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Product Code P2005A2
Price $1,813 ex. VAT

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Precision, Versatility, Integrated I-V Measurement

Source Voltage and Measure Current with the Ossila SMU, Reliably and Easily


Ossila Source Measure Unit: Compact and Versatile
The Ossila Source Measure Unit: Compact, Accurate and Easy to use

The Ossila Source Measure Unit is one of our most adaptable and fundamental pieces of equipment. The SMU incorporates two voltage source meters for measuring current and two voltage meters for measuring voltage. This allows you to output voltage while measuring both current and voltage precisely. To be able to control the parameters of your experiment using precise and reliable instruments is essential for any experimental research – and the Source Measure Unit can deliver that.

An SMU can collect large amounts of accurate current-voltage data very quickly, so you can measure the current-voltage characteristics of many different devices including photovoltaics, LEDs and OLEDs, transistors, batteries and more. Use our intuitive I-V Curve software to measure I-V curves, or control measurement more directly using the Front Panel software. Alternatively, the SMU can be controlled directly by programming your own command code. The source measure unit is versatile and easily controlled, regardless of skill level.

This product is covered by our FREE 2-year warranty and is eligible for FREE worldwide shipping.

Two-Year Warranty

Two-Year Warranty

Covered by the Ossila Warranty

Compact Source Measure Unit

Compact

Space Saving design

Voltage

Voltage

Voltage range from -10 V to + 10V

Compatible with Ossila Software

Ossila Software

Easily Controlled from a PC

What is a Source Measure Unit?


The basic working principle of a source measure unit (also called an SMU or source meter) is quite simple - it can apply an output voltage and measure current and voltage characteristics simultaneously. Think of it as a voltmeter and an ammeter combined with a power supply in one bench-top instrument. It is programmable so it can collect large amounts of data quickly and can repeat measurements multiple times. It is often more quick, accurate and precise than manual set-up.

For these reasons, Source Measure Units are used to measure and characterize many electronic devices, such as :

  • For LED and OLED characterization
  • When Measuring Solar Cell I-V Curves
  • For measuring transistor properties such as current gain.
  • For measuring battery discharge rates

Key Features

The Ossila Source Measure Unit features dual source measure and voltmeter channels and is perhaps our most versatile piece of equipment to-date.

Five current ranges

Five current ranges

Choose between five separate current ranges to suit your experimental needs

Flexible & scalable communication

Flexible & scalable communication

Connect the Source Measure Unit via USB or use several units at the same time via Ethernet connection

User-friendly PC software

User-friendly PC software

No coding experience required! The included PC software comes with pre-set modes, allowing you to perform simple measurements

Portable data exports

Portable data exports

All test data can be saved in .csv format for convenient analysis in your favourite software package

Software-controlled current ranges

Software-controlled current ranges

For safety and convenience, the current range switches can be controlled using the included PC software - no need for manual adjustment

Wide language compatibility

Wide language compatibility

All common programming languages (LabVIEW, Matlab, C, Java, Fortran, Python, Perl etc) are compatible with the unit

Testimonials


The Source Measure Unit is a professional alternative to old-fashioned and outdated bench top source-measure units at a fraction of cost. Ossila's product was thoroughly tested by us, it had to compete with state-of-art devices and to our surprise it won the race in all categories: precise PV measurements, networking capabilities, flexibility of programming language and smooth operation in pretty tough chemical/material science laboratories. The Ossila team has delivered a game changer for all of the PV community.

Adam Surmiak, PhD Student in Excitonic Systems for Solar Energy Conversion
Monash University, Australia

Scientist operating the Ossila Source Measure Unit
The small footprint of the Ossila Source Measure Unit makes it ideal for busy labs

Applications

The Ossila Source Measure Unit, designed for use by scientists and engineers working on the next generation of electronic devices, is perhaps our most versatile piece of equipment. The device can be used in a wide range of applications to understand the electrical characteristics of any device at DC or low frequency over a voltage range from -10 V to + 10V with current flow from 10 nano-amps (nA) to 200 milliamps (mA). This covers most lab-scale devices that require electrical characterisation

Understanding how a vast number of materials and devices conduct electricity, ranging from carbon nanotubes and quantum well heterostructures to biomembranes and biosensors, requires a source measure unit.

We have used our SMU to develop systems for measurements for sheet resistance (Four-Point Probe), IV curves and OLED lifetime (OLED Lifetime System and Solar Cell IV Test System), and cyclic voltammetry (the Ossila Potentiostat).

What's Included

The standard items included with the Ossila Source Measure Unit are:

  • The Ossila Source Measure Unit
  • 24 V / 2 A DC power adapter
  • USB-B cable
  • User manual and QC data
  • USB drivers and Front Panel software installer

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources and Support

For complete 'out-of-the-box' measurements, please see our full range of test and measurement systems. The Source Measure Unit is a versatile, hands-on device, and support is always available. Get started with the guides below.

I-V Curves: A Guide to Measurement I-V Curves: A Guide to Measurement

An I-V curve (short for 'current-voltage characteristic curve'), is a graphical representation of the relationship between the voltage applied across an electrical device and the current flowing through it.

Read more...
OLED Testing Guide OLED Testing Guide

This guide gives you an overview of what to consider when characterising an OLED, as well as tips for their measurement.

Read more...
Source Measure Unit: Python Programming Guide Source Measure Unit: Python Programming Guide

The Ossila Source Measure Unit can be controlled directly over USB or Ethernet using various commands. These can be sent as strings, enabling the use of a large variety of programming languages, including Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, Java, and C/C++.

Read more...
Xtralien Scientific Python (Legacy) Xtralien Scientific Python (Legacy)

The Xtralien Scientific Python distribution is a development environment aimed at scientists and includes all the relevant tools and libraries that a scientist will need to get started.

Read more...
How to connect electrical legs to glass-ITO substrates How to connect electrical legs to glass-ITO substrates

This video demonstrates how to connect electrical legs to substrates for measurement using zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets.

Read more...
How to use the Ossila OLED / OPV testboard How to use the Ossila OLED / OPV testboard

This video shows how to set up the connections to the Ossila USB testboard to light up a sequence of pixels on an OLED substrate. A program was written to select and test this particular sequence of pixels.

Read more...
How to Connect Electrical Legs to Our Scale Up Substrates How to Connect Electrical Legs to Our Scale Up Substrates

This video demonstrates how to connect electrical legs to our scale up substrate system for measurement using zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets.

Read more...
Ossila Source Measure Unit User Manual Ossila Source Measure Unit User Manual

Ossila's Source Measure Unit (SMU) can measure a wide range of research devices including photovoltaics, LEDs and OLEDs, transistors, and more.

Read more...
Software and Drivers Software and Drivers

The latest software and drivers including our cyclic voltammetry software for the Ossila Potentiostat and more.

Read more...

The source measure unit contains four instruments on one board — two SMUs (voltage source, current sense) and two precision voltage sense channels. There is also a general-purpose shutter/trigger which enables it to control (or be controlled by) other instruments.

Ossila Source Measure Unit Front Panel
Front Panel of the Ossila Source Measure Unit highlighting SMU and Vsense channels

Source Measure Units (SMU 1 & SMU 2)

The SMUs output a voltage and then measure both the voltage and current. The output voltage is always measured on the output to the BNC, rather than assuming it is at the set voltage. This is to account for any load effects, for example, short circuiting the output, or low impedance causing a small drop in voltage. Each source measure unit has multiple current ranges, so that you can measure both large and small currents with accuracy.

Voltage source specifications

Range Accuracy Precision Resolution
±10 V 10 mV 333 µV 170 µV

Voltage measure specifications

Range Accuracy Precision Resolution
±10V 10 mV 50 µV 10 µV

Current measure specifications

Range Max Current Accuracy1 Precision2 Resolution Burden
1 ±200 mA ±500 µA 10 µA 1 µA <20 mV
2 ±20 mA ±10 µA 1 µA 100 nA <20 mV
3 ±2 mA ±1 µA 100 nA 10 nA <20 mV
4 ±200 µA ±100 nA 10 nA 1 nA <20 mV
5 ±20 µA ±10 nA 1 nA 0.1nA <20 mV

1Accuracy has been measured at the maximum current of the range.
2Precision has been measured at the highest OSR (9).

Precision Voltage Meter Specifications (Vsense 1 and Vsense 2)

The voltage meters are designed to accurately sense small voltages while also having a wide dynamic range (±10 V).

Range Accuracy Precision Resolution
±10 V 10 mV 50 µV 10 µV

Shutter/Trigger

The Shutter/Trigger can be used either as an input or an output. It can be used to send a trigger signal to other instruments or configured to wait for a trigger from other instruments. The voltage level of this BNC is 5V - any higher may cause damage to the port.

Programming Languages

The X200's user-friendly design will work almost any programming language (at least anything that supports either serial COMs or Ethernet, which is nearly everything commonly used). Common languages that can be used to interface to it are:

  • Python
  • LabVIEW™
  • >MATLAB
  • Java
  • VB
  • Fortran
  • C / C++
  • Perl

Physical Specifications

Computer Connectivity USB-B and Ethernet
Measurement Connections BNC connector
Dimensions (W x H x D) 125 mm x 55 mm x 185 mm (4.92" x 2.17" x 7.28")
Source Measure Unit (X200) back panel
Source Measure Unit (X200) back panel

The Ossila Source Measure Unit includes a software Front Panel that enables you to start taking measurements as quickly as possible. With the program you can control each SMU and Vsense channel independently, allowing you to perform many of the most common electrical measurements.

Ossila Source Measure Unit Software Front Panel
Ossila Source Measure Unit Front Panel PC Software

Key Features

Control both SMU channels

Set voltage and measure current with two independent SMU channels (voltage source, current sense)

Quickly measure voltages

Accurately measure small voltages with the two Vsense channels

Easily set sampling rates

Set sampling rates (OSR) for the SMUs and Vsense channels via the interface

Uses portable data formats

Save data as a portable spreadsheet (.csv) file or a text (.txt) file for analysis with your favourite software package

Other Software

We also have software for performing specific measurements with the Ossila Source Measure Unit. These can be downloaded for free from our software and drivers page. The currently available measurements are:

  • I-V curves
  • Solar cell characterisation and lifetime
  • Four-point probe sheet resistance

Software Requirements

Operating System Windows 10 (32-bit or 64-bit)
CPU Dual Core 2 GHz
RAM 2 GB
Available Hard Drive Space 127 MB
Connectivity USB 2.0, or Ethernet (requires DHCP)

To the best of our knowledge the information provided here is accurate. The values provided are typical at the time of manufacture and may vary over time and from batch to batch. Products may have minor cosmetic differences (e.g. to the branding) compared to the photos on our website. All products are for laboratory and research and development use only.

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