Voltech dc1000 User manual

98-100 ISSUE 8 2
www.voltech.com
DC1000
PRECISION DC BIAS CURRENT SOURCE
USER MANUAL
Voltech Instruments, Inc. Voltech Instruments, Ltd.
12851 Banyan Creek Drive 66 Innovation Drive, Milton Park
Fort Myers, FL 33908-3083 Didcot, OX14 4RQ
U.S.A. U.K.
Tel: [phone] Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone] Fax: [phone]
[email protected]m
Thank you for choosing the
Voltech DC1000. This quality
instrument will give you many years of reliable use. Should you
experience any difficulty during the set up or use of your Voltech
product, please do not hesitate to contact either your local supplier
or one of our main offices.

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CONTENTS
WARRANTY........................................................................................................................................5
HEALTH & SAFETY ..............................................................................................................................6
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS........................................................................................................................8
WHAT IS THE DC1000? .......................................................................................................................9
WHAT CAN THE DC1000 DO FOR YOU? ..............................................................................................9
PACKING LIST ...................................................................................................................................10
GETTING STARTED ...........................................................................................................................11
SAFETY INTERLOCK...........................................................................................................................13
USING THE DC1000 WITH A SAFETY SYSTEM ............................................................................................... 13
USING THE DC1000 AND A VOLTECH AT3600/AT5600 WITH A SAFETY SYSTEM ..............................................14
USING THE DC1000 WITH AN LCR METER.........................................................................................16
USING MULTIPLE DC1000S IN PARALLEL ..........................................................................................17
USING A PC TO CONTROL YOUR DC1000 (S).....................................................................................18
USING A PC TO CONTROL YOUR DC1000(S) WITH AN RS232 LCR METER (NOT A VOLTECH AT SERIES
PRODUCT)........................................................................................................................................ 19
USING A PC TO CONTROL YOUR DC1000(S) WITH AN IEEE-488 LCR METER (NOT A VOLTECH AT
SERIES PRODUCT).............................................................................................................................20
USING THE DC1000 WITH A VOLTECH AT3600 OR ATI(AND OPTIONAL PC) ......................................21
AT COMPENSATION WITH MULTIPLE DC1000S........................................................................................... 22
USING IR, ILK, HPDC, HPAC TESTS - (HIGH VOLTAGE TESTS).......................................................................23
USING SURG, MAGI, STRW, WATT, VOC TESTS..................................................................................... 23
 LSBX – INDUCTANCE WITH EXTERNAL BIAS (SERIES CIRCUIT)................................................................23
 LPBX – INDUCTANCE WITH EXTERNAL BIAS (PARALLEL CIRCUIT)............................................................25
 ZBX – IMPEDANCE WITH EXTERNAL BIAS...........................................................................................27
RS232 COMMUNICATION.................................................................................................................30
RS 232 CONNECTION.............................................................................................................................. 30
PINNING ............................................................................................................................................... 30
COMMANDS ..........................................................................................................................................31
 TURN THE OUTPUT ON OR OFF ...................................................................................................... 31
 SET DC1000 OUTPUT CURRENT......................................................................................................32
 GET THE STATUS OF THE UNIT .......................................................................................................... 32
 READ THE SERIAL NUMBER ............................................................................................................. 33
 GET THE NUMBER OF UNITS ATTACHED .............................................................................................. 33
STATUS NUMBERS ........................................................................................................................... 34
CALIBRATION ................................................................................................................................... 35
ACCESSORIES ................................................................................................................................... 35
PC SOFTWARE ..................................................................................................................................36
INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE ...................................................................................................................... 36

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CONNECTING THE EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................................. 36
USING THE SOFTWARE............................................................................................................................. 37
SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 43
EMC COMPLIANCE ...........................................................................................................................45

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WARRANTY
This product is warranted against defect in materials and workmanship for a period of
one year from the date of shipment. During the warranty period, Voltech will, at its
option, either repair or replace products that prove to be defective.
For repair services under warranty, the instrument must be returned to a Voltech
designated service center. Please contact your local supplier for details.
LIMITATION OF WARRANTY
The foregoing warranty shall not apply to defects resulting from unauthorized
modification, misuse, or operation outside the specification of the instrument. No
other warranty is either expressed or implied.
Whilst every care has been taken in compiling the information in this publication,
Voltech cannot accept legal liability for any inaccuracies contained herein. Voltech
has an intensive program of design and development that may alter product
specification, and reserve the right to alter specification without notice and whenever
necessary to ensure optimum performance from its product range.
Because software is inherently complex, and may not be completely free of errors,
you are advised to verify your work. In no event will Voltech be liable for direct,
indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use of or
inability to use software or documentation, even if advised of the possibility of such
damage.
All right reserved.
No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form, or by means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording
or otherwise without prior written permission of Voltech.
© Voltech Instruments, Inc 2016.
Voltech Part Number 98-100 revision 8. 01 JUN 2016

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HEALTH & SAFETY
Electrical devices can constitute a safety hazard. It is the responsibility of the user to
ensure the compliance of the installation with any local acts or bylaws in force. Only
qualified personnel should install this equipment, after reading and understanding this
users manual. These operating instructions should be adhered to. If in any doubt,
please contact your supplier.
DANGER!
Electric Shock Risk
Please Note:
This equipment is supplied under warranty conditions in force at the time of purchase
from your supplier. Contact your supplier for details. Any attempt to disable or
modify the unit will render any warranty agreement invalid.
The contents of this user manual are believed to be accurate at the time of printing.
The manufacturer, however, reserves the right to change the content, product
specification, and performance criteria without notice. No liability is accepted for the
inappropriate, negligent, or incorrect set-up of the instrument by the user, either by
manual or automated means.

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CHECK YOUR LINE INPUT VOLTAGE SETTING BEFORE CONNECTING TO SUPPLY!
Fig.1
Use a flat-headed screwdriver to pull the fuse drawer out.
Rotate the gray voltage selector to select the correct voltage for your location.

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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
 There are no user serviceable parts inside the DC1000. Please return the unit
to a Voltech approved service center for any repairs that may be required.
 Use fuses only of the type and rating – 4.00A 5X20 T-LAG HI-BREAK (VPN
66-052)
 The DC1000 has been constructed in compliance with the requirements of
EN61010-1, Pollution Degree 2, Installation Category II: FOR INDOOR USE
ONLY. This ensures the safety of the instrument and the user when normal
precautions are followed.

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WHAT IS THE DC1000?
The DC1000 is a DC Bias current source that can generate between 0 and 25A. Up to
ten DC1000’s can simply be joined together in parallel to produce up to 250A.
The DC1000 can be used with almost any LCR meter – making it unique amongst all
DC Bias Current Sources. It can also be used with either the Voltech ‘ATi’ or the
‘AT3600’ transformer testers – these products have specific programs for testing
using the DC1000 (LPBX, LSBX, and ZBX).
WHAT CAN THE DC1000 DO FOR YOU?
The DC1000 is used to characterize wound components that are intended for use in
high current DC power supplies and DC-to-DC converters.
It is used to apply a DC current through the component to be tested, allowing an LCR
meter or Voltech AT-series product to measure the inductance of the component at
that DC current.
Unlike a regular DC power supply; the DC1000 minimizes the load on an LCR meter.
Regular loading would cause gross errors in the measurement of inductors.
Additionally, unlike DC Bias sources from other manufacturers, the Voltech DC1000
can be used with almost any LCR meter.

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PACKING LIST
When you receive your DC1000, the following accessories will also be in the packing
box with your new instrument. Also given are the Voltech part numbers (VPN), in
case you’d like to order spares.
 1 x DC1000 CD – Which contains the demo DC1000 PC software and an
electronic version of the user manual. (VPN 88-297)
 1 x 30A Test Lead set – One yellow and one black, with clips. Each lead is 1.5
meters long. (VPN 78-114)
 2 x 9-Way Male-Female straight through RS232 Lead – This is for connection
between your DC1000 and an AT Tester or between your DC1000 and another
DC1000. (VPN 77-046). Also can be used for chaining the interlock system
between DC1000s
 1 x Handle Assembly – This includes two handles, and the fixing hardware
needed to attach them to your DC1000 (VPN 74-027)
 1 x Safety Interlock Override Plug – This can be used in place of a safety
system where there is no risk of dangerous voltages. This is only for use when not
testing with high currents or voltages. We recommend using an approved Safety
System at all times. Please consult your safety officer. (VPN 91-265)
 1 x Product Registration Card – Please fill this out and return it to Voltech to
help us serve you better. (VPN 86-203)
 1 x Power Cord (VPN 91-019L)
If there is anything missing from this list when you first unpack your new DC1000,
then please contact your supplier for an immediate replacement.