One box, every test — the ci200's integrated measurement architecture

Traditional test systems are assembled. A digital functional tester here, a DC parametric analyzer there, a VNA on a cart, an NFC test station somewhere else. Each instrument has its own software, its own calibration schedule, its own learning curve — and switching between them costs time at every step.

The ci200 was designed around a different premise: every test capability in a single piece of hardware, under a single firmware, controlled through a single API.

What’s integrated

Each ci200 test channel combines four measurement domains that would ordinarily require separate instruments:

• Digital functional test — stimulus and response testing of digital logic and interfaces
• DC parametric test — voltage and current measurements, leakage, threshold characterization
• VNA measurement — vector network analysis for impedance, return loss, and RF characterization
• NFC testing — contactless card and transponder testing per ISO 14443 and ISO 15693

There is no external switching, no instrument bus, no middleware to coordinate between tools. All four domains are available on every channel, all the time.

Reconfiguration in sub-microsecond time

Switching from a digital test to a DC measurement, or from a DC measurement to an NFC transaction, happens in the firmware — not by swapping cables, reconfiguring instruments, or restarting software. Reconfiguration times are in the sub-microsecond range.

In practice this means a test sequence can move freely between measurement domains within a single test program, without any of the setup overhead that external instrument switching normally introduces. A device under test can be exercised digitally, characterized parametrically, verified at RF, and tested for NFC functionality in one uninterrupted pass.

What this changes for test development and production

Fewer stations, less floor space. Consolidating four test capabilities into one system directly reduces the number of test stations needed, the cabling complexity, and the physical footprint on the production floor.

One software interface for everything. All test functions are accessed through the same RCI commands. Test engineers learn one API and one command structure — there is no context switching between instrument control libraries or vendor software packages.

Consistent, repeatable sequences. Because all measurements happen within the same hardware and firmware context, there are no timing uncertainties introduced by inter-instrument communication or software handoffs. The test sequence is deterministic from start to finish.

Simpler maintenance and calibration. One piece of hardware means one calibration process, one firmware update path, and one support contract. The overhead of maintaining a multi-instrument rack scales down accordingly.

Faster time to a complete test program. When all capabilities are available from the first command, test programs can be developed and validated holistically rather than instrument by instrument. There is no integration phase where separate tools have to be made to work together.

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The ci200’s integrated architecture isn’t just a convenience — it’s a fundamental reduction in the complexity of building and running a test system. Get in touch to discuss how the ci200 fits into your test strategy.