• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Probe Systems

Cascade Probe Systems

We offer a complete line of premium performance analytical probe stations for on-wafer probing and board test that help increase process performance while reducing cost of ownership. Our probe systems are available with a complete set of accessories such as microscopes, thermal control systems, software and industry-leading probes.

See All Probe Systems

    Cascade Probes

    Wafer Test Probes

    We offer more than 50 analytical probe models for wafer, package, and board level characterization. Our families of RF, mixed-signal and DC probes are designed to meet the challenges of a wide range of probing environments.

    See All Probe Products

      Probe Cards

      Probe Cards

      We offer an extensive portfolio of high-performance probe cards for memory, RF, foundry and logic devices that help lower overall production costs, improve yields and enable “more-than-Moore” advanced packaging technologies.

      See All Probe Cards

        Metrology

        Metrology Systems - FRT Tools

        FRT - a FormFactor company - manufactures powerful surface metrology tools for various sectors such as development production and quality control. Due to the design and construction of these multi-sensor devices, FRT tools can be used for multiple applications.

        Learn More @ FRT

          Test Expertise

          Test Expertise

          FormFactor supports customers throughout the entire design-to-production continuum, from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design de-bug, to qualification and production test.

          Learn More

            Ready to learn more about our products and services?

            Contact Sales

            Company

            Probe Card Manufacturing Company

            Our customers rely on our proven portfolio of products and our experienced engineers to help them meet today’s test and measurement challenges.

            Learn More

              Ready to learn more about our products and services?

              Contact Sales

              Sales & Service

              Probe Sales & Service

              Quickly find a representative in your area to answer your sales and support questions.

              Learn More

                Ready to learn more about our products and services?

