SMUs support testing of battery-powered products, system components
Dan Strassberg, Senior Technical Editor -- EDN, July 15, 2010
Agilent Technologies has added two
two-quadrant SMUs (source-measurement
units) to its N6700 series of
modular power systems—the N6781A for
battery-drain analysis and the N6782A for
functional test. The units, which perform as
voltage or current sources or as constant-voltage
or constant-current electronic
loads, provide the advanced capabilities
you need to test battery-powered devices
and their components. The company also
introduced software and updates for its
dc-power-analyzer mainframe.Thanks to the products’ seamless measurement ranging, you can precisely view and measure dynamic-current waveforms without glitches or disruptions. Ths SMU automatically detects the current of the DUT (device under test) as it changes and switches among its four measurement ranges to the range that returns the most precise measurement.
In combination with the units’ built-in 18-bit 200k-sample/sec digitizer, seamless measurement ranging enables 28-bit effective vertical resolution. In one pass and one picture, the units let you see complete current waveforms— from nanoamps to amperes. A complementary feature provides quick glitch-free transitions among source ranges.
When you use the N6781 with the manufacturer’s 14585A software, the N6781A provides insights into the battery drain of e-book readers, music players, mobile phones, and pacemakers. The unit also includes an auxiliary DVM (digital voltmeter).
The N6782A can modulate its output to 100 kHz and provides two-quadrant operation, suiting it for such devices as dc/dc converters, power-management units, power amplifiers, and power-management ICs. The fast sourcing and waveform capabilities can stimulate the DUT’s input stage, and the electronic-load capabilities can load the output stage and measure its performance. The combination of these capabilities thus enables comprehensive testing.
The N6705B’s internal memory is 1 Gbyte. The N6781A for battery-drain analysis, the N6782A for functional test, and the N6705B mainframe sell for $5300, $4230, and $6900, respectively. A software license for the 14585A costs $1240.
Agilent Technologies, Inc
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