<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://dc.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=736666&amp;fmt=gif">
 
 

As Solar, Wind, and Hydrogen Compete, Renewable Energy Evolution Demands Flexibility

January 22, 2024

Global energy production is moving inexorably toward renewable sources. Solar photovoltaic (PV) is ascendent right now. But wind could be poised for a rebound, and green hydrogen could play a significant role. In this blog post, we will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of renewable energy, highlighting the crucial role of flexible solutions, such as programmable power supplies, in shaping the future of renewable energy.


Read More

Regenerative Programmable DC Power Supplies Boost Test Efficiency

December 1, 2023

Rapid evolution in industries ranging from power and energy to automotive and transportation requires the utmost in efficient, reliable, and accurate test equipment, including programmable power products. A regenerative programmable DC power supply can be the ideal choice for testing products such as battery packs, solar panels, fuel cells, and electric powertrains—it feeds power generated during tests back to the grid instead of dissipating it as heat. Such a supply can also test conventional DC motors and devices ranging from high-power fuses to circuit breakers.


Read More

Purchasing Criteria for Programmable DC Supplies Evolve as Performance and Features Advance

March 23, 2023

If you are in the market for a programmable DC power supply for the first time in five or ten years, you will notice some significant improvements. Modern supplies offer higher power densities, helping you save rack space. In addition, modern supplies can provide considerable flexibility in power, current, and voltage ratings, helping you future-proof your test systems to meet changing requirements.


Read More

Application Note Emphasizes Multi-Output Supplies’ Flexibility, Power Density

June 29, 2022

Multiple-output programmable DC power supplies can serve a wide range of applications, extending from semiconductor tests to process control. When selecting such supplies, look for flexibility as well as power density. Concerning the latter, choose a supply that maximizes output power while minimizing size—for example, a three-output supply that offers a 5,100W total output power in a 1U chassis.


Read More

Consider Product-Line Lifecycle when Selecting DC Programmable Power Supplies

June 15, 2022

When choosing programmable DC power supplies, you have many options. You can choose from a wide range of voltage, current, and power ratings. You will also select other specifications, including input voltage, output voltage regulation, output ripple and noise, and transient response time to a step input. Then, you will want to consider digital communications options, software compatibility, and whether you will need manual front-panel controls. And of course, you will also have multiple vendors from which to choose.


Read More

Multi-Output Supplies Add Flexibility to Commercial and Military Applications

December 15, 2021

AMETEK Programmable Power has introduced two new multiple-output programmable DC power supplies—the Sorensen™ Asterion® DC ASA Series and Sorensen™ Asterion® DC ASM Series. These bring high power density and flexibility to applications ranging from commercial functional PCBA tests to military ATE systems. Each supply in the two series comes in a 1U-high chassis and features up to three independent, isolated outputs.


Read More

New Sorensen™ Asterion® DC ASA Series

October 4, 2021

AMETEK Programmable Power Reveals the New Sorensen™ Asterion® DC ASA Series 

AMETEK Programmable Power is proud to reveal the new Sorensen™ Asterion® DC ASA Series Multiple-Output Programmable Power Supply.  As the newest addition to the Asterion platform of power testing solutions, the ASA Series offers enhanced testing efficiency while drastically reducing space and power consumption requirements.  


Read More

DC Programmable Power Supplies for Semiconductor Applications

September 27, 2021

Semiconductors have been making headlines recently, primarily because chipmakers have been unable to make enough devices to satisfy demand. Headlines like these are common: “Until 2023? Parts shortage will keep auto prices sky-high,” “The global chip shortage is starting to hit the smartphone industry,” and “Why the global chip shortage is making it so hard to buy a PS5.”


Read More

Improve Your Power Testing with Multiple-Output Power Supplies

September 16, 2021

When it comes to power and test applications, efficiency is key. The quicker you can perform tests, with the least amount of setup time and capital/energy costs, the more tests you can perform and the faster you can validate your product designs.  

