Cascading the Outputs of the PXI-4110 to Extend Voltage and Current Ranges

Sometimes an application requires more voltage than a single channel of a programmable power supply can output. If your power supply offers isolated outputs or a combination of isolated and non-isolated channels, you can easily extend the maximum output range by cascading channels in series.

For example, the NI PXI-4110 triple output power supply offers default configuration shown in figure 1.

A


B

Figure 1. (A) The PXI-4110 Default configuration and (B) Cascading two channels to create a single +40V@1A channel

NOTE: When cascading modules, be sure to not exceed the maximum common mode of a power supply. For example, the PXI-4110 has a maximum common-mode of +60VDC from ground

If your power supply offers isolated outputs or a combination of isolated and non-isolated channels, you can easily extend the maximum output range by cascading channels in parallel. This type of configuration is sometimes quicker or even costs less than purchasing a new higher-current power supply.

For example, you can extend the current output of a single NI PXI-4110 power supply by cascading an isolated and non-isolated channel, as shown in figure 2. 

A

B

Figure 2. (A)Cascading two channels to create a single +6V@2A channel (B) Cascading the +20V channel from two PXI-4110 modules to create a single +20V@2A channel

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