Advanced Energy new monitoring solution

Compatible with Advanced Energy’s Evergreen modular and NeoPower configurable AC-DC technologies, the PowerPro Dongle offers CANBUS and PMBus connectivity without requiring modifications to the base model.

Using the sophisticated MODBUS GUI, users can intuitively visualise and control the power supply, simplifying and accelerating configuration, programming, diagnostics, troubleshooting, firmware updates, and qualification. The PowerPro Dongle facilitates easier data integration with networked devices, such as AI edge devices, providing real-time power usage monitoring.

“Our aim is to provide designers with the products and tools that make design, prototyping, customisation, diagnostics and certification as quick and easy as possible,” said María Cortez, Advanced Energy’s Senior Vice President, Industrial Power Products. “Our Evergreen and NeoPower products already come with a MODBUS digital bus, but the new PowerPro Dongle, which can be mounted anywhere in the system and is easily customisable to suit specific needs, adds CANBus and PMBus functionality, while our MODBUS GUI provides intuitive at-a-glance access to critical performance data.”

Initially supporting powers up to 4,000 W, Advanced Energy’s NeoPower configurable power supplies deliver optimised power conversion for industrial and medical applications in a compact form factor with up to four times the power density of conventional solutions. The Evergreen family, featuring 10 kW building blocks, allows for rapid assembly and scaling of high-power-density applications.

Both platforms include a sophisticated digital communication bus that provides development integration tools such as power reporting and a datalogger for recording performance during integration testing. A wide range of configurable options can be programmed via the digital bus to tailor the product to various applications.

The PowerPro Dongle enhances these platforms with CANBUS and PMBus connectivity. Its form factor allows for easy integration, enhancement, and customisation to suit specific requirements. Using the MODBUS GUI, engineers can visualise digital bus features, access powerful monitoring, control and diagnostic capabilities, and extract power supply data. Additional features include the ability to configure voltage, current, and other parameters in real-time to accommodate various applications such as battery charging, semiconductor burn-in, laser drivers, hydrogen production, and electroplating.

The dongle’s extended data acquisition “black box” storage function aids in failure analysis, and its ability to report power supply telemetry data expedites product qualification testing. The GUI also facilitates convenient firmware updates in the field and rapid power supply programming in manufacturing via user-customised application-based configuration files.