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  • Author Author: Jan Cumps
  • Date Created: 16 May 2020 10:29 AM Date Created
  • Views 5742 views
  • Likes 9 likes
  • Comments 32 comments
  • shunt circuit
  • programmable electronic load
  • electronic load
  • programmable
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Programmable Electronic Load - Current Sense Circuit

Jan Cumps
Jan Cumps
16 May 2020

Detailed review of the current shunt circuit of the Programmable Electronic Load.

image

The circuit and measurements are discussed here.

 

Circuit

 

The current measurement circuit reads the voltage over a 50 mΩ shunt resistor that's in series with the load circuit.

 

image

That voltage (always negative, because the resistor is "below" the circuit's analog ground) is amplified by a non-inverting OpAmp circuit, with gain 7.8.

 

Test Setup

 

A DMM measures the voltage of the shunt and the output of the OpAmp. Both relative to that analog ground.

image

The measurement is automated.

At every iteration, the shunt voltage and the output of the OpAmp are logged.

A relay switches the DMM probe between the two measurement points.

image

Automated flow detail: switch DMM probe, then take a sample.

 

I've also added a gain calculation.

imageimage

Gain is calculated as the ratio between output and input. Then logged.

 

Measurement Results

 

All data is written to the attached spreadsheet.

The extract below shows 101 measurements.

The DAC that controls the eLoad is set to 0.

A first measurement of current (I take that from the PSU), shunt and OpAmp output voltage are written.

Then, the DAC is 100 times increased, each time with 100. ANd the measurements are repeated.

The attached version (9.xlsx) has more measurements (All eLoad ADCs, and some more stats from the PSU).

 

image

101 samples. PSU = 5 V, DAC initial = 0, steps 100, step 100

 

 

Here's a graph of the output vs input. The line represents the gain.

image

And a graph of the OpAmps gain, with as axis the shunt voltage.

image

Attachments:
eload_dp832a_shunt_circuit_characterisation_9.xlsxeload_dp832a_shunt_circuit_characterisation_9.xlsx
eload_dp832a_shunt_circuit_characterisation_18.zip
eload_dp832a_shunt_circuit_characterisation_19.zip
eload_dp832a_dmm6500_current_2 - workingcopy.zip
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Top Comments

  • Andrew J
    Andrew J over 5 years ago +3
    Interesting. Is this using your compensation approach for the DAC? I presume that the current is being logged by