VELLEMAN, DCA55, Semiconductor Component Analyzer

Description

The Atlas DCA 55 offers unrivalled functionality and style. The analysis portfolio is bigger than ever, offering enhanced message display and intelligent component identification. This superb instrument displays incredibly detailed information in scrollable pages. The Atlas combines an impressive analysis portfolio with unequalled ease of use. Connect your component any way round and let the Atlas do the rest. It will measure the gain of transistors, the threshold voltage of MOSFETs, and semiconductor voltage drops. It will even identify special component features such as diode protection on transistors or resistor shunts on Darlingtons. The new intelligent analysis algorithms makes life much easier when dealing with unknown components. For example, the Atlas will tell you if it has detected many different types of diode networks such as series types, common cathode, common anode and even inverse parallel types. Additionally, the Atlas knows the difference between normal diodes and LEDs and it will correctly identify and characterize both LED chips in two terminal and three terminal bicolor LEDs. The Atlas supports Diode Protected Transistors. It is important to note however that the transistor itself will only be identified if it’s current gain is larger than 4 for a test current of 2.5mA. If the gain is less than 4 at 2.5mA then the Atlas will only be able to ‘see’ the diode junctions and will report that the device is a diode network. Bear in mind that transistor gain can be very low at low test currents particularly if the transistor has base-emitter shunt resistors.