During electronic product development and production it is important to test the limits of the product to ensure that it will be reliable and satisfy the end user. After-sales failures and returns cost more financially and, in good will, than proper testing during development. Testing during production ensures that the product meets the original development specification.

Products that will be powered by ac mains need to be tested to fairly wide tolerances of both voltage and frequency to ensure that they will tolerate adverse power conditions when operating. Power supplies can be adversely affected when frequencies are out of specification or voltages drop too low. Designing and testing a product to tolerate such adverse conditions makes for a reliable and trusted product that can be sold with confidence and pride.

Programmable ac power supplies allow the development department and the production line to test and ensure that products can meet and beat adverse power conditions and operate reliably. By testing products to wide tolerance of power conditions using a programmable power supply, engineers can ensure the best possible product and customer satisfaction.

Using a programmable power supply on the production line allows less skilled staff to test products and produce test reports that can be shipped with the product.

The 61600 series of low-power programmable power supplies from Chroma are ideal for this type of application. Power ratings range from 500 VA to 4000 VA, voltage adjustment from 0 to 300 V and frequencies from 15 Hz to 1000 Hz. Programming interfaces are GPIB or RS-232.

Centurion Micro Electronics
www.cme.co.za