DC power supplies are essential throughout the electronics industry to provide the basic requirement of accurate and stable DC power from an AC source that may be subject to fluctuations and surges. The new Rohde & Schwarz NGC100 power supply series not only meets this fundamental requirement, but also includes features, functions, and remote-control capabilities to support applications far more complex than steady output power. The series includes one, two, and three-channel models supplying 0-32 V per channel at up to 10 A and 100 W power output. The single-channel R&S NGC101 delivers up to 10 A, the two-channel R&S NGC102 up to 5 A per channel, and the three-channel R&S NGC103 up to 3 A per channel. Small and light, two R&S NGC100 can be mounted next to each other in a 19” rack to optimize test setup footprints.
Each channel in the two and three channel models is fully isolated for maximum flexibility. Users can use the channels independently as fully independent, extremely compact power supplies. Or they can combine the channels in series to increase the maximum potential difference to 96 V, or in parallel for currents up to 10 A. Full galvanic isolation means that channels can be connected to supply balanced circuits without worrying about grounding complications.
Programmable changes
The basic performance of the R&S NGC100 as a power supply is excellent, both in terms of output range and output quality regarding low ripple and noise. The application support and additional features exceed expectations for this class of instrument. The remote sensing function ensures accuracy as users measure the voltage at the input of the circuit being powered, not at the output of the power supply. Users can also program voltage or current changes for a test sequence or avoid steep ramp-ups to protect the device being powered, or simulate operating conditions.
The R&S NGC100 puts safety first by providing a full range of protective functions for electrical and thermal properties. Users can set the time and define sequences for switching on channels. Voltage and current values for the circuit to be powered can be logged. All models of the R&S NGC100 have a standard dual interface with USB and LAN ports, and an optional GPIB interface is available for remote control. For external control, a digital trigger supports input in Transistor-Transistor-Logic format to trigger functions such as logging. It is also possible to input sequences of voltage or current changes from an external program. An analog interface with a maximum input of 10V and 20 mA controls near-immediate changes in output voltage or current across the full range.
