Plaintext
Main Vision Manual
User guide
2021
Main Vision Manual 2
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 3
Contact Radiant Technologies, Inc. .............................................................................................. 14
Contact Radiant Technologies, Inc. ...................................................................................... 14
Getting Started .............................................................................................................................. 15
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 15
Vision Installation ..................................................................................................................... 16
Vision Update .......................................................................................................................... 26
Precision Tester Installation...................................................................................................... 33
Initial Operation ........................................................................................................................ 34
Precision Testers and Accessories ................................................................................................ 47
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Main Vision Manual 3
Introduction
Vision Program for Precision Testers
The Precision Family of Ferroelectric Testers
The Precision Materials Analyzer family of ferroelectric testers provides a full range of high-
speed, high-precision ferroelectric material characterization instruments to meet every budget
and research need. A comparison of model cost, speed and voltage capability is given at Vision
Testers. All systems are capable of internally-generated sample stimulus voltages of 10.0 Volts1.
Most systems include internal amplifiers that allow 100.0-Volt measurements. 200.0-Volt and
500.0-Volt options are also available. Voltages of up to 10,000 Volts can be used by adding an
accessory High Voltage Amplifier (HVA) and High Voltage Interface (HVI). The researcher
may connect any existing amplifier, provided a logic unit (known as an ID Module) is obtained
from RTI. The latest HVI model, released in 2017, has the ID module built into the instrument. It
is programmed for delivery at Radiant Technologies, Inc., but may be reprogrammed at any time
by the user.
The Vision Program
A single, unifying program, called Vision, provides a consistent compatible interface across all
hardware architectures. It is designed with the understanding that what is important in ferroelec-
tric testing is maintaining a complete and accurate history of the signals applied to, and the re-
sponses of, a sample. The researcher has the capability to create custom experiments that are as
simple or elaborate as required. Experiments can be run, rerun, reconfigured and repeated. As an
experiment is executed, it is saved along with the measured data to be recalled for reuse. Data
can easily be recalled for examination. On-board tools are available to provide data analysis and
comparison of multiple data vectors. Data may be exported directly to Excel, Word, text files or
a printer for analysis and publication. Data are organized into archives that hold both the data
and the experiments that produced them. These archives are uniquely named and are written to
individual files that may be sorted and stored in any way that is most logical to the researcher.
These files can be emailed or written to an external data storage (USB drive, CD, etc.) for use by
other researchers that are running the Vision program. Vision can be installed on non-tester
computers for the purpose of recalling and reviewing data or creating experimental Test Defini-
tions.
This manual provides a complete description and set of instructions for the use of Vision Version
5.x.x. (As of this writing, Vision 5.26.4 is being shipped.) The system is large and complex, but
is designed so that the new user can begin to get immediate results without exhaustive training.
Much of the detail of the program is segmented into Tasks that perform specific functions. Tasks
may be very simple or very complex, but the user need only learn to use the Tasks that are im-
portant to the research at hand. The manual gives a complete overview of the program, a number
of tutorial sessions, step-by-step operating procedures for the most common operations in Vision
and a detailed description of each Task including a discussion of every control that appears on
every dialog. The Task descriptions are also available using the Click For Task Instructions but-
ton on any dialog associated with the Task.
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Main Vision Manual 4
The Vision program, its Tasks and its drivers, as well as these help pages, are under constant de-
velopment. In order to use the most up-to-date and efficient release of the Vision program please
visit the Vision download form regularly. The current Vision version and release date are noted
near the top of the form. If an update is in order, fill in the form and click Submit. You will be
linked to the Vision installer download page. Review the information on the page. Then click the
installer download button and install or update per the instructions on the page.
A Note on Vision Structure and Versioning
The Vision program is a framework program that provides services to Vision Tasks. Tasks are
semi-independent agents that perform the work within the program. Tasks loaded by Vision at
runtime into the Task Library. Some Tasks are also loaded into the Vision QuikLook Menu.
Figure 1 - Tasks in the Task Library and Figure 2 - Task in the
QuikLook Menu.
The Vision program version is divided into three sections. The first is the main version. It repre-
sents major changes or additions to the program that occur infrequently. The current version is
"5". The second digit represents changes to the main framework program that happen frequently
but are of significant influence on the program. At this writing the second digit in the Vision ver-
sion is "12". In some cases these changes will not be apparent to the customer. The final digit
(currently "10") represents minor changes. In all cases, changes to the Vision version number
refer only to changes to the framework program, not to changes to individual Tasks or groups of
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Main Vision Manual 5
Tasks. The Vision version can be seen by going to Help->About Vision. Note that the "(R)" in
the version number indicates that this is a release compilation of the program for customers.
Figure 3 - The "About Vision" Dialog.
As a semi-independent agent, each Task has its own version. The first two numbers of the Task
version will always agree with the first two digits of the Vision program version. When the Vi-
sion version was updated to "5.12.0" all Tasks were also updated to "5.12.0". After that point, the
Vision program version - representing changes to the framework - and the Task version will di-
verge as changes are made to individual Tasks. Task versions will also differ from each other.
The configuration dialog for each Task will show the Task version, the date of the version and
the initial release year. Measurement Tasks that present data in a dialog will show the same in-
formation on that dialog.
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Main Vision Manual 6
Figure 4 - Task Versions.
The "About Vision" dialog of Figure 3 also shows a "Driver Version". The Driver is a Windows
DLL program that takes input from Vision and formats it so that it can be understood by the test-
er. It communicates the information to the tester and receives tester response. The response is
reformatted for, and passed back to, the Vision program. The driver program version will gener-
ally resemble the Vision version but is completely independent.
If you are having trouble with your tester, your Vision program or with Windows interface to
either we will often ask you for the Vision and/or Driver version. Vision provides tools that
make it easy for you to obtain that information in a suitable format and send it to us. If we need
such information we will guide you to those tools.
Licensing
Vision is freely distributed to any and all parties who have an interest without further license.
The program may be downloaded any number of times and may be instaled on any number of
host computers. The practical uses of the program are limited without a Precision tester, but the
program is fully operational with or without a tester. With no tester present, data-collecting
Tasks will generate meaningless synthetic data. Any party can register a DataSet taken by any
other party to review archived data and investigate the construction of the experiment (Test Def-
inition).
Licensing Custom Task Suites
A number of groups of Vision Tasks, known as Custom Task Suites must be purchased and li-
censed before they will operate. The Tasks are freely distributed with Vision. Any user can open
the Task configuration dialog for review and to access the Task Instructions. Any user can re-
view Custom Task data collected by a licensed installation of the Custom Task. However, to op-
erate the Task it must be licensed. The license is in the form of a file named Security.sec that is
placed in C:\Program Files (x86)\Radiant Technologies\Vision\System. The Task is coded to the
Task Suite or Task Suites being purchased. It is also coded to an embedded ID in the tester for
which it is purchased. In order for a Custom Task to operate, the security.sec file must be in
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Main Vision Manual 7
place and the specified tester must be connected to the Vision host and powered.
The security.sec file may be copied to any number of host computers. However, it cannot be
transferred to any other Precision Tester.
Task Suites include:
• Chamber (Pyroelectric): Set Temperature/Measure at a series of temperatures. This
offers automatic control of a variety of thermal controllers.
• Chamber: Measure using PUND.
• Remanent Chamber: Measure using Remanent Hysteresis.
• Piezo: Measure the sample polarization (µC/cm2) and displacement response. The
displacement response is measured by an external displacement detector and captured
as a voltage at the SENSOR port.
• Piezo: Basic measurement. Normally used for bulk samples. There are minimal
onboard noise reduction tools.
• Advanced Piezo: Normally used for thin film samples with data taken from an
AFM. There are advanced noise reduction tools and extensive data processing.
• Piezo Filter: Gather, operate on, store and plot Piezoelectric data from one or
more Piezo and/or Advanced Piezo Task.
• Transistor: Capture transistor drain current as a function of VSource and VGate.
• Transistor Current: Transistor response at a single Vgs and Vds.
• Transistor IV: Transistor response at a single Vds over a range of Vgs.
• Transistor Curve Trace: Series of Transistor responses at a single Vds over a range
of Vgs. Vds changes at each sweep.
• Magneto-Electric: Capture sample polarization (µC/cm2) as a function of a variable
magnetic field provided by a Helmholtz coil. Older installations used a KEPCO BOP
36 current amplifier to provide stimulus to the Helmholtz coil. These also used a
Lakeshore 425 Gaussmeter to calibrate the field at the sample. Later measurements us
the RTI CS 2.5 current source to drive the Helmholtz coil. Hall Effect sensors are
built into a shield box to directly detect the magnetic field at measurement time. M.E.
Tasks are divided into Kepco and CS 2.5 groups.
