Safety Summary The following general safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation of this instrument. Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual violates safety standards of design, manufacture, and intended use of the instrument. We assume no liability for the Customer’s failure to comply with these requirements.
Page 3
DO NOT SERVICE OR ADJUST ALONE Do not try to do some internal service or adjustment unless another person capable of rendering first aid resuscitation is present. Safety Symbols Direct current Alternating current Both direct and alternating current Protective earth (ground) terminal Attention (refer to accompanying documents) WARNING The WARNING sign denotes a hazard.
Compliance Statements Disposal of Old Electrical & Electronic Equipment (Applicable in the European Union and other European countries with separate collection systems) This product is subject to Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), and in jurisdictions adopting that Directive, is marked as being put on the market after August 13, 2005, and should not be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste.
Page 6
External ON/OFF Control Connection ..................35 Mainframe Extension Connection ..................35 PC Control Connection ......................36 Operation ................... 37 Operating Modes ........................37 Constant Current (CC) mode ....................37 Constant Voltage (CV) Mode ....................39 Constant Resistance (CR) Mode ..................40 Constant Power (CW) Mode ....................
Page 7
Setting Up Von Function ..................... 62 Save and Recall Operation ..................... 63 Module Controlling Link ......................64 Voltage Failure Indication ....................65 Current Monitoring ......................65 Digital I/O .......................... 65 Remote Sense Function ...................... 66 External Analog Control ...................... 66 Automatic Test ........................
Product Overview This section describes the main features and menus of the MDL Series DC Electronic Load. The MDL Series is comprised of two parts, mainframes and modules. The mainframes mentioned are the MDL001 mainframe and the MDL002 mainframe extension. Modules in this series include the MDL200, MDL252, MDL302, MDL305, MDL400, MDL505, and MDL600.
Features CC/CV/CR/CW/CZ operating modes Removable modules for easy system flexibility Bright VFD display for both mainframe and modules Power range up to 2400 W (4800 W with mainframe extension) Supports up to 16 channels with mainframe extension ...
Front Panel Figure 1 - MDL Series Front Panel 1) VFD DISPLAY Displays electronic load information. 2) MODULE PANEL KEYS Controls module functions. Refer to Module section for more details on the use of these keys. 3) ADJUSTMENT KNOB Used to change parameters.
Protection Functions The electronic load has the following protection functions: Overvoltage protection (OVP), overcurrent protection (OCP), overpower protection (OPP), overtemperature protection (OTP), and local and remote reverse voltage protection (LRV/RRV). The mainframe will act appropriately once any of the above protections are active. You can press any button on the front panel to restore the protection function.
Page 13
Panel Operations VFD Display 1. Power on the electronic load. Self-test Sync On Set Meter Protect 2. Press Shift + ⑧ to enter Configuration menu. List Ext. Ctrl Set About Exit Max Power Set Alimit State Alimit Point Alimit Delay 3.
Overpower Protection (OPP) The electronic load includes both hardware and software OPP features. Hardware OPP – In the event that the electronic load’s input power exceeds the set power protection limit, the hardware OPP will limit the power. Once the hardware OPP is triggered, the status register’s OP bit will be set.
Operations to Clear the OPP State Check whether the input power is within the rated power range or the programmed protection ranges. If it is outside the range, disconnect the device under test. Then press any key on the front panel or remotely send command PROTection:CLEar.
Menu List The following menus can be viewed on the VFD display. Use keys to scroll through the menu list and press Enter key to enter the selected menu function. Use keys to scroll through the VFD screen and press Enter key to enter its submenu. Press Esc to go back to the previous menu selection.
Page 17
System Menu Press Shift + ⑦ key to enter the System menu. MENU INITIALIZE INITIALIZE DEFAULT SET Resume all configuration to default settings POWER ON SET RST (DEFAULT) Set the load’s input state to default at power on SAV0 Set the load’s input state to SAV0 at power on BUZZER SET Set up the buzzer state Enable the function...
Page 18
RS232 SET PARITY SET Set up the communication parity NONE (DEFAULT) EVEN HANDSHAKE SET Select the handshake protocol NONE (DEFAULT) CTS/RTS XON/XOFF GPIB ADDRESS GPIB address setting GPIB ADDRESS SET Set up communication address ETHERNET SET Ethernet settings GATEWAY SET Gateway setting IP SET IP setting...
