Production ATE · NFC & smart card
ci200 — high-speed production tester.
A versatile semiconductor tester for analog, digital, mixed-signal and RF — purpose-built to validate NFC and smart-card chips and modules at production scale, with true parallel execution across the whole rack.
Core capabilities
Built for the production floor, without compromise.
The ci200 brings the measurement accuracy of cilab's certification instruments to the line — analog, digital, mixed-signal and RF, on one relay-free platform driven through a single API.
Zero-overhead testing
Switching between DC, RF/VNA and protocol tests happens in the front-end firmware — no setup step between sequences, and no firmware compilation.
True parallel execution
Every DUT is tested simultaneously — a single host sequence is broadcast across the whole platform, so you add slots without changing your test program.
Integrated VNA
High-precision RF and impedance measurement built into the tester — accurate S11 and carrier-field characterisation with no external instruments.
Relay-free architecture
No mechanical relays: negligible wear, EMI-clean operation for dense RF production lines, and consistent signal integrity over the system's life.
Built-in self-test
A one-click built-in self-test runs a full internal measurement suite on each test head — the tester simply disconnects from the DUT, with no extra setup.
Embedded calibration
Each slot front-end stores its own calibration profile. Swap in a pre-calibrated slot and restore full performance in minutes; on-site recalibration kit available.
Software flexibility
Drive it from Python, C#, LabVIEW or any language over an open TCP/IP API — no third-party software dependencies, no limits on test plans.
Drop-in integration
A compact 300 × 235 × 150 mm chassis that fits third-party handlers and probers with no added footprint, via a standard shielded flex cable to the probe.
Firmware-integrated protocols
Full protocol stacks in firmware — no external libraries: ISO/IEC 14443 A/B, ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC peer-to-peer) and ISO/IEC 7816, out of the box.
Architecture
Measurement, switching and control in one front end.
Analog, RF and protocol test, instrument switching and sequencing all live in one front-end architecture — see how the integrated architecture works.
Instrument switching in firmware
DC, RF/VNA and protocol instruments are selected in the front-end firmware, not by reconfiguring external boxes between test types.
Embedded execution
Test sequences run on the test head itself — there is no separate test-head firmware to program or compile.
One API sequence
Every parameter — DC, RF, impedance and memory content — is retrieved through a single API call.
Parallel by broadcast
One controller drives every test head in the rack by broadcast, so adding slots doesn't change your test program.
Technical specification
Hardware engineered for production reality.
| Chassis dimensions | 300 × 235 × 150 mm |
|---|---|
| Test channels per slot | 2 (Channel A + B) |
| Multifunction pins per channel | 24 (digital + analog) |
| Dedicated RF pins per channel | 2 (configurable differential / single-ended) |
| Frontend connector | Samtec 100-pin high-density |
| Host interface | USB 3.0 / Ethernet (LAN) |
| API protocol | JSON over TCP/IP |
| Power supply | 230 V mains |
| Architecture | Relay-free |
| Standards coverage | ISO/IEC 14443 A/B, ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18092, ISO/IEC 7816, standard serial interfaces |
System architecture
Every layer built for production-grade reliability.
From the API down to the front-end calibration — and integrated through the RCI remote-control interface.
Language-agnostic API
The ci200 AppServer bridges the USB/LAN hardware to a clean JSON-over-TCP/IP interface — program in any language, run any sequence.
- Python, C#, LabVIEW — all supported
- No embedded-systems expertise required
- New standard revisions via software upgrade
- Broadcast mode: one sequence, every head
Multi-domain in a single test
One sequence covers DC, RF, VNA impedance and protocol testing — all returned as a single JSON result object.
- Leakage & continuity via analog force/sense
- Integrated VNA for impedance (S11)
- Full NFC contactless plus contact serial interfaces
- Every I/O pin switchable to analog measurement
Pre-calibrated slot replacement
Swap a slot and restore full performance in minutes — no recalibration, no external lab required.
- Calibration profile stored on each front-end board
- Fast power-up — system ready in seconds
- Complete on-site calibration kit available
Upgrade in place
Tester-slot upgrades on the same rack — higher power, higher frequency or new capabilities without a system redesign.
- Scalable parallelism with no architectural limit
- Supports proprietary and custom protocol extensions
- Same platform from lab development to the floor
- Portable developer unit for on-site debug and RMA
Evaluation kit
Start testing in under 30 minutes.
The ci200 evaluation kit ships with everything needed to go from unboxing to running tests — the same platform as the production equipment, for development, debug and RMA diagnostics. It's the desktop sibling of the rack; read more on the ci200 developer unit.
In the box
- ci200 tester unit
- Power cord
- USB 3.0 cable
- ci200 frontend cable
- ci200 demo board
- RCI library + examples
Bring certification-grade test to your line.
Talk to the cilab team about pricing, an evaluation kit, or your specific production-test requirements — wafer, chip-module or finished device.
Talk to an expert