Ametek Sorensen Asterion DC Series User manual

M330460-01 Rev D 1
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Contents Asterion DC Series
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Asterion DC Series Contents
M330460-01 Rev D iii
About AMETEK
AMETEK Programmable Power, Inc., a unit of AMETEK Electronic Instruments Group (a division of
AMETEK, Inc.), is a global leader in the design and manufacture of precision, programmable power
supplies for R&D, test and measurement, process control, power bus simulation and power conditioning
applications across diverse industrial segments. Offering bench-top supplies to rack-mounted industrial
power subsystems, AMETEK Programmable Power is the proud manufacturer of Elgar, Sorensen,
California Instruments, and Amrel brand power supplies and electronic loads.
AMETEK, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices
with annualized sales of $3.6 billion. The company has over 14,000 colleagues working at more than 120
manufacturing facilities and more than 80 sales and service centers in the United States and around the
world.
Trademarks
AMETEK is a registered trademark of AMETEK, Inc.
Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and product names are the property of their respective owners
and are used herein for identification purposes only.
Notice of Copyright
M330460-01 Asterion DC Series Operation Manual ©2021, AMETEK Programmable Power, Inc.,
All rights reserved.
Exclusion for Documentation
UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AGREED TO IN WRITING, AMETEK PROGRAMMABLE POWER, INC.

(a) MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THE ACCURACY, SUFFICIENCY OR SUITABILITY OF ANY
TECHNICAL OR OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED IN ITS MANUALS OR OTHER
DOCUMENTATION.
(b) ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR LOSSES, DAMAGES, COSTS OR
EXPENSES, WHETHER SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL, WHICH
MIGHT ARISE OUT OF THE USE OF SUCH INFORMATION. THE USE OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION

(c) REMINDS YOU THAT IF THIS MANUAL IS IN ANY LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH,
ALTHOUGH STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO MAINTAIN THE ACCURACY OF THE TRANSLATION,
THE ACCURACY CANNOT BE GUARANTEED. APPROVED AMETEK CONTENT IS CONTAINED
WITH THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION, WHICH IS POSTED AT
https://www.programmablepower.com/.
Date and Revision
March 2022, Revision D
Document Part Number
M330460-01
Contact Information
Telephone: [phone] (toll free in North America)
858 450 0085 (direct)
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
[e-mail]
Web: www.programmablepower.com

Contents Asterion DC Series
iv
Warranty Period: Five Years
Warranty Terms
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above, and if the Buyer discovers and notifies AMETEK in writing of any defect in material or workmanship
within the applicable warranty period stated above, then AMETEK may, at its option: repair or replace the
Product; or issue a credit note for the defective Product; or provide the Buyer with replacement parts for
the Product.
The Buyer will, at its expense, return the defective Product or parts thereof to AMETEK in accordance with
the return procedure specified below. AMETEK will, at its expense, deliver the repaired or replaced Product
or parts to the Buyer. Any warranty of AMETEK will not apply if the Buyer is in default under the Purchase
Order Agreement or where the Product or any part thereof:
•is damaged by misuse, accident, negligence or failure to maintain the same as specified or
required by AMETEK;
•is damaged by modifications, alterations or attachments thereto which are not authorized by
AMETEK;
•is installed or operated contrary to the instructions of AMETEK;
•is opened, modified, 
•is used in combination with items, articles or materials not authorized by AMETEK.
The Buyer may not assert any claim that the Products are not in conformity with any warranty until the
Buyer has made all payments to AMETEK provided for in the Purchase Order Agreement.
Product Return Procedure
1. Request a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number from the repair facility (must be done in the
country in which it was purchased):
•In the USA, contact the AMETEK Repair Department prior to the return of the product to
AMETEK for repair:
•Telephone: [phone], ext. 2295 or ext. 2463 (toll free North America)
858-450-0085, ext. 2295 or ext. 2463 (direct)
•Outside the USA, contact the nearest Authorized Service Center (ASC). A full listing can be
found either through your local distributor or our website, www.powerandtest.com, by clicking
Support and going to the Service Centers tab.
2. When requesting an RMA, have the following information ready:
•Model number
•Serial number
•Description of the problem
Note: Unauthorized returns will not be accepted and will be returned at the shipper’s expense.
Note: A returned product found upon inspection by AMETEK, to be in specification is subject to an
evaluation fee and applicable freight charges.

