RoadTest: Become a Tester of the R&S® NGC103 DC Power Supply
Author: john.porter
Creation date:
Evaluation Type: Power Supplies
Did you receive all parts the manufacturer stated would be included in the package?: True
What other parts do you consider comparable to this product?: Keysight EDU36311A, Keithley 2230-30-1
What were the biggest problems encountered?: No problems. Would benefit from the addition of sense input terminals. Support in HMExplorer is not currently available. Web page should be encrypted.
Detailed Review:
Rohde & Schwarz is a global leader for test, measurement, security, and broadcast equipment. Included in the Rohde & Schwarz lineup is a selection of DC power supplies, essential equipment for any workbench. I have hoped for an opportunity to evaluate Rohde & Schwarz equipment for some time, and I am thrilled to present a firsthand review of a NGC100 series power supply.
The Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 is a three-channel, 100W DC switched mode power supply with 32V/3A range for each channel and supersedes the HMC8043 in the Rohde & Schwarz lineup. Despite being presented as a basic unit by Rohde & Schwarz, it delivers features commonly found in their high-end models:
In this review, I take a closer look at the Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 DC power supply, explore its features, performance, and overall value while providing comparisons to a Keysight EDU36311A power supply which I have reviewed previously. Further, I will evaluate the security features of the NGC103 power supply, including a security vulnerability assessment.
The Rohde & Schwarz arrived in protective packaging for safety and static protection. The front panel is secured with custom foam around the dial and buttons. See the photos below:
| {gallery}Unboxed |
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Box |
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Box interior |
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Packaging |
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NGC103 |
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Accessories |
Accessories Include:
| {gallery}Contents |
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NGC103 |
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Power Cords |
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Wago Connector |
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Getting Started Guide |
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Safety Instructions Manual |
Calibration Certificate |
The included guide, Getting Started, provides plenty of useful information. I was able to find in the guide, confirmed by removing the fuse, that there are no adjustments available for the line input voltage, in contrast to what the warning sticker suggests.
| {gallery}Front and Rear |
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Rear |
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Front |
I include two unboxing videos below:
The Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 is small and light at 5.7 lbs, however, the solid construction of the Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 is immediately clear. The metal case vents from the top and on the rear. Retractable stands allow the power supply to be angled upwards. But first, a short video of the NGC103 powering on, followed by some photos:
| {gallery}A closer look |
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Rear panel and vents |
Left side |
Left side with stand out |
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Bottom view |
Closeup of foot |
The main connections are on the front of the NGC103, the safety banana jacks are set out nicely and the USB-A port is readily accessible.
Rohde & Schwarz uses blue for the negative terminal, and red for positive. The use of blue can be somewhat confusing for those (like me) accustomed to connectors that are black and red. Nevertheless, the colors are intuitive with the consistent use of red for positive.
| {gallery}Front Panel |
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Front Panel |
Blue Negative Terminal |
The rear panel supports a clean rack-mount setup with chassis ground, power, USB-B and 100Mbps Ethernet for control. A 16-pin connector supports all outputs, sense lines, and external inputs. An added slot is available for GPIB compatible models.
I have two small concerns with the rear panel configuration.
| {gallery}Wago |
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Connector Side |
Connector |
To address these challenges, I needed custom wires, primarily to provide access to the sense lines and external inputs. My first attempt with ribbon cable and pin connectors did not provide reliable connections and the small wires could not have supported much current. The connections became an issue - for a brief period of concern/panic, I thought the sense inputs could be faulty. Luckily, they are fine, and a bad connection was to blame.
| {gallery}Connector Wiring |
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Setting a wire in the connector |
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Ribbon cable attempt |
The replacement arrangement uses 16 AWG wire and female banana terminals, providing a solid interface to the rear connector.
| {gallery}New connector cables |
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16AWG cable assembly |
Final cable assembly |
The crisp and sharp 3.5” QVGA color display is impressive! I had no difficulty taking photos of the NGC103 during this review; colors are accurate, the screen is resistant to the glare of lights and has a wide viewing angle. I could easily read the smallest detail such as the Master On (M On) indicator, power statistics, or the status of a fuse from the main page.
The brightness and contrast of the screen is adjustable, as is the brightness of the buttons.
The operation of the Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 is intuitive, the menus are not overwhelming even when using advanced features. It was only on the rare occasion where I would have no choice but to read the manual - which was fine, the manual is very well written and highly informative.
The three channels are galvanically isolated and act as three separate power supplies. They are also floating outputs, and do not share ground with the supply. The independence of the channels is extended to all channel settings, where each output can have its own unique configuration.
Help is available everywhere. Enabling the Help feature provides explanations for each function and menu choice, although these menus need updating as they were ported from the earlier model and refer to the HMC804x instead of the NGC103.
| {gallery}Help! |
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EasyArb help - Note the HMC804x device name |
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Advanced menu help |
Analog input help |
The buttons light up when active, and side selection buttons adapt with clear labels. The shift button activates a numeric keypad for direct input, or you can use the knob and cursor buttons to adjust. The multi-function knob allows for quick adjustments, with larger changes made by turning it faster. Hint: holding the multi-function knob in while adjusting values will zero-out values beyond the decimal point.
I appreciate that the NGC103 displays abbreviated menus during adjustment, such as “U” instead of “Voltage”.
| {gallery}Abbreviated menu |
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Short side menu |
Large side menu |
One feature missing is the ability to view both the set values and measured values simultaneously. Pressing the multifunction knob will let you alternate between the two, but often I am only able to watch measured values while the output is active. Although space on the display is limited, I would appreciate the ability to choose between displaying the set values and the power and energy indicators.
Once you have the perfect configuration, you can save the setup to internal memory or external USB for later recall or load the default settings to start fresh.
One of the first things I do when testing new equipment, is to ensure that I am using the latest firmware. The NGC103 arrived with 1.003 firmware and 1.005 was available. Upgrading to the latest version was a snap once the file was copied to a USB drive.
| {gallery}Firmware upgrade |
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Pre-update |
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Update in progress |
The Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 is VISA compatible and accepts standard SCPI commands through USB (TMC and VCP), the network interface (VXI or terminal). This enables integration and control capabilities, if you would like to use instrument control software such as LabView. Although I did not evaluate with LabView, I did discover in the manual that not all LabView features are available with the NGC103, for example, EasyArb.
The NGC103 also provides a basic webpage for SCPI commands. I sent simple instructions through the web interface, and the present display of the power supply can be manually shown by clicking on the refresh screen data link.
| {gallery}Web Control |
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SCPI 1 |
SCPI 2 |
The remote-control fun ends there. The NGC103 manual explains the Rohde & Schwarz HMExplorer software for Windows provides a terminal function, the possibility to save screenshots, and an editor to create EasyArb tables. However, the NGC103 is currently not supported in HMExplorer, as confirmed by Rohde & Schwarz technical support. When configuring the software to connect to the NGC103, only the SCPI terminal module is available. As a result, I was not able to evaluate HMExplorer’s capabilities with the NGC103.
As a side note, my experience with the Rohde & Schwarz support team was excellent, they are friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable.
The NGC103 has advanced features which help elevate the Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 beyond the ‘basic’ power supply it modestly claims to be, it is not so basic after all!
One of the highlights of the NGC103, is EasyArb. This feature allows custom waveforms to be entered, saved and run, expanding on the capabilities of the power supply and offering basic functions like a waveform generator. Up to 512 intervals can be set, each with four values: Voltage, Current, Duration, and Interpolation.
EasyArb works great for short waveforms. It is entirely possible, however tedious, to enter in values for each interval in a complex waveform.
While EasyArb is a powerful feature, I found it to be less intuitive than other functions in the NGC103. For example, to select a row you would have to move the cursor to the right. There is no specific add row button, this is accomplished by increasing the endpoint count.
| {gallery}EasyArb |
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Clearing the waveform |
Setting the time |
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Changing interpolation |
Option to copy waveform to other channels |
Setting the maximum current |
Editing a filename |
Arb saved to internal memory |
| {gallery}EasyArb Output |
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Arb capture with no interpolation |
Closer view and confirmation of timing |
Same waveform with interpolation |
When I discovered HMExplorer does not connect to the NGC103, I was most disappointed that the software might not save me from the exercise of creating a long waveform using the front panel.
Disappointed, but not discouraged! I found a workaround that allowed me to use the software and create a Sine wave for the NGC103:
• If you open HMExplorer with no equipment selected, the modules will open without requiring a connected device.
• I used the Arbitrary module to create simple waveforms. As this module is meant for frequency generators, it is helpful to respect the limits of the NGC103 such as the maximum number of events (512) and the duration for each event (>=1ms). Further, the single quadrant NGC103 can only supply positive voltage, so I applied a 50% offset.
• I exported that waveform to CSV, then imported with EasyArb. The 2Hz frequency was too fast, so I set the interval at 1ms during import.
• Once in EasyArb, I exported again to CSV while selecting NGC103’s predecessor, the HMC8043, to ensure the values were within limits and the format was correct.
• And finally, I copied that last CSV onto a USB drive and to the NGC103. Now I had an interesting waveform to test!
And there you have it, a blazing fast 0.25Hz Sine wave from the NGC103 power supply as captured on a BK Precision DAS60 datalogger! I used this technique to create other waveforms.
The comparison power supply does not support ramped waveforms without the help of external software.
Like EasyArb, the EasyRamp function is another advanced feature of the NGC103. EasyRamp provides a constant increase in voltage over a set duration, until the desired voltage is reached. This can be used in circumstances where devices are sensitive to an abrupt rise to full voltage - EasyRamp allows a gradual increase over durations of 10ms up to 10s.
I found EasyRamp to be intuitive and easy to use, as shown below.
| {gallery}EasyRamp |
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Setting the ramp time and activating |
Ramp up to 5V in 4s |
The comparison Keysight power supply does not support ramped waveforms without the help of external software.
The outputs can be turned on in sequence, with a set delay between each activation. Delays can be from 1ms to 10s, channels can be set to turn on in any order and triggered by Master On, the manual trigger button, or by external triggering. This feature is also easy to set up and use.
Shutdown sequences are not available.
| {gallery}Sequenced Outputs |
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Setting up the channel 1 sequence |
Channels set to trigger 1s apart |
The comparison power supply includes similar startup sequences and adds the ability for shutdown sequences.
A staple feature of most power supplies is the ability to automatically limit voltage and current based on set values. Constant Voltage (CV) is the normal operating mode for power supplies, until the set current limit is reached, which places the power supply into Constant Current (CC) mode. Constant Current scales down the output voltage so that the current limit is not exceeded.
| {gallery}Constant Current |
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Constant Voltage mode, output is 5V |
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Constant Current mode, voltage has dropped to stay under 2A. CH1 display is red |
While CV and CC are common features, the Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 delivers a great implementation of these modes. The NGC103 draws immediate attention to a change from CV to CC mode by changing the displayed measurement color from green to red. A white channel is off.
To further protect the load circuit, the NGC103 supports Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Current Protection (OCP/Electronic Fuse), and Over Power Protection (OPP). Each of these optional settings will shut down an output channel if the set limit is reached. Adjustable delay times can be configured to allow short surge loads. Over Temperature Protection (OTP) is also implemented it is not optional - OTP shuts down a channel if it is overheated.
| {gallery}Protections |
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Over Power Protection triggered on CH2 |
 Electronic Fuse 'blown' on CH2 |
Each of these controls can be put in place for any or all channels, which adds to the flexibility of the NGC103. The Electronic Fuse can be linked to other channels, so that an over-current condition on one channel can shut down other channels.
The comparison power supply supports OVP, OCP, and OTP. It does not support OPP. However, the linear Keysight responds to over-current events faster than the Rohde & Schwarz, 102ms vs 175ms using 1KΩ load. The NGC103 is the top waveform, the Keysight EDU36311A is on the bottom. Both power supplies were set to go into immediate over-current shutdown.
EDIT: During a full load test, the results are dramatically faster, the NGC103 reacts in 1.13ms.
It can be useful to have channels track each other, to enable voltage or current adjustments on multiple channels simultaneously. Common applications include:
• Setting balanced circuits, where both a positive and equal negative voltage are delivered as shown in this snippet from the Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 data sheet.
• Connecting outputs in parallel to deliver higher current. The NGC103 can reach up to 9A this way.
• Connecting outputs in series to achieve higher voltages. The NGC103 can provide up to 96V.
Additionally, the EasyArb, Fuse, OVP, OPP, Ramp and Analog input functions can be synchronized between channels using tracking. The flexibility that comes with individual channel configuration is outstanding, however can mean more settings to manage. The tracking feature enables synchronized support and allows easy adjustments when it is beneficial to ensure channel consistency.
The starting values do not need to be identical to be linked. In this case, linking allows the same amount of adjustment to be applied to each starting value. This offers additional capability.
| {gallery}Channel Linking |
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Synchronized first decimal value |
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Raising by 0.2V |
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Synchronizing 1mA current settings |
The comparison power supply includes channel tracking and linking of two of the three channels for a maximum of 60 V or 2 A. Settings, such as OVP and OCP, are configured for each channel and can’t be grouped together.
The Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 can be triggered from an external voltage of 0-5 V on inputs found on the rear connector. Set to trigger on either the rising or falling edge and with a threshold value, the trigger can activate or deactivate channels, arbitrary functions, data logging or a sequence. I am using a waveform generator for the input.
A related and even more powerful feature is Analog In. Using either voltage or current inputs, the output can be controlled in direct relation to the input. This works as a switch or as a percentage of 0 V to 10 V or current from 4 mA to 20 mA. For example, if the output is set for 20 V in Analog In mode, an input voltage of 5 V will deliver 10 V (50% of 20 V). Below, an input sine wave at 0-5V (Green) is generating a sine wave of 0-5V from the NGC103 (Yellow).
Analog in can also be set for step mode, which turns the output on/off at a threshold instead of following the input voltage. Further tests using current as an input provided great results.
While maybe not a typical use case, I input the sine wave at 1Hz with a good result on the output, 2Hz – 5Hz would be distorted. 6Hz input produces a flat line as an output. It is, however, important to remember that the NGC103 is not meant to compete with function generators.
| {gallery}NGC103 as a Waveform Generator Amplifier? |
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Input of 1Hz |
Input of 2Hz, the output is keeping up |
Closer look at 2Hz |
4Hz Input |
6Hz Input, output is nearly flat |
The comparison power supply does not support external triggers.
Voltage and current are displayed by default. The NGC103 also displays the power output for each channel along with the sum of all channels. The display can optionally include an incrementing Energy reading in mWh, displaying the accumulated energy output for each channel. These measurements provide valuable information - how much power and energy are drawn by each load.
Additional statistics can be calculated and displayed, including values for minimum, maximum, mean and sample count for each channel’s voltage and current.
The comparison power supply does not include statistics nor energy calculations. It does show the power calculation for each channel.
The NGC103 includes data logging capabilities, which saves the voltage and current readings for each channel, using a selectable interval from 10ms, 10ms and 100ms.
Below I show a comparison of two channels using the NGC103 log and a log from the BK Precision DAS60 data logger. The timing was a challenge to match up in Excel with two devices recording against a base time that was not precisely matched. I used the 3rd channel to log a short, one-time pulse. I set the fuse for channel 3 to be lower than the current needed for the load, which caused it to briefly reach voltage before the fuse would trigger. Then I focused on aligning the pulse’s voltages between the two logs.
| {gallery}NGC103 Log Comparison to Data Logger |
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Source waveforms for logging and one trigger waveform |
Closer look at source waveforms |
Voltage comparison in Excel of the two data logs for CH1 waveform |
Voltage comparison in Excel of the two data logs for CH2 waveform |
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Current comparison in Excel of the NGC103 data log for both channels |
The comparison power supply does not include logging; however, the provided BenchVue software will generate logs.
An advantage to a power supply with accurate voltage, current and power measurements, is that it can eliminate or reduce the need for multiple Digital Multimeters (DMM) to monitor the power supply’s output and the circuit’s load on the power supply. I have several DMMs and have often used two or three on one experiment to fill this same requirement.
The NGC103’s output measurements are very accurate. That frees up the DMM to measure other interesting points in a circuit. Below are some examples of measurements, with no load applied. The 34461A 6.5-digit Digital Multimeter shows a 690µV average difference from the supply target voltage. While each measurement was slightly different, they were all reasonably close.
| {gallery}Voltage accuracy |
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Validation of 1V |
Validation of 12V |
An old USB hub was disassembled and rewired with 14 AWG wire, allowing for multiple USB loads to draw an overall larger current. LED lights were used as the load, and their brightness was adjusted to stay within the channel limits.
With the load applied, the accuracy of current measurements could be verified. The current displayed on the top DMM shows the NGC103 measurement is highly accurate, with the difference between the power supply and the DMM being a rounding error of at most 100µA, due to the high resolution of the 34410A 6.5-digit DMM. Notice that the bottom DMM now shows a 655 mV drop in voltage compared to the supply, attributed to the higher load of 1.4081 A and the resistance of the cabling.
