Automating the determination of diode thermal sensitivity using the ExpEYES-17 Kit: a pedagogical approach

This article presents an experimental setup designed to automate the measurement of the thermal sensitivity of diodes using the ExpEYES-17 computer-interfaced test and measurement system, with the motivation of developing a modern pedagogical tool for physics laboratories. The experiment focuses on the temperature dependence of the knee voltage in P–N junction diodes, a critical phenomenon in semiconductor physics. A key feature is the integration of a PT-100 temperature sensor with Python-based automation, allowing continuous, high-resolution data logging of the forward I–V characteristics as the diode cools down after being heated to a predefined temperature. The results obtained from the experiment are in close agreement with established theoretical values, validating the effectiveness of this method. Numerical analysis techniques, specifically the use of linear extrapolation and linear regression, are employed to extract the thermal sensitivity coefficient precisely. This approach introduces students to modern techniques of data acquisition and analysis while reinforcing fundamental concepts in semiconductor physics, making it an ideal, scalable experiment for a physics practical course in an undergraduate or postgraduate physics curriculum.