9103 Autoranging Picoammeter FAQ
- Does the 9103 measure Femptoamperes?
- What is the response time of the 9103?
- Can the 9103 measure AC current?
- What type of input does the 9103 have?
- Is the 9103 protected from arcs in my electron or ion source?
- Will the 9103 run on a Laptop PC?
- Can I write my own applications?
- Why is there no panel meter on the 9103?
- How often does the 9103 need to be calibrated?
- Do I need to send the 9103 back to RBD for calibration?
- I'm running Windows 7 (or Windows Vista) and the Actuel application is not recognizing the 9103. Are these operating systems supported?
1. Does the 9103 measure Femtoamperes?
No. The 9103 is designed to measure current in the low nA to low mA range.
2. What is the response time of the 9103?
The fastest response time is 15mS. There are several user-selectable filter settings that have the effect of averaging the current readings over time. A longer acquisition time for each display will result in a more accurate and stable reading but also result in a slower response time.
3. Can the 9103 measure AC current?
No. The 9103 is designed to measure DC current.
4. What type of input does the 9103 have?
BNC. A low noise BNC cable is included with the 9103.
5. Is the 9103 protected from arcs in my electron or ion source?
Yes. We have designed the 9103 for use with vacuum systems to measure electron and ion beams. There is a current limit resistor in series with the input that protects the picoammeter from arcs. This resistor also provides protection if the specimen stage gets shorted when the bias is applied.
6. Will the 9103 run on a Laptop PC?
Yes. The 9103 will run on any PC that has a USB input.
7. Can I write my own application?
Yes. All of the ACSII commands are included with the 9103 Documentation.
8. Why is there no panel meter on the 9103?
Most of the intended uses of the 9103 involve the use of a PC, or are associated with other software programs. The PC-based display therefore enhances the usability of the 9103. You can see the current displayed where you need to see it – on your PC monitor.
9. How often does the 9103 need to be calibrated?
We recommend that the 9103 be calibrated each year as part of your normal instrumentation maintenance program.
10. Do I need to send the 9103 back to RBD for calibration?
No. The information that your local certified calibration facility needs to calibrate the 9103 is available upon request and will be available on this website shortly.
11. I'm running Windows 7 (or Windows Vista) and the Actuel application is not recognizing the 9103. Are these operating systems supported?
Yes. However, Windows 7 and Windows Vista users must run the Actuel application under administrator privileges. To do this, right-click the application shortcut (or executable), and check the "Run as Administrator" option. You only have to do this once; the operating system will recall your setting even when you restart Windows.
