The 5033 provides 3 independent channels of 0 to 20V DC, settable in 10uV steps. A 2A drive capability allows up to 40W per channel to be output. A precision current shunt is incorporated in each channel and allows read-back of the current supplied. The high resolution on the voltage and current make this power source ideal for calorimetry and other applications requiring very accurate control of DC power input. Power can be controlled to better than a few ppm.

The excellent resolutions for the voltage output and current readback are matched by stability performance that allows test runs of 24hrs or more and still maintain precision. The voltage output is stable to better than 2ppm per 24hrs at full load and the basic temperature coefficient (TC) is better than 1ppm/°C and this can be enhanced to better than 0.1ppm per °C using software compensation.

Measurement of the current is done very accurately using a precision shunt. Again the ambient and self-heating temperature effects can be compensated in software to give better than 1ppm per °C performance for the current measurement.

Low thermal emf output terminals are used and full 4 terminal operation is provided to compensate for volt drops in connection leads. Software compensation factors are also settable to further reduce the output resistance into the micro ohm region.

Fully automated control and measurement can be achieved by driving the 5033 with Time Electronics’ EasyCal calibration software. EasyCal allows full control of the power output by continually monitoring the current and adjusting the voltage to keep the power level constant. It can also monitor, on another channel, temperature differences and log the power difference between channels when a thermal balance is reached.

Front panel indicators provide the user with clear indications of data transfer and also show when errors have occurred or invalid commands have been issued. The unit is constructed in a standard 19” Euro case and is suitable for rack or bench use. All connections are at the rear of the unit. For ease of service and repair the whole unit is constructed on standard sized Euro boards and this allows fast plug-in replacement in the event of failure or mal-function.