Supported Instrument Types
The Semiconductor Test Library supports the core set of modular instruments commonly used within the NI Semiconductor Test System (STS). The table below shows the specific instrument types currently supported by the library.
For unsupported instrument types, it is possible to implement low-level programming base on instrument channels in your test code. Use Custom Instrument Support to write your own extension methods that control the desired instrument type. Contact NI support for assistance.
Table 1: Supported Instrument Types
| Instrument Type | Driver | Abstractions | Extensions |
|---|---|---|---|
| NI Source Measurement Unit (SMU) | niDCPower | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| NI Programmable Power Supply (PPS) | niDCPower | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| NI Multifunction I/O (DAQ) * | niDAQmx | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| NI Sound and Vibration Module (DSA) * * | niDAQmx | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| NI Analog Input Module (DAQ) * * * | niDAQmx | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| NI Digital Pattern Instrument (DPI/HSD) | niDigital | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| NI Digital Multimeter (DMM) | niDmm | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| NI Relay Module (RELAY) | niSwitch | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| NI Function Generator (FGEN) | niFgen | ✔️ | ❌ |
| NI Digitizer/Oscilloscope (SCOPE) | niScope | ✔️ | ❌ |
| NI Timing Synchronization Module (SYNC) | niSync | ✔️ | ❌ |
Note
✔️ Supported
⚠️ Subset of Devices and/or Device Functionality Supported
❌ Not Yet Supported
*
Supported Devices: PXIe-636x
Supported Functionality: Analog Input, Analog Output, Digital Input, Digital Output
* *
Supported Devices: PXIe-4467, PXIe-4468
Supported Functionality: Analog Input, Analog Output, Analog Output: Function Generation
* * *
Supported Devices: PXIe-4309, PXIe-4310
Supported Functionality: Analog Input
Tip
When Extensions are not supported by an instrument type, but Abstractions support is provided, you can refer to the Making Low-Level Driver Calls topic to learn how to interact with the low-level driver APIs at the Abstractions layer.