dll command for AIM4300 USB

[lolo]

Hi Bob,
As you know the AIM4300 USB impedance analyzer don’t work with the AIM_910B dll commands.
When are you planning to release an update for the corrected version ?

For the moment, the use of your device on a control test bench is too limited by the very long time of measurement needed.
Indeed the programming thru the registers is very slow because I think you need to have the display of the impedances curves on the AIM software screen.

Actually a scan between 0.1 to 10 MHz with 50KHz step (199 points) takes 4 Secondes
Make the calculation if we need to make 256 scans to measure our part … (17 minutes )

With a dll version of my software, without any display during measurement, the goal is to save a lot of time …

[Bob]

The DLL is in the development stage now but it may be a while before it is ready.
It will run at about the same rate as the regular program, so it won't affect the time for your measurements.

For a faster scan, try these tips:
1. Reduce Averaging to the minimum value that is appropriate for your application.
2. Consider using Smoothing and less averaging to reduce the time per measurement point.
3. Use the Fast Scan rate to speed up the scan about 3X when averaging is zero. Click: Setup->Scan_Mode->Fast_Scan
Fast Scan can be very helpful but it is not appropriate for all applications. It should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

-73/Bob

[lolo]

Hi Bob,

My averaging and smoothing parameters are already to the minimum (value=0)
And unfortunatly the Fast_scan is not appropriate to our application, cause precision loss on the amplitude frequency peaks.

My last hope, although you seem not very confident, is some acquisition time saving with use of the direct DLL functions.
When do you plan the release of the new dll functions ?

[Bob]

The DLL is code that executes inside the PC. This is already very fast and changing from a regular program to one based on DLL functions won't affect the overall execution time. Even if the measurement time of the AIM were negligible, the measurement rate can't be arbitrarily fast because some settling time is needed each time the frequency changes. This settling time depends on the bandwidth of the component under test.
The AIM4300 has firmware improvements that increase the measurement rate about 30% compared to the AIM4170D. At this time I don't foresee increasing the measurement rate of the AIM by a large amount.

I hope the DLL will be available in a few days.

-73/Bob

[lolo]

Hi Bob,
No news about the corrected DLL ?

[lolo]

Hi Bob,
There is something changed in the DLL with the program update AIM_912 ?

[w5rdw]

For my AIM UHF, I just loaded the latest program up date (912). After messing around with the config files (program gave up on me and didn't send the nasty out-dated message anymore!

The VSWR, etc. look good, but the TDR function is strange looking (but shows the correct length of a 4-5 ft. length of cable). The TDR trace on the left starts off screen. AIM 865A does not do that, my last program update but on another computer.

Roger W5RDW
Murphy, Texas