FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Keithley Instruments, Inc.
28775 Aurora RoadCleveland, Ohio 44139

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Keithley Expands Switching Product Line, Offering Industry's Highest Density Half-Rack Switching System
Products combine cost-effective, high-density switching for large channel count applications


Cleveland, Ohio - January 18, 2005 - Keithley Instruments, Inc. (NYSE:KEI), a leader in solutions for emerging measurement needs, introduces the Model 7002-HD high-density two-slot switching mainframe and cards, offering instrument grade switching at a price up to 40% less than comparable platforms. The Model 7002-HD supports up to 384 matrix crosspoints or 320 multiplexer channels in a single half-rack 2U (3.5 inch or 88.9 mm) instrument, providing the highest density half-rack 2U switching package in the test and measurement industry. Pairing the Model 7002-HD with a Keithley SourceMeter® instrument, a DMM, or other instrument makes it possible to create an extremely cost-effective test system for large channel count applications.

Two new high density switch cards, the models 7002-HD-MUX1 and 7002-HD-MTX1, complement the Model 7002-HD. The Model 7002-HD-MUX1 is a differential (two-pole) quad 1 x 40 multiplexing card, providing a total of 160 multiplexer channels per card. This card can be software programmed as a quad 1 x 40, dual 1 x 80, single 1 x 160, or even a 4 x 160 blocking matrix. The Model 7002-HD-MTX1 is a differential (two-pole) 6 x 32 non-blocking matrix card, providing a total of 192 matrix crosspoints. Both cards are equipped with backplane isolation relays, allowing users to connect between cards within a mainframe. This allows users to create a one-box, 320-channel (two-pole) multiplexer or 6 x 64 (two-pole) matrix. Each card has 200 VDC and 1 Amp signal-handling capacity, which is much higher than typical high-density cards.

The Model 7002-HD mainframe and cards are well suited for a variety of high-density switching applications in precision electronic and semiconductor applications including multi-terminal component testing, wafer or packaged part I-V testing, OLED array testing, and burn-in or accelerated lifetime testing, among others.

The two-slot Model 7002-HD mainframe is an extension of the design used in Keithley's proven Series 7000 switching mainframes. For current users of Keithley's Model 7001 or 7002, the code compatibility of this new mainframe will minimize system set-up and programming. Operating and programming the Model 7002-HD is done via either the front panel controls or over the IEEE-488 GPIB bus. An analog backplane can be used to make connections between cards when building large matrix or multiplexer configurations, eliminating intercard wiring and allowing greater configuration flexibility and better signal integrity.

The Model 7002-HD features a non-volatile memory for saving and recalling relay setups, even after a power loss. It can store and recall up to 500 switch patterns to use as part of a scan list and to sequence through switch patterns.

The Model 7002-HD contains the Trigger Link interface. Keithley's Trigger Link high-speed trigger bus is included with virtually all Keithley instruments and mainframes, providing simple trigger coordination between different types of instruments. By providing access to six independent hardware trigger lines on a single cable, Trigger Link eliminates GPIB communication delays during scanning, boosting overall system throughput.

With more than 50 years of measurement expertise, Keithley Instruments (www.keithley.com) has become a world leader in advanced electrical test instruments and systems from DC to RF (radio frequency) geared to the specialized needs of electronics manufacturers for high performance production testing, process monitoring, product development, and research. By building upon our strength in electrical measurement solutions for research, Keithley has become a production test technology leader for the semiconductor, wireless, optoelectronics, and other precision electronics segments of the worldwide electronics industry. The value we provide to our customers is a combination of precision measurement technology and a rich understanding of their applications to improve the quality, throughput, and yield of their products.

Products and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

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