News Archives | ACA TMetrix Inc.

accurate and consistent wafer measurement through memos dc probes

Online Event: Making Accurate and Consistent Wafer Measurements with Next-Generation Guarded True-Kelvin MEMS DC Probes

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Mihir Mehta

Date: Thursday, September 12th
Time: 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
Location: Online

Event Overview:

As silicon-based transistors continue to scale down, achieving precise and repeatable wafer measurements has become increasingly challenging. The reduction in the size of aluminum-capped copper test pads, aimed at cutting lithography, prototyping, and production costs, further complicates the process of re-probing devices with low contact resistance.

Join Dr. Choon Beng Sia, Technical Director at FormFactor Singapore Pte Ltd, for an insightful session on the next-generation true-Kelvin MEMS analytical DC probes. Dr. Sia will present new test and modeling strategies to address these emerging challenges, offering solutions for accurate and consistent wafer measurements.

Speaker Details:

Dr. Choon Beng Sia, a renowned expert in semiconductor wafer testing, holds 13 international patents and has published over 50 scientific papers. He serves on the IEEE MTT-3 technical committee and specializes in RF and 5G wafer tests.

REGISTER and don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge on cutting-edge wafer measurement techniques!

echo q5 quantum computer by TMetrix used in research laboratory

Echo-Q5: The Future of Scalable Quantum Computing

Posted on August 27, 2024 by Mihir Mehta

Echo-Q5 is a high-performance turnkey quantum computer that is designed for research labs and workforce development centers. Developed through a collaboration between FormFactor, Tabor Electronics, and QuantWare, the Echo-Q5 redefines small-scale quantum computing, offering unparalleled performance at an accessible price point of under $1M.

Key Features of Echo-Q5:

Scalable Quantum Power: The Echo-Q5 supports up to 25 qubits, enabling sophisticated quantum experiments and research.
Advanced Hardware Integration: The system combines FormFactor’s JDry-250LF-400 Cryogen-free Dilution Refrigerator, QuantWare’s Soprano 5-Qubit QPU, and Tabor’s Proteus Direct to RF Control Electronics. Each component is optimized to deliver exceptional cooling, control, and qubit performance.
User-Friendly Software: With a Python-based, open-source software stack, the Echo-Q5 is both accessible to beginners and flexible enough for seasoned researchers.

System Components:

Cryogenic System: Featuring the HPD LF-600 Dilution Refrigerator, this system provides high cooling power at ultra-low temperatures, essential for maintaining qubit coherence.
Quantum Processor: The QuantWare Soprano 5-Qubit QPU, coupled with the Crescendo-S Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifier, offers industry-leading coherence times and readout fidelities.
Control Electronics: Tabor’s Proteus system simplifies the control setup with direct-to-microwave digital synthesis, reducing the complexity of cabling and improving phase noise performance.

Why Choose Echo-Q5?

The Echo-Q5 is designed to lower the barriers to quantum computing, making cutting-edge research more accessible. It’s a powerful tool for scientists and engineers to explore the frontiers of quantum technology and train the next generation of quantum professionals.

Explore how the Echo-Q5 can revolutionize your research and quantum development efforts with the best-in-class technology from FormFactor, Tabor Electronics, and QuantWare.

Learn More

Webinar: Regenerative Grid Simulators – How to Test Smarter, Faster, and More Effectively

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Mihir Mehta

Join us for an insightful live webinar hosted by our partner, Pacific Power Source. Discover how regenerative grid simulators can transform your testing processes, making them smarter, faster, and more effective.

Date: Wednesday, June 26th, 2024
Time: 11am PT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET

Webinar Description: The rapid development of grid-connected devices necessitates precise compliance testing to adhere to regulatory standards such as IEEE 1547 and UL 1741. Navigating these evolving standards can be challenging without the right tools and expertise, often leading to re-testing, project delays, and uncertainty in results.

Regenerative grid simulators excel at simulating real-world disturbances like voltage sags and brownouts. This webinar will cover essential knowledge and capabilities that streamline and accelerate testing, helping you achieve accurate results the first time.

What You’ll Learn:

Industry Landscape & Challenges: Understand the current state and obstacles in grid-connected device testing.
Key Considerations for Selecting a Grid Simulator: Learn what to look for when choosing the right grid simulator for your needs.
Effective Testing for Grid-Tied Standards Worldwide: Gain insights on how to test to global standards efficiently.
Use Case Examples: Explore real-world applications and success stories.

Speaker: Mr. Herman van Eijkelenburg, MsEE, BsEc, MBA
Product Director at Pacific Power Source

Mr. van Eijkelenburg has over 30 years of experience in the Test & Measurement industry, with a focus on AC power test and measurement. His career spans various roles in design engineering, applications engineering, sales, and marketing. He holds a Master’s Degree in Electronics from Eindhoven University of Technology, a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Hasselt, and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Why Attend:

Optimize Compliance Testing: Learn how to avoid common pitfalls and get your testing right the first time.
Advanced Techniques: Discover how smart control, flexibility, and advanced hardware performance can enhance your testing processes.
Practical Insights: Gain practical knowledge from industry examples and expert guidance.

Register Now

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your testing capabilities with regenerative grid simulators. Register today and take the first step towards smarter, faster, and more effective testing.

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About TMetrix:

TMetrix is committed to providing advanced test and measurement solutions to help you stay ahead in an evolving technological landscape. Our partnerships with leading manufacturers ensure you have access to the best tools and support available.

Renewable and alternative energy and electric vehicle testing solutions from TMetrix in Canada

AC and DC Power Sources and Battery Testing Equipment Helping Electrify Society

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Mihir Mehta

As society electrifies in an effort to combat climate change, we are becoming increasingly reliant upon various types of AC and DC power sources and battery testing equipment in order to integrate renewable and alternative energy sources into the grid. To meet the growing demand for AC and DC power sources and battery testing equipment, TMetrix offers an impressive range of these products. Today we are going to look at some of the offerings in these areas from two of our long-standing trusted suppliers, Pacific Power Source and Regatron.

Renewable and alternative energy and electric vehicle testing solutions

Pacific Power Source is committed to supporting the development and manufacture of technology promoting the adoption of renewable and alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar.

Renewable and alternative energy technologies often require grid-tied DC/AC inverters using modern switch mode pulse switch modulation (PWM) technology to achieve maximum conversion efficiency in converting direct current (DC) generated by solar panels into alternating current (AC) suitable for use in electrical grids or powering AC loads. Pacific Power Source has a long history of supplying industry with state-of-the art fully programmable AC power sources used to simulate a wide array of AC anomalies.

Industrial PV inverter testing

Large-scale industrial grid-tied PV inverters generate power ranging from 12kW up to several hundred kW and require extensive type testing to be certified for grid-tied operation under all kinds of adverse line conditions. The regenerative, bidirectional AZX series programmable AC and DC power sources are well suited to this task due to their extensive range of programmable features and their 30kVA to 400kVA available power range. Since PV inverters generate AC power, the AC power source used to simulate the AC grid must be able to absorb this power and return it to the grid. The AZX series seamlessly transitions between source and sink mode and meets all requirements for AC grid simulation for PV inverter-type testing.

Micro PV inverter testing

Micro inverters have quickly grown in popularity largely because of their ease of installation and high energy efficiency resulting from distributed power generation. With power levels typically below 500W, the Pacific Power Source AMX series of four quadrant capable linear AC power sources is perfect for testing micro inverters. As the linear AMX AC power source is able to source and sink AC power, it can be used to test PV micro-inverters without the need for additional AC loads in the setup. The fast dynamic response of the linear AMX AC power source provides high-fidelity AC grid simulation compared to switched-mode AC power sources.

Regatron power supply applications

With the incorporation of renewable and alternative energy into the grid, the structure and dynamic behaviour of electric grids has become more complex, presenting a host of challenges within the field of electrical equipment development, testing and application to ensure the seamless distribution of power. Some of these challenges include:

Test equipment for solar inverters on the AC grid side: Powerful grid simulators able to reproduce any grid situation in terms of frequency, phase angle, AC voltage, islanding situations, low voltage ride-through, flicker and voltage drops
Test equipment for any kind of electrical storage elements and complete storage arrays
Simulation of electrical storage technologies like batteries, high-density capacitors, EDLCs and unidirectional power sources like fuel cell stacks
Test equipment for electrical drive trains and their components – capable of sourcing and sinking the energy flow and returning the energy back into the grid with very high efficiency

Battery simulation

Under the control of specialized Regatron battery simulation software, the G5.BAS series and TC.GSS series are the best choices for feeding battery alimented drivetrain systems. The behaviour of different battery types as well as the variation of relevant battery parameters such as ageing, temperature and internal cell resistance may be varied within wide ranges and allow the simulation of a wide variety of operational conditions.

Relevant industry sectors:

Automotive drive tests
Drive train development
Drive technology R+D
Battery cell and stack development and tests
Battery and stack cycle tests
Electrical storage system tests (capacitors, EDLCs, batteries)
Airborne on-board supply system tests
Marine on-board supply system tests and simulation

Battery testing

Bidirectional G5.BT and TopCon TC.GSS power supplies are the choice for all source/sink processes to be cycled and tested. Thanks to a state-of-the-art SiC or IGBT-technology, reversing the energy flow from a sourcing to sinking state lasts only a few 100 µs at full rated power!

Regenerated energy is reinjected into the public grid with a very high efficiency and a perfect power factor. Again, due to a very high degree of programmability, the G5.BT series and the TC.GSS series are multifunctional tools in the hands of a test engineer. Regatron bidirectional power supply G5.BT series and TC.GSS series allow for testing and simulation of all kinds of electrical storage elements like batteries, capacitors, and EDLCs. Fuel cells may be tested while fully regenerating the energy back to the grid.

Onboard charger testing and battery simulation

Onboard chargers (OBCs) are built into EVs for maximum flexibility and range. To develop, test and adapt OBCs, TC.ACS is the choice to feed onboard chargers with AC power, simulating utility grids from all over the world. On the DC side of the onboard charger, the G5.CT series and TC.GSS series can simulate an EV battery to test the behaviour of the OBC.

Contact

Click here to contact us and learn more about the fine products of Pacific Power Source and Regatron that TMetrix supplies.

New Supplier Announcement

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Mihir Mehta

Mississauga, Ontario, November 30, 2022 — ACA TMetrix is pleased to announce its new partnership agreement with Siglent Technologies whereby ACA TMetrix will expand Siglent’s sales and support channel in Canada to support its test and measurement product lines. The Siglent product portfolio includes digital oscilloscopes, handheld oscilloscopes, function/arbitrary waveform generators, DC power supplies, digital multimeters, spectrum analyzers and other general test instruments.

Siglent SDS6000A Series Super Phosphor Oscilloscope

David Stewart, general manager of Siglent Technologies, had this to say about Siglent’s new partnership with ACA TMetrix:

“After the introduction of our four new RF products last month, we decided to expand our reach in the Canadian technology marketplace. The new partnership with ACA TMetrix will enable Siglent’sCanadian market penetration by expanding the current distribution channel to a more focused technology partner. With the addition of the new high-performance RF products, ACA TMetrix will be a key enabler to our strategy of allowing every bench to have RF analysis and generation capabilities. We are happy to include ACA TMetrix as part of the Siglent sales team in support of the Canadian technology market.”

About Siglent Technologies

Siglent is a global leader in research & development, engineering, manufacturing, sales, and service support for electronic test and measurement equipment that combines innovative features and functionality with a strong commitment to quality and performance. SIGLENT is ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certified for its product quality and environmental management programs.

Siglent’s North American headquarters is in Cleveland, Ohio and its Asian headquarters is in Shenzhen, China. Siglent also has a European sales office in Augsburg, Germany.

Siglent employs over 100 professional engineers working in several departments including hardware, software, industrial design, test, and the advanced equipment environmental lab, as well as a highly qualified management team and other technical professionals.

NOVONIX – New Supplier Announcement

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Mihir Mehta

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — June 28, 2022 — ACA TMetrix is pleased to announce that it has concluded an agreement with NOVONIX Battery Technology Solutions products (a subsidiary of NOVONIX Limited (NOVONIX) (ASX: NVX, Nasdaq: NVX, OTCQX: NVNXF)) to be their exclusive Ultra-High Precision Coulometry (UHPC) and associated battery testing equipment distributor in Canada.

NOVONIX is an integrated developer and supplier of high-performance materials, equipment, and services for the global lithium-ion battery industry with operations in Canada and the U.S. and sales in more than 14 countries. The NOVONIX customer base includes global brands such as Honda, Bosch, Panasonic, Sanyo, Samsung SDI, Dyson, 3M, and LG Chem.

NOVONIX facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Transforming the Battery Landscape

NOVONIX understands the importance to advance battery technology to help mitigate the impacts of climate change for clean energy future. It also knows that the adoption of high-performing battery power and storage cannot happen fast enough—and that batteries need to be designed to perform at an optima rate, be more cost-effective and leave less of an environmental footprint. Since inception, NOVONIX has been critically focused on technologies and materials that support long-life, high-performance applications that are powering the industry towards a cleaner energy future.

NOVONIX Battery Technology Solutions

NOVONIX Battery Technology Solutions (BTS) division focuses on innovative battery research and development, along with providing advanced battery testing equipment and services on a global scale. The high precision coulometry (UHPC) cyclers provides the most accurate and precise battery testing services and equipment in the world, delivering results rapidly in a matter of weeks.

Ultra-High Precision Coulometry (UHPC) Testing Hardware

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries play an important role in the transition away from non-renewable sources of energy. Due to the long lifetime demanded of sustainable technologies, high accuracy, high precision testing is needed to enable reliable predictions of the lifetime of batteries within a short period of time. NOVONIX specializes in developing equipment with a strong focus on the use of Ultra-High Precision Coulometry (UHPC) for reliable lifetime evaluation of lithium-ion cells.

NOVONIX UHPC testing equipment provides precise measurements of the coulombic efficiency of a cell ensuring you have the most advance technology to conduct your own testing to evaluate the impact of small changes to battery design on long-term performance in short-term experiments.

Ultra-High Precision Coulometry (UHPC) Testing Hardware

Contact: Call TMetrix at 1-800-665-7301 or request a quote here if you are interested in NOVONIX.

New Supplier Announcement

Posted on June 12, 2022 by Mihir Mehta

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — June 28, 2022 — ACA TMetrix is pleased to announce that it has concluded an agreement with NOVONIX Limited (ASX: NVX, Nasdaq: NVX, OTCQX: NVNXF) to be the exclusive distributor in Canada of NOVONIX products. NOVONIX is an integrated developer and supplier of high-performance materials, equipment and services for the global lithium-ion battery industry with operations in the U.S. and Canada and sales in more than 14 countries. The NOVONIX customer base includes global brands such as Honda, Bosch, Panasonic, Sanyo, Samsung SDI, Dyson, 3M, and LG Chem.

NOVONIX facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee

The NOVONIX mission

NOVONIX understands the importance of battery technology in mitigating the impacts of climate change. It also knows that the adoption of batteries cannot happen fast enough—and that batteries need to perform better, cost less and leave less of an environmental footprint. The NOVONIX mission, therefore, is to help deliver a clean energy future by producing longer-life, lower-cost and more environment-friendly battery materials and technologies for electric vehicles and grid energy storage.

How NOVONIX is fulfilling its mission

NOVONIX is bringing better battery technology to market rapidly by leveraging its advanced R&D capabilities, proprietary technology, and strategic relationships.

NOVONIX products

Synthetic graphite

NOVONIX has developed a new environment-friendly process to produce its GX-23 synthetic graphite for lithium-ion batteries in the U.S. This represents a dramatic reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to mining graphite in China

Ultra-high-precision coulometry cyclers

Novonix’s ultra-high-precision cycler systems allow for comparison measurements of cell performance in only a few weeks instead of months or years of long-term cycling.

Thermal chambers

NOVONIX’s thermal chambers provide accurate and stable temperature control and interface seamlessly with cycler systems.

Cell connectors

NOVONIX provides fully integrated systems, including cell connectors. NOVONIX’s cell connectors include 4-wire connections and on-board RTD temperature sensors. NOVONIX manufactures cell connectors configured for pouch cells, coin cells, and cylindrical cells.

Contact

Click here to learn more about NOVONIX and its products and services.

The new TDEMI G series

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Mihir Mehta

In 2006, the inventors of reaHime FFT analysis for EMC applications presented a novel technology at the EMC Conference in Singapore, which has revolutionized the field of EMC measurement ever since. Measuring times for complex tasks were reduced from hours to only a few seconds. The new TDEMI G series was the first Instrument to reduce a 30 MHz – 1 GHz Quast-Peak measurement from 9 hours to 64 seconds. Advantages for customers and users were demons1rated in the test laboratory at the inauguration of the new EMC center of the VOE test institute in Offenbach in 2008.

After the TDEMI 1 G had garnered great success, its basic block diagrams and FFT measurement methodology from the user manual were approved and integrated as part of the CISPR 16-3, CISPR 16-2-1, CISPR 16-2-2 and CISPR 16-2-3 standard, the time has come to release a new redesigned TDEMI G series. based on the very latest ADC and FPGA technologie.

The new TDEMI G is a full-compliance receiver capable of performing measurements in the frequency ranges 30 MHz. 1 GHz. 3 GHz, 6 GHz, 9 GHz, 18 GHz, 26 GHz, 40 GHz and 44 GHz. The core models of the instrument feature both traditional and FFT-based measurement modes by default. HF performance and measurement dynamics were greatly Improved upon since the origiral TDEMI G series through replacement of old components with high-resolution ADCs and FPGAs. This allows devices of the new TDEMI G series to reach linear dynamic ranges of approx. 90 dB in the reaHime band.The use of powerful FPGAs enables high scan speeds for all TDEMI G-Series instruments in the basic configurations. allowing for short measurement durations of 1.S seconds for conducted EMC measurements and about 8 seconds for quasi-peak measurements from 30 MHz – 1 GHz. A spectrum analyzer equipped with traditional and FFT-based measurement modes is also available. The requirements for radio measurements supporting bandwidths up to 60 MHz, e.g. for the qualification of broadband radio signals. are also fulfilled with the core model of the instrument.

TThe new TDEMI G comes with a high-resolution capacitive touchscreen and connectors on the front which is ideally suited for both laboratory and outdoor use. The high-resolution display with projecied capacitive multi-touch ensures convenient and intuitllE operation.

Previously supported features such as vast reaf-lime bandwidth, state of the art HF performance along with the novel Hyper Overlapping technology are able to be extended into the THz range with external mixers by the new TDEMI G series.

Gauss Instruments TDEMI devices

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Mihir Mehta

TDEMI devices set new standards with their multi-channel APO measurement function and TDEMI devices set new standards with their multi-channel APO measurement function and disturbance rating capabilities disturbance rating capabilities

According to CISPR 1& 1-1, APD measurements are currently specified for the frequency range above 1 GHz. However, there is a growing demand to extend this functionality allowing for APD measurements to be performed even below 1GHz. APD measurements institute a means to determine statistical distribution for defined amplitude intervals, revealing the probability of exceeding a particular level.

The parallel architecture for signals processing utilized in TDEMI devices facilitate reducing APO measurement duration, which are typically quite time-consuming. The TDEMI ULTRA allows for APD measurements at every frequency poi n~ supporting bandwidths of up to 171.5 MHz The maximum APD measurement bandwidth for the TDEMI S series is 225MHz. The ability to measure at several thousand frequency points simultaneously significantly improves the performance of APO measurements establishing an efficient way of performing measurements across large frequency ranges for numerous applications.

Real time measurements such as pre-scanning with peak detector can be performed fully automated and at high measurement speeds with the EMl64k automation software. The procedure is reduced to just a few seconds due to the high measurement reliability. A complete characterization of the unit under test is attainable by recording the emissions at all frequency points across all angular positions. Points at which, for example the limit line for ISM devices is exceeded, can then be transferred to a marker ta ble. Both the exact position and the level are documented.

The TDEMI series devices are real-time receivers with wide ranging capabilities. EMC measurements in compliance with all common standards for radio measurements and digital demodulation of radio cha nnels are possible using these receivers. The recent feature extension adding APD measurement functionality to the TDEMI device family also operates in fu ll compliance with requirements laid out by its respective standards and for example enables automated EMC tests in accordance with CISPR 11.