Advantest R6144 voltage/current source calibration | |
 The Advantest R6144 programmable DC voltage/current source. After fixing my Advantest R-6144 stability issue we can finally switch to its calibration. The calibration is much easier than calibrating a multimeter, but of course it requires you to own a calibrated multimeter so... Once done though you can even use the R-6144 as a calibration source for other devices like handheld meters. It won't replace a Fluke calibrator but hey, not the same budget either... The process is not very clear in the manual but quite intuitive once you've done it once (IOW, no, it's not really intuitive.) Here it is:
After calibration the same python scripts can be run to test the accuracy of the source for several values across each range. I ran the test with 100 samples/value and got a long table of results:
32.000V range
----------------- Errors ---------------
Target Measured Std.Dev Absolute Target Range Spec Result
[V] [V] [mV] [mV] [ppm] [ppm] [mV] [dB]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
32.0000 31.9992405600 0.0132408 -0.7594400 -23.7 -23.7 13.60000 12.5
24.0000 24.0013267000 0.0143333 1.3267000 55.3 41.5 11.20000 9.2
16.0000 16.0007109700 0.0150067 0.7109700 44.4 22.2 8.80000 11.0
8.0000 7.9994329400 0.0126541 -0.5670600 -70.9 -17.7 6.40000 10.5
0.0000 0.0007357361 0.0105586 0.7357361 0.0 23.0 4.00000 7.3
-8.0000 -7.9993894190 0.0151493 0.6105810 -76.3 19.1 6.40000 10.2
-16.0000 -16.0007052100 0.0169517 -0.7052100 44.1 -22.0 8.80000 11.0
-24.0000 -24.0013272600 0.0153416 -1.3272600 55.3 -41.5 11.20000 9.2
-32.0000 -31.9992611500 0.0117399 0.7388500 -23.1 23.1 13.60000 12.6
16.000V range
----------------- Errors ---------------
Target Measured Std.Dev Absolute Target Range Spec Result
[V] [V] [mV] [mV] [ppm] [ppm] [mV] [dB]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16.0000 16.0000412100 0.0171819 0.0412100 2.6 2.6 6.80000 22.2
12.0000 12.0002361000 0.0105634 0.2361000 19.7 14.8 5.60000 13.7
8.0000 7.9999641290 0.0095083 -0.0358710 -4.5 -2.2 4.40000 20.9
4.0000 4.0004573610 0.0069539 0.4573610 114.3 28.6 3.20000 8.4
0.0000 0.0002342739 0.0057195 0.2342739 0.0 14.6 2.00000 9.3
-4.0000 -4.0004202850 0.0071821 -0.4202850 105.1 -26.3 3.20000 8.8
-8.0000 -7.9999129830 0.0075765 0.0870170 -10.9 5.4 4.40000 17.0
-12.0000 -12.0001976700 0.0091332 -0.1976700 16.5 -12.4 5.60000 14.5
-16.0000 -16.0000219300 0.0092061 -0.0219300 1.4 -1.4 6.80000 24.9
1.6000V range
----------------- Errors ---------------
Target Measured Std.Dev Absolute Target Range Spec Result
[V] [V] [mV] [mV] [ppm] [ppm] [mV] [dB]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.6000 1.6000110470 0.0014738 0.0110470 6.9 6.9 0.68000 17.9
1.2000 1.2000143250 0.0013041 0.0143250 11.9 9.0 0.56000 15.9
0.8000 0.7999684934 0.0009221 -0.0315066 -39.4 -19.7 0.44000 11.4
0.4000 0.4000131773 0.0006816 0.0131773 32.9 8.2 0.32000 13.8
0.0000 -0.0000276100 0.0005450 -0.0276100 0.0 -17.3 0.20000 13.6
-0.4000 -0.3999771818 0.0010053 0.0228182 -57.0 14.3 0.32000 11.4
-0.8000 -0.7999290794 0.0009649 0.0709206 -88.7 44.3 0.44000 7.9
-1.2000 -1.1999529050 0.0009849 0.0470950 -39.2 29.4 0.56000 10.7
-1.6000 -1.5999708920 0.0011397 0.0291080 -18.2 18.2 0.68000 13.7
160.00mV range
----------------- Errors ---------------
Target Measured Std.Dev Absolute Target Range Spec Result
[V] [V] [mV] [mV] [ppm] [ppm] [mV] [dB]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.1600 0.1599922246 0.0009776 -0.0077754 -48.6 -48.6 0.07300 9.7
0.1200 0.1199994555 0.0002538 -0.0005445 -4.5 -3.4 0.06100 20.5
0.0800 0.0799966999 0.0001107 -0.0033001 -41.3 -20.6 0.04900 11.7
0.0400 0.0399904338 0.0000714 -0.0095662 -239.2 -59.8 0.03700 5.8
0.0000 -0.0000035960 0.0000609 -0.0035960 0.0 -22.5 0.02500 8.4
-0.0400 -0.0399920243 0.0001194 0.0079757 -199.4 49.8 0.03700 7.6
-0.0800 -0.0799981833 0.0001782 0.0018167 -22.7 11.4 0.04900 14.3
-0.1200 -0.1200013144 0.0003758 -0.0013144 11.0 -8.2 0.06100 16.6
-0.1600 -0.1599926197 0.0002684 0.0073803 -46.1 46.1 0.07300 9.9
16.000mV range
----------------- Errors ---------------
Target Measured Std.Dev Absolute Target Range Spec Result
[V] [V] [mV] [mV] [ppm] [ppm] [mV] [dB]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.0160 0.0159999515 0.0000468 -0.0000485 -3.0 -3.0 0.00980 23.0
0.0120 0.0120005771 0.0000438 0.0005771 48.1 36.1 0.00860 11.7
0.0080 0.0079999244 0.0000482 -0.0000756 -9.4 -4.7 0.00740 19.9
0.0040 0.0039999771 0.0000524 -0.0000229 -5.7 -1.4 0.00620 24.3
0.0000 0.0000001304 0.0000491 0.0001304 0.0 8.2 0.00500 15.8