• Magneto-Electric Response: Hysteresis style polarization (µC/cm2) over a period-
ic magnetic field (G).
• DC Field: Set and hold a fixed DC magnetic field (G) for a user-specified period
of time (s).
• Single-Point C/V (MR): measure sample small-signal capacitance (nF) using a
magnetic field (G) stimulus.
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Main Vision Manual 8
Figure 5 - Notice Appears when Unlicensed Piezo is Accessed. The
Configuration Dialog will Open when the Notice is Closed.
A small note on text format in these Help pages.
There is not a large list of various textual representations in the Vision help pages. However,
these few rules do apply:
1. Vision key words are always capitalized, as in Task, DataSet or Test Definition.
2. Names of controls on dialogs are italicized as in Task Name , VMax or Comments .
3. Text within controls is specified in quotations. For example '... and set Task Name to
"5.0-Volt Hysteresis".'
4. References to figures and tables with in text are set in bold type as in '... Figure 7 rep-
resents...'.
A small note on Vision documentation
This collection of documents forms the main Vision manual. It, along with Task-specific and
dialog-specific help, accessed by clicking Click For Task Instructions/Click For Dialog Instruc-
tions on any Vision dialog, form the complete set of program documentation. The Vision pro-
gram changes frequently. Documentation will normally lag behind program updating, sometimes
by significant periods of time. One consequence is often that an image of a dialog or set of con-
trols in the documents to not exactly resemble the program windows being discussed. Neverthe-
less, Vision is designed to grow naturally so that older documentation will still be correct and
helpful, even where it may be incomplete.
Note that Task Instructions will provide more detailed Task-specific information that is also like-
ly to be more up-to-date than these general Vision help pages. The Task Instructions should form
the major reference for the Vision program.
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Main Vision Manual 9
System Requirements
All modern Windows-based host computers have sufficient resources to install and operate the
Vision program. Vision should install and operate correctly under 32-bit and 64-bit Windows
operating system from Windows XP through Windows 10. However Radiant Technologies, Inc.
can no longer provide customer support for installations on Windows versions older than Win-
dows 7.
Maintaining Vision
The Vision program does not have tools installed on the host computer to search for version up-
dates. However, the Vision program is upgraded very frequently. Two or three version updates in
a week are not unheard of. Often these updates include significant improvements or important
fixes. Furthermore, the first request when you are asking Radiant Technologies, Inc. for assis-
tance will be to ensure that you are running the latest Vision.
To update Vision, go to http://www.ferrodevices.com/1/297/download_vision_software.asp, fill
in the form and click Submit. You will be linked to the Vision Installer Download page. Review
the information on the page and click the download button. Acknowledge all warning. Allow the
file to download and then run it. The installer will quickly update most installations. Older Vi-
sion installations must be uninstalled before the installer will write the newer version. Unin-
stalling using the standard Windows program uninstall tool will leave custom files such as secu-
rity.sec and custom DataSets in place.
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Main Vision Manual 10
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Main Vision Manual 11
Figure 6 -Vision Install/Update Form.
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Main Vision Manual 12
Figure 7 - Vision Installer Download Page
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Main Vision Manual 13
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Main Vision Manual 14
Contact Radiant Technologies, Inc.
Mr. Joe Evans President
Ms. Michelle Bell Marketing and Sales
Mr. Bob Howard Hardware Design and Construction
Mr. Spencer Smith Hardware Design and Vision/Hardware Interface (Driver)
Mr. Scott Chapman Software Design and Programming, Training, Customer Support
2835 Pan American Fwy NE
Suite B and C
Albuquerque, NM 87107
1-800-289-7176
505-842-8007 Voice
505-842-0366 FAX
radiant@ferrodevices.com
www.ferrodevices.com Process and Clean Room
www.ferroelectrictesters.com Precision Testers
.
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Main Vision Manual 15
Getting Started
Introduction
This topic discusses the installation and initial validation of the Precision tester and the Vision
program that controls it. The topics are presented, in order as:
1. Vision Software Installation
2. Precision Tester Installation
3. System Startup and Validation
The topic addresses only the installation of the Precision tester and Vision software. It does not
present any information on installation or operation of accessory equipment such as High-
Voltage Interfaces (HVIs) and High-Voltage Amplifiers (HVAs), thermal controllers, magneto-
electric response equipment, displacement detectors or Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs).
These are each considered in other documentation in these help pages.
