Component Testing Accessory

Features & Benefits

• Performs In-circuit Component Testing
• Dual Channels Offer Unique Ability to Compare Known Good Board and UUT to Find Defects
• Built-In Pulse Generator Tests Gate Fired Devices such as SCRs, TRIACs, Opto-couplers
• Tests In-Circuit CMOS, MOS, PLCs, Other Semiconductors, Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Coils

Applications

• Maintain Motor Controllers, Robotic Systems, and Programmable Logic Controls In-Plant
• Debug Engineering Prototypes
• Discover Manufacturing Defects - Find Wrong Values, Misinstalled Components
• Troubleshoot and Repair Circuit Boards Without Schematics
• Test Components and Boards Without Power - Ideal for Catastrophic Failures
• Find Intermittent Component Failures

Now you can extend the power of your TDS200-Series oscilloscope with the Tektronix TR210 Huntron Tracker.*¹ This remarkable device simplifies the testing of components while giving you a unique current-voltage analog signature on the TDS200 oscilloscope screen. The TR210 Huntron Tracker and TDS200 oscilloscope provide you an excellent combination for troubleshooting circuit boards in design, manufacturing, or maintenance applications. The Tektronix TR210 Huntron Tracker provides advanced troubleshooting capabilities to simplify testing of most types of active and passive electronic components. A built-in pulse generator lets you troubleshoot gate-fired devices such as SCRs, TRIACs, and opto-couplers. By energizing the gate, you can test the component in an active mode.

*¹ Tracker is a registered trademark of Huntron Instruments, Inc.

Analog Signature Analysis

Since the TR210 is used while the power to the circuit-under-test is turned off, you avoid an accidental short that could cause further damage. It allows you to analyze the overall health of a solid-state component, which makes it perfect for finding leakage or substrate damage that has brought a circuit board or a complete system down prematurely. Because it can compare suspect components to known good equivalents, it's also ideal for troubleshooting when documentation is missing or incomplete. The TR210 works by applying a current-limited AC signal across two points of a component. The current flow causes a vertical deflection of the TDS200 oscilloscope display, while the voltage causes a horizontal deflection. Together, they give you a unique current-voltage "analog signature" that represents the overall health of the device-under-test. By analyzing each signature, you can quickly tell if a component is good, bad, or marginal.

Real-World Troubleshooting Challenges

The Tektronix TR210 is ideal for troubleshooting Programmable Logic Controls (PLCs). In troubleshooting multichannel input modules, technicians frequently run into a damaged channel because the IC buffers, opto-couplers, and drivers have been overstressed. Using the built-in pulse generator, the TR210 quickly troubleshoots opto-couplers and other gate-fired devices, or simply compare the analog signature of one channel against another. You'll usually find problems where you see differences in signatures.