Agilent Technologies has added two application-specific modules to the N6700 Modular Power System (MPS) family, the N6783A-MFG mobile communications DC power module and the N6783A-BAT battery charge/discharge module.
The N6783A-MFG module offers sourcing and measurement capabilities specifically designed to meet the challenges of battery-powered (mobile) device manufacturing. The N6783A-BAT module offers basic two-quadrant operation for charging and discharging batteries as necessary for the design of a mobile device. The DC power module module offers features specifically for testing mobile devices in manufacturing. Its voltage transient response ensures that a stable output voltage is maintained at the device under test during load transients. This maximises system throughput by eliminating inadvertent device shutdowns that occur if the voltage is allowed to drop too low, such as when a non-specialised power supply is used. The built-in digitiser also allows for maximum throughput by providing fast, accurate and flexible measurements that are customisable so that the desired balance between speed and accuracy can be achieved. The N6783A-BAT module is a basic two-quadrant DC module designed to enable mobile device designers to validate the battery to be used in the device being designed. During the research and development of a mobile device, the designer must properly validate the battery that will be used in the final design, especially if the battery will be permanently installed. Battery validation requires charging and discharging the battery while measuring voltage and current to ensure it meets the desired specifications.
The module's two-quadrant operation allows it to act as a power supply to charge the battery or as an electronic load to discharge the battery. Its built-in digitising measurement system allows accurate measurements over the short and long term.
It can also be used to condition batteries for test in mobile devices by charging or discharging the battery to a specific level to see how the device performs under specific conditions.
