SmartScan™ Immunity (Susceptibility) and EMI Scanners

 BASIC,  AUTOSCAN,   AUTOSCAN EMI  &  PROFESSIONAL Models

Amber Precision Instruments of Santa Clara announces the world’s first fully automated immunity scanner for accurately pinpointing areas of system and device susceptibility to the effects of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and other electrical disturbances. By stimulating areas of a board or system and monitoring for system upset, SmartScan^TM plots and displays sensitive areas including relative levels of sensitivity.

 

SmartScan is a diagnostic tool used at both the system and device level to rapidly identify potential susceptibility problems and provide the analysis required to develop a solution. Device manufacturers can for the first time, evaluate and qualify products resistance to upset and unwanted resets. Using a combination of E-field and H-field probes plus direct injection, sensitive areas are not only identified but quantified in terms of relative susceptibility.

 

Sophisticated software analysis provides a range of 3 dimensional color plots overlaying the actual device or board being tested. A complete range of options and potential upgrades are available for SmartScan that allow RF scanning, resonance scanning, multiple failure detections modules and of course, the ability to do full EMI scanning as well

In the design phase of a board, identify sensitivities due to poor circuit layouts

The sensitivity of this mother board would likely be improved by modifying the layout

Eliminates the “Let’s try some ferrites and see if that helps” method of troubleshooting

Instead, the engineer knows exactly where to go and has some clues about what the appropriate fix might be

SmartScan BASIC

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Model

Description

The BASIC is manually operated system for performing susceptibility scanning at the system level with minimal data storage capability. This system includes:

•  6kV pulse generator for ESD susceptibility testing

•  Camera and camera shutter to take DUT pictures and failing spots

•  Manual input of failing location and failing condition over the DUT and separate table

•  Control computer

•  6kV Probes

•  1mm Hx/y Field Probe

•  5mm Hx/y Field Probe

•  D=8mm Hz Field Probe

•  D=8mm Ez Field Probe

•  Contact API for custom design probes

Available Options for the BASIC include:

•  2nd camera to zoom in failure locations and probe positions

SmartScan is a diagnostic tool used at both the system and device level to rapidly identify potential susceptibility problems and provide the analysis required to develop a solution. Device manufacturers can for the first time, evaluate and qualify products resistance to upset and unwanted resets. Using a combination of E-field and H-field probes plus direct injection, sensitive areas are not only identified but quantified in terms of relative susceptibility.

Sophisticate software analysis provides a range of 3 dimensional color plots overlaying the actual device or board being tested. A complete range of options and potential upgrades are available for SmartScan that allow RF scanning, resonance scanning, multiple failure detections modules and of course, the ability to do full EMI scanning as well.

SmartScan 300/600

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Model

Description

Results of Susceptibility Scan

Dark browns and reds show area of greatest sensitivity

SmartScan 300

SmartScan 600

The SmartScan 300/600 series are identify susceptibility problems and includes:

•  6KV pulse generator for ESD susceptibility testing

•  Full 3 dimensional scanner table under software control

•  Automatic failure detection

•  Fully automated DUT failure detection and power cycle by software control. Any digital or analog signal is monitored in real time

•  DUT location camera - The scan area is edited directly on the DUT picture taken by the camera. The software figures out the coordinates, and moves the probe to the defined scan points

 Probes

•  1mm and 5mm Hx/y

•  D=8mm Hz Field Probe

•  D=8mm Ez Field Probe

•  Contact API for custom design probes

Available Options 300/600 Series include:

•  EMI Scanning1

•  Current Spreading Scan

•  Resonance Scanning

•  Phase measurement2

•  Phi3 axis control

•  On-site installation and training

•  Contact API for other custom design probes

Susceptibility scanners use a pulse generator specifically designed to produce a fast rising pulse simulating the E and H fields produced by an ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) event. The pulse is coupled via E and H field probes and either manually or automatically scanned over the surface of a suspect circuit. Once the susceptibility effect is localized, direct injection probes and software analysis can be used to identify specific IC pins or nodes that are the root cause of a susceptibility problem.

A susceptibility test that can be done by both the system manufacturer and the device manufacturer.

·         It’s a test that can be done by both the system and device manufacturer – and the results are meaningful to both.

·         As a preventive measure during design or device selection, it provides the engineer with a tool to see potential problems before a product is put into production.

·         For resolving EMC susceptibility problems in a sub-assembly or finished product, it provides a method to quickly see those areas likely to be the root cause of upset or malfunction.

·         For the device manufacturer it’s an invaluable tool for determining the sensitive of a device – something rarely done in industry today.

Susceptibility testing doesn’t replace system level testing to compliance standards or device level testing for voltage withstand during handling. What it will do is provide a tool that can be used by both the system level manufacturer and the semiconductor manufacturer to identify susceptibility problems at every level – device, board, sub-assembly and system.

In addition to identifying a sensitive component or circuit, testing must be able to quantify susceptibility levels and ideally correlate these results with the system level test results. Simply doing a system level test on a device is useless unless susceptibility levels can be determined and quantified.

SmartZap

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Model

Description

The SmartZap is a fully automated zap gun tester with automatic failure detection capability, providing far superior performance than manual zap gun test. It is complying IEC61000-4-2 standard.

 

•  Number of discharges

• Approach speed, angle of approach

•  Voltage increments