NOTE: These instructions are intended for initial installation, or update, of the Vision pro-
gram for Precision pMEMS, Premier II, Multiferroic, LC, LC II, RT66B, RT66C, RT66I,
SC and FH testers of any age. These are testers that connect to a host computer over a USB
interface. The modern distribution of the Vision program is not intended to be installed on
the original Precision Pro, Premier or Workstation testers that have on-board computers.
Requirements
The Vision program and Precision Tester will operate on any modern host computer with USB
connectors. An attempt has been made to allow the program to be accessible to users of laptops
with smaller displays, however displays smaller than 19" may not completely display all dialogs
in the program. The system will not operate with tablet computers or cell phones. Vision oper-
ates only under the Microsoft Windows operating system. The program will operate equally well
in 32-bit and 64-bit environments. Vision operates on Window 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.0. Windows XP
and Vista is are longer supported, though Vision should install and operate properly on these op-
erating systems. A 64-bit host computer is recommended.
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Main Vision Manual 16
Vision Installation
Vision Program Installation
Before attaching the Precision Tester to the host computer the Vision program must be installed.
As with most programs, installation is done by running a standard installer program. The installer
version at the time of this writing is 5.26.4. (Please see the note, below, on program and installer
versioning.) Installation will proceed as usual for program installers, but there are a few unique
aspects to the Vision installation that the user must be aware of.
A: Procedures
1. Run the installation program Vision x.x.x (y).exe, where "x.x.x" is pro-
gram/installer version and "(y)" is a letter indicating the release of the installer.
The installer may have been delivered on a DVD. Otherwise, it can be obtained
by going to www.ferrodevices.com/1/297/download_vision_software.asp. Fill
in the form and click Submit. You will be directed to the Vision installer down-
load page. Review the information on the page. Click the button to download
the installer and execute the file per these instructions.
2. Run the program Vision.x.x.x (y).exe. If prompted allow the execution to con-
tinue.
Figure A.1 - Acknowledge the Security Warning.
3. Depending on programs already installed on the host computer, the Vision in-
staller may require the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable to be in-
stalled with the program. Vision will not operate without this redistributable
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Main Vision Manual 17
package installed. Click Install to continue.
Figure A.2 - Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable Installation.
4. The wizard will open. Click Next >.
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Main Vision Manual 18
Figure A.3 - Initiate Vision Installation.
5. A license page will appear. The license will list recent updates to the program.
There is no legal verbiage to agree to. Vision is freely licensed to any user and
may be installed on as many host computers as needed. Click Yes.
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Main Vision Manual 19
Figure A.4 - Vision License.
6. The installer will begin writing files to the host computer hard disk. A progress
dialog details the actions as they occur. During this process the installer will.
• Create the folders and write files to C:\Program Files (x86)\Radiant Tech-
nologies\Vision1 and below. Never move or remove files unless instructed
by Radiant Technologies, Inc.
• Create the folder a write files to C:\RT_USB. Never move or remove files
unless instructed by Radiant Technologies, Inc.
• Create the folders and write files to C:\DataSets and below. Never move or
remove files unless instructed by Radiant Technologies, Inc.
• Create the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Radiant Tech-
nologies and create and initialize keys and string values below this key.
Never move or remove keys or string values.
• Install and register DAO (Data Access Object) database engines.
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Main Vision Manual 20
Figure A.5 - Installation Progress.
7. The Vision installer will open the host computer default browser. If the host is
connected to the internet, the browser will open to the Radiant Technologies,
Inc. YouTube home page at
https://www.youtube.com/user/ferrodevices/featured. The page contains links to
Vision training videos.
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Main Vision Manual 21
Figure A.6 - Radiant Technologies, Inc. YouTube Home Page.
8. The final wizard page shows that installation is complete. Click Finish to close
the wizard.
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Main Vision Manual 22
Figure A.7 - Installation is Complete.
B - Vision Update
Once Vision has been installed, it is important to keep in mind that the program is updated
very frequently. The website should be checked regularly for new installers that will up-
date existing Vision installations. Go to
www.ferrodevices.com/1/297/download_vision_software.asp. Fill in the form and click
Submit. You will be directed to the Vision installer download page. Review the infor-
mation on the page. Click the button to download the installer and execute the file per
these instructions.
