Agilent Technologies' Industry-First 1U-High, Multiple-Output Programmable DC Power Supply System Optimizes Performance, Power, Price

Flexible Modular Power Platform Offers Industry-Leading Processing Speeds, Autoranging Output, New Measurement Capabilities for ATE Applications

Palo Alto, CA -- Agilent Technologies Inc. today introduced the industry's first 1U (rack unit) high, multiple-output programmable DC power supply system that enables test system integrators to optimize performance, power and price to match test needs.

The Agilent N6700 low-profile modular power system (MPS) offers industry-leading processing speeds, autoranging output and new measurement capabilities for automatic test equipment (ATE) applications in industries including aerospace and defense, consumer electronics, computers and peripherals, communications, semiconductor and automotive.

The Agilent MPS gives test system designers the flexibility to mix and match from 13 different DC power modules to create a 1- to 4-channel DC power system optimized to meet specific test requirements. Test system engineers can invest in high-performance outputs where speed and accuracy are needed, or purchase basic performance outputs for simple DC power requirements at prices starting at $1,000 per output.

"Power supplies are a fundamental component of every test system, and today's complex ATE systems often require multiple power sources," said Galen Wampler, industry analyst at Prime Data. "Agilent's innovative modular power system, the first to combine industry-leading throughput speeds, industry-standard I/O options, and the ability to place up to four outputs with various performance levels into a single, space-saving 1U-high package, marks a turning point in how engineers integrate power supplies into their test systems."

Although the Agilent MPS uses an advanced switching power-supply that fits within the 1U space, it still performs like a linear power supply, and because it has no top or bottom air vents, other instruments can be mounted directly above or below it. The Agilent MPS power modules offer built-in digital multimeters, the choice of 50W and 100W output power levels, various voltage and current combinations, and three performance levels to enable engineers to configure a power supply for specific applications, including:

• ATE applications in which the power supply plays a critical role. The Agilent N6750 family of high-performance, autoranging DC power modules provides low noise, high accuracy and programming speeds that are up to 10 to 50 times faster than other programmable power supplies. In addition, Agilent has for the first time included high-speed test extensions in general-purpose power supplies. The high-speed test extensions offer an oscilloscope-like digitizer that simplifies system configuration and increases measurement accuracy when viewing high-speed transient or pulse events within the device-under-test (DUT). In addition, autoranging output capabilities enable one power supply to do the job of several traditional power supplies.

• ATE applications such as semiconductor testing. The Agilent N6760 family of precision DC power modules provides precise control and measurements in the milliampere and microampere region with the ability to simultaneously digitize voltage and current, and capture those measurements in an oscilloscope-like data buffer.

• Basic DC applications. The Agilent N6730 and N6740 families of DC power modules provide programmable voltage and current, measurement and protection features at a very economical price, making these modules suitable to power the DUT or to provide power for ATE system resources, such as fixture control.

"The Agilent N6700 low-profile power supply is all about providing the test system engineer with maximum flexibility, performance and value," said Scott Sampl, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Basic, Emerging, and Systems Technologies Division. "This new platform provides advanced power supply capabilities with less than one millisecond command-processing time for high-speed throughputs that have been benchmarked to show a 300 percent increase in test system throughput. Its compact modular design enables engineers to easily customize a single power supply for use in the simplest or most complex test systems."

The Agilent N6700 is the first power supply to provide universal serial bus (USB 2.0), 10/100 Base-T Ethernet (LAN) and general-purpose interface bus (GPIB) interfaces as standard features, allowing quick and simple connectivity to a PC, other instruments in a test system, or to a network for access across an engineering workgroup. The Agilent N6700 can also be remotely operated from any browser by connecting to its built-in Web page for control and monitoring of power supply operations.

U.S. Pricing and Availability
The Agilent N6700 modular power system can be ordered now with shipments beginning later this month. The N6700A low-profile MPS mainframe, which can hold up to four modules in any combination, is priced at $2,200. Power module prices range from $450 to $2,480.

Source: Agilent Technologies