Here, the role of the power supply innovation is an important one. As a critical piece of any test application, a power supply can make or break your product testing. The following are just a few factors that are dependent on your choice of power supply: 


Read More

Third Generation Solar-Powered Racecar Rolls Out

August 18, 2021

AMETEK Programmable Power Supports Team Sonnenwagen Aachen

Team Sonnenwagen Aachen, equipped with an Asterion DC programmable power supply from AMETEK Programmable Power, has spent nearly 14 months designing and building its third-generation solar-powered racecar, dubbed Covestro Photon. In October, team members will take the car to Morocco to compete with other European solar teams in a new event—the Solar Challenge Morocco 2021 (SCM). The SCM is a five-day event with five different stages covering 2,500 km.


Read More

Top 3 Questions To Ask When Buying a Power Supply

August 16, 2021

It wouldn't be bragging to say that we have a lot of experience with power supplies here at AMETEK Programmable Power. Many of our design and sales engineers have been with us for a long time, and we feel that really gives us an edge when it comes to helping you get the best product for your needs. Their extensive knowledge of our products and applications enable them to recommend just the right products, and you can feel confident in their recommendations.


Read More

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Power Supplies

August 9, 2021

The power supply may be one of the least-considered components of an electronic system. After all, how hard can it be to find the right power source for your system? You figure out how much current you need at the voltage your system will operate at, find a model that can supply that voltage and current in a catalog or on a website, then make the purchase.

Actually, it's not that simple. There are many other things that you need to think about choosing and using a power supply.  Here are five common mistakes that engineers make when choosing and using a power source for their projects:
 

Read More

Fly Higher and Hit Harder: New White Paper Showcases the Key Power and Testing Solutions for the Military and Aerospace Industry


If you want to create next-level products in the military and aerospace sector, then you need better power and testing solutions. Only with the right power and test equipment can you respond to the industry’s rising demands with qualified products that meet performance and efficiency requirements, while also upholding government regulations.  


Read More

Sorensen™ SGX Series Front Panel Simplifies Setup and Navigation

March 13, 2020

While today’s power supplies provide many advanced features, finding them and maximizing their capabilities can be challenging. That’s why when AMETEK Programmable Power designed the Sorensen™ SGX Series programmable DC power supplies, we paid a lot of attention to the user interface. The result? The SGX Series has an intuitive, easy-to-use front panel touchscreen display that allows you to quickly access output programming parameters, measurements, sequencing, and configuration and system settings.


Read More

AMECare® Ensures Product Performance and Uptime


The AMETEK Programmable Power AMECare® Reliability Assurance™ service level agreement (SLA) program is designed to provide “white glove” support for mission-critical power and test devices. It includes regular preventative maintenance, break-fix support, and legacy upgrades beginning with a product’s purchase and extending throughout its entire lifecycle.


Read More

AS5553 Keeps Supply Chain Free of Counterfeit Components

August 28, 2019

Over the past 10-20 years, counterfeit electronic components have become a serious problem. Counterfeit components are parts that have somehow been misrepresented as to their origins or quality. Because counterfeit parts are often of lower quality than what are called “franchise” parts, they may represent a hazard if used in critical systems such as automobiles, aircraft of any kind, military equipment, or space vehicles.


Read More

Sorensen SGX Series Power Supply Features Touch-Screen Display

April 6, 2018

The Sorensen™ SGX Series is the next generation of our successful SG Series of programmable DC power supplies. Like the SG Series, the SGX Series has exceptional load transient response, very low noise, and high power density. What sets the SGX Series apart is the new touch screen display. This new feature makes the Sorensen SG Series of programmable DC power supplies even easier to use.


Read More

Analog Programming for Sorensen XT & HPD Series Power Supply

March 13, 2018

Today, when we think about controlling the output of a power supply, we usually think about digital control via a USB port or some other network interface. That's not the only way to control a power supply, though. Analog control is still used in many industrial applications, and it’s also a good choice if you have fairly simple control needs.


Read More

Control Your XEL Benchtop Supply With LAN

January 9, 2018

For most benchtop power supply applications, the most important feature is a user interface that allows an engineer or technician to set up the power supply quickly and easily using the front panel. Benchtop power supplies, like the Sorensen XEL Series, have this kind of interface. For example, the XEL Series has a fine control knob for setting the output voltage very accurately and an output enable switch, which lets you set up the desired voltage and current levels prior to actually turning on the output.


