Kulicke & Soffa 8001-4170 – Industrial Communication Interface with Modbus RTU Support

Application Scenarios

In a semiconductor assembly facility, wire bonders operate at high speed, placing thousands of interconnections per hour on integrated circuits. Each machine must communicate real-time production data—bond parameters, throughput counts, error codes—to the facility’s manufacturing execution system (MES). When communication latency or signal degradation occurs, operators lose visibility of production status, and quality issues can go undetected until downstream inspection.

The Kulicke & Soffa 8001-4170 addresses this challenge directly. Installed within the equipment’s control cabinet, the 8001-4170 provides a dedicated RS-232 communication interface operating at data rates up to 115.2 kbps . It transmits bond program updates from the central controller to the bonder head while simultaneously relaying production statistics back to the MES. When a bond parameter drifts out of specification, the 8001-4170 ensures that alert reaches the operator interface within milliseconds, enabling immediate correction before defective units accumulate.

In another scenario, a facility integrates legacy wire bonders with a modern supervisory system. The 8001-4170’s compatibility with major PLC brands and support for MODBUS RTU protocol enables protocol translation without replacing the entire control infrastructure .

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