C - A Note on Versioning
The Vision version number consists of three parts arranged, left-to-right, in descending or-
der of significance. The version, as of this writing, is 5.15.2. '5" is the major release. It first
appeared in February 2014. Changes in this number indicate a significant reworking of the
program and/or inclusion of major new features. There is usually a period of several years
between changes in this index. '10' indicates a moderate change that will usually be appar-
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Main Vision Manual 23
ent to the user, though perhaps not immediately. Vision releases that involve changes in
this index are irregular and can be spaced days to months apart. The '10' index indicates a
very routine maintenance change to the Vision program. Such changes may not be appar-
ent to the user or may be so slight that they will not be noticed. The installer version will
take on the Vision program version in its file name. Vision 5.15.2.exe is the installer ver-
sion as of this writing.
As you will learn as you work through this manual, and from other sources, the Vision
program is a framework that provides services to a group of semi-independent agents,
known as "Tasks", that are loaded into Vision at startup. Tasks are configurable operations
that perform the functions required by the researcher. These should be regarded as pro-
grams in their own right. Each Task is independently versioned. It will always take on the
first two indices of Vision. When Vision 5.12.0 was released, all Tasks were updated to
5.12.0. From that point, Task versions may depart, independently from the main Vision
program. Although Vision is now 5.12.10, Tasks may have version 5.12.0, 5.12.3, 5.12.12,
etc. Tasks and their version numbers are updated, individually or in groups, very frequent-
ly. Changes may be immediately apparent to the user. They may also be subtle or com-
pletely transparent.
D - What is Installed
1. C:\Program Files (x86)\Radiant Technologies\Vision: This is the location of the
main Vision program file, VisionPro.exe. Several other very important files are
also written to this location. Do not disturb files in this location.
2. C:\Program Files (x86)\Radiant Technologies\Vision\System: This is the loca-
tion for the Tasks' files *.vlr. On startup, Vision searches this location for all
files with the *.vlr extension and loads them into Vision. If you are provided
updates to specific Tasks, the updated files should be written to this location,
overwriting existing files. If you find that Vision displays warnings - perhaps
repeated warnings - on startup, it may be finding files, here, that do not match
the current version of the program. Sort by date and remove any files that do not
match the distribution date. (Generally older files.) Notify Radiant Technolo-
gies, Inc. with the file names of files that have been deleted. This location also
holds a template for DataSets (tdb.dst) and a file named SD.dll that provides di-
alogs that are repeated among Tasks. tdb.dst may be very old. SD.dll should
match or nearly match the dates on the Task files.
3. C:\Program Files (x86)\Radiant Technologies\Vision\System\TC, \FC, \LCR:
These folders hold DLLs that refer to specific thermal controllers, magnetic
field controllers or LCR meters. They are accessed by Tasks that automatically
set temperatures and/or magnetic field and/or measure LCR properties.
4. C:\Windows\SysWOW32: The Precision hardware driver NGS_USB_Driver.dll
file is written to this location.
5. C:\RT_USB: This folder contains the driver installation file ,NGS.inf, that is
used by Windows to install the Precision tester and associate it with the
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Main Vision Manual 24
NGS_USB_Driver.dll file. This folder also contains tester firmware that is writ-
ten into the tester EEPROM at startup or on hardware refresh. The firmware
files are *.hex files and there is a separate file for each tester type.
6. C:\DataSets: This is the default file path for user's DataSets (*.dst). It contains
the tutorial DataSet files that are distributed with the program. Editor List.el
contains the sequence of files that are used to restore the Test Definition in the
EDITOR on program startup. xplorerdb.cpu contains the names, file names and
file paths of all registered DataSets. It is used to restore the DataSet Explorer on
startup. Customized Tasks (*.udt) are all written to this location. Graph annota-
tions and Executed Test Defintion (ETD) notes (if any of either are present) are
stored in subfolders. Distribution documents, User-Printable Help user training
videos and other miscellaneous items are also written to subfolders in this loca-
tion. Many of the terms used in this discussion will become familiar as you
work through the tutorials and Main Help Pages in this help project.
7. Registry - HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Radiant Technolo-
gies/VisionPro/Settings - This contains a number of default entries that are
modified as the user customizes Vision to his/her needs.
8. Desktop:
• Vision - A shortcut to C:\Program Files (x86)\Radiant Technolo-
gies\Vision\VisionPro.exe1. Double-click to execute the program.
• DataSets - A shortcut to C:\DataSets. Double-click to open a Window Ex-
plorer to this location.
• Tasks & Customized Tests - A shortcut to C:\Program Files (x86)\Radiant
Technologies\Vision\System1. Double-click to open a Window Explorer to
this location
• User-Printable Help. - A shortcut to C:\DataSets\User-Printable Help.