-0.0040 -0.0040029458 0.0000508 -0.0029458 736.4 -184.1 0.00620 3.2
-0.0080 -0.0080029260 0.0000442 -0.0029260 365.7 -182.9 0.00740 4.0
-0.0120 -0.0120036493 0.0000520 -0.0036493 304.1 -228.1 0.00860 3.7
-0.0160 -0.0160030176 0.0000420 -0.0030176 188.6 -188.6 0.00980 5.1
160.00mA range
----------------- Errors ---------------
Target Measured Std.Dev Absolute Target Range Spec Result
[mA] [mA] [uA] [uA] [ppm] [ppm] [uA] [dB]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
160.000 160.06054370 0.5402574 60.543700 378.4 378.4 86.0000 1.5
120.000 120.04666120 0.5801241 46.661200 388.8 291.6 72.0000 1.9
80.000 79.99970839 0.6057754 -0.291610 -3.6 -1.8 58.0000 23.0
40.000 39.99561960 0.3333065 -4.380400 -109.5 -27.4 44.0000 10.0
0.000 -0.00238931 0.0599090 -2.389308 0.0 -14.9 30.0000 11.0
-40.000 -39.99543685 0.1724393 4.563150 -114.1 28.5 44.0000 9.8
-80.000 -79.99998385 0.6799373 0.016150 -0.2 0.1 58.0000 35.6
-120.000 -120.04898360 1.7068161 -48.983600 408.2 -306.1 72.0000 1.7
-160.000 -160.06130620 0.5073874 -61.306200 383.2 -383.2 86.0000 1.5
16.000mA range
----------------- Errors ---------------
Target Measured Std.Dev Absolute Target Range Spec Result
[mA] [mA] [uA] [uA] [ppm] [ppm] [uA] [dB]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16.000 15.99983671 0.0188569 -0.163290 -10.2 -10.2 8.6000 17.2
12.000 12.00063142 0.0203986 0.631420 52.6 39.5 7.2000 10.6
8.000 8.00068075 0.0113004 0.680754 85.1 42.5 5.8000 9.3
4.000 3.99961634 0.0118187 -0.383660 -95.9 -24.0 4.4000 10.6
0.000 -0.00019795 0.0111289 -0.197949 0.0 -12.4 3.0000 11.8
-4.000 -3.99963207 0.0117554 0.367934 -92.0 23.0 4.4000 10.8
-8.000 -8.00069089 0.0146383 -0.690890 86.4 -43.2 5.8000 9.2
-12.000 -12.00068568 0.0184872 -0.685680 57.1 -42.9 7.2000 10.2
-16.000 -15.99990442 0.0214726 0.095580 -6.0 6.0 8.6000 19.5
1.6000mA range
----------------- Errors ---------------
Target Measured Std.Dev Absolute Target Range Spec Result
[mA] [mA] [uA] [uA] [ppm] [ppm] [uA] [dB]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.600 1.59995277 0.0096913 -0.047230 -29.5 -29.5 0.9400 13.0
1.200 1.20004339 0.0095690 0.043389 36.2 27.1 0.7800 12.5
0.800 0.79999707 0.0099597 -0.002930 -3.7 -1.8 0.6200 23.3
0.400 0.39992050 0.0108134 -0.079497 -198.7 -49.7 0.4600 7.6
0.000 -0.00003732 0.0106541 -0.037320 0.0 -23.3 0.3000 9.1
-0.400 -0.39993130 0.0103556 0.068699 -171.7 42.9 0.4600 8.3
-0.800 -0.80000784 0.0093226 -0.007836 9.8 -4.9 0.6200 19.0
-1.200 -1.20005790 0.0095250 -0.057905 48.3 -36.2 0.7800 11.3
-1.600 -1.59997178 0.0100277 0.028216 -17.6 17.6 0.9400 15.2
A few things can be learned from this data. First the result column (in dB) is always positive, so we're always better than the instrument specs (the value in dB is defined as 10xlog10(observed_error/specs_error) ). A good thing. But in some places the results are a little odd. First is the 16mV range: negative values are worse than the positive ones. I'm not sure why this is the case but the polarity relay is the suspect number one because that's the only thing that changes with negative output values compared to positive ones. I don't have OCD so I'll leave it at that. Next is the 160mA range which shows poor results for values over 120mA or under -120mA. This is not a problem with the source but with the 34401A used to do the measurements. Indeed, the 34401A changes ranges at 120mA and it seems that its calibration is a little off. Bad news given the price of calibrating that instrument ($300!!). Since those higher values are off I actually calibrated the current output on 110mA (which required iterating of course but hey). As an epilogue, here's some links to two interesting youtube videos talking about the R6144/6142. Apparently the device became quite popular after Dave Jones made a video about it (with its associated discussion) on the EEVBlog youtube channel a few years ago. The R6142/6144 also exists as the "6142/6144", but the specs are identical and I suspect that the change only happened after Advantest rebranded itself 'ADCMT'. Similarly, the TR6142/6144 (teardown video) dates back to when Advantest was called 'Takeda Riken' (タケダ理研 or 武田理研). Its innards are quite different with 'flying' construction and teflon posts, but specs are very similar to the R6144. So now you know the chronology: TR6144 (Takeda Riken) -> R6144 (Advantest) -> 6144 (ADCMT). Why is this triple brand change giving me a sense of deja vu? (Looking at you HP/Agilent/Keysight!) | |
| © 2024 Damien Douxchamps. All rights reserved. | |
