Patents Assigned to KEITHLEY INSTRUMENTS, LLC
  • Patent number: 11971434
    Abstract: A voltage source device, including a first voltage source configured to output a first voltage, source pathways to connect the first voltage source to a device under test, sensing pathways electrically coupled to the device under test; and circuitry configured to sample a second voltage at the device under test, determine a voltage difference between the first voltage and the second voltage, and adjust the first voltage based on the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: William C. Weeman
  • Patent number: 11927605
    Abstract: A test and measurement instrument switch matrix including a first cable including a center conductor and a guard connected to a first output of the test and measurement instrument; a second cable including a center conductor and a guard connected to a second output of the test and measurement instrument; a third cable including a center conductor and a guard connected to the device under test; and a fourth cable including a center conductor connected to the device under test and a guard connected to the device under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: Gregory Sobolewski
  • Publication number: 20240036101
    Abstract: A test and measurement instrument, includes a user interface, one or more probes configured to connect to a device under test comprising a MOSFET, and one or more processors configured to execute code that causes the one or more processors to: set a target voltage to be measured across the MOSFET, apply a force voltage to the MOSFET, measure a drain current and a drain voltage of the MOSFET with the one or more probes, determine if a difference between the measured drain voltage and the target voltage meets a threshold, when the difference does not meet the threshold, use the measured drain voltage, the measured drain current, and a load resistance to determine a new force voltage value to compensate for the load resistance, set the force voltage to the new force voltage value, and repeat the apply, measure and determine steps as needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander N. Pronin, Mary Anne Tupta, Andrew Alan Shetler
  • Patent number: 11853089
    Abstract: A current source has at least one gain component having a constant gain at frequencies below a frequency point, and having a gain inversely proportional to frequency at frequencies above the frequency point, the gain component having an input and an output, a source resistor connected in series with the output of the gain component, the gain component to regulate a voltage across the source resistor to be a source voltage, such that the gain of the gain component limits regulation by the gain component of the source voltage and an output voltage across a load between a high terminal and a low terminal, and a feedback component to receive at least a portion of the output voltage, the feedback component connected to the input of the gain component, the feedback component configured to reduce the gain of the gain component available to regulate the source voltage across the source resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: Wayne C. Goeke
  • Publication number: 20230393213
    Abstract: A test and measurement instrument including a voltage source configured to output a source voltage, a current sensor, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to determine an estimation of a load of an unknown connected device under test based on the source voltage, the current sensor, and a voltage of the connected device under test without any prior knowledge of the connected device under test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: William C. Weeman
  • Publication number: 20230308106
    Abstract: A digitizing circuit includes a port connectable to a device under test (DUT), an integrating analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a high-speed ADC, one or more processors to apply a digital filter to output samples of the high-speed ADC to produce filtered samples, find differences between the filtered samples and samples from the integrating ADC to produce error values, and add the error values to the output samples of the high-speed ADC. A method of producing a digital signal includes receiving an input analog signal at an integrating analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a high-speed ADC, applying a digital filter to output samples of the high-speed ADC to produce filtered samples, the digital filter matched to timing and filtering of the integrating ADC, finding differences between the filtered samples to output samples of the integrating ADC to produce error values, and adding the error values to the output samples of the high-speed ADC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: Wayne C. Goeke
  • Patent number: 11768248
    Abstract: A test and measurement instrument including a voltage source configured to output a source voltage, a current sensor, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to determine an estimation of a load of an unknown connected device under test based on the source voltage, the current sensor, and a voltage of the connected device under test without any prior knowledge of the connected device under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: William C. Weeman
  • Publication number: 20230296660
    Abstract: A dual-stage source measure unit (SMU) has a user interface to allow a user to input one or more target values, at least two terminals to couple to a device under test (DUT), a current loop having a current digital control loop (DCL), a current digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a sense resistor, a current analog-to digital converter (ADC), and a common ADC, the current DCL to receive inputs from the current ADC, from the common ADC, and a target value for the output current, and to control a first output stage to produce the output current, and a voltage loop having a voltage DCL, a voltage DAC, a voltage ADC, and the common ADC, the voltage DCL to receive inputs from the voltage ADC, from the common ADC, and a target value for the output voltage, and to control a second output stage to produce the output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: Wayne C. Goeke
  • Publication number: 20230288448
    Abstract: A source measure unit has a voltage output stage to provide a voltage across first and second output terminals to connect to a load, and a current output stage to provide a voltage to a first sense resistor, the source measure unit to switchably employ both the voltage output stage and the current output stage for a first range of output current, to regulate a common point, and either output voltage or output current, or employ only one of either the voltage output stage or the current output stage to provide voltage to both the first and second output terminals and a second sense resistor for a second range of output current, and to regulate either output voltage or output current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Wayne C. Goeke, Martin J. Rice
  • Patent number: 11755440
    Abstract: A configuration device in a test and measurement system including an event generator and a Device Under Test (DUT) to receive one or more events generated by the event generator includes an output display structured to graphically illustrate a first event timeline that includes source event markers for a first test channel for a second test channel, in which the first event timeline and the second event timeline appear on the output display as separate timelines vertically separated from one another. The position of the event delay indicator or a position of the event width indicator may be movable by a user, and moving the position of the event delay indicator or moving the position of the event width indicator causes the event generator to change one or more event generation parameters of the first event based on such movement. Methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Trgovich, James H. Hitchcock