Asterion DC Series Contents
M330460-01 Rev D v
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Before applying power to the system, verify that your product is configured properly for your
application.
WARNING!
Hazardous voltages might be present when covers are removed. Qualified
personnel must use extreme caution when servicing this equipment.
Circuitry, test points, and output voltages might be floating with respect to
chassis ground. Do not touch electrical circuits and use appropriately rated
test equipment. A safety ground wire must be connected from the chassis to
the AC mains input when servicing this equipment.
WARNING!
This equipment contains ESD sensitive input/output connection ports.
When installing equipment, follow ESD safety procedures. Electrostatic
discharges might cause damage to the equipment.
Only qualified personnel, who understand and deal with attendant hazards in power supplies,
can perform installation and servicing.
Ensure that the AC mains input ground is connected properly to the chassis safety ground
connection. Similarly, other power ground lines, including those to application and maintenance
equipment, must be grounded properly for both personnel and equipment safety. Always ensure
that facility AC mains input is de-energized prior to connecting or disconnecting any cable.
In normal operation from the front panel, the operator does not have access to hazardous
voltages within the chassis. However, depending on the application configuration, HIGH
VOLTAGES HAZARDOUS TO HUMAN SAFETY might be normally generated on the output
terminals. The user must ensure that the output power lines are labeled properly as to the safety
hazards and that any possibility for inadvertent contact with hazardous voltages is eliminated.
Guard against risks of electrical shock during open cover checks by not touching any portion of
the electrical circuits. Even when power is off, capacitors may retain an electrical charge. Use
safety glasses during open cover checks to avoid personal injury by any sudden component
failure.
Neither AMETEK Programmable Power Inc., San Diego, California, USA, or any of the
subsidiary sales organizations, can accept any responsibility for personnel, material or
inconsequential injury, loss or damage that results from improper use of the equipment and
accessories.

Contents Asterion DC Series
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SAFETY SYMBOLS
WARNING: Electrical Shock Hazard
HAZARD: Strong oxidizer
GENERAL WARNING/CAUTION: Read the accompanying message for
specific information.
BURN HAZARD: Hot Surface Warning. Allow to cool before servicing.
DO NOT TOUCH: Touching some parts of the instrument without protection
or proper tools could result in damage to the part(s) and/or the instrument.
TECHNICIAN SYMBOL: All operations marked with this symbol are to be
performed by qualified maintenance personnel only.
ELECTRICAL GROUND: This symbol inside the instrument marks the
central safety grounding point for the instrument.

Asterion DC Series Contents
M330460-01 Rev D vii
FCC NOTICE
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own
expense.

Contents Asterion DC Series
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ABOUT THIS MANUAL AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
This manual has been written for the Asterion DC Series of power supplies, which have been
designed and certified to meet the Low Voltage, Electromagnetic Compatibility, and RoHS
Directives per the requirements of the European Community.
These models have been designed and tested to meet the Electromagnetic Compatibility
Directive 2014/30/EU, and the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU. In addition, these models
have been found compliant with FCC 47 CFR Part 15, Subpart B, 107(b) Class A, 109(g) Class
A.
Since the Low Voltage Directive is to ensure the safety of the equipment operator, universal
graphic symbols have been used both on the unit itself and in this manual to warn the operator
of potentially hazardous situations (see Safety Instructions page).

M330460-01 Rev D ix
CONTENTS
1OVERVIEW...................................................... 1-1
1.1 General Description.....................................................................................1-1
1.2 Specifications...............................................................................................1-4
1.2.1 Output Current and Voltage Models...............................................................1-5
1.2.2 AC input specifications 1.7kW, 3.4kW and 5kW 1U Models..........................1-8
1.2.3 AC Input Specifications 10kW 2U models......................................................1-9
1.2.4 Output Power derating characteristics with AC input Voltage........................1-9
1.2.5 AC input current............................................................................................1-10
1.2.6 Output Power derating characteristics with DC input Voltage......................1-10
1.2.7 DC Output Programming and Measurement Specifications ........................1-11
1.2.8 DC Output Regulation Characteristics..........................................................1-11
1.2.9 Output Ripple and Noise Specifications.......................................................1-12
1.2.10 Output Transient specifications ....................................................................1-15
1.2.11 Remote Sense..............................................................................................1-16
1.2.12 Remote Analog Programming Interface Characteristics..............................1-17
1.2.13 Output Isolation.............................................................................................1-18
1.2.14 Remote Control Digital Interface Characteristics .........................................1-19
1.2.15 Protection Function Characteristics..............................................................1-20
1.2.16 Environmental Specifications .......................................................................1-20
1.2.17 Mechanical Specifications ............................................................................1-21
1.2.18 Regulatory Agency Compliance...................................................................1-21
2INSTALLATION................................................ 2-1
2.1 Inspection.....................................................................................................2-1
2.2 Contents of Shipment..................................................................................2-1
2.3 Mechanical Installation................................................................................2-3
2.4 Rack Mounting .............................................................................................2-4
2.5 Chassis Removal from Rack .......................................................................2-7
2.6Outline drawings..........................................................................................2-8
2.7 Rear Panel Input/ Output Connections.....................................................2-17
2.8 AC input power connection.......................................................................2-18
2.8.1 AC input overcurrent protection....................................................................2-19
2.8.2 AC Input Safety Disconnect Device..............................................................2-19

x
2.8.3 AC Input Connector......................................................................................2-20
2.8.4 1-Phase AC Input Operation ........................................................................2-21
2.8.5 3-Phase AC Input Operation ........................................................................2-22
2.9 DC input power connection.......................................................................2-22
2.10 DC output power connection.....................................................................2-22
2.11 Remote Sense ............................................................................................2-25
2.12 Wire Gauge Selection.................................................................................2-27
2.12.1 Wire Size ......................................................................................................2-27
2.13 Load Considerations..................................................................................2-29
2.13.1 Inductive and Stored-Energy Loads.............................................................2-30
2.14 Rear Panel User Interface Connectors .....................................................2-31
2.14.1 Remote Analog Programming Interface.......................................................2-31
2.14.2 RS-232C Serial Interface..............................................................................2-38
2.14.3 USB interface................................................................................................2-38
2.14.4 LAN interface................................................................................................2-39
2.14.5 GPIB Interface (Optional) .............................................................................2-40
2.14.6 EtherCAT Interface (Optional)......................................................................2-42
3OPERATION .................................................... 3-1
3.1 Front Panel Display Menu and Functionality .............................................3-1
3.1.1 Power-Up Screens..........................................................................................3-1
3.1.2 Home Screen Top-Level Menu.......................................................................3-2
3.1.3 Dashboard Screen Top-Level Menu...............................................................3-4
3.1.4 Output Program Screen..................................................................................3-6
3.1.5Measurements Screen ...................................................................................3-8
3.1.6 Ramp Screen..................................................................................................3-8
3.1.7 Configuration Screen....................................................................................3-14
3.1.8 Control Interface Screen...............................................................................3-24
3.1.9 System Settings Screen ...............................................................................3-34
3.1.10 Warning/Fault Screen...................................................................................3-38
3.1.11 Local/Remote Screen...................................................................................3-39
3.2 Output Verification.....................................................................................3-39
3.2.1 Constant-Voltage Mode Operation...............................................................3-39
3.2.2 Constant-Current Mode Operation...............................................................3-40
3.2.3 Overvoltage Protection.................................................................................3-42
3.2.4 Constant-Power Mode..................................................................................3-43
3.3 Remote Analog Programming Connector ................................................3-43
3.3.1 Remote Analog Isolated Interface Control (Option) .....................................3-44