PXIe-4136 Operating Guidelines

Refer to the following sections for information about PXIe-4136 features and guidelines for operating the PXIe-4136.

Sourcing and Sinking
The terms sourcing and sinking describe power flow into and out of a device, respectively.
Output Impedance
NI power supplies and SMUs include output amplifiers that drive their outputs through series resistors. The resistors enable the measurement and control of output current. The value of the resistor is larger for low-current ranges and smaller for high-current ranges.
Overload Protection (OLP)
The PXIe-4136 is protected against overcurrent (OCP) conditions and overvoltage (OVP) conditions.
Load Regulation
Load regulation is a measure of the ability of an output channel to remain constant given changes in the load.
Ranges
NI power supplies and SMUs use one or more ranges for voltage and current output, as well as one or more ranges for voltage and current measurement.
Noise
Noise is unwanted signals present on the output channels that can affect devices connected to the output channels.
Sequence Step Delta Time
When enabled, sequence step delta time enforces a fixed time dt between the start and end of steps in a simple or advanced sequence. This level of determinism allows you to, for example, create periodic voltage waveforms with supported NI-DCPower instruments.
Power Measurements
Each channel of the PXIe-4136 has two synchronized ADCs that measure voltage and current. You can use NI-DCPower to measure power flowing to or from the PXIe-4136.
Resistance Measurements
NI power supplies and SMUs can make resistance measurements because they can both generate and measure test voltages and currents. Because they can operate as precision current sources at high current levels, these devices are well suited to measure low resistance values.
Using the Safety Interlock
You can integrate the PXIe-4136 into a safety interlock system.
Sense Lead Error Detection
Sense lead error detection is an automatic feature that detects common problems in remote sense connections. When an instrument with sense lead error detection finds a fault, the faulty channel shuts down and enters an error state.
Sourcing and Measuring Terminology
Refer to the following terms when learning more about the features and usage of the PXIe-4136:
Calibration
SMUs support two types of calibration: external calibration and self-calibration.

PXIe-4136 User Manual

PXIe, ±200 V, ±1 A DC, 20 W DC, 1 pA System PXI Source Measure Unit