Double-click to open a Window Explorer to this location.
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Main Vision Manual 25
Figure D.1 - Vision Icons Installed to the Desktop.
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Main Vision Manual 26
Vision Update
The Vision program is in a constant state of growth. The program is designed and updated to
meet the needs of Radiant engineers and the requests of users. Most of the capabilities of Vision
have been provided in response to users' requests.
The Vision program changes rapidly. Updates to the program are posted very frequently. It is
simple and important to keep the program up-to-date. In order to allow Radiant engineers to pro-
vide prompt and accurate customer support, the engineers will expect the program to be up-to-
date. If the program is being updated from a much older version there may be some complexities
to the upgrade. However, once the program is updated, future updates will be a simple matter of
downloading and running the updated installer. A monthly check for Vision updates is recom-
mended.
If you are updating from a version that is earlier than 5.6.0, you should first uninstall your exist-
ing version. Please note that uninstalling will not affect registered DataSets that you have creat-
ed, license files or other files that are found in the C:\DataSet and/or C\Program Files
(x86)\Radiant Technologies paths that were not added by the original installer. To uninstall, open
the uninstall tool that pertains to the Windows version on the host computer. Select the Vision
program and allow it to uninstall. Figure 1 shows this for Windows 7. Note that once the most
up-to-date version of Vision is installed, future updates will no longer need to uninstall the pro-
gram. If you have a version later than 5.6.0 installed, you do not need to uninstall the program.
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Main Vision Manual 27
Figure 1 - Uninstall Vision.
Once Vision is uninstalled, or if updating from a version that is 5.6.0 or later, go to
www.ferrodevices.com/1/297/download_vision_software.aspc, fill in the form and click Submit.
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Main Vision Manual 28
Figure 2 - Vision Web Form.
The browser will be taken to the Vision Installer Download page. For completeness, review all
of the information on the page. Then click the installer download button and allow to install.
Note that the installer is quite large. Download may take several minutes depending on the
browser and internet connection speed.
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Main Vision Manual 29
Figure 3 - Do the Download.
When the download has completed, double-click the downloaded installer file to run it. If you
have uninstalled Vision you will be doing a new installation of the program. Please see Vision
Installation for the procedures. If you are updating an existing installation that is newer than
5.6.0, the installer will do a simple update of files that have newer dates or do not yet exist in the
Vision installation paths. Double-click the downloaded Installer to initiate. You will probably
have a warning. Click Run or acknowledge the warning to continue the installation.
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Main Vision Manual 30
Figure 4 - Initiate the Installation.
After some initialization the installer wizard update panel will appear. Click Next > to start the
update.
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Main Vision Manual 31
Figure 5 - Update Panel in the Installation Wizard.
The update will proceed with a progress panel. When it has completed, the "Update Complete"
panel will appear. The updated Vision installation is ready to run.
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Main Vision Manual 32
Figure 6 - Update Complete.
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Main Vision Manual 33
Precision Tester Installation
At the time of this writing, Windows 10 is the dominant operating system for new Vision pro-
gram and Precision tester installations. This is a 64-bit operating system. Vision, its installer and
the Precision tester are equally matched to 32-bit operating systems (Windows XP, Windows
Vista) and 64-bit operating systems (Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1). Note, though
that Windows XP and Windows Vista installations can no longer be supported by Radiant Tech-
nologies, Inc.
Precision Premier II, Multiferroic, LC II and RT66C testers shipped after July 2014 will install
themselves to Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and 10 hosts with no further action by the user. This is
not true for older operating systems. RT66B testers and all testers older than July 2014 must be
installed by the user after the Vision program has been loaded onto the host computer. All test-
ers, including those newer than July 2014, must be installed by the user to Windows 7. The pro-
cess differs between operating systems. The following is a brief discussion of each installation.
Please refer to detailed installation documents shipped with the tester for more in-depth, step-by-
step instruction.
A - Windows 7
Connect the tester and power up. Windows will detect the new hardware and try to install it
automatically. It will fail. You must go to the Device Manager, locate the icon for the un-
known hardware, right-click and locate the "Update Drivers..." button. You must then do a
manual installation in which you browse to the C:\RT_USB folder where Windows will find
the hardware installation file NGS.inf.
B - Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
Before installing the connecting the hardware, Window must be rebooted with Driver Signa-
ture Enforcement temporarily disabled. This is simple to do, but the sequence of steps to
cause this to happen are intentionally hidden behind several layers of "Setup" menu. Fur-
thermore, the sequence is different for Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and 10. Please see the in-
stallation documents for details. Procedures can also be found online. Once the computer is
rebooted you will be provided with a series of startup options. On startup, press '7' to disable
Driver Signature Enforcement. Once the tester is installed, rebooting will re-enable Driver
Signature Enforcement. With the restriction enabled, you will need to go through the same
steps as for Windows 7 to install your tester. Precision Premier II, Multiferroic, LC II and
RT66C testers shipped after July 2014 will automatically install themselves in Windows 8,
8.1 and 10 and these actions do not need to be taken.
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Main Vision Manual 34
Initial Operation
With the Precision tester connected to the host computer turn the tester on. The green LED on
the front panel should start to blink at 1/2 Hz with a 50 % duty cycle.
Double-click the Vision icon.
Figure 1 - Start Vision from the Desktop Icon.
As the program starts it will:
1. Upload the specify tester's firmware to the tester EEPROM. (The tester firmware is a
file named C:\RT_USB\xxx.hex, where "xxx" is a file name that is specific to the
tester being started.)
2. Start the firmware running. The green LED will start to blink at 1 Hz rate with a 90%
duty cycle.
3. Configure the tester to its initial state.
4. Search C:\Program Files (x86)\Radiant Technologies\Vision\System for all files with
a *.vlr extension. These are the Task Dynamic Link Library files (DLL), one per
Task. The DLLs are started and, based on Task configuration, loaded into the appro-
priate location of the Vision Task Library. The Task may also be placed in the Vision
QuikLook menu if it indicates that it is a member of that menu.
5. Read the Windows registry for user preferences for Vision configuration.
6. Read C:\DataSets\EditorList.El and restore the previous Test Definition to the EDI-
TOR, if Vision is configured to restore the Test Definition
Note that for some host computers, the first-time startup may be slow. Nothing should appear on
the Windows desktop during the procedures, above.
When the program is fully started, the Tester Selection dialog appears. The dialog lists the con-
nected Precision Tester under Attached Tester. The tester is listed by name. The tester will be
indicated with " (X)" appended to its name. The name of the tester is stored in the tester
EEPROM and can be changed by editing Tester Name (32 Characters Max.) and clicking Re-
name Tester.
Note that multiple testers are no longer supported by Vision. Select Tester and ID Tester remain
enabled and operational. But neither need to be used to identify or select the tester to be used.
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Main Vision Manual 35
Figure 3 - Initial Vision Program Display & Tester Selection Dialog.
Click OK to close the dialog. A message will appear that indicates that a calibration period will
follow. The message indicates that cables are to be disconnected from the tester DRIVE ports.
Note that if the tester is connected to a High-Voltage Interface (HVI), especially in a rack mount,
the DRIVE does not need to be disconnected to perform the calibration. The message may be
disabled for future executions.
Figure 4 - Ensure the Tester is Configured for Calibration.
Click OK. The calibration will start. A Stop Measure Ramp Offsets? button will appear. The Sta-
tus Bar will show "Zeroing Tester Output... Standby... When calibration is finished, the button
will clear and the Status Bar will show "Ready".
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Main Vision Manual 36
Figure 5 - Tester Calibration.
If the program is started with no tester connected or powered, the Tester Selection dialog will
show "No Tester Attached". Cancel closes the dialog.
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Main Vision Manual 37
Figure 6 - No Hardware Found.
The tester may be connected and/or powered with Vision running. However, Vision must be told
that the tester is present by doing a Hardware Refresh. Go to " Tools-> Hardware Refresh (Alt +
W)", or click <Alt-W> to initate the process. The firmware upload and tester initialization will
occur. Vision will then do the sequence of Figures 3 through 5 . Anytime there is a change to the
configuration of the hardware attached to the Vision host computer, the hardware must be re-
freshed in this way. Such changes include:
1. Adding or removing a tester.
2. Adding or removing a High-Voltage Interface (HVI).
3. Adding or removing a CS 2.5 current source.
4. Adding or removing any equipment connected to a tester through an I2C connection.
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Main Vision Manual 38
Figure 7 - Tools-> Hardware Refresh.
Most Precision testers are shipped with internal reference test elements that can be switched into
the measurement signal path and serve as reference devices with known responses. References,
by tester type, include:
1. Precision pMEMS, Premier II, Precision Multiferroic, Precision LC II, RT66C:
• 1.0 nF commercial linear capacitor.
• 2.5 M-Ω commercial linear resistor.
