Test and measurement instrument designer/manufacturer B&K Precision, recently announced a series of programmable DC loads, the 8500B. According to a press release, the new series improves upon all aspects of the company's popular 8500 series while also providing a cost-effective alternative to the 8600 series.
Offering features similar to those of the 8600 line, the 8500B also offers backward compatibility with the legacy 8500 series protocol and support for industry-standard SCPI commands. The series is suitable for testing and evaluating DC power supplies, DC/DC converters, batteries, battery chargers and photovoltaic arrays. Sample applications include performance verification of photovoltaic solar panels; CR-LED mode to simulate loading behavior and test LED drivers; fuel and solar cell tests; and battery tests and power supply evaluations.
Key features include:
- Operation in constant current (CC), constant voltage (CV), constant resistance (CR), or constant power (CW) mode
- Variety of test tools for benchtop and production line applications including list mode, transient operation, automatic test mode, battery test function and adjustable slew rate
- Continuously switching and pulsing load conditions to put a dynamically changing load on DC sources
- Transient mode up to 10 kHz in CC mode
- 16-bit voltage and current measurement system providing up to 0.1 mV / 0.1 mA of resolution
- Full OVP/OCP/OPP/OTP including local and remote reverse voltage (LRV/RRV) protection
- Built-battery test function
- Flexible triggering options: front panel, external input, timer or bus
- Multi-type input terminals for banana jack or spade type connectors
- Includes PC software for front panel emulation and generating test sequences, compatible with B&K Precision's battery test software for discharge tests
The series consists of four models each in a 2U (half-rack) form factor, with ranges from 150 W to 600 W power; 120 V to 500 V rated voltage; and 15 A to 120 A rated current.
In the United States, the series is available from numerous distributors including:
- Arrow Electronics
- Digi-Key Electronics
- Mouser Electronics
- Newark, an Avnet Company
- ValueTronics International
For additional information, visit B&K Precision online.
