Moving User Libraries: 4200-Scs To S400 - Keithley 4200-SCS Reference Manual

Model 4200-SCS Reference Manual

Moving user libraries: 4200-SCS to S400

This section describes the issues involved with moving an S400UX C-language function to the
4200-SCS and moving a 4200-SCS function to the S400UX. It is important to note that this section
does not cover the porting of code from the S400 VAX to the 4200-SCS, because FORTRAN-to-C
code conversions are beyond the scope of this document.
Header files
When you move functions, generally you need not move header files if they are covered by the
ANSI C standard (for example, stdio.h, time.h, and so on). However, three important
exceptions follow:
Instrument hardware differences
On the S400, the source/measure units were referred to as VIMS. Therefore, when using S400
code in the 4200-SCS, you must replace any instance of the string VIMS with the string SMU.
The terminals that are referred to as GPTs (general-purpose terminals) on the S400 are referred to
as GPIs (general-purpose instruments) on the 4200-SCS. Therefore, you must replace the string
GPT in the S400 code with the string GPI in the 4200-SCS code.
The following instruments that were supported on the S400 are either not supported on the
4200-SCS or are used in a different way on the 4200-SCS:
4200-901-01 Rev. S / May 2017
• The first exception is in the case of absolute path names. If the S400 UNIX path name is
hard-coded in the source code as follows:
/pathname1/pathname2/HeaderFileName.h
then in the 4200-SCS, this path name must be corrected to reflect the header file's location
on the embedded computer hard drive. For example:
c:\pathname1\pathname2\HeaderFileName.h
• The second exception is in the case of non-standard or UNIX-specific header files. For
example, the Model S400 header file /usr/include/sys/asynch.h has no Windows
equivalent. You must locate a suitable replacement for such a header file when using an
associated function in the 4200-SCS.
• The third exception is in the case of S400 header files related to the Keithley Instruments
KDF (Keithley data files) database. There is no equivalent to the KDF database on the
4200-SCS. Therefore, when using S400 code in a 4200-SCS, remove any reference to the
KDF database.
• FMTR: The 4200-SCS does not support a frequency counter.
• PSRC: The 4200-SCS does not support the power source. In many instances, if the current
needed is 1 A or less, you may be able to use an SMU as a replacement.
• VMTR: There is no separate voltmeter for the 4200-SCS. The S400 used separate
voltmeters, such as the KI2001 and Model 192/196, to provide low-voltage measurement
capabilities. On the 4200-SCS, an SMU provides equivalent low-voltage measurement
capabilities.
• IMTR: There is no separate current meter for the 4200-SCS. The S400 uses separate
current meters, such as the Model 617 and 9162-PAU (VME), to provide picoampere-level
measurement capabilities. The 4200-SCS SMUs can measure at picoampere and sub-
picoampere levels.
• VSRC: The 4200-SCS does not currently support high-voltage instruments.
• CMTR: The 4200-SCS supports the KI590 and HP4980 capacitance meters. However, the
4200-SCS supports these capacitance meters through user libraries that are not call-
compatible with S400 user libraries or S400 LPT functions (on the S400, the CMTR was
supported through VME-level software drivers). For more information about the differences,
refer to Capacitance-meter support differences
Return to Section Topics
Section 8: Keithley User Library Tool (KULT)
later in this section.
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