Pulsed Operation

Note  Pulsed operation refers only to channel 1 of the NI PXI-4130.

When sourcing pulses with currents greater than 500 mA, the device power dissipation increases drastically if the duration of these pulses is below 10 milliseconds. This additional power may overheat the NI PXI-4130 components and thus engage the thermal protection forcing a channel shutdown.

When sinking power pulses, the limiting parameter is the average power being dissipated by the device. The maximum average power dissipation allowed is 10 W for ambient temperatures less than 30°C. For higher ambient temperatures, the maximum average power has to be derated by a factor of 0.2 W per degree Celsius.

Caution  Exceeding the recommended maximum power sinking limits may result in undesired interruption of the SMU operation and excessive stress to the components that could result in damage to the device.

If the duration of the pulses is below 10 milliseconds, the channel may be forced to shut down because of an overtemperature condition. Please refer to the following graph to verify the conditions at which the SMU operates without interruption.

Note  This graph is only valid up to an ambient temperature of 30°C. For higher ambient temperatures, derate according to the device specifications.

Note  For pulses longer than 1 second, the operation is considered to be continuous and the peak power should be limited instead of average power.

Hot Surface  Do not touch the outer shield of the NI PXI-4130 as it may become very hot during an overtemperature condition.

Related Topics

NI PXI-4130 Thermal Protections and Precautions

NI PXI-4130 Troubleshooting