California Instruments 1001P

The California Instruments P Series are ideal sources for general purpose AC power applications that require variable voltage and frequency at power levels up to 1,250 VA. With simple knobs used to set voltage, frequency and current limit, the P Series provides an inexpensive source of AC power in a small, portable and lightweight package.

With European and US outlet sockets to connect the load, the P Series are ideal for a wide variety of applications. Universal input allows use anywhere in the world to provide a convenient source of variable utility power for the testing and evaluation of domestic and commercial equipment. All common line voltage and frequency combinations are covered.

The P Series uses a precision digital sinewave generator to produce a low distortion output. Dual LCD readouts clearly display programmed settings for voltage, current limit and frequency. Load current is measured using true RMS sensing and can be displayed on the front panel as well. Adjusting voltage, frequency and current limit is accomplished using a set of digitally encoded rotary knobs. For ATE applications, RS-232C interface is available as an option.

Applications
The extended output frequency range of 16 Hz to 500 Hz makes the P Series a suitable source for both commercial as well as avionics applications. Dual voltage ranges provide maximum output current at any programmed voltage up to 270 Volts. The built in RMS current measurement function eliminates the need for external current shunts or transformers to determine load current requirements of the unit under test. For bench use, the P Series features simple and intuitive controls for setting voltage, frequency and current limits. Current drawn by the load can be read directly on the large LCD display to 100 mA resolution. High peak current capability of more than three times the RMS current allows the P Series to drive non-linear loads.

Remote Control
The optional RS-232C remote control interface (option -232) allows complete control of all AC source functions and provides measurement data to the controller. This allows the P Series to be used as a low cost AC test system. A Windows™ Graphical User Interface (GUI) program is included with the interface option. Automatic power cycling and transient generation is made possible with the use of this GUI program. The GUI output control, measurement and transient screen is shown here. For quality assurance applications, measured voltage, current and VA readings can be logged to disk for documentation and analysis purposes. All data recorded is time stamped to create a complete history of each test run. Transient programming is supported by the GUI program with user defined transient list of up to 100 steps. Available transient functions are Voltage step, voltage drop, voltage sweep, voltage surge/sag, frequency step, frequency sweep, frequency surge/sag as well as functions that combine both voltage and frequency. Up to eight often used front-panel setups can be stored in non-volatile memory for quick recall from the PC controller through the interface. If needed, the front panel can be locked out to prevent operator intervention during test runs.