8-6 Source-Measure Concepts Series 2600 System SourceMeters Reference Manual
2600S-901-01 Rev. A / May 2006 Return to Section 8 topics
Overheating protection
Proper ventilation is required to keep the SourceMeter from overheating. Even
with proper ventilation, the SourceMeter can overheat if the ambient temperature
is too high or the SourceMeter is being operated in sink mode for long periods of
time. The SourceMeter has an over-temperature protection circuit that will turn the
output off in the event that the instrument overheats. If the output trips due to
overheating, a message indicating this condition will be displayed. You will not be
able to turn the output back on until the instrument cools down.
Power equations to avoid overheating
To avoid overheating, each SourceMeter channel should not be operated in a
manner that would force it to exceed the maximum duty cycle (DC
MAX
) computed
using the equation below. Factors such as the ambient temperature, quadrant of
operation, and high power pulse levels (if applicable) all affect the maximum duty
cycle. Exceeding the calculated maximum duty cycle may cause the
SourceMeter’s over temperature protection mechanism to engage. When this
happens, an error message will be displayed, and the SourceMeter output(s) will
be disabled until the internal temperature of the SourceMeter is reduced to an
acceptable level.
You do not have to be concerned about overheating if all of the following are true:
• The SourceMeter is being used as a power source and not a power sink.
• The ambient temperature is ≤30°C.
• High power pulse operation is not being used.
However, if any one of these is false, the SourceMeter may overheat if operated
in a manner that exceeds the calculated maximum duty cycle, DC
MAX
.
The maximum duty cycle equation is derived from the power equation below by
solving for DC
MAX
. The general power equation describes how much power a
SourceMeter channel can source and/or sink before the total power cannot be
fully dissipated by the SourceMeter cooling system. This equation takes into
account all of the factors that can influence the power being dissipated by the
SourceMeter.
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