Configuration Menu Press Shift + ⑧ key to enter the channel Configuration menu. MENU SYNC ON SET Setup Synchronization ON / OFF function ON (DEFAULT) Turn on synchronization function Turn off synchronization function VON POINT Set the load’s Von point VON LATCH Von latch state ON (DEFAULT)
EDIT LIST Edit list operation file HIGH RANGE Edit high range of list operation LOW RANGE Edit low range of list operation EXT. CTRL SET External analog control function Turn on external analog control function OFF (DEFAULT) Turn off external analog control function REM SENSE SET Remote sense function Enable remote sense function...
Installation Inspection This instrument was carefully inspected before shipment. Upon receipt, inspect the instrument for damage that might have occurred during transit. If any sign of damage is found, please notify your B&K Precision distributor. The following standard and optional accessories are provided with each mainframe or module. Mainframes include: ...
Installing Modules CAUTION : Static electricity may damage load modules. Please install modules according to standard electrostatic prevention. Avoid touching joints and circuit boards. One can install any combination of modules up to 2400 W total in the MDL001 mainframe in any order.
Page 23
Figure 3b - Module Installation 4. Insert and slide the selected modules into the slot. Figure 3c - Module Installation 5. Insert and tighten module screws on rear panel.
Figure 3d - Module Installation 6. Install more modules in other slots following the same process (steps 2 through 5). 7. Reconnect the power cord. Channel Number The channel number for all modules is determined by the location of the modules in relation to the mainframe and ordered from right to left.
Note : Mainframe extension module channels are numbered 11-18. Location The operating temperature of the MDL Series DC Electronic Load is 0 to 40 ℃. A fan cools the electronic load by drawing air through both the top and front, and then exhausting it out the back.
Page 26
The MDL Series can be placed in a standard 19-inch rackmount shelf. Rack mount kit IT-E153A is available for use with mainframe (MDL001) and mainframe extension (MDL002). When mounted, there is no need to remove the bottom studs.
Figure 8 - Module Outline Diagram Note : Dimensions are in millimeters (mm). Input Voltage Selection The electronic load can work under 110/220V±10% AC input, identified by an input line voltage switch on the rear (refer to Figure 9). If the indicated line voltage does not match your region, please use the switch in the back of the unit to choose your input line voltage, install appropriate fuse (refer to Table 1 - Fuse Table below), and then insert power cord.
Figure 9 – Input Voltage Selection Turn-On Checkout When you turn on the electronic load, the front-panel display will light up briefly while the electronic load performs its power-on self-test. The following table shows the procedure of the self-test. Mainframe VFD Display Description BOIS Ver 1.20 VFD displays software version...
If the Electronic Load Does Not Turn On Use the following troubleshooting steps to help solve problems you might encounter when turning on the instrument: 1) Verify that there is AC power to the electronic load. First, verify that the power cord is firmly plugged into the power receptacle on the rear panel of the electronic load.
Load Connection WARNING : To satisfy safety requirements, load wires between the electronic load and the device under test (DUT) should have a current rating high enough not to overheat while carrying the short-circuit output current. Never make connections between the electronic load and a DUT while the electronic load inputs are turned ON and/or the DUT has live power at its output.
There are two positive terminals and two negative terminals on the rear panel of every module. Single terminal connection is adequate when the input current is less than 30 A. WARNING : Each terminal can carry up to 30 A current. Double-terminal connection is needed when the input current is more than 30 A.
There are two input connectors. One is the electronic load’s input measurement terminal and the other is the Vsense measurement terminal. When Vsense is connected to device to be measured, the electronic load will switch to Vsense mode automatically. There is no need to change a setting in the menu and the front panel of the module will show “sense”.
Mainframe 8-pin Control Connector The mainframe’s 8-pin control terminal on the rear panel is shown below. This is used for external trigger and ON/OFF control connections. Figure 14 – Mainframe Rear Panel 8-pin Control Connector Table 2 - Control Connector Pinout Signal Description Trigger IN...
External Trigger Connections There are five kinds of trigger modes: 1) Front panel TRIG trigger mode 2) Rear panel trigger mode 3) BUS trigger mode 4) Timer trigger mode 5) Hold trigger mode Setting these modes is done through the System menu (Shift + ⑦) under <Trigger Source>. Press Enter to confirm setting and Esc to exit menu.