                Contact Sales

                • Products
                  • Probe Systems
                    • (Modular Systems)
                    • 150 MM Probe Systems
                      • MPS150
                      • Genius Education Kits
                    • 200 MM Probe Systems
                      • Summit
                      • BlueRay
                      • PM8/EPS200
                      • See All…
                    • 300 MM Probe Systems
                      • CM300
                      • PM300
                      • See All…
                    • (Dedicated Systems)
                    • Autonomous Assistants
                      • Autonomous DC
                      • Autonomous RF
                      • Autonomous SiPh
                    • Power Systems
                      • Tesla
                    • Board Level Systems
                      • Board Test Systems
                    • Cryogenic Systems
                      • Wafer/Multi-chip Systems
                      • Chip-scale Systems
                      • IQ1000 SQUID Microscope
                      • Cryostats
                      • Vacuum/Pressure Systems
                    • (Integrated Systems)
                    • With KeySight
                      • IMS-K-mmW/THz
                      • IMS-K-SiPh
                      • IMS-K-Power
                      • IMS-K-DC
                      • IMS-K-LFN
                    • Software
                      • Velox
                      • WinCal XE
                    • Accessories
                      • eVue Microscope
                      • Positioners
                      • Chucks
                      • Vibration Isolation Tables
                      • ShieldEnclosure™
                        •  
                          •  
                      •  
                        •  
                    • Additional Products/Programs
                      • Custom Probe Systems
                      • Certified Used Equipment
                      • Trade-in/Buy Back
                      • Educational Savings
                    •  
                    •  
                    •  
                  • Probes
                    • ACP
                      • ACP Probe – Coaxial
                      • ACP Probe – Cryo/Vacuum
                    • INFINITY
                      • Infinity Probe – Coaxial
                      • InfinityXT™ Probe – Coaxial
                      • Infinity Waveguide Probe
                    • |Z| PROBE
                      • |Z| Probe – Coaxial
                      • |Z| Probe® PCB
                      • |Z| Probe® Power
                    • T-WAVE
                      • T-Wave Probe
                    • RF MULTICONTACT
                      • InfinityQuad
                      • ACP-Q Probe
                      • Unity Probe
                      • Multi-|Z| Probe
                      • |Z| ProbeWedge
                      • QuadCard™
                    • DC PARAMETRIC
                      • DCP 100 Series Probe
                      • DCP-HTR Series Probe
                    • DC MULTICONTACT
                      • DC-Q Probe
                      • Eye-Pass Probe
                      • WPH Probe
                    • DC POWER
                      • High Current Probe
                      • High Voltage Probe
                      • Ultra High-Power (UHP)
                    • SPECIALTY
                      • Resistive Matching and Termination
                      • Optical Probes
                      • Cryogenic Probes
                    • SIGNAL INTEGRITY
                      • FPC Probe
                    • CALIBRATION TOOLS
                      • Impedance Standard Substrates
                      • CSR Cal Substrates
                      • Multiline TRL Cal Substrates
                      • WinCal XE
                    • Product Support
                      • Probe Support
                      • Probe Repair
                      • WinCal Support
                  • Probe Cards
                    • DRAM
                      • PH Series
                      • SmartMatrix
                    • FLASH
                      • TouchMatrix
                    • FOUNDRY & LOGIC
                      • Altius
                      • Katana
                      • QiLin
                      • Cantilever
                      • Apollo
                      • TrueScale
                      • Vx-MP
                    • PARAMETRIC
                      • Pyramid Parametric
                      • Takumi
                    • [ RF Probing ]
                    • Type/Application
                      • RF-Front End
                      • 5G mmWave
                      • RF Transceivers
                      • Auto-Radar
                      • High Speed Digital
                    • Platforms
                      • Pyramid RF
                      • Pyrana RF
                  • Metrology
                    • Metrology Systems
                      • MicroProf® AP
                      • MicroProf® FS
                      • MicroProf® FE
                      • MicroProf® MHU
                      • MicroProf® TL
                      • MicroProf® 300
                      • MicroProf® 200
                      • MicroProf® 100
                • Test Expertise
                  • Customer Collaboration
                    • Sharing Expertise
                    • Lab to Fab
                  • Applications
                    • 5G Devices
                    • Advanced Packaging
                    • Cryogenic Devices
                    • DC Parametric Test
                    • Low Frequency Noise
                    • mm-Wave Load-Pull
                    • Power Semiconductors
                    • Silicon Photonics
                    • VCSEL and MicroLED
                  • Technologies
                    • Contact Intelligence
                    • MEMS
                  • Publications
                    • Technical Papers
                    • Case Studies
                    • Test Insights Presentations
                  • MEASUREONE LEADERSHIP ALLIANCES
                    • MeasureOne Program Overview
                    • 1/f Device Characterization
                    • Circuit Characterization
                    • Cryogenic / Magnetic Probing
                    • Power Semiconductor Probing
                    • RF Tuning & Load-Pull
                    • S-Parameter & DC Parametric
                    • Silicon Photonics Test
                    • Terahertz Probing
                • Company
                  • About Us
                    • Accelerating Profitability
                    • Company Profile
                    • Our History
                    • Leadership
                    • Board of Directors
                    • Corporate Citizenship
                    • Diversity & Inclusion
                    • Global Locations
                  • Investors
                    • Investor Relations
                  • News & Events
                    • Newsroom
                    • Upcoming Events
                    • Blog
                  • Careers
                    • Career Opportunities
                    • Recruitment Privacy Policy
                  • Related Websites
                    • FRTmetrology.com
                • Sales & Service
                  • Contact Us
                    • Global Locations
                    • Contact Sales
                    • Parts & Service Request
                  • Additional Products/Programs
                    • Equipment Financing
                    • Educational Savings
                    • Certified Used Equipment
                    • Trade-in/Buy Back
                    • Logistics Service
                  • Product Support
                    • FormFactor RMA
                    • Cascade RMA
                    • Probe Systems Support
                    • Analytical Probe Support
                    • Analytical Probe Repair
                    • Pyramid Probe Card Support
                    • WinCal XE Support
                    • Documentation & Downloads
                  • Portal Sign In
                    • Sales Portal
                    • Service Portal
                Asset 4
                  WinCal XE - Automated on-wafer RF Measurement Calibration Software

                  Cascade

                  WinCal XE

                  Comprehensive and intuitive on-wafer RF measurement calibration software

                  OverviewVideosDownloadsSupport

                  WinCal XE Overview

                  WinCalXE software is a comprehensive and intuitive on-wafer RF measurement calibration tool to achieve accurate and repeatable S-parameter measurement. The WinCalXE features include exclusive 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-port calibration algorithms, immediate and live data measurement and viewing, LRRM, LRM+, SOLT-LRRM hybrid and NIST-style multi-line TRL calibrations, as well as an Error Set Management capability for data comparison and augmentation. The latest version, WinCalXE 4.9, covers Infinity, ACP, T-Wave and |Z| Probes, and is compatible with Velox™, Nucleus™ and ProberBench™ probe station control software.

                  Features:

                  • Supports up to 12 VNA ports than can be mapped to four logical ports for calibration
                  • Extensive guidance, wizards and management features automate calibration setup, measurement, result data conversion and report creation
                  • LRRM-SOLT, multi-line TRL and second-tier calibration methods enable precision and simple multi-port calibrations
                  • Automatic load inductance compensation function ensures the most repeatable calibrations
                  • Easy to use Probe to ISS/CSR matching tool
                  • Additional remoting methods
                  • Interface with Velox™ over LAN

                  Free 30 Day WinCal Demo!