How does the power supply address these voltage drops? The Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 uses sense lines for each channel to read the voltage near the load and increases the output, compensating for drops. This enhances voltage accuracy, especially with higher currents. When connecting the sense and supply lines at the same point, the voltage difference is resolved – in this case I used Kelvin clips to make the dual connections. The NGC103 detects connected sense lines and automatically enables sense mode, indicating it with the word 'Sense' over the current setting.
The comparison power supply does not include sense lines and cannot compensate automatically for voltage drops.
When turning on an output, or turning it off, there is a transition period, so I set out to measure rise and fall time during an on/off cycle. During the tests, 5V rise time varied around 0.08ms and fall times varied around 70ms with a 1KΩ load, then 10KΩ
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Voltage and Resistive Load |
Rise |
Fall |
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Datasheet |
<0.8ms |
<3.6ms (Full Load) |
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5V, 1K load |
0.0737ms |
69.32ms |
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20V, 1K load |
0.1645ms |
69ms |
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5V, 10K load |
0.077ms |
110.03ms |
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27V, full load |
137.8μs |
531.3μs (Full Load) |
EDIT: My initial measurements did not use a full load condition. When using a near-full load, the rise time for the NGC103 is clean and very quick - faster than spec! Similar results were achieved with a 20Ω resistive load.
| {gallery}Output rise time |
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Rise time in 73.7μs with 1KΩ load |
A view from another 100MHz oscilloscope |
10KΩ load, the rise time is now 78μs |
 |
EDIT: My initial measurements did not use a full load condition. When using a full load, the NGC103 fall times are also clean, fast and well within specifications! Similar results were achieved with a 20Ω resistive load.
| {gallery}Output Fall time |
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Fall time in 69.3ms with 1KΩ load |
A view from another 100MHz oscilloscope |
10KΩ load, the fall time is now 108ms |
Using the DAS60 data logger, different cables, and a 1KΩ load |
This next picture shows both rise and fall in one capture; this was done by setting the electronic fuse to trigger immediately
Not all loads are resistive and static ones. Most loads will vary the amount of current they are drawing depending on capacitance, inductance, or simply what is happening with the device. This requires a power supply to adjust to ever changing loads to keep the voltage consistent where it should be. According to the specifications, the voltage should recover to within 20mV in under 1ms. While an electronic programmable load or source measure unit would be ideal for this test, I don’t have those and used momentary changes in resistance instead.
Though this test did not include a dramatic change in load, I found the NGC103 recovered very quickly, less than 168ns, and well within range of the specifications.
| {gallery}Load Recovery |
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Recovery from an intermittent load change |
A closer look at the recovery time with results from many intermittent load changes |
The electronic fuse can be set to trigger with a sustained over-current event within range of 0s to 10s. At 0s, there is no extra delay, and the NGC will shut down the power quickly once the over-current condition is reached – this can save the circuit under load from excessive current.
I compared the switched mode Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 to the linear Keysight EDU36311A for this test. Both units were set to go to over-current immediately on startup. The Keysight is faster to react at 102ms, however, due to the slower rise time the over-current condition is not reached until around 2.5V. The NGC103 reacts at 175ms, and due to the fast rise time, full voltage (and current) is available for much of that time.
| {gallery}Fuse Protection |
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Fuse shutdown test, with comparison to the Keysight |
Keysight rises, reaches OCP value, and reacts in 102ms |
NGC103 rises, reaches Fuse (OCP) value, and reacts in 175ms |
After reaching the fuse (over-current) limit, the time to respond is expected to be under 10ms. It does not meet this specification at channel startup.
Measuring electrical noise outside of a faraday cage is a challenge - it is nearly impossible to eliminate all external variables. A low bandwidth oscilloscope can miss high frequency noise which has a way of creeping into cables/connectors and can occur over a wide spectrum. Nevertheless, I did manage to secure interesting measurements of the power supply’s output noise.
To minimize interference, I shut down most electronic equipment in the vicinity and used an oscilloscope probe with ground spring directly on the rear connection. I measured peak-peak readings remarkably close to the 4mV specification, ranging between 3 and 6 mVpp.
| {gallery}Ripple and Noise |
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Connection on rear panel to minimize noise |
The output is clean and within spec! |
I conducted test cases, one to confirm the high voltage available by connecting the channels together in series, and two to confirm high current by connecting in parallel.
Using the channel tracking feature, it is easy to ensure each channel is producing the same amount of voltage. The NGC103 can produce up to 96V this way. In order conduct this test case, I had to find something that could use 96V. I settled on using incandescent lights for this test as these bulbs can accept either AC or DC voltage. One connected to 120VAC rms and the other connected to the NGC103.
The tracking setting does not have the capability to show the combined voltage (or current), so I used a DMM to show the output.
| {gallery}High Voltage Setup |
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Soldered connection for incandescent bulb and DC voltage from NGC103 |
3VDC test |
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96VDC total output with channels linked in serial
The NGC103 DC powered bulb is on the right, and the left comparison AC powered bulb is turned off. At 15V, the filament is barely starting to glow. 30VDC, it is more noticeable. 60VDC and then 96VDC have much brighter output.
| {gallery}Incandescent Bulb Experiment |
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15VDC, the filament starts to glow |
30VDC, the filament is more noticeable |
60VDC, the bulb is lit |
96VDC, top output of the NGC103, the bulb is brightly lit |
When turning on the comparison 120VAC bulb, it is clear that 120V(rms) is brighter than 96V, but the DC bulb is holding its own!
The next tests confirmed the high current capabilities in parallel configuration. For these, I used a portable DMM that supports 20A to avoid blowing any fuses in the bench DMMs.
First, I assessed with the USB hub which now supports up to 15A total and plugged in four led lights. The lights drew over 7A when turned up to maximum brightness.
I was also reminded what happens when high current is pushed through a standard USB cable. It was a little warm after this!
For the next test, I used an inexpensive electronic load to press the NGC103 to its upper limits. Set for 11V and maximum current at 3.01A, I should be able to reach 99.03W output, near the device limit of 100W. The power supply was able to reach just a shade further, 99.3W. By slowly increasing the load, the power supply produced 10.95V at 9.09A before current limiting started to kick in on two channels. The overall power output is displayed at the top center of the NGC103.
For the first time, I heard a noticeable noise from the power supply. It was not easy, but I had finally pressed it hard enough for the fan to kick into high gear. The NGC103 is normally so quiet that it easy to forget it even has a fan.
If you reach the 100W capacity of the power supply, it will shut down and you will get this message:
I noticed when configured in parallel, the channels seem to do sort of a round-robin output where one or two channels push higher current in rotation. While I found this to be odd, I did not have any concerns, nor did I notice any performance issues.
In comparison to the Keysight EDU36311A power supply, the switched mode NGC103 is much smaller and lighter at 5.7 lbs, compared to the linear Keysight's 21.7 lbs. Although the Keysight excels in low noise output and short fall time, the NGC103 surpasses it in power, accuracy, features, and flexibility.
Below is a specification comparison of the Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 to competitive Keysight and Keithley power supplies along with a Rigol.
I hold current Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) designation and have previously held certification in offensive security operations. Security is top of mind, and I look for opportunities to enhance awareness.
The Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 is built for high performance and exceeds most expectations. The NGC103 is also a network connected device.
Overall, security is not bad. I was able to find only one medium and two low vulnerabilities, with an overall vulnerability assessment of Moderate, bordering on Low. The power supply has security designed into it; however, it is still not suitable to connect to an untrusted network. Rohde & Schwarz would seem to agree, as they warn plainly:
NOTICE! Recommendation on secure operation. The Rohde & Schwarz NGC100 is designed to operate at local workplaces or in secured networks (LAN). It should not be accessible from the internet because of a potential security risk, e.g. attackers could misuse or damage your device.
Always install the latest firmware.
There is work done on the NGC103 to close common security holes, there are not many to be found. The few issues are all with the device’s web interface, including that it is unencrypted and has a blank password. These can be leveraged to control the device over an untrusted network. The password can be easily set by visiting the web interface to resolve that issue but adding encryption would require an update.
The NGC103 surpasses other entry-level power supplies with its EasyArb functionality, sense inputs, numerous high-end features, and precise high voltage and current delivery. The term 'basic power supply' is understating the NGC103's advanced capabilities.
All considered, the NGC103 would complement any workbench; bringing a powerful, feature-rich DC supply, positioned perfectly for classrooms and hobbyists. It now sits in the prime position on my workbench. The Rohde & Schwarz NGC103 is a modern power supply that delivers superior functionality and power - far beyond its small stature!
If you have any questions or would like to know more, please drop me a note!
