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A significant effort in any research and development program involving large infrared detector arrays is parameter measurement and evaluation. In fact, the major portion of the program cost is in some way involved with measurements. For this reason and because of the acquisition of several programs requiring large numbers of deliverable arrays, a computer based automated data acquisition system has been implemented for the infrared device effort at the Science Center. A Data General Eclipse S/200 computer with two 10 mega byte disks is utilized. Data acquisition from remote locations is effected by daisy chaining as many as fifteen Hewlett Packard multiprogrammer units at 100 foot intervals. Graphical display of the results as well as operator interaction with the program is conducted using Tektronix 4010 series terminals. The new Data General advanced operating system (AOS) allows independently called time sharing operations from each terminal. A Versatec printer/plotter is used for hard copy of the screen image as well as for a line printer. Test programs for current vs. voltage (IV), capacitance vs. voltage, spectral responsitivity, optical area measurement using an automatic blackbody scan and multiplexer video data acquisition programs have been written and implemented. In addition to acquiring the data, the IV test program has a number of optional features. Included is the ability to control stepping of a cryogenically cooled automatic probe station, allowing completely unattended IV evaluation of a 1024 element array. Another important feature of the IV program is the option of addressing individual row and column elements of mated multiplexer/ diode arrays and measuring IV characteristics through the video output. Examples of the use of this system for evaluation of 32x32 PbSnTe and InAsSb arrays will be given.
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