External ON/OFF Control Connection ON/OFF IN (pin 3 of rear 8-pin Control Connector) is used to toggle the multi-channel electronic load inputs ON or OFF. When ON/OFF IN pin receives a TTL level pulse (>10us), the ON/OFF state of the load will toggle. SYNC ON SET function can be set to ON for multiple channels to toggle more than one channel at a time.
PC Control Connection The MDL Series DC Electronic Load can achieve remote control via USB, RS-232, LAN, or GPIB interface, but only one interface can be used at a time. Choose the interface via the System menu (Shift + ⑦). Connect communication cable before powering on. Do not hot plug, as it may damage the communication interface of the electronic load.
Operation Operating Modes The electronic load can work in the following modes: 1) Constant current (CC) operation mode 2) Constant voltage (CV) operation mode 3) Constant resistance (CR) operation mode 4) Constant power (CW) operation mode 5) Constant impedance (CZ) operation mode Constant Current (CC) mode In this mode, the electronic load will sink a current in accordance with the programmed value regardless of the input voltage.
Page 38
Vmax/Vmin Limits These parameters refer to the voltage high and low limit for the automatic test mode. During automatic test mode, the device under test (DUT) must be operating within the configured values for the test to PASS upon completion. If the DUT operates outside the configured values, the test will FAIL upon completion.
Figure 17 - Slew Rate Measurement Between the 10% and 90% region, the slew rate can be measured by observing the steepest slope portion. In case of very large load changes, e.g. from no load to full load, the actual transition time will be larger than the expected (measured) time.
Ranges When working in CV mode, you can press the Setup key to enter the RANGE menu. Two overlapping ranges can be selected: LOW RANGE or HIGH RANGE. Voltage can be edited in either of the two ranges. Low range will supply higher accuracy and better resolution when you set lower current.
Ranges When working in CR mode, you can press the Setup key to enter the RANGE menu. Two overlapping ranges can be selected: LOW RANGE or HIGH RANGE. Resistance can be edited in either of the two ranges. Low range will supply higher accuracy and better resolution when you set lower resistance.
Ranges When working in CW mode, you can press the Setup key to enter the RANGE menu. Two overlapping ranges can be selected: LOW RANGE or HIGH RANGE. Power can be edited in either of the two ranges. Low range will supply higher accuracy and better resolution when you set lower power.
Page 43
Ranges When working in CZ mode, you can press the Setup key to enter the RANGE menu. Two overlapping ranges can be selected: LOW RANGE or HIGH RANGE. Impedance can be edited in either of the two ranges. Low range will supply higher accuracy and better resolution when you set lower impedance.
Setting CV, CC, CR, CW, CZ Mode The following procedure will show you a basic example of how to set up your operation mode from the front panel. Panel Operations VFD Display 1. Power on the electronic load. Self-test 2. Press keys to select the channel to be edited, such as channel 1. CH01 CC OFF Vdc=0.0000V Adc=0.0000A...
Local Operation Mainframe Panel The front panel keys are effective only in the local mode. When the load is powered on, it works in local mode automatically (unless any of the remote interfaces are connected to a device controlling it) and then you can select channel number and set parameters such as voltage or current via the front panel keys.
Page 46
2. FUNCTION KEYS Description This key is used to switch channels. Every module has its own channel number and can be Chan selected from the mainframe panel. This key is used to save parameters. After selecting a channel and editing its parameters, Save press the Save key to save your settings into non-volatile memory.
Page 47
3. ENTRY/SHIFT KEYS Description ⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤ These are number input keys. ⑥ ⑦ ⑧ ⑨ This key can be used to exit any working state. This key is used for decimal. These keys are used to move up and down the menu selection. Enter This key is used to confirm selection.
Selects the transient mode. Press this key first to enable transient Tran mode before running A/B transient operation and then send the triggering signal to run a program. On/Off Control module’s input on/off state 4. AIR INLET Module’s air inlet for cooling purposes. WARNING : Do not place any objects that may block or cover air inlet.
VFD Indicator Function Description The detailed illustration of the VFD and all indicator functions are as follows: Figure 24 - Load Module VFD Panel L/R is the indicator of the dual-channel module’s left/right channel. If you want to edit left/right channel parameters, first select the channel using the L/R key.