                  Videos

                  WinCal™ - The Microwave Engineer’s Toolkit

                  FormFactor's WinCal software is a trusted software tool for achieving the best Vector Network Analyzer calibrations possible with integrated circuit wafer probes. This presentation will leave you saying "Wow, I did not know WinCal could do that!" Features such as the math scratchpad, sequencing capability, the graphing tool, and the remote API will be explained by rich examples.


                  MPS150 Modular Probe Station Starting at $13,880

                  FormFactor’s MPS150 probe station enables fast and precise manual handling of wafers and substrates up to 150 mm. It is the industry’s probe platform of choice for IV/CV, RF, mm-Wave, Terahertz, Load-Pull, High Power, Failure Analysis and Silicon Photonics measurements.

                  Flexible Cascade MPS150 Modular 150mm Probe Station

                  The MPS150 is an easy to use, yet highly-precise manual probe platform for wafers and substrates up to 150 mm. Pre-configured application-focused probing solutions are available with everything you need to achieve accurate measurement results in the shortest time, with maximum confidence. The MPS150 is the industry’s probe platform of choice.

                  Downloads

                  Icon WinCalXE Data Sheet
                  Icon Autonomous RF Measurement Assistant Brochure
                  Icon Autonomous RF Calibrations and Measurements Brief
                  Icon Advanced mm-Wave and Terahertz Measurements with Cascade Probe Stations
                  Icon Advanced mm-Wave Load-Pull Measurements
                  Icon Improving Wafer-Level S-parameters Measurement Accuracy and Stability with Probe-Tip Power Calibration up to 110 GHz for 5G Applications
                  Icon WinCal XE Connecting to a VNA with VISA Options

                  WinCalXE 4.7 and later downloads are available via our licensing portal

                  For WinCalXE 4.6 and older:

                  If your WinCal installation is working fine, and WinCal recognizes the key, there is no need to upgrade, if you have changed to a new computer and have problems please download the latest Sentinel System Driver Installer.

                  Support

                  • WinCal XE FAQs

                  • Demo Request Form

                  • Feedback Form

                  WinCal XE FAQs

                  General RF Calibration FAQ

                  What are the VNA calibration coefficients for my impedance standard substrate? (PN XXX-XXX) Expand

                  This question may indicate a basic misunderstanding of on-wafer calibration. Let's try to correct it.

                  In coaxial calibrations the standards are unique devices and since they have a unique connector can have only a single electrical characteristic. In on-wafer probing the electrical behavior of the standards are dependent upon the probe and how it is placed.

                  The shape and configuration of the standard will also be important. FormFactor makes a variety of impedance standard substrates (ISS's). There are versions for probes with standard or wide pitch with choices for ground-signal or ground-signal-ground tip configurations. In addition there are general purpose, specialty, and custom configurations supporting a wide variety of applications.

                  The calibration coefficients are supplied with the probe, not with the impedance standard substrate. Calibration coefficients may be found on the data sheet that shipped with your probe. The calibration coefficients for your probe / ISS combination may also be found using WinCal (Tools -> View Probes and Matching ISS/CSR). For 250 um pitch probes either the standard pitch or the wide-pitch ISS may be used. The calibration coefficients that are normally supplied correspond to the standard pitch ISS. The values will be somewhat different when using the wide pitch ISS.

                  The only calibration term not supplied with the probe is the Thru standard delay. For standard pitch probes with proper alignment of probe separation using the alignment marks provided on the ISS, the Thru delay will be 1 ps. For wide-pitch ISS's the Thru delay is 4 ps.

                  What is this Cal data? Where do I find it? What do I do with it? Expand

                  Your Cal information consists of three numbers for each probe and a number for the Thru standard. Each Probe: #1 Co Open circuit capacitance, #2 Ls Short circuit inductance, #3 Lterm load inductance. Thru: #1 Delay In most cases the load standards are 50 ohms. Where the 500 ohms that you see in the calkit comes from is in the implementation of the load inductance. The HP 8510 does not directly support entry of load inductance. Instead we use the offset load capability. By choosing a very high impedance (500 ohms) for the offset and the corresponding delay (L/500) we get behavior equivalent to the inductance that we want. This method can also be used for the short circuit inductance.

                  In all cases the three terms for the probes are supplied with the probe. Enter them as described above. The Thru delay is not all that well documented. Use 1 ps for probes with 250 um pitch or less. Larger pitch probes use Thru delay of 4 ps.

                  What are the electrical lengths of the long transmission lines on my impedance standard substrate? Expand

                  If TRL calibration is used the delay of the long lines will need to be supplied to WinCal or directly to the VNA. These delays are readily determined from the drawing supplied with the ISS. Simply measure the line using a scale provided on the ISS for this purpose. Remember to allow for the probe contact overlap - about 50 um on each end. Each 130 um (0.130 mm) of length corresponds to approximately 1 ps, so delay may be calculated from T (ps) = Length (mm)/0.13 (best fit).

                  The 101-190 TRL line lengths as measured after LRRM calibration:

                  150 um 1 ps
                  450 um 3.2 ps
                  900 um 6.6 ps
                  1800 um 13.5 ps
                  3500 um 26.6 ps
                  5250 um 40.4 ps

                  The 106-682 wide pitch GSG ISS has 4 ps Thru's and lines of 25, 50, and 50 ps. The straight CPW's on the 106-686 GP membrane ISS are 3.8, 5.8, 11.5, 17.1, 22.8, 28.3, 34.2, 39.7, 45.3, 52.7, 60.4, and 67.7 ps.

                  What is the electrical length for all THRU lines, especially for right angle THRU lines, on the general purpose ISS. (P/N 005-016)? I am going to use these THRU lines for the purpose of SOLR calibration using WinCal. Expand

                  Here are the delays for the lines in the upper right corner of the 005-016 ISS. They are in order from left to right, then top to bottom. "st" indicates a straight line, "ra" indicates a right angle line.

                  st 19.3 ps st 8 ps
                  st 19.3 ps st 2.7 ps st 4.7 ps
                  st 17 ps st 10.8 ps
                  st 24.2 ps ra ~5 ps
                  st 24.2 ps ra ~15 ps
                  st 41.1 ps

                  Treat these numbers as estimates - not as precise. The ra numbers are even less precise. The SOLR calibration requires only an estimate of the delay of the line which is used to determine the particular sign of a square root.

                  After completing the SOLR calibration, look at a polar plot of S21 for the R (reciprocal Thru) standard that was used in the cal. The phase response should be roughly continuous with frequency (for closely spaced measurement frequencies). If there is a step change in phase then the estimate of the Thru delay entry may need to be adjusted and the calibration recomputed.

                  Once a proper SOLR solution is completed the measurement of the delay of the Thru with the calibration turned on will be accurate and can be used for further work. Note that the best measurement of delay using a VNA is obtained by displaying the transmission phase and adjusting the "electrical delay" for constant zero phase over the measurement bandwidth. The 'delay' display format uses a calculation of the difference in phase between successive frequency points and can be very noisy for closely spaced frequencies.

                  Why is there a 180 degree step in phase in my S21 phase response when I measure my reciprocal Thru standard after an SOLR calibration? Expand

                  This kind of step behavior in the transmission phase indicates that the SOLR algorithm has not found the proper root choice in solving for the standard. Adjust your guess for the Thru delay estimate to eliminate the phase step behavior.

                  WinCal XE FAQ

                  How do I activate or deactivate my WinCalXE 4.9 and later License? Expand

                  Launch WinCal, and choose Licensing from the Help menu for license activation and deactivation information.

                  I’m trying to activate or deactivate WinCal 4.7 online, but get an error worded something like this: The request was aborted: Could not create SSL/TLS secure channel. Expand

                  This issue is resolved in WinCalXE 4.7.2. A free upgrade is available to download from the FlexNet License Portal for  users of 4.7.

                  The Flexera portal has increased their security measures and the network protocol TLS 2.1 is now required for activation and deactivation of WinCal licenses.  It is available in Windows 7 and later, but WinCal XE 4.7.0 and 4.7.1 do not make use of it.  The 4.7.2 update is now available for download on the FormFactor pages of the FlexNet portal (free to 4.7 .x users).  This new version will enable the required protocol and is available to download from the portal under the “Release Archive” tab in the Download Center.

                  Windows XP cannot do online activation/deactivation at all.  It does not support TLS 1.2, so only offline activation/deactivation is available there.

                  WinCal 4.8.x does not need any updates for this new portal requirement.

                  Another user installed and activated WinCal 4.7 on our lab PC, but when I use my Windows login, WinCal does not see the license. Expand

                  If multiple users log on to the computer where WinCal is installed you may get the following errors in the EventWindow:

                  QueryLicenseInfo failed: A service system error was encountered: Failed file open. [1,7DF,9,0[73000041,5,400703F3]]

                  WinCal license is invalid: AcquireLicensesFromTrustedStorage failed: A service system error was encountered: Failed file open. [1,7DF,9,0[73000041,5,400703F3]]

                  If you have more than one user on the same PC, those other users can use WinCal without having to separately activate the license. Only the first user that installs it need to do that. However, all Windows user logins need to have read access to the folder that holds the files we call “Trusted Storage”. It is a folder under Program Data and on Windows 7 it is “C:\ProgramData\Cascade Microtech\WinCal XE 4.7\FlexNetStorage”. If you get the errors above in WinCal’s Event Window, you have access right problems.

                  This issue is resolved in WinCalXE 4.8 and later by using a folder under "C:\Users\Public\Documents" instead.

                  Where can I find FAQ’s for WinCal 3.x and WinCal 2006 questions? Expand

                  WinCal 3.x and 2006 are no longer supported. They have been replaced by WinCal XE. Contact Sales for instructions how to get WinCal XE.

                  Can I get files with the 12-term error coefficients for LRRM, LRM+, TRL and other advanced calibrations? Expand

                  Advanced calibrations (with switching terms) are stored as 16-terms calibrations. Each error set consists of a few files that are stored together in one folder.

                  They are of course converted to 12-term before being sent to a VNA. WinCal can also convert them to 12-term on command and save them as S1P files with one error coefficient per file in a new folder.

                  Error sets are store in a subfolder called ErrSets under the folder you have designated as “User Home Folder” in Options. (Showing default for user name hwikega on Windows 7)

                  wincal-faq-12-term-options

                  To handle Error Sets, use the menu “Tools | Error Set Manager” in the main program. In the Error Set Manager all saved Error Sets are showing, and WinCal saves each one you
                  make. (It may also be a good idea to clean out old ones once in a while.)

                  Find the 16-term Error Set you want to save as 12-term and right click on it. You will see a pop-up menu, where the last menu option is Convert to Extended 12 Term

                  Note: WinCal XE always saves SOL and SOLT in the 12 term format directly, since they do not have switching terms (not considered advanced calibrations).

                  wincal-faq-12-term-options-expanded

                   

                  Make this conversation and WinCal makes a new folder with the 12 term content. It will have these kinds of files, where each 12-term error coefficient is in a separate S1P file.

                  wincal-faq-12-term-options-docs

                  How can I see the data a calibration session measures? What can I do with it? Expand

                  The data can be reached via RF Data Viewer:
                  When data is measured in Calibration form, the “View” button becomes available.

                  After you click on the “View” button, the data will be downloaded into a Report

                  In the Report Tab, you can now see measurement results on a graph

                  You can also view your measurement results by clicking View > Data Items

                  wincal-faq-rfdata-viewer-A

                  If you right click on the data item, a pop-up menu will appear with several options to choose from.

                  wincal-faq-rfdata-viewer-B

                  To see the numerical data, select “Properties” on the pop-up menu, this will appear as an SnP file providing the details of your measurement

                   

                   

                  Why do I get red error events in WinCal when I calibrate the PNA for fewer ports than are displayed on the PNA? Expand

                  An old version of WinCal XE had this limitation. It has since been fixed. Please upgrade to the current version.

                  How can I calculate and view derived values from my measured S-parameters? Expand

                  The “WinCal XE Data Post Processing Tutorial” provides instruction on using WinCal XE post processing capability. Make sure the main form shows at full size (rightmost toolbar button). Select the Tutorial tab, then press “Other” and the selection of this tutorial will be available.

                  Are there any example Reports? Expand

                  Yes, there are several examples. In the main form, use the menu “Help-Copy Examples to My Documents“. This will copy all example files from the distribution to the “User Home Folder”, typically “My Documents\WinCal XE 4.7\Examples” belonging to the currently logged in user. The “User Home Folder” can be changed in Options-Folders tab. Once the examples are there you can open, copy and modify them to your own needs. If you modify them, we recommend that you copy them to a new subfolder to your “User Home Folder” first, so that a new “Help-Copy Examples to My Documents” won’t overwrite your customized version.

                  How does WinCal XE assist me in validating my calibration? Expand

                  WinCal XE comes with powerful validation tools. For an overview of these tools go to the main form and use the menu “Help-Documentation Folders“. It will open the Windows Explorer to this folder. Select the subfolder “Application Toolkits” and open the file “Calibration Validation and System Comparison Tools.pdf”

                  What tools does WinCal XE have to assist me in device characterization? Expand

                  WinCal XE comes with many tools to assist you with your device characterization tasks. In the main form, use the menu “Help-Documentation Folders“. It will open the Windows Explorer to this folder. Select the subfolder “Application Toolkits” and open the file “Device Characterization Tools.pdf”which describes many of the tools.

                  Can I create my own Wizards? Expand

                  Yes. In the main form, use the menu “Wizards-Wizard Script Editor”. A better way may be to start with an existing Wizard and modify it. Select the Wizard tab in the main form. Press “More Wizards” and right click on the Wizard you want to base your custom Wizard on. Right click and select “Create Copy for User” or “Create Copy for Group” depending on if you want to share it or not. The original Wizard gets copied there and you can then right click on this new copy and select “Edit”. After editing you can save it with a new name, but it will not replace the original Wizard even if not renamed. They reside in different folders.

                  Why do I get a ‘Calibration no longer acceptable’ result when I monitor my calibration immediately after calibration was completed? Expand

                  This is an indication of poor repeatability in your measurement system. One way this can occur is when your calkit was radically misdefined or perhaps you measured a short circuit when you should have measured an open. This can create a high sensitivity to measurement system variability.

                  More likely is that something is wrong in the measurement system. Using your VNA with calibration turned off, compare the magnitude of measured reflection coefficient for a load and a short on each port. Expect more than 10 dB of change in order to get good calibration results.

                  This experiment can be repeated with coaxial standards at the ends of the cable, and at the VNA front panel to further isolate the problem. If the problem occurs when using the VNA alone there may be a problem with the VNA. Check your VNA setup. Low source power, high port attenuation, or ramp sweep will reduce VNA repeatability. Using inadequate averaging can also reduce dynamic range.

                  Check all cables and connections. Properly torque all connectors. Make sure that you are using good quality phase stable cables. With a poor cable any strain or inadvertent bump from the user will change the electrical behavior enough to spoil a calibration. Semi-rigid cables may be used but avoid any stresses at the connectors and properly secure the cable to minimize vibration or other motion.

                  If your system is performing at its best the thresholds for ‘good’ and ‘acceptable’ calibrations can be changed to provide guidance for nominal system performance.

                  How come I see a 180 degree step in phase in my S21 phase response when I measure my reciprocal Thru standard after an SOLR calibration? Expand

                  This kind of step behavior in the transmission phase indicates that the SOLR algorithm has not found the proper root choice in solving for the standard. Adjust your guess for the Thru delay estimate to eliminate the phase step behavior.

                  I cannot select any VNA except the Virtual one. What should I look for? Expand

                  For WinCalXE 4.6 and earlier

                  For a “Demo & Virtual” installation, where no key is needed, it is actually normal operation. Note that for a full 30-day Demo with a key you will need to choose default or full installation and then have the key attached. To only have the Virtual VNA available is a symptom of the hardware key (USB or parallel) either being the wrong one or not attached at all. It could also be a system problem, perhaps with the install of the driver for the key.

                  For WinCalXE 4.7 and later

                  Verify you have a valid license in WinCalXE (Help -> Licensing)

                  Why do I get erratic behavior when accessing a VNA over GPIB on a probe station running Nucleus? Expand

                  The first thing to check is the obvious physical connections. GPIB contacts can slip out if not screwed in properly. Another common cause is that Nucleus is configured to be talker/listener and is conflicting with WinCal’s need to be Controller. Either use a GPIB switch box (and configure WinCal to use it, see below), or configure Nucleus to not be controlled over GPIB at all (Nucleus Hardware Setup – see Nucleus manual). You can try to select the Switchbox in WinCal even if you don’t have one. It should still stop Nucleus from using GPIB when WinCal needs it.

                  WinCal XE / Nucleus COM Setup Alert Box

                  I save Touchstone 3-port (S3P) files with WinCal, but cannot read them with my other measurement or modeling program. Why? Expand

                  An early version had a file syntax flaw regarding the line breaks for a 3-port data set. This has since been fixed. Please upgrade to the current version.

                  Can I turn off the prompting for every measurement when I use a manual prober? Expand

                  Yes, the Calibration tab in Options has a checkbox for that.

                  I cannot connect WinCal 4.7 to Velox 2.2 directly with the Velox, Control Interface setting (direct Message Server) on the same machine. I receive and error message about a missing PTHREADBC2.DLL. Expand
                  This issue is resolved in WinCalXE 4.7.1. A free upgrade is available to download from the FlexNet License Portal for  users of 4.7.

                  Background

                  In Velox 2.2 the MessageServer was rewritten in C#.Net and the newer DLL interface (Vx.MessageServe.dll) should be used. WinCal 4.7 installs the older version of this DLL to its SysBin folder. WinCal 4.6 did not install this DLL and will connect ok, since it gets the DLL from Velox path. This DLL is no longer installed in versions 4.7.1 and later.

                  Workarounds

                  1. Use Sockets Instead. The Socket connection still works, so change to using Velox, LAN (Sockets) and put in localhost for IP address.
                  2. Remove The DLL from WinCal’s install folder. The (typical) install folder for WinCal on Windows 7 is: C:\Program Files (x86)\Cascade Microtech\WinCal XE 4.7\SysBin
                    1. Make sure WinCal is closed
                    2. Navigate to the folder above, then remove Vx.MessageServe.dll
                    3. Reboot and it should not work, since WinCal would pick up the newer Velox 2.2 DLL from the system path.

                  Demo Request Form

                  WinCalXE software is a comprehensive and intuitive on-wafer RF measurement calibration tool to achieve accurate and repeatable S-parameter measurement. The WinCalXE features include exclusive 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-port calibration algorithms, immediate and live data measurement and viewing, LRRM, LRM+, SOLT-LRRM hybrid and NIST-style multi-line TRL calibrations, as well as an Error Set Management capability for data comparison and augmentation. WinCalXE covers Infinity, ACP, T-Wave and |Z| Probes, and is compatible with Velox™, Nucleus™ and ProberBench™ probe station control software.

                  Request a 30-day trial of WinCal XE by completing the form below.

                  Contact Information

                  Company Information

                  Request Information

                  Please provide as much detail as possible.

                  Section

                  reCAPTCHA
                  Sending

                  By clicking [Submit], you are providing FormFactor with your personal data. Personal data is used in accordance with FormFactor's Privacy Policy.

                  Feedback Form

                  Your feedback on WinCal XE is important to us and helps us prioritize future product enhancements. Please use the following form to alert us to issues, to make suggestions for enhancements or for any other comments.

                  Contact Information

                  Request Information

                  Please provide as much detail as possible.

                  Section

                  reCAPTCHA
                  Sending

                  By clicking [Submit], you are providing FormFactor with your personal data. Personal data is used in accordance with FormFactor's Privacy Policy.

                  Customer Care

                  Ready to learn more about FormFactor products and services?

                  Contact Sales Today
                  • Company
                  • Company Profile
                  • Investor Relations
                  • Newsroom
                  • Our History
                  • Leadership
                  • Board of Directors
                  • Corporate Citizenship
                  • Blog
                  • Careers
                  • Career Opportunities
                  • Recruitment Privacy Policy
                  • Sales & Service
                  • Global Locations
                  • Products
                  • Probe Systems
                  • Probes
                  • Probe Cards

                  Social Media

                  LinkedIn Facebook YouTube
                  • Privacy Policy
                  • Web Terms of Use

                  ©2021, FormFactor. All Rights Reserved.

                  • Products
                    • Probe Systems
                      • (Modular Systems)
                      • 150 MM Probe Systems
                        • MPS150
                        • Genius Education Kits
                        • Back
                      • 200 MM Probe Systems
                        • Summit
                        • BlueRay
                        • PM8/EPS200
                        • See All…
                        • Back
                      • 300 MM Probe Systems
                        • CM300
                        • PM300
                        • See All…
                        • Back
                      • (Dedicated Systems)
                      • Autonomous Assistants
                        • Autonomous DC
                        • Autonomous RF
                        • Autonomous SiPh
                        • Back
                      • Power Systems
                        • Tesla
                        • Back
                      • Board Level Systems
                        • Board Test Systems
                        • Back
                      • Cryogenic Systems
                        • Wafer/Multi-chip Systems
                        • Chip-scale Systems
                        • IQ1000 SQUID Microscope
                        • Cryostats
                        • Vacuum/Pressure Systems
                        • Back
                          • Back
                        • Back
                      • (Integrated Systems)
                      • With KeySight
                        • IMS-K-mmW/THz
                        • IMS-K-SiPh
                        • IMS-K-Power
                        • IMS-K-DC
                        • IMS-K-LFN
                        • Back
                      • Software
                        • Velox
                        • WinCal XE
                        • Back
                      • Accessories
                        • eVue Microscope
                        • Positioners
                        • Chucks
                        • Vibration Isolation Tables
                        • ShieldEnclosure™
                          •  
                            •  
                            • Back
                          • Back
                        •  
                          •  
                          • Back
                        • Back
                      • Additional Products/Programs
                        • Custom Probe Systems
                        • Certified Used Equipment
                        • Trade-in/Buy Back
                        • Educational Savings
                        • Back
                      •  
                      •  
                      •  
                      • Back
                    • Probes
                      • ACP
                        • ACP Probe – Coaxial
                        • ACP Probe – Cryo/Vacuum
                        • Back
                      • INFINITY
                        • Infinity Probe – Coaxial
                        • InfinityXT™ Probe – Coaxial
                        • Infinity Waveguide Probe
                        • Back
                      • |Z| PROBE
                        • |Z| Probe – Coaxial
                        • |Z| Probe® PCB
                        • |Z| Probe® Power
                        • Back
                      • T-WAVE
                        • T-Wave Probe
                        • Back
                      • RF MULTICONTACT
                        • InfinityQuad
                        • ACP-Q Probe
                        • Unity Probe
                        • Multi-|Z| Probe
                        • |Z| ProbeWedge
                        • QuadCard™
                        • Back
                      • DC PARAMETRIC
                        • DCP 100 Series Probe
                        • DCP-HTR Series Probe
                        • Back
                      • DC MULTICONTACT
                        • DC-Q Probe
                        • Eye-Pass Probe
                        • WPH Probe
                        • Back
                      • DC POWER
                        • High Current Probe
                        • High Voltage Probe
                        • Ultra High-Power (UHP)
                        • Back
                      • SPECIALTY
                        • Resistive Matching and Termination
                        • Optical Probes
                        • Cryogenic Probes
                        • Back
                      • SIGNAL INTEGRITY
                        • FPC Probe
                        • Back
                      • CALIBRATION TOOLS
                        • Impedance Standard Substrates
                        • CSR Cal Substrates
                        • Multiline TRL Cal Substrates
                        • WinCal XE
                        • Back
                      • Product Support
                        • Probe Support
                        • Probe Repair
                        • WinCal Support
                        • Back
                      • Back
                    • Probe Cards
                      • DRAM
                        • PH Series
                        • SmartMatrix
                        • Back
                      • FLASH
                        • TouchMatrix
                        • Back
                      • FOUNDRY & LOGIC
                        • Altius
                        • Katana
                        • QiLin
                        • Cantilever
                        • Apollo
                        • TrueScale
                        • Vx-MP
                        • Back
                      • PARAMETRIC
                        • Pyramid Parametric
                        • Takumi
                        • Back
                      • [ RF Probing ]
                      • Type/Application
                        • RF-Front End
                        • 5G mmWave
                        • RF Transceivers
                        • Auto-Radar
                        • High Speed Digital
                        • Back
                      • Platforms
                        • Pyramid RF
                        • Pyrana RF
                        • Back
                        • Back
                        • Back
                        • Back
                        • Back
                        • Back
                      • Back
                    • Metrology
                      • Metrology Systems
                        • MicroProf® AP
                        • MicroProf® FS
                        • MicroProf® FE
                        • MicroProf® MHU
                        • MicroProf® TL
                        • MicroProf® 300
                        • MicroProf® 200
                        • MicroProf® 100
                        • Back
                      • Back
                    • Back
                  • Test Expertise
                    • Customer Collaboration
                      • Sharing Expertise
                      • Lab to Fab
                      • Back
                    • Applications
                      • 5G Devices
                      • Advanced Packaging
                      • Cryogenic Devices
                      • DC Parametric Test
                      • Low Frequency Noise
                      • mm-Wave Load-Pull
                      • Power Semiconductors
                      • Silicon Photonics
                      • VCSEL and MicroLED
                      • Back
                    • Technologies
                      • Contact Intelligence
                      • MEMS
                      • Back
                    • Publications
                      • Technical Papers
                      • Case Studies
                      • Test Insights Presentations
                      • Back
                    • MEASUREONE LEADERSHIP ALLIANCES
                      • MeasureOne Program Overview
                      • 1/f Device Characterization
                      • Circuit Characterization
                      • Cryogenic / Magnetic Probing
                      • Power Semiconductor Probing
                      • RF Tuning & Load-Pull
                      • S-Parameter & DC Parametric
                      • Silicon Photonics Test
                      • Terahertz Probing
                      • Back
                    • Back
                  • Company
                    • About Us
                      • Accelerating Profitability
                      • Company Profile
                      • Our History
                      • Leadership
                      • Board of Directors
                      • Corporate Citizenship
                      • Diversity & Inclusion
                      • Global Locations
                      • Back
                    • Investors
                      • Investor Relations
                      • Back
                    • News & Events
                      • Newsroom
                      • Upcoming Events
                      • Blog
                      • Back
                    • Careers
                      • Career Opportunities
                      • Recruitment Privacy Policy
                      • Back
                    • Related Websites
                      • FRTmetrology.com
                      • Back
                    • Back
                  • Sales & Service
                    • Contact Us
                      • Global Locations
                      • Contact Sales
                      • Parts & Service Request
                      • Back
                    • Additional Products/Programs
                      • Equipment Financing
                      • Educational Savings
                      • Certified Used Equipment
                      • Trade-in/Buy Back
                      • Logistics Service
                      • Back
                    • Product Support
                      • FormFactor RMA
                      • Cascade RMA
                      • Probe Systems Support
                      • Analytical Probe Support
                      • Analytical Probe Repair
                      • Pyramid Probe Card Support
                      • WinCal XE Support
                      • Documentation & Downloads
                      • Back
                    • Portal Sign In
                      • Sales Portal
                      • Service Portal
                      • Back
                    • Back

                  [ Placeholder content for popup link ] WordPress Download Manager - Best Download Management Plugin

                  IMPORTANT NOTIFICATIONS TO FORMFACTOR EMPLOYEES REGARDING COVID-19

                  • English
                  • Japanese
                  • Chinese Simplified

                  We've updated our Privacy Policy.

                  Our policy describes the use of cookies and similar technologies on this website. It also describes how we use any personal data we collect. Click “Agree” (below) to consent to this use. To learn more, please read the FormFactor Privacy Policy.