Here is how you extract the Iconfig configuration file from the Agilent 8960 series if you currently own an E5515C and are looking to sell it or trade it in to us.

First you need to install the 8960 config reader. Click the link below to download.

QTUTSetup.zip

Then you need to plug the 8960 into your local LAN network port, or one of your router ports.

Then you need to give the 8960 an IP address, like 193.167.0.100 or whatever is not currently in use. Use the ‘setup’ and/or ‘config’ buttons until you find one that lets you edit the network settings.

You might have to put the subnet mask and the gateway settings too. in too. Just look at the network settings of whatever computers you are using there if you are not sure what those should be set to.

Example settings:

So you want the 8960 on your network on a different ip address.

Then you fire up the config software and type in the IP you had just put into the machine

Once you are connected, you want to click on ‘mode’ and then ‘open iconfig’

And you should be able to get the file from there.

Fluke awarded $1.4 million federal grant to establish Smart Grid calibration standard

The goal is to increase electrical reliability and reduce power interruptions

EVERETT, Wash. – Fluke Corporation, the global leader in handheld electronic test and measurement technology and electrical calibration, will receive $1.4 million in federal stimulus funding, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to ensure the Smart Grid is reliable and stable, and ready to accept power from renewable resources including wind and solar.

Fluke Corporation, a division of Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR), was chosen to create a new calibration technology that is a catalyst for creating a standard with which electricity flowing into the Smart Grid will be evaluated. The standard will enable consistent measurement of electricity from all sources, including renewable resources such as wind and solar. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the area of Measurement Science and Engineering Research to support research in areas deemed of critical national importance. “This grant is a testament to the innovations we’ve brought to the field of electrical measurement,” said Barbara Hulit, Fluke president.

“We are excited at the prospect of helping develop a measurement standard that makes the entire U.S. Smart Grid more stable, while utilizing renewable energy efficiently and effectively.”

Looming Issue: Why the Smart Grid needs an electrical measurement standard Fluke’s new calibration technology will be used to calibrate Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), a gating technology that measures the health of the electrical power grid. PMUs play a vital role in the deployment of the Smart Grid, by measuring and evaluating power flowing into the grid from increasingly diverse sources. Grid distribution centers use this critical information to determine where and when to send power across transmission lines, leading to more efficient use of energy and lessening the risk of power interruptions and outages. PMUs identify the preconditions that lead to power interruptions.

The U.S.-Canada investigation into the Northeast blackout of 2003, which disrupted power to an estimated 45 million people in eight U.S. states and 10 million people in Ontario, hypothesized that had a system of PMUs been in place, the grid collapse could have been avoided. According to a recent study at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, power interruptions cost the U.S. economy about $79 billion annually, or about one third of what the nation spends on electricity. Add to this the need for the Smart Grid to carry energy from renewable sources, and there is an even higher potential for future conflicts to occur, putting the U.S. Smart Grid at risk for power interruptions.

“Modernizing the electric grid and improving power system reliability requires very precise electrical measurements. PMUs provide those. They also allow the grid to utilize energy from renewable resources and increase transmission throughput. At present, the testing and verification method for PMUs is unclear. That’s why the Smart Grid needs one measurement standard,” said Warren Wong, director of engineering for Fluke Calibration.

“With a PMU calibrator, we’ll have a standard that can be used to uniformly evaluate the proper operation of these devices. That could really minimize the risk of power conditions that lead to blackouts.”

NIST received over 1,300 proposals for the grants and Fluke was one of only 27 companies awarded grants in the area of  measurement science and engineering research. Fluke will develop the calibrator over the next 26 months, and as part of the grant, will invest $390,000 of its own money in the development effort.

About Fluke
Fluke Corporation is the leader in compact, professional electronic test tools. Fluke customers are technicians, engineers, electricians, metrologists and building diagnostic professionals who install, troubleshoot, and manage industrial electrical and electronic equipment and calibration processes for quality control as well as conducting building restoration and remediation services. In just the past year Fluke tools won more than 15 industry awards including Test and Measurement World Best in Test, Control Engineering Engineer’s Choice, and Plant Engineering Product of the Year. Fluke is a registered trademark of Fluke Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

About Danaher
Danaher is a diversified technology leader that designs, manufactures, and markets innovative products and services to professional, medical, industrial, and commercial customers. Our portfolio of premier brands is among the most highly recognized in each of the markets we serve. Driven by a foundation provided by the Danaher Business System, our 47,000 associates serve customers in more than 125 countries and generated $11.2 billion of revenue in 2009. For more information please visit our Web site: www.danaher.com.  (source us.fluke.com)

What is a Phasor measurement unit ?
A Phasor measurement unit (PMU) measures the electrical waves on an electricity grid to determine the health of the system. In power engineering, these are also commonly referred to as synchrophasors and are considered one of the most important measuring devices in the future of power systems (smart grid). A PMU can be a dedicated device, or the PMU function can be incorporated into a protective relay or other device.