• RTI-manufactured type AB reference ferroelectric capacitors. Two capacitors are
provided - Cap. A and Cap. B. These can be independently selected or switched
in, together, in parallel.
2. Precision LC
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Main Vision Manual 39
• 1.0 nF commercial linear capacitor.
• 2.5 M-Ω commercial linear resistor.
3. Precision RT66B/Precision RT66I
• No internal reference elements are available in these instruments.
Ensure that nothing is connected to the tester DRIVE or RETURN ports, front or rear. The only
cables connected to the tester should be the USB cable and the A/C power cable. However, for
RT66B owners, an external linear capacitor of known value should be connected between
DRIVE and RETURN since no internal reference elements are available. Note that, for testers
with internal reference elements, any sample connected between DRIVE and RETURN will be
measured in parallel with any selected internal elements. If multiple internal elements are select-
ed, these will also be measured in parallel with each other. Each parallel element will provide an
additive signal to the measurement.
For initial tester validation, perform a 5.0-Volt/10.0 ms Hysteresis measurement, from the Qui-
kLook menu, on the 1.0 nF commercial linear capacitor. Go to QuikLook->Hysteresis Tasks-
>Hysteresis.
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Main Vision Manual 40
Figure 8 - Access the Hysteresis Task in the QuikLook Menu.
The Hysteresis Task QuikLook Configuration Dialog will open. Configure the Task as follows:
Task Name: "5.0-Volt/10.0 ms Validation"
Max Voltage: 5.0
Hysteresis Period (ms): 10.0
Enable Ref. Cap.: Checked
Leave all other values at default.
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Main Vision Manual 41
Figure 9 - Main Hysteresis Configuration.
If desired, click the "QuikLook Plot Setup" tab to configure data plot titles.
Figure 10 - Hysteresis Task Plot Configuration.
Click OK to make the measurement. During the Measurement, the Stop Hysteresis Measure-
ment? button will appear to allow the measurement to be manually halted..
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Main Vision Manual 42
Figure 11 - Stop Hysteresis Measurement? Button.
When the measurement is complete, the measured data will be plotted as Polarization (µC/cm2)
vs Voltage. The data should extend linearly from -50 µC/cm2 at -5.0 Volts, through the origin, to
+50 µC/cm2 at +5.0 Volts. The display is in a single, "full", dialog.
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Main Vision Manual 43
Figure 12 - Hysteresis Results - Full Display.
For users of laptops or other, smaller, displays, the data can be presented in a tabbed dialog with
the plotted data in the first tab and the textual presentation in the second. This can be selected at
configure time by checking Display Tabbed in the plot configuration dialog of Figure 10. It can
also be switched two directly by clicking Tabbed View on the Data Presentation dialog of Figure
12. Once Tabbed View is selected it is persistent for all future data displays for all Tasks, even
between executions of Vision. The tabbed display can only be disabled by unchecking Display
Tabbed in a future configuration dialog of any Task that displays data in this way.
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Main Vision Manual 44
Figure 13 - Hysteresis Results - Tabbed Display - Plot.
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Main Vision Manual 45
Figure 14 - Hysteresis Results - Tabbed Display - Text.
For users with a 100.0-Volt, 200.0-Volt or 500.0-Volt internal amplifier, the measurement on the
internal reference capacitor can be made up to 30.0 Volts. Press <Ctrl-R> to recall the last Qui-
kLook Task to be configured and executed. Adjust the controls as follows:
Task Name: "30.0-Volt/10.0 ms Validation"
Max Voltage: 30.0. Note that 30.0 Volts is the maximum allowable voltage with Enable Ref. Cap . checked. For
higher-voltage alternatives, Enable Ref. Resistor can be selected up to 100.0 Volts. For Voltages
above 100.0 Volts, the internal reference elements must be disabled and measurements must be
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Main Vision Manual 46
made on externally-connected devices.
Figure 15 - Configure a 30.0-Volt Measurement.
Adjust the plot configuration as appropriate. Note that Display Tabbed has been actively un-
checked in Figure 16. The action of producing Figures 13 and 14 had left it checked for this
configuration.
Figure 17 - Adjust the Plot Configuration.
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Main Vision Manual 47
Click OK to make the measurement. Data between from -300 µC/cm2 at -30.0 Volts through
+300 µC/cm2 at +30.0 Volts are expected. The internal amplifier is enabled, increasing the noise
slightly.
Figure 17 - 30.0-Volt Hysteresis Data.
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