Using the PXI-4110 Power Supply to Create a Bipolar Voltage Source Hardware: Modular Instruments>>Power Supplies>>PXI-4110
Problem: I have a PXI-4110 DC Power Supply and I'd like to configure it to be used in a bipolar setup with channels 0 and 1. When I attach a DMM to measure the differential voltage it appears to work, but connecting a load causes the voltage level to change or drop unexpectedly. Why does this happen? Solution: The PXI-4110 cannot be configured to operate in a bipolar manner. Theoretically you could use the two positive channels differentially to set one channel higher or lower than the other, effectively creating a bipolar output. However, this requires the channel at the higher potential to source current and the channel at the lower potential to sink current. The PXI-4110 does not support sinking current. Quadrants are used to describe the sinking and sourcing capabilities of an input or output. The terms sinking and sourcing describe the direct current flow into and out of a load, respectively. Sourcing devices can drive current into the load while sinking devices absorb current and provide a path to ground. The diagram below shows the 4 possible quadrants in which a power supply can operate. Related Links: Product Manuals: NI DC Power Supplies Help (February 2007) Attachments:  - quadrant.jpg
Report Date: 04/18/2007 Last Updated: 05/06/2007 Document ID: 48HKF2BE |
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