What is a Phasor network ?
A phasor network consists of phasor measurement units (PMUs) dispersed throughout the electricity system, Phasor Data Concentrators (PDC) to collect the information and a Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system at the central control facility. Such a network is used in Wide Area Measurement Systems (WAMS), the first of which was begun in 2000 by the Bonneville Power Administration. The complete network requires rapid data transfer within the frequency of sampling of the phasor data. GPS time stamping can provide a theoretical accuracy of synchronization better than 1 microsecond. “Clocks need to be accurate to plus or minus 500 nanoseconds to provide the one microsecond time standard needed by each device performing synchrophasor measurement.”  For 60Hz systems, PMUs must deliver between 10 and 30 synchronous reports per second depending on the application. The PDC correlates the data, and controls and monitors the PMUs (from a dozen up to 60). At the central control facility, the SCADA system presents system wide data on all generators and substations in the system every 2 to 10 seconds. PMUs often use phone lines to connect to PDC, which then send data to the SCADA and/or Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) server. PMUs from multiple vendors can yield inaccurate readings. In one test, readings differed by 47 microseconds- or a difference of 1 degree of at 60Hz- an unacceptable variance. China’s solution to the problem was to build all its own PMUs adhering to its own specifications and standards so there would be no multi-vendor source of conflicts, standards, protocols, or performance characteristics.

The Main Interconnections of the U.S. Electric Power Grid

The 10 North American Electric Reliability Council Regions:
ECAR – East Central Area Reliability Coordination Agreement
ERCOT – Electric Reliability Council of Texas
FRCC – Florida Reliability Coordinating Council
MAAC – Mid-Atlantic Area Council
MAIN – Mid-America Interconnected Network
MAPP – Mid-Continent Area Power Pool
NPCC – Northeast Power Coordinating Council
SERC – Southeastern Electric Reliability Council
SPP – Southwest Power Pool
WSCC – Western Systems Coordinating Council
Note: The Alaska Systems Coordinating Council (ASCC) is an affiliate NERC member.  (Source: North American Electric Reliability Council)

BTS Master by Anritsu

Handheld integrated multi-function test tool RF engineers and technicians in the field need a lightweight, practical, and rugged test solution that can perform all the measurements needed for installation and maintenance of modern cell sites. That solution is the BTS Master MT8222A. It combines the functionality of Anritsu’s high performance-handheld products, including the MS2721B Spectrum Master and the MS2024A and MS2026A Cable and Antenna Analyzer. This combined product weighs less than 4 kg. (9lbs.). The MT8222A provides users with cable and antenna analysis, spectrum analysis, power meter, W-CDMA/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA/EVDO, Fixed WiMAX, Mobile WiMAX and TD-SCDMA, RF and Demod measurements and W-CDMA/HSDPA CDMA/EVDO, Mobile WiMAX and TD-SCDMA Over the Air (OTA), channel scanner, Interference Analyzer, variable Bias Tee, Bit Error Rate Tester (BERT) and Power Monitor. So technicians can eliminate the need to carry several independent instruments and instead get the job done with the MT8222A – an optimal combination of Anritsu’s high performinghandheld instruments.

BTS Master MT8222A/10A/19/25/27/31/51 On Special Now and Loaded with Options

Easy to use
Coming from the leader in cable and antenna analysis, it’s no surprise that the BTS Master MT8222A is very easy to operate and requires little or no training. Users will enjoy the bright 8.5 in. (215 mm.) color TFT display – easy to read even in broad daylight. Up to six markers can be displayed on the screen including noise markers and frequency counter markers in the Spectrum Analyzer mode.

Keep on going – wherever you like The BTS Master runs for more than 2.5 hours on a single, rechargeable Li-ion battery. So users have the time and freedom to move from ground installations to the highest towers, or anywhere where critical measurements are needed. Plus, when it’s time to replace the battery, it takes no time at all, and requires no tools.
Eight Built-in Languages While fluent in English, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Korean, the MT8222A user can also customize two additional languages using Master Software Tools.

with the Megger Structured Cable Testers and Fiber Optic Adapters

SCT Series
Structured Cable Tester
Certifies Category 7, 6a, 6 and 5e cabling
Exceeds Level IV Accuracy
1 to 1000 MHz frequency range

Most intuitive and easy to operate LAN certification tester on the market

Powerful diagnostics pinpoint the distance to link disturbances on each measured pair

Best return on your investment given low operating costs and superior reliability

The SCT Series is a high-performance tester for certifying and evaluating copper and fiber cabling installations.

The SCT Series are unmatched for flexibility with improved device features including 1/4 VGA color display, USB & serial ports; compact flash, secure digital, multimedia card storage, unit-to-unit audio and 64 Mb of internal memory.

Designed for cable installers and network owners who need to certify the performance of high-speed cabling to today’s industry standards and tomorrow’s emerging standards, the SCT Series delivers unmatched performance and accuracy.

Whether certifying cabling installations, troubleshooting problems, migrating to a high-speed network, or re-certifying after add-ins, moves or expansions, the SCT Series exceeds expectations.

Certify singlemode and multimode fiber optic links at 850, 1300, 1310 and 1550 nm wavelengths

Provide fully compliant Tier 1 Certification

Capabilities include length, loss and power measurements, power meter and light source

Perform bi-directional testing without swapping primary and secondary units

Integrated VFL for diagnosing link problems

Most intuitive and easy to operate fiber optic certification tester on the market

SCT-MMA  Fiber Optic Adapters
As the number of fiber optic links in the network increases it’s essential that your certification tester seamlessly certifies both copper and fiber, efficiently combining all media results together for analysis and reporting. The SCT-MMA and SCT-SMA fiber optic adapters fulfill this need by converting the SCT into a fully compliant Tier 1 multimode and singlemode fiber optic certification tester. Now you can confidently certify all of your copper and fiber optic links with the snap of an adapter.

The SCT fiber optic solution offers powerful capability and features including length measurement, two-fiber, dual-wavelength loss measurements, single and bi-directional fiber measurements, power meter mode, light source mode, Fiber-Map and visual fault locator (VFL) capability. The SCT Autotest differs from other units by returning a length measurement and four loss measurements when testing dual fibers.

Fully Compliant Tier 1 Certification
The SCT fiber optic adapters create a fully Tier 1 compliant testing solution measuring length, loss, and polarity.

The SCT also differs from some units by performing bi-directional testing on two fibers at two wavelengths without exchanging the Primary and Secondary units.

Testing Fiber and Copper is a Snap
Fiber optic and copper certification is a snap with the SCT. Switching between copper and fiber certification is faster and more reliable than any other solution, simply snap in an adapter. Only the SCT allows the user to create dual media projects that store all necessary copper and fiber optic certification parameters in one project. With dual media projects and the ability to automatically recognize copper and fiber optic adapters the SCT can seamlessly switch between copper and fiber optic testing and project parameters with the snap of an adapter.

Visual Fault Locator
The SCT fiber optic adapters include a visual fault locator (VFL) as an easy to use troubleshooting tool. The VFL can locate and visibly identify faults on fiber optic cables. The VFL features a 635-nm visible red laser source. The presence of the VFL’s red light indicates a trouble spot in the fiber such as a break or sharp bend. The VFL can be used with either multimode or singlemode fiber. The VFL creates a continuous or modulated light source powerful enough to escape from sharp bends and breaks in jacketed or bare fiber as well as poorly mated connectors, making it ideal for locating trouble spots in jumper cables, distribution frames, splice strays, patch panels, cable splice points and for tracing fiber

In Search of the Zero-Ohm Load

High-wattage resistors often are used as test loads for power transformers. Resistors don’t introduce phase shifts, and it’s easy to check that a transformer’s voltage regulation remains within spec at different rms currents. The effect of various primary tap and secondary loading combinations also can be measured. On the other hand, actual loads don’t always have a constant resistance (CR) characteristic.

Many switching power supplies present a constant power (CP) load to the AC input. DC power supply outputs are intended to provide a constant voltage (CV) or constant current (CC) depending on the mode selected. To simulate anything other than simple CR, you need an electronic load.

Both AC and DC electronic loads are commercially available with DC loads being more prevalent. Either type can emulate a short circuit as well as the CC, CV, CR, and CP modes of operation. According to Adrian Butoi, western regional manager at NH Research, AC loads are used for test applications that require linear or nonlinear AC loading with power and crest-factor control. In addition to the five basic modes of operation, the company’s Model 4600 AC Load also provides unity power-factor loading and a complex nonlinear waveform mode.

