Engineers now can source voltage or current with high accuracy from a single PXI slot with National Instruments‘ PXI-4110 programmable DC power supply. According to the company, the power supply exceeds the accuracy of other PXI power supplies with high-resolution setpoints and read-back measurement capability while reducing test times with programming speeds less than 1 ms. It is ideal for applications such as I-V curve tracing, device characterization or device power sourcing in a variety of industries, including semiconductor, consumer electronics and communications. The device is a programmable, triple-output precision DC power supply in a single-slot, 3U PXI module. It has two isolated channels, one from 0 to +20 V and the other from 0 to -20 V, and a single non-isolated 0 to 6 V supply – all capable of outputting up to 1 A per channel. Engineers can use the module’s 16-bit resolution setpoints, selectable 20 mA current range and read-back measurements to program 0.12 mV changes in voltage and 0.4 μA changes in current to meet the most rigid test specification requirements. With less than 1 ms programming speeds, engineers can perform fast voltage/current sweeps across a device, reducing total test time compared to traditional GPIB or serial controlled power supplies by more than 10 times. The module offers 9 W of output power when operating from the PXI backplane supply, and up to 46 W of power (maximum of 20 W per channel) when connected to an auxiliary power supply through the module’s front panel. With the 20 mA current range and its built-in measurement of both terminal voltage and current, this power supply is reportedly the first PXI module to source and measure current with a resolution better than 1 μA. Engineers can take advantage of this functionality also in applications that require a separate precision source-measure unit. This functionality can reduce the cost of test systems in applications such as I-V curve tracing, where small current changes are required to fully characterize a device. The power supply works with all the company’s modular instruments as well as the LabVIEW graphical development environment, the LabWindows/CVI ANSI C development environment and Microsoft Visual Basic/C++. When combined with digital multimeters, digitizers, arbitrary waveform generators, high-speed digital devices, switches and other modular instruments, the power supply can help form a complete functional test system in a single PXI chassis.
EPP Europe 449
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