DC power supplies cover wide range of voltage and currents

The Series 2260B complements the Series 2200 single- and multi-channel power supplies. Both are designed for bench top, embedded, and manufacturing test applications that demand higher power and performance.

The 360W Model 2260B-30-36 and the Model 2260B-80-13 Programmable DC Power Supplies are capable of sourcing a wide range of voltage and currents. For applications with higher power requirements, the Model 2260B-30-72 and the Model 2260B-80-27 can output up to 720W. Depending on the model chosen, the power supplies can source up to 80V or 72A. This wide range of output levels, combined with LAN and USB connectivity and an optional GPIB interface, makes the supplies well suited for applications such as environmental, stress, and accelerated life test; LED and higher power component test; automotive test; battery research and test; and production test.

To prevent transient voltage overshoot spikes from damaging devices under test (DUTs) when power is initially supplied, Series 2260B power supplies have programmable voltage and current rise time (or slew rate) control.

The programming of a current rise time puts Series 2260B supplies in a constant current control priority mode in which the current slew rate limits the rate at which the voltage rises across the DUT. Fall times can also be programmed independently from rise time values, so the power delivered to a load can be precisely controlled to prevent overshoot spikes, high in-rush currents, undershoot spikes, and high turn-off transients.

This helps prevents damage to components, modules, or devices and allows generating more precise characteristic I-V curves for components such as LEDs. Programmable on-off delays allow turning circuits on and off at specified times to ensure power is applied and safely removed when needed.

To test a battery-powered circuit or device under realistic conditions, it’s advisable to use a test source that has the characteristic performance of a battery.

For example, a battery has a varying internal resistance, so a device powered by a battery will have a voltage applied that is reduced by the voltage drop across the battery’s internal resistance. Series 2260B supplies have a programmable output resistance up to 5.9Ω to simulate a battery’s internal resistance. Battery types such as lead-acid and lithium ion can be simulated for testing automotive circuits. Therefore, automotive circuits can be tested with a power supply that simulates the performance of an automotive battery.

When an application demands more than 80V, users can connect two Model 2260B power supplies in series to double the maximum output voltage to 160V or connect three Model 2260Bs in parallel to produce as much as 216A. A master-slave configuration controls the supplies in either series or parallel configurations, with the master unit showing the total voltage and current. This master-slave operation means the controller must only interface with one Series 2260B power supply, which can then control the other power supplies in the system. For the highest power applications, multiple units can be combined to deliver up to 2160W.

The power supplies offer the flexibility to interface with an automated test system via a USB, LAN, or optional GPIB interface. They also provide an analog control capability that can regulate outputs via an external voltage or resistance. With the analog input control, the power supplies can be used to generate complex waveforms. In addition, the analog input can be used to generate a noisy DC level to see how resistant a circuit-under-test is to noise. A fast discharge capability supports dissipating the voltage on the output quickly, so that another voltage can be programmed and generated with minimal test time delay. A fast (1ms) transient recovery time ensures rapid response to load changes. The combination of the fast discharge time and the fast transient response helps increase throughput in automated test systems.