Built-in measurements include frequency, voltage, peak voltage, current, peak current, crest factor, apparent power, true power, peak power, reactive power, power factor, and resistance. DC load measurements compose a subset of this list that is not related to reactance.

Cliff Nazelli, the managing director of marketing and sales at PPM Instruments, described a couple of typical applications. In one example, vehicle electrical-system power-distribution module testing must simulate various load conditions. While the module’s durability and temperature rise are monitored, the load current is switched on and off. In another test, fuel-cell impedance is measured by modulating the DC load current. The impedance is determined from the current and voltage amplitudes and their phase relationship.

Isolation also is critical in many cases, especially those that involve off-ground differential voltage sources. Multitap battery load testing is an application that requires this capability.

DC Load Basics

Typically, MOSFETs are used as the dissipating devices in a DC load. These semiconductors have ON resistance much less than 100 mΩ, and several are operated in parallel to achieve the needed power rating. Of course, paralleling devices also reduces the resistance the load presents.

ON resistance is higher for high-voltage MOSFETS than for low-voltage devices, so DC loads rated for 500 V generally will have higher resistance than 50-V loads even if the same number of MOSFETS is used. Figure 1 shows this effect for a 5-kW PPM 600-V load (dark green curve) compared to a 5-kW 60-V load (red curve). The initial slope of the PPM Modular Electronic Load (Mel) 5000-200-600 is 30 mΩ compared to the 1-mΩ resistance of the Mel 5000-600-60 even though there is only a 3:1 ratio relating their maximum currents. The resistances of the lower wattage Chroma loads range from 5 mΩ to 25 mΩ.

Figure 1. Safe Operating Areas for Various DC Loads
Source: Chroma Systems Solutions and PPM Instruments

All electronic loads have a safe operating area (SOA) limited by voltage, current, and power. These areas are indicated in Figure 1 for the PPM Mel 5000-600-60. As the input current increases, the voltage across the load also increases because of the load’s finite resistance. At the maximum current, higher voltages can be supported but only to the maximum voltage and power ratings.

On a graph with linear X- and Y-axis scaling, the maximum power curve is a hyperbola. The load voltage can continue to increase to the maximum voltage limit as long as the current is low enough that the maximum power limit isn’t exceeded. As the figure shows, the SOAs of loads having the same power limit are bounded by the same hyperbolic curve although it may be intersected at different places by the voltage and current limits.

It’s also important to note the lack of standardization regarding load specification in datasheets. The NH Research Model 4750 DC Load and PPM Mel Series show the SOA on a graph with voltage plotted vertically and current horizontally on a log-log grid. Chroma’s 63600 Series datasheet plots this information with the same axes but on a linear grid.

Several manufacturers’ graphs showing low-voltage characteristics generally have linear grids with current plotted vertically and voltage horizontally. Of course, depending on the DUT, current or voltage could be the independent variable, so it really doesn’t matter how the graphs are drawn as long as you understand what they mean.

Finally, model numbers may include power, voltage, and current limits but not always in the same order. PPM’s Mel Series lists power, current, and voltage: Model 5000-200-600 is a 5-kW load with 200-A and 600-V maximum limits. Chroma’s Model 63630-80-60 is a 300-W unit with 80 V and 60-A capabilities.

DC Load Selection

You must choose a load with an SOA sufficient to handle the maximum current, voltage, and power expected from the DUT. The actual combination of current and voltage can lie anywhere within the SOA. Nevertheless, the trend in semiconductors is toward low voltage and high current so supporting this combination often is a major consideration.

Jim Dougherty, senior engineer at Chroma Systems Solutions, explained, “Up to a maximum current limit, a DC load presents a constant minimum resistance. For example, if a load can support a 10-A current and has a 10-mΩ resistance, the DUT output voltage must be at least 100 mV even if the connections and wiring were perfect. Taking into account the finite resistance of the connections and wiring further increases the minimum DUT output voltage required for the load to sink the full current. Of course, the load can be programmed to represent a higher resistance but you cannot get less than the minimum.

“Suppose you have designed and characterized your DUT interconnect and cable resistance and found that RSeries = 2 mΩ. Further, assume you need to support 0.5 V @ 60 A. To do this,” he continued, “the DC load must represent a resistance RLoad <(0.5/60)-0.002 or RLoad <~6 mΩ. The sloping lines in Figure 2 show the resistance associated with three models of Chroma 63600 Series Loads and correspond to the area circled in Figure 1. As expected, the higher the output current rating, the lower the resistance. And, loads can be operated in parallel to achieve higher current capacity as well as lower resistance.”

Figure 2. Low-Voltage Resistance Characteristics of DC Loads
Courtesy of Chroma Systems Solutions

Zero-Volt Operation
What if you need to sink the full rated current but the voltage drop associated with the load resistance and wiring is large compared to the DUT output voltage? Adding a boost supply in series with the load effectively increases the DUT output voltage and makes possible even zero-volt full current loading.

However, Mr. Dougherty cautioned, “Boost supplies should be considered only as a last resort. The effective power of the load that otherwise would be available to the DUT is reduced; you no longer can perform transient tests; noise from the supply affects ripple and noise measurements; and complexity and cost are increased.”

Commenting on his company’s true zero-volt PLZ-4WA Series of DC loads, Takuya Takeda, vice president of Kikusui America, said, “The PLZ-4WA employs a bias supply installed directly in the electronic load. It supports true zero-volt operation by stepping up the input voltage and applying a load voltage adequate to allow the internal current source to operate correctly.

“A switched-mode power supply is small enough to fit inside the load,” he continued. “Typically, a switched-mode supply can create noise issues, but that is not the case with this bias supply. It has been designed using zero-volt switching technology and other special techniques to reduce noise.”

An extensive feature set has developed around the basic DC load function to address a wide range of applications. Four-wire Kelvin connections ensure that the DUT terminal voltage is used in power calculations, not the load voltage that is reduced by wiring and connection IR drops. Also, because many tests require switching the load on and off to stimulate DUT transient response, this aspect of DC load design has become very sophisticated.

Transient Response
A DC load’s internal wiring and terminations must present a low impedance, not just a low resistance. Mr. Nazelli explained that PPM uses a heavy-duty laminated copper bus structure internally in conjunction with a proprietary FET circuit board layout to ensure the lowest possible impedance. In particular, the laminated copper bus minimizes the impedance increase caused by skin effect that otherwise would occur at high frequencies.

The depth at which AC current density has been reduced to 37% of its value at the conductor surface is given by

where: δ = skin effect depth
ρ = conductor resistivity
ω = 2πf
µ = conductor absolute magnetic permeability

For a copper conductor, skin depth varies from more than 8 mm at 60 Hz to only 66 µm at 1 MHz. Engineers have used Litz wire for many years to minimize the resistance increase caused by skin effect. Litz wire is stranded, but each strand also is insulated. A laminated bus achieves a similar result in a form that may be more easily manufactured and terminated, especially for high current levels.

The PPM Mel units are specified with a 15-µs to 20-ms rise time, selectable in 36 discrete steps, and a DC to 10-kHz frequency response. A 600-A load has a maximum slew rate of 600/15 or 40 A/µs. When loads are connected in parallel, the slew rates add. On the other hand, the highest practical slew rate is limited by the inductance of the wiring needed to connect the loads in parallel.

Kikusui’s Model PLZ1004W is a 1-kW load with a maximum current rating of 200 A and a slew rate of 16 A/µs. For the PLZ-4W Series, the slew rate is variable over a 100:1 speed ratio and guaranteed to be accurate to within 10% for current within 2% to 100% of rated value. This series also supports frequency range selection.

According to Kikusui’s Mr. Takeda, “Dynamic response only is required for transient response tests of power supplies. A wide bandwidth isn’t necessary for static tests such as load variation tests and foldback characteristic tests. Excess bandwidth affects load stability so the PLZ-4W/4WA load includes selectable bandwidth, and it can be optimized to match the kind of test and test condition.”

NH Research’s Mr. Butoi explained that because the load manufacturer cannot control DUT and cable inductance, the most straightforward solution to mitigate voltage spikes, ringing, and oscillation is to allow load-current slew-rate programmability. Usually, slowing this slew rate eliminates the problems.

PPM provides two types of filtering as discussed by Mr. Nazelli, “The architecture of the Mel employs a control board with programmable loop response to vary the control-loop speed where you need to adjust rise/fall times for pulse tests and stimulus/response testing. This is one type of filtering. Separately, filtering is used on the FET circuit board assemblies to control the feedback loop response of the power-dissipating devices. The operator can adjust the loops to shape the response either to further control rise/fall times or eliminate oscillations induced from external reactive components.”

Power to the Load

Regardless of the other characteristics a DC load may have, it must dissipate power-sometimes a lot of power. The products in PPM’s Mel Series can handle 1 kW to 5 kW, and master-slave configurations up to 80 kW are standard. Eight models in NH Research’s 4700 Series range in capacity from 1 kW to 36 kW. Chroma’s Series 63200 High Power DC Loads are available in sizes from 2.6 kW to 15.6 kW. These three load series are air-cooled.

Most manufacturers of heavy-duty loads support paralleling for higher power handling. Loads feature individual device protection against over-temperature, over-voltage, and over-current conditions and further ensure performance through active current balancing. For larger power ratings, master-slave systems usually are rack mounted and up to 6 ft high.

One alternative to a big air-cooled unit is a water-cooled unit. AMREL’s PLW Series handles up to 250 kW, and several versions of the 36-kW model are available in a 4U-high x 27.5″ deep rack-mount size. As a comparison, a 5-kW AMREL Series PLA Air-Cooled Load is approximately the same size.

Another solution appropriate for high-power applications is Kikusui’s Model PLZ6000R Regenerative DC Electronic Load. The basic unit acts as a 6-kW load although only about 15% of this is dissipated. The rest of the power is regenerated as a synchronous AC current fed back into the AC mains. Up to five units can be combined in a master-slave system to provide a 30-kW capacity.

Several ranges of benchtop DC loads also are available with ratings to a few hundred watts. Three models from Chroma’s 63600 Series are shown in Figures 1 and 2. B&K Precision’s 150-W Model 8540 handles up to 60 V and 30 A in the CC, CR, and CV modes with current, voltage, and power measurements presented on an integral display. Model 8510 has a 600-W capacity with 120-V and 120-A limits. It, too, provides an integral display and includes a CP mode as well as battery test capability.

Kikusui’s PLZ-4W Series features 165-W, 300-W, 660-W, and 1-kW models. In addition to the basic products, the 165-WA and 660-WA models are available with a built-in bias supply and support true zero-volt operation.

The 300-W Model LD300 DC Load manufactured by Thurlby Thandar Instruments and available in the United States from Saelig has 80-V and 80-A maximum ratings. It supports the CC, CV, CR, and CP modes and provides a transient generator, a variable slew rate, soft start, and a current monitor output.

Controlling the Power
In addition to a load’s fundamental capabilities, the extra features it offers can be important depending on the types of tests you need to run. Kikusui’s PLZ-4W Series includes soft start, a variable slew rate, a switching function, a preset memory function, 100 setup memories, and a sequence function.

B&K Precision’s 8500 Series Loads also support battery testing by measuring total battery discharge in amp-hours. Jeremy Lo, an application engineer at the company, said, “Software is available to control the load for this test. It plots battery discharge curves in real time as well as gives you the option to export raw data in text or Excel format for further analysis. The software also can be used to monitor and plot power, voltage, and current levels at the load inputs.”

In NH Research’s Model 4700 DC Electronic Load, an auto mode provides glitchless switching among the CR, CC, CV, and CP limits. Further, you can programmatically control the mode of operation and its duration via a 100-step customizable macro with 10-µs timing resolution.

PPM’s Mel Loads have several means of control. RS-422 and USB 2.0 ports are standard with both GPIB and Ethernet optionally available. You can log into a load’s IP address to perform remote control and diagnostics. According to Mr. Nazelli, “This also enables PPM to send feature improvements without hardware intervention and without requiring you to return units to PPM. In addition, you can add modules in the field to upgrade a load. The load automatically reconfigures itself to its new capabilities.”

Chroma’s Model 63472 High Slew Rate DC Load incorporates Intel’s power test tool (PTT), which can simulate microprocessor load changes of up to 150 A at a 1,000-A/µs slew rate. Because the PTT is small enough to fit into a microprocessor socket, it cannot dissipate the required power without significantly changing its temperature and operating characteristics. The 63472 provides measurement hardware and over-current and over-voltage protection as well as the automatic calibration required to ensure test-result accuracy.

Unless you use a device such as the PTT, there’s no way to connect a high slew-rate load that will not introduce significant errors. The PTT mimics the load presented by a microprocessor, which may have 100 or more power and ground pins. The slew rate at each pin is only a few amps/µs, and most of the transient current is provided by local capacitors. With the PTT, you are testing the capability of the power supply in combination with local capacitors to cope with the overall 150-A changes and 1,000-A/µs slew rate.

Summary

Many models of DC electronic loads are available, some with very specialized capabilities. Determining the load that will best fit your test requirements starts with a list of the specifications you must have. Power dissipation, maximum current and voltage, and the minimum resistance the load presents are key to most applications. So, too, are the modes in which you will operate the load and how it changes from one to another.