Read More

How To Choose The Right Rack-Mount Power Supplies

January 2, 2018

While electronics technologies have come and gone, mounting them in 19-in. racks is as popular as ever. There are various theories over the origin of the 19-in. rack, but Practical-Home-Theater-Guide.com says that George Westinghouse used 19-in racks in 1890s to mount railroad relays. Then, in the early 1900s, telephone companies designed their switches to fit in 19-in. racks.


Read More

Custom Power Supply Solutions: DC Power & Energy Test Systems

November 16, 2017

When one of our standard products cannot completely satisfy your requirements, AMETEK Programmable Power can design a custom power supply system for you. The solutions range from OEM integration for medical and semiconductor industries to modular avionics ATE power subsystems to turnkey solar array simulators for satellites.

 We also can modify our standard power supplies to meet your application requirements.


Read More

FAQ: Sorensen DLM 600 Series Programmable Power Supply

October 19, 2017

The Sorensen DLM 600 Series of programmable power supplies is designed to provide continuously variable output voltage and current for a broad range of applications in a compact 1U (1.75 inches) high, half-rack (8.5 inch) wide chassis. The DLM 600 power supply series is ideal for high density, multiple output, rack-mount applications or low profile benchtop applications. Output voltages from 0-5 VDC to 0-300 VDC and currents from 0-2 A to 0-75 A are available.


Read More

How To Choose Load Regulation for Power Supplies

September 3, 2017

The most important thing that a power supply does is to maintain a constant voltage output or a constant current output. This is true whether the power supply is built into a product and provides fixed output voltages, such as a desktop computer power supply, or a power supply that is on the test bench or is part of an automated test system that must provide variable outputs. We call this ability to maintain a constant output voltage or current regulation.


Read More

Sorensen SG Series Ensures Reliable Testing for Auto Parts

August 28, 2017

One of the big challenges when designing and manufacturing auto parts is ensuring that they operate reliably in very hot environments, such as Dubai, where the high temperature can easily reach 40˚C. Of course, they must also operate reliably in very cold environments, such as Siberia, where the thermometer can drop to -40˚C or below. You certainly don't want parts to fail when you're zipping down the road at 200 km/hr. because they can't take the heat (or the cold).


Read More

Get the Rev Right When Running MIL-STD-704 Tests

July 25, 2017

The tests you run to ensure that airborne utilization equipment is compatible with an aircraft's power system are specified in a series of MIL-HDBKs, specifically MIL-HDBK-704-1 through MIL-HDBK-704-8. To run these tests, a sophisticated power source is essential to simulate various power conditions. In addition, you also need whatever equipment is required to monitor the unit under test (UUT) while running the test.


Read More

RS Series High-Voltage Option Eases PV Inverter Testing

July 14, 2017

As the number of photovoltaic power-generation systems continue to increase, the requirements for photovoltaic inverters are evolving as well. Conventional electrical characteristics such as over-voltage, over-frequency, anti- islanding intended to verify the inverter’s ability to tolerate power grid fluctuation are changing to meet varying requirements of the modern grid. In addition, the introduction of new requirements for low voltage ride through, high voltage crossing, and reactive power injection mean the inverter must be able to provide appropriate compensation when these grid conditions occur.


Read More

How To Use an Adjustable Power Supply with Tracking Outputs

May 15, 2017

Many op-amp circuits used in analog applications, such as signal conditioning for high bit count analog-to-digital converters require the use of both positive and negative power supply voltages, as shown in Figure 1. Supplying both positive and negative voltages allows input signals and output signals to swing both positive and negative. You could power these circuits with an adjustable power supply with two outputs and adjust them separately—one to the positive rail voltage, say +12 VDC or +15 VDC and the other to a similar negative voltage.


Read More

How To Calculate Voltage Drop to Prevent System Problems

January 20, 2017

One of the problems we frequently encounter in the field is that power supply users fail to take into account the voltage drop in the wires connecting a power supply to a device under test (DUT) or other electronic system. When a load draws a high current, the voltage drop across the power leads could be high enough to cause a device under test to fail or cause a system to malfunction.