  • Publication number: 20230253887
    Abstract: A power supply block has multiple isolated power channels, the power supply comprising an interface magnetic component having multiple windings, each winding connected to a separate one of the isolated channels. A test and measurement instrument has a connector to allow the instrument to connect to a device under test, and a power supply block having multiple isolated power channels, the power supply block comprising an interface magnetic component having multiple windings, each winding connected to a separate one of the isolated power channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin J. Yurick
  • Patent number: 11705894
    Abstract: A test and measurement circuit including a capacitor in parallel with a device under test, a direct current voltage source configured to charge the capacitor, a pulse generator configured to generate a pulse for testing the device under test, and a sensor for determining a current in the device under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: Gregory Sobolewski
  • Publication number: 20230224233
    Abstract: A test instrument network, has a plurality of nodes, each node having a connection to the test instrument network with a unique node identifier, one or more script processors, each script processor having a unique group identifier to which resource groups can be allocated, and one or more resource groups, each resource group comprising one or more resources, wherein a node becomes a master node when it either processes a command message or initiates script processing. A method of operating a test instrument network having a plurality of nodes includes processing one or more command messages or scripts at a node having one or more script processors and one or more resource groups, designating the node processing the command message or script as a master node, sending, from a script processor on the master node, an execution request to a resource group, resource groups having a finer allocation level than a node level, and handling the request at a node that controls the resource group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: Todd A. Hayes
  • Patent number: 11668733
    Abstract: A test and measurement instrument includes a current measurement device having an input to accept an electrical current for measurement, an output to pass an output current output from the current measurement device, a sense path through which the electrical current is measured, and an active bypass device to pass an amount of current from the input of the current measurement device to the output of the current measurement device without passing through the sense path. The active bypass device may be tuned to allow the current sense device to operate without bypass within a specific range of target current values. Some current measurement devices may include more than one active bypass circuits, each tuned for a different range of input current values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Mark D. Zimmerman, Wayne C. Goeke, Martin J. Rice
  • Publication number: 20230115051
    Abstract: A configurable instrument includes a mainframe having one or more processors, a chassis having slots to accept one or more instrument modules, a communication bus coupled to all of the instrument modules inserted in the slots, and a communication backplane, separate from the communication bus, and configured to allow point-to-point communication between any pair of modules inserted in the slots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Roberts, II, William C. Weeman
  • Patent number: 11522312
    Abstract: A safety adapter assembly includes a first electrical connector, a second electrical connector, a connector body, and a safety sleeve. The connector body is structured to couple the first electrical connector to the second electrical connector. The safety sleeve is substantially surrounding the connector body and configured to move relative to the connector body to selectively allow user access to the first electrical connector while substantially blocking user access to the second electrical connector, or to allow user access to the second electrical connector while substantially blocking user access to the first electrical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Alan Holtz, Joseph A. Peters, Vladimir V. Genkin
  • Publication number: 20220381813
    Abstract: A safety container for high-power, electronic device testing, the safety container including a first shell and first and second ports in the first shell. The first shell is configured to substantially surround a testing chamber sized to accommodate a device-under-test (DUT). The first shell is substantially rigid. The first port is configured to allow a fluid into the testing chamber, the second port configured to allow the fluid to exit the testing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Ferguson, James D. Bucci, Gregory Sobolewski, Brian D. Smith, Jeffrey J. Trgovich
  • Publication number: 20220350352
    Abstract: A voltage source device, including a first voltage source configured to output a first voltage, source pathways to connect the first voltage source to a device under test, sensing pathways electrically coupled to the device under test; and circuitry configured to sample a second voltage at the device under test, determine a voltage difference between the first voltage and the second voltage, and adjust the first voltage based on the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: William C. Weeman
  • Publication number: 20220334938
    Abstract: A configuration device in a test and measurement system including an event generator and a Device Under Test (DUT) to receive one or more events generated by the event generator includes an output display structured to graphically illustrate a first event timeline that includes source event markers for a first test channel for a second test channel, in which the first event timeline and the second event timeline appear on the output display as separate timelines vertically separated from one another. The position of the event delay indicator or a position of the event width indicator may be movable by a user, and moving the position of the event delay indicator or moving the position of the event width indicator causes the event generator to change one or more event generation parameters of the first event based on such movement. Methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Trgovich, James H. Hitchcock
  • Publication number: 20220291278
    Abstract: A test and measurement system includes a power device having an interface to allow connection to one or more devices under test (DUTs), and one or more processors configured to execute code that, when executed, causes the one or more processors to receive a selection between static and dynamic characterization, and to configure the power device to perform the selected one of static or dynamic characterization of the one or more DUTs, a measurement device, having a user interface, one or more processors configured to execute code that, when executed, causes the one or more processors to: receive user inputs through the user interface, the user inputs including at least the selection between static and dynamic characterization, and send the selected one of static or dynamic characterization to the power device, and a connector to connect the power device to the measurement device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Sobolewski, Jeffrey J. Trgovich, Brian D. Smith, James D. Bucci