Transient Operation Transient operation enables the module to periodically switch between two load levels, as might be required for testing power supplies. Transient operation can be turned on and off from the front panel (Tran and Trig keys). Before you turn on the operation, you should set the parameters associated with the transient operation.
Figure 25 - Continuous Transient Operation Current Waveform Pulse In this mode, the electronic load generates a transient pulse of programmable width when pulse transient operation is in effect. In pulse mode, you can set A/B level, A/B width, and A/B slew rate via the mainframe keypad. The electronic load will automatically switch to A level after maintaining A width time.
Toggle In toggle mode, the electronic load will switch between A level and B level when receiving a trigger signal after the transient operation is enabled. The following picture shows the current waveform in toggle transient operation. Figure 27 - Toggle Transient Operation Setting Up A/B Transient Operation The following is a short tutorial of how to set up A/B transient operation for your electronic load.
Page 54
A/B Transient Operation Tutorial Panel Operations VFD Display 1. Power on the electronic load. Self-test CH01 CC OFF 2. Press keys to select the channel to be edited. In this example, we Vdc = 0.0000V select channel 1. Adc = 0.0000A Wdc = 0.00W CH01 3.
Page 55
17. Press Trig key on mainframe panel to trigger transient operation. Transient Operation Programming Example If in remote control mode, you can use the following example commands for transient operation (refer to MDL Series Programming Guide for more information). CURRent:TRANsient:MODE CONTinuous CURRent:TRANsient:ALEVel 10 CURRent:TRANsient:AWIDth 0.2ms...
List Operation List mode lets you generate complex sequences of input changes on a single channel with rapid, precise timing, which may be synchronized with internal or external signals. This is useful when running test sequences with a minimum amount of overhead. The parameters of List operation include the name, number of steps (2-84), step width time (20us- 3600s), and every steps’...
Page 57
CH01 CC ON Vdc=0.0000V 2. Press keys to select the channel to be edited. Adc=0.0000A Wdc=0.00W MANUAL 3. Press Shift + ⑦ to enter System menu. Press key to select EXTERNAL <Trigger source> and press Enter. Select <Manual> and press Enter HOLD to confirm.
Page 58
13. Set second step’s width time. Input value and press Enter key to Step 002 width confirm. 14. Set parameters for steps 3 through 5 in the same manner described above. Repeat Count 15. Set number of run cycles. Input value and press Enter to confirm. CH01 16.
Page 59
List Mode Programming Example If in remote control mode, you can refer to the following example to edit List operation (refer to MDL Series Programming Guide for more information). Command Function LIST:RANGe 40 Sets List range LIST:COUNT 10000 Sets List cycle...
Triggered Operation Trigger Function Trigger operation can be used in the following operations: transient pulse output, triggered output, and list output. The electronic load has five kinds of trigger modes to synchronously trigger the tested instrument. Before enabling the trigger function, users should first select trigger source. Trigger Source 1) Manual trigger: When manual trigger mode is active, pressing the Trig key on the front panel will enable a trigger operation.
The load/unload speed of On/Off operation is not dependent on the rise/fall slew rate. When in remote control mode, you can send SCPI command “INPut ON” to turn the input on (refer to MDL Series Programming Guide for more information on remote commands).
When Von LATCH is enabled, the electronic load will begin sinking current if input voltage exceeds Von voltage. When the input voltage drops below the Von voltage value, the electronic load will still continue to sink current and the input remains on. Figure 30 - Von LATCH Load's Working Range Setting Up Von Function The following is a quick tutorial of how to set up the Von function for your electronic load.
Von Point 4. Select <Von Point> and press Enter. Von Latch Exit Von Point Set 5. Set the Von Point. Input 5 and press Enter to confirm. 6. Press to select <Von Latch> and press Enter. Set on/off state. Select On and press Enter to confirm.
To Recall Panel Operations VFD Display 1. To recall saved data, press the Recall key. It will ask for the Recall Recall Group Group number. 2. Input the Group number (0-100) you previously saved your Recall Group parameters to and press Enter key to recall. Module Controlling Link There is an 8-pin terminal and current monitoring connector on every module’s rear panel.
Table 3 - Module Terminal Pinout Signal Description Ground Voltage fault indication terminal Digital input terminal Digital output terminal ⃝ I OUT Current monitoring output SENSE + Voltage remote measuring terminal (+) SENSE - Voltage remote measuring terminal (-) EXT_PRG+ External analog controlling terminal (+) EXT_PRG- External analog controlling terminal (-)
Automatic Test The automatic test function of the MDL Series electronic load is useful for simulating various tests and allows the user to edit up to 10 program files. Each file has 10 steps and up to 100 steps can be edited and saved into the EEPROM.
Page 67
Table 4 - Save Table PROGRAM 1 Sequence Save Group PROGRAM 2 Sequence Save Group PROGRAM 3 Save Group PROGRAM 4 Sequence Save Group PROGRAM 5 Sequence Save Group PROGRAM 6 Sequence Save Group PROGRAM 7 Sequence Save Group PROGRAM 8 Sequence Save Group PROGRAM 9...
Page 68
Panel Operations VFD Display 1. Power on the electronic load. Self-test CH03 CC OFF 2. Select the channel you want to edit and then edit every group’s Vdc=0.0000V step. For this example, we will select channel 3 and channel 5 Adc=0.0000A below.
Page 69
<Edit Program> and press Enter. Edit Program Exit 13. The MDL Series with mainframe extension can support a Active Channel maximum of 16 channels. 0 represents the MDL001 mainframe 0 : □ 7 □ 5 □ 3 □ 1 and 1 represents the MDL002 mainframe extension.
Page 70
20. Set test delay time (T ). For example, if you need 1s, input 1 SEQ01 P/F Delay Time and then press Enter key to confirm. 1.0S 0 ≤ T pf ≤ (T on + T off ) Tpf is test delay time 21.
Recall Test Files The following is a procedure on how to recall edited test files from the EEPROM. Panel Operations VFD Display Run Program Recall Prog 1. Press Shift + ⑨ to enter the Program menu. Edit Program Exit 2. Press key to select <Recall Prog> and press Enter. Input the saved Program Select program number and press Enter to recall the saved testing file.
USB Interface Use Type A to Type B USB cables to connect the electronic load and the PC. All electronic load functions are programmable over the USB. Press Shift + ⑦ on the front panel to enter the System menu. Select <Communication> and choose <USBTMC-USB488>. The USB488 interface capabilities of the electronic load are described below: ...
RS-232 Interface Use a cable with two COM interfaces (DB9) to connect the electronic load and PC. It can be activated by selecting <RS-232> in <Communication> of the System menu. NOTE: There are two COM interfaces on the rear panel of the MDL001 mainframe: the left 9-pin COM interface is the RS-232 communication interface and the right 9-pin COM serial port connection is not for use.
RS-232 Flow Control The RS-232 interface supports the following flow control options. For each case, the electronic load will send a maximum of five characters after hold-off is asserted by the controller. The electronic load is capable of receiving as many as fifteen additional characters after it asserts hold-off. ...
Signal Description No Connection Transmit Data Receive Data No Connection Ground No Connection Clear to Send Ready to Send No Connection RS-232 Troubleshooting If you are having trouble communicating over the RS-232 interface, check the following: The computer and the electronic load must be configured for the same baud rate, parity, number of data bits, and flow control options.
Specifications Model MDL200 MDL252 MDL302 MDL305 MDL400 MDL505 MDL600 Input Ratings Input Voltage 0-80 V 0-80 V 0-80 V 0-500 V 0-80 V 0-500 V 0-80 V 0-4 A 0-3 A 0-4.5 A 0-3 A 0-6 A 0-3 A 0-12 A Input Current High...
Supplementary Characteristics Memory capacity 101 Groups Recommended calibration period Once per year AC Input (selectable by switch on the rear panel) Option 1: 220 V ±10%, 50/60 Hz Option 2: 110 V ±10%, 50/60 Hz Cooling method Fan cool Environmental conditions This instrument is intended for indoor use in a pollution degree 2 environment.
SERVICE INFORMATION Warranty Service: Please go to the support and service section on our website at www.bkprecision.com to obtain an RMA #. Return the product in the original packaging with proof of purchase to the address below. Clearly state on the RMA the performance problem and return any leads, probes, connectors and accessories that you are using with the device.
LIMITED THREE-YEAR WARRANTY B&K Precision Corp. warrants to the original purchaser that its products and the component parts thereof will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of three years from date of purchase. B&K Precision Corp. will, without charge, repair or replace, at its option, defective product or component parts.
Need help?
Do you have a question about the MDL Series and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers