The current trend in semiconductors is towards lower voltages and higher speeds. This trend places similar demands on both the components of semiconductor power units, such as switching power supplies, batteries and DC/DC converters, and also on the electronic loads used for testing. Also, a growing number of users with a need for multiple-output power units and easy channel reconfiguration are calling for plug-in type electronic loads that can be easily configured to support multiple channels. The advent of an electronic load system that satisfies all these needs has been long awaited. It was against this background that Kikusui developed the PLZ-U Series of electronic loads.

The PLZ-U Series of compact and high-performance modular electronic loads is capable of operating in five modes: constant current, constant resistance, constant voltage, constant current + constant voltage, and constant resistance + constant voltage. The load system consists of load modules and a frame. The load modules are inserted into the frame that also serves as a control unit. The PLZ-30F frame can accommodate up to three load modules, while the PLZ-50F frame can accommodate up to five. The load modules can be operated in parallel, so that the current capacity or power capacity can be changed easily, from 75 to 750 watts^*1, as needed for the device under test. In addition to offering high-speed response at a maximum slew rate of 2.4 A/ µs^*2 and a minimum setting resolution of 10 µ A^*3, the system features a variety of functions including soft start, variable slew rate, a switching function, ABC preset memory function, four setup memories, and a sequence function. What's more, timer functions combined with time/voltage measurement functions allow you to measure battery discharge characteristics.

For communication, the system is provided with GPIB and RS-232C interfaces as standard. Both interfaces support IEEE 488.2 as well as the Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) commands, developed for testing and measuring instruments.

^*1 When five PLZ150U units are installed in a PLZ-50F frame
^*2 For the PLZ150U
^*3 For the PLZ70UA

Features

• Compact, lightweight body
  The electronic load system is as wide as a 19-inch rack with a height of 3U. Weighing about 11 kg when configured for three channels or about 17 kg when configured for five channels, the system is compact, lightweight and space-saving.
• High-speed response
  In constant current mode, the electronic load is capable of offering high-speed response at a slew rate of 2.4 A/µs at the rising and falling edges of the current (equivalent to about 10 µs when converted to the rise and fall times; in the case of PLZ150U).
• High precision and high resolution
  The built-in three-range configuration provides both wide dynamic range and high precision. The voltmeter, ammeter and wattmeter functions that display values using up to five digits each and a minimum setting resolution of either 10 µA (PLZ70UA) or 20 µA (PLZ150U) are implemented.
• Variable slew rate
  In constant current or constant resistance mode, the slew rate can be changed continuously.
• 0 (Zero) V input
  The PLZ70UA model operates even when the input operating voltage is 0 (Zero) V.
• Multi-channel system
  PLZ-50F may be configured with up to five channels, and PLZ-30F may be configured with up to three channels. Isolated from each other, the channels can operate both independently and in synchronization. Different models of load units (PLZ150U and PLZ70UA) can be housed in a single frame.
• Frame control
  You can connect two or more frames and use one of them to control the others (up to five frames can be connected at a time). This enables you to turn on or off the load and call preset values.
• Parallel operation for increased capacity
  Up to five load modules may be operated in parallel, provided that adjacent load modules are of the same model.
• Sequence function to enable load simulations
• External control functions