Read More

What is Watts vs. Volt-Amperes in DC Power Supply?

December 5, 2016

To select the right power source for your applications, one of the first things that you must do is to figure out how much output power you need. For a DC supply, this is relatively straightforward. You first determine the highest output voltage you'll need and then the highest output current that you'll need. 


Read More

How To Choose Features For An Adjustable DC Power Supply

November 30, 2016

Although oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers have flashy features, and get most of the attention, there is no instrument more useful to an electronics engineer than the lab DC power supply. It's used for nearly every design, prototype, and test activity, and a supply that doesn't have the right features, can not only hinder your productivity, but compromise your designs as well.

Read More

Generate Fast Transient Tests with an Electronic Load

July 23, 2016

To ensure that automotive electronics can withstand the voltage transients induced on the power bus, companies use expensive arbitrary waveform generation and coupling networks during the design phase. For production test, however, a simpler and less expensive means for simulating bus voltage variations and transients is required. For many transient tests, all you need is a switching power supply and an electronic load.


Read More

Frequently-Asked Questions about the Sorensen SG Series Power Supplies

July 18, 2016

The Sorensen SG Series is one of the most popular high power programmable DC power supplies on the market. The SG Series is designed for exceptional load transient response and low noise output. With a full 15 kW available down to 20VDC output in a 3U package the SG Series leads the industry in power density. The power density is enhanced by a stylish front air intake allowing supplies to be stacked without clearance between units.


Read More

External Capacitor Prevents Problems with High Ripple Current Loads

January 18, 2016

In many applications, a DC power supply has to drive a load with a large ripple component. Examples of this type of load are DC-AC inverters, DC-DC converters, and DC motor loads. Linear supplies can normally handle this kind of load easily, but when you use a switching power supply, such as the Sorensen SG Series or Sorensen ASD Series, to drive this type of load, you may encounter some unexpected (and undesirable) problems.


Read More

Checklist for Purchasing a Laboratory Power Supply

September 18, 2015

Selecting a laboratory power supply for the lab is not as easy as you might think. If you thumb through a catalog and choose the first one that you think meets your needs, you could end up with a power supply that more often than not sits on the shelf. By filling out the checklist below, and comparing your needs to the product descriptions and specifications of AMETEK Programmable Power's DC bench supplies, you're more likely to get the power supply you need.


Read More

Transient response is important when loads change rapidly

September 8, 2015

Transient response is a measure of how well a DC supply, such as the Sorensen SG Series, copes with changes in current demand or how well the supply follows load impedance changes. This is an important specification in many applications, such as mobile phone testing and testing automotive relays and fuses. A good understanding of this power supply characteristic will help you choose the right supply for your test application.


Read More

Remote sensing compensates for power lead loss

June 26, 2015

When a load draws a high current, the voltage drop across the power leads could be high enough to cause a device under test (DUT) to fail or cause a system to malfunction. The solution to this problem is to use remote sensing. By adding a second set of wires—the sense wires—you can ensure that the proper voltage level is at the DUT or system's power terminals.


Read More

Tips to improve DC supply slew rate

March 18, 2015

The slew rate of a DC power supply is the rate at which the output voltage and output current changes. This characteristic is important in many applications, especially automatic test applications, as the faster a supply reaches a programmed voltage or current, the faster a test will run.


Read More

Are linear supplies or switching supplies the best choice for your test system?

March 13, 2015

The first choice you must make when purchasing a DC power supply for a test system is whether to select a linear supply or switching supply. Linear power supplies offer low ripple and noise specifications and have fast transient behavior. They are, however, inefficient and generate a lot of heat. They are also quite heavy. As a result, most engineers find them desirable only at lower output power levels (typically less then 500 Watts). Most linear DC power supplies are benchtop supplies.


Read More

Choose the right equipment for automated EV testing

March 11, 2015

Testing the electric motors and the electronic control modules found in today's electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is in many ways more challenging than testing internal combustion engines and their control modules. For one thing, HEV electric motors spin faster than internal combustion engines. They also must change speed more rapidly than internal combustion engines, and because some are designed to also generate energy, the test system must also measure the electrical output as well as the mechanical output of the motor.


Read More