(Source Tom Lecklider –  Evaluation Engineering http://www.evaluationengineering.com/features/2009_september/0909_electronic.aspx )

Barring the occasional thunderstorm, most Americans take the electric current behind their power buttons for granted, and assume the juice will be there when they’re ready to fire up an appliance or favorite tech toy. Little do most know, the strain on our electric grid—which has led to rolling brownouts and the massive 2003 blackout that left 40 million people  across the Northeast in the dark—will only intensify in coming years.

According to the Department of Energy, the annual cost of power outages is approximately $80 billion. Now add to conventional challenges those risks posed by terrorists intent on crippling our economy. Suddenly, the aim of electrical engineers to develop a technology to keep the country’s electrical grid online (and recover faster) really begins to resonate. Taking the juice for granted A single superconducting cable could one day replace a dozen traditional copper cables, freeing up much needed space beneath city streets.

The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is currently funding a promising solution—a superconductor cable that would link electrical substations and allow the sharing of excess capacity during emergencies. This generally is not done now, and so a flexibility like this strengthens the resiliency of the overall grid, reducing the likelihood of major power failures. This is S&T’s Resilient Electric Grid project, and the superconducting cable is called an inherently fault current limiting (IFCL) superconductor cable.

Engineers are putting decades of existing electrical research (by industry electricity leaders from American Superconductor, Southwire, and Consolidated Edison) into practice. S&T managers and scientists recently participated in a successful test of the new superconducting technology at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, as they eye the aging rats’ nest of power cabling under the crowded streets of New York City.

The benefits are simple but profound: these cables can deliver more power, prevent power failures, and take up less physical space. A single superconductor cable can replace 12 copper cable bundles, freeing up more space underground for other utility needs such as water, natural gas, or phone service. The technology is capable of carrying 10 times as much power as copper wires of the same size, while also being able to adapt automatically to power surges and disruptions from lightning strikes, heat waves, and traffic accidents, even sabotage.

“The IFCL superconducting cable being tested could well revolutionize power distribution to the country’s critical infrastructure,” said Dr. Roger McGinnis, Director of the Homeland Security Advanced Research Project Agency at S&T. “Eventually, these technologies will help incorporate localized clean, green electricity generation into the power grid.”

As for the science, the cables work by transmitting electricity with near zero resistance at higher temperatures than usual. But “high” is a relative term among superconductors. The cables conduct electricity at a chill -320°F instead of an icy -460°F for traditional superconductor cables. Holding and conducting energy better than traditional copper means these cables take up a fraction of the space. Manhattan’s electrical workers may be able to eventually clear out the subterranean congestion beneath Wall Street that amazingly, looks much the same today as it did a century ago. Since the cables themselves better prevent extremely high currents from cascading through the system, they will help eliminate the power surges that can permanently damage electrical equipment, similar to a breaker switch in a home, explained McGinnis. The cable switches off during a surge or failure, but automatically resets when conditions return to normal.

For some context, electrical substations take electricity delivered over transmission and distribution lines and lower the voltage so it can be used by homes and businesses. Even if power is lost to an individual substation, by creating multiple, redundant paths for the electric current, the cables allow quick power restoration to all the surrounding power loads. Ultimately, these cables may allow substations that had been intentionally isolated from one another in the past, for fear of cascading failures, to be interconnected in order to share power and assets.

Cutting-edge high temperature superconducting cables have been successfully tested in laboratories, and can be found in a handful of demonstration projects around the country, but they remain an emerging technology. S&T is interested in advancing the technology so that it can be used nationwide, and is pursuing an opportunity to connect two Con Edison
Manhattan substations with the cable. The Department of Homeland Security hopes to enable the Department of Energy and various utility companies around the country to replace more than 2,000 circuit miles of power cables in U.S. cities with resilient, safe, and green IFCL cables.  (Source U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security—Science and Technology)

Following are some grid test solutions from Chroma

Chroma 66201Power Meter 10mA minimum current range / 1mW

Chroma 66202 Power Meter Embedded high speed DSP, 16 bits Analog/ Digital converters, 10 mA minimum current range and 1 mW power

Four-in-One Vector Network Analyzer that Covers Microwave Applications

Rohde & Schwarz R&S ZVL13 – The Four-in-One Vector Network Analyser that covers Microwave applications

Cost-Efficient ▪ Multi-Purpose ▪ Compact ▪ Future-Proof Instrument

Reasons to Consider the R&S ZVL13 Vector Network Analyzer

• Addresses microwave applications up to 13.6 GHz
• Measures uplink frequencies of satellite Ku band at 15 GHz overrange
• An option (ZVL-K1) to enable a full spectrum analyzer (R&S FSL)
• Completely bidirectional two-port network analyzer as a standard
• Calibrate cables, antennas, and coupling networks for conducted measurements using low start frequency at 9 kHz
• Portable for field applications via DC/battery power operations
• 4-in-1 instrument shortens design and production times, andsimplifies single connection component / device testing

How The R&S ZVL Will Meet Your Needs
Research & Development Small Design Labs Friendly – ZVLs help small design labs to optimize bench space and to remain within capital expenditure budgets.

Production High Throughput – Remote controlled switchover from VNA to SPA, and vice versa; and 500 kHz bandwidth supports short measurement times.

Satellite Communications Ku band Uplink supported – With 15 GHz overrange, ZVL13 measures 14 to 14.5 GHz uplink frequencies of DVB-S (Astra or fixed svc. satellite).

Mobile & Wireless Comm. Spurious Emissions Measurements – Dynamic range of >100 dB and 13.6 GHz frequency range is ideal for manually tuning diplex filters.

Field Use / Mobile Applications Light Weight & Compact Form Factor – 15.4 lbs (7 kg), battery and DC operations support portable and mobile uses.

Installation & Service Multi-Purpose Instrument – Combination network analyzer, spectrum analyzer and power meter in a single instrument increases work efficiency.

R&S ZVL13 Applications Include:

• Satellite Communications – support of uplink frequencies in Ku band
• Mobile Communications – manually tuning of diplex filters of base stations
• Universities – wide range of functions supported on one instrument with a low price
• Small Design Laboratories – multi-function instrument
• Manufacturers – cables, connectors, combiners, diplexers, switches, etc.
• Field Services & Installation – small form factor and lightweight

What Makes the R&S ZVL Vector Network Analyzers a Great Value?
All R&S ZVL instruments operate as Network Analyzers, Signal Analyzers, Spectrum Analyzers and high accuracy Power Meters in one. The 9 kHz start frequency addresses the commercial EMC standards, and are important in calibrating cables, antennas or coupling networks for conducted measurements.

The new R&S ZVL13 going up to 13.6 GHz addresses the stop band attenuation of filters for base stations, and measures uplink frequency of Ku band satellite systems.

As multi-function instruments ZVLs serve to reduce design time and improve production throughput. Portability with DC and battery operation in a compact and light weight form factor, makes it just the right instrument for mobile applications, such as field installation and on-site service & maintenance.

Infrared electrical inspections are safe, fast, and reliable when conducted with an infrared camera. Infrared cameras are non-contact instruments so inspections can be performed at any time without shutting down operations at the facility being inspected. Thermal inspection of commercial and residentional buildings enjoy the same advantages too.

Electrical Safety Inspections
Identify overloaded circuits, loose/corroded connections, and failing breakers in electrical panels
Identify blown fuses, overloads, phase imbalance, and harmonics problems
Identify hot spots from high resistance connections

Energy Efficiency Surveys
Identify inefficient heating and cooling transfer
Identify draft sources from missing insulation in rafters/walls/floors
Identification of problem areas helps reduce heat gain/loss and carbon footprint

Infrared Cameras Assist in the Detection of Swine Flu
Several major airports in Asia discovered the benefit of infrared cameras in conjunction with the outbreak of SARS a couple of years ago and now use infrared cameras to scan whether arriving travellers can be contaminated with the N1H1 virus (AKA swine flu).

Infrared Cameras Help Firefighters Save Lives
Infrared technology is recognized as essential in fire rescue operations where lives are at stake and are a symbiotic fire fighters tool in their efforts to gain real-time tactical data. Infrared technology designed to sense and display heat signatures, the cameras provide  “night vision” or the ability to see in dark places as well as smoke filled environments, which is priceless in the decision making process. Infrared thermal imaging systems are being integrated globally into fire control, management and firefighting services throughout the world.

These powerful tools are also used for locating moisture problems in buildings. Instead of searching with a moisture meter an inch at a time, an infrared camera provides the ability to scan an entire room in a matter of minutes. By locating the thermal changes from evaporative moisture cooling in drywall, carpet, ceiling tiles, etc., inspectors can moisture map the entire building and isolate problems before providing an estimate for repairs.

Building and Preventive Maintenance
Discovers sources of moisture in roofs and areas behind walls
Checks air distribution for blockages in pipes, damaged duct work, and insulation gaps
Check fluid distribution for stuck valves and burst pipes

Some Popular Infrared Cameras / Thermal Imagers include:

Fluke FLK-INSXS-20

FLIR EX320

Ideal Industries HeatSeeker P-2856