002).

Devices

(See “Keysight begins shipment of impedance analyzer.”)

In addition, Anritsu expanded its ShockLine family of vector network analyzers (VNAs) with the introduction of the MS46122A Series. Incorporating Anritsu’s patented shock line VNA-on-a-chip technology, the MS46122A low-cost full-reversing 2-port VNAs are packaged in a compact 1U chassis and are optimized for cost-sensitive test applications in manufacturing, engineering, and education environments. cost-sensitive passive device test applications in engineering, manufacturing and education. The ShockLine family can be employed to test RF and automotive connectors and cables, electromechanical switches, attenuators, couplers, filters, isolators, circulators, and phase shifters.

(See “Anritsu introduces PC-controlled ShockLine VNAs.”)

For semiconductor test, Marvin Test Solutions earlier this month introduced the TS-960, the newest version of the company’s TS-900 PXI semiconductor test platform. The TS-960 brings the performance and features of high-end systems to customers at a fraction of the footprint and cost compared with traditional ATE.

“Our semiconductor customers asked for an alternative to big-iron ATE systems that would combine high-performance measurements with a substantially reduced footprint,” said Steve Sargeant, CEO of Marvin Test Solutions. “By using the TS-960 platform and our new GX5296 digital subsystem, customers get a flexible PXI platform with high-performance timing features typically found only in high-end ATE systems.”

(See “MTS adds PMU per pin to PXI-based IC test system.”)

And finally, Xcerra announced that its Multitest MT2168 pick-and-place handler now offers the ability to characterize devices at cold conditions. This capability addresses the evolving requirements for temperature performance driven by end markets. Whereas final test of the respective devices in high volume production will only be done at ambient/hot, they need to get qualified for cold conditions before they ramp. The “Cold for Characterization” option of the MT2168 allows for using the one platform for qualification and final test without the need to invest in more complex and more expensive tri-temp test equipment.

The “Cold for Characterization” set-up of the MT2168 is an add-on to the standard base unit, which does not require changes in the handler itself. All required features are part of the conversion kit set. The customer can decide whether he wants to use existing external chillers or if he prefers to have a LN2-based heat exchanger integrated. The “Cold for Characterization” option provides temperature conditioning directly at the contact site and sticks to the chamberless concept of the MT2168. This way no icing issues or defrost needs occur.

Thurlby thandar instruments port devices drivers

(See “Handler offers package characterization at cold conditions.”)

If you run multiple USB devices that operate as virtual RS232 COM ports (the ubiquitous serial port standard) on Windows, you may have run into problems with conflicts between devices. An application may connect to the appropriate device when it’s the only one connected, only to “get confused” if there is another device sharing the PC. Happily, there are a few simple things you can try that will often resolve the problem.

9103s and Arduinos Playing Nice Together

A 9103 Picoammeter and Arduino

To most Windows applications, virtual COM ports (VCPs) all look the same. An application can open a port and and attempt to communicate with the connected device, but since there’s no fixed protocol – each device speaks its own “language”, any message sent can have undetermined effects if the device you’re communicating with is not the one your were expecting. Some applications simply connect to the first COM port available, other’s may provide a way to select the COM port your device is connected to – but you’re still responsible for figuring that out.

When manufacturers produce hardware for PCs they can apply for unique vendor ad product IDs for their device, and there are ways for applications to safely query these. But that only solves part of the problem. Many devices use third-party USB chips and drivers from companies like FTDI, so they share the same IDs. These devices look the same to a Windows client application, or to a person perusing the Device Manager in Control Panel.

RBD’s own 9103 Picoammeter utilizes FTDI’s popular USB VCP chips, as do many versions of the popular Arduino microcontroller boards, so these two sets of devices can be confused by client applications when used on the same PC. And s it turns out, they are often used together. Here are a few tricks for getting these device to play nice together.

Solution 1: Connect Each Device and Run Each Client in Order

Many applications require you to specify the port for the selected device. Others (like Actuel for the 9103) poll the COM ports in numerical order and check and connect to the first available. If these devices first check the vendor and product ID (like the 9103), they will at least skip ports that do not match. But they cannot distinguish between two devices using the same USB chip (like FTDI’s). Setting up a device connection / application order can solve this.

In the case of a 9103 / Arduino conflict, remove all other devices, then plug in the 9103 and power it on. Next run the Actuel software. The software will find and take control of the 9103 port, and once assigned, you can safely plug in the next device and run its client.

Another order might make more sense for your particular application. Experiment with your configuration, and there are more than two devices, try getting two working first. Document the process and just make sure it’s followed anytime you reboot / power-on.

Thurlby Thandar Instruments Port Devices Driver

Solution 2: Change the COM Port Number for a Particular USB Port

You can force Windows to use a different COM port number than the one automatically assigned. This may help with applications that select the lowest numbered port.

For example, if the 9103 is connected to COM4 and another FTDI device is on COM3, the 9103 client software may incorrectly select the device on COM3. Setting the 9103 to COM2 may allow you to now connect the devices and run the client applications in any order, depending on how those other devices / applications behave. Some experimentation may be necessary.

With the 9103 connected and turned on, run Control Panel / Device Manager, and find the selection for “Ports (COM and LPT)”, click and you should see an entry for “USB Serial Port (COM4)” (the COM# may be different of course). Double-click for properties.

Now select the “Port Settings” tab, and click the “Advanced…” button. From this window you can select a new COM port assignment:

Choosing a COM port for the 9103

Thurlby Thandar Instruments Port Devices Driver Updater

Keep in mind that plugging a device into different USB port will change the COM port assigned to it.

Thurlby Thandar Instruments Port Devices Drivers

More Info

Of course, you’ll want to ensure you have the latest drivers installed. For FTDI, they can be found here:

Thurlby Thandar Instruments Port Devices Driver Windows 7

If you’re thinking of programming your own serial port application, here’s a quick tutorial at the API level. Many popular languages include code for VCP programming, and third-party libraries are available: