In charging a gate of a NMOS transistor Q1, the charging speed is adjustable by varying a resistor R1. In particular, alignment of the coupling fixtures typically does not require powering of the optical element yet provides a degree of alignment that is comparable to that obtained by active alignment techniques. An actuator assembly is attached to the test article and is adapted for substantially concurrently imparting first and second forcing functions in first and second directions on the test article, with the first and second directions being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis.