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A curve tracer is a high voltage test equipment used in manufacturing plants to test electronic components and plot their performance on a graph. It can test various components and is equipped with computers for automation. The graph shows input voltage versus output current and can identify faulty circuits and sources of interference. It can also test two circuits simultaneously and some models have computer interfaces for remote control. Safety precautions must be taken due to the high voltage and heat.
A curve tracer is high voltage test equipment, primarily used in the quality control laboratory of a manufacturing plant. Subjects an electronic component to a continuous or stepped range of power inputs to determine component performance, efficiency, or tolerances. The resulting output data from the component is typically plotted on a graph as a curve, which gives the tool its name.
The principles and operation of a curve plotter are quite simple. A test target, such as a diode, transistor, or switched thyristor, is inserted into the machine. This step can be tricky because modern electronic components are microscopic solid-state semiconductor circuits. The machine is capable of introducing precise power, a mix of voltage and amps, to the input terminal of the circuit. The output terminal of the circuit is taken through an oscilloscope to measure the displayed power change in voltage and amplitude waves.
A targeted component is called a device under test (DUT). Early curve plotters tested electrical circuits built inside sterile vacuum tubes and viewed their output on an oscilloscope for the operator to analyze and record. Modern tracers still show this, but are also equipped with computers to automate the testing process and compile the results.
The basic measurement of a curve plotter is input voltage versus output current, or VI. The X axis of the graph is the power of the equipment; the Y axis is the output signature of the DUT. Among the conclusions that can easily be drawn from the curve is voltage leakage, a measure of circuit efficiency. For alternating current threshold diodes (DIACs), the XY curve will clearly verify the precise voltage that triggers the on-vers-off state of the diode. The curve plotter can also reverse +/- polarity to identify faulty circuits and locate sources of interference.
Components with resistive gates and components requiring a third input current can similarly be tested with all modern test equipment. They can also spatially display the curve in an XYZ grid, but are diagnostically manual intensive and require smooth control of the voltage input. Testable electronic components include triodes with alternating current switches (TRIACs) and thyristors with gate switches. Most equipment can also test two circuits simultaneously, which is useful for evaluating performance by comparison.
Different models of test equipment vary in the maximum voltage they are capable of generating and channeling to their very small terminals. Some units are rated up to 2,000 volts. The high voltage and resulting heat pose a safety hazard to curve setter operators. The incorporation of computer interfaces to test equipment automated processes and allowed operators of some models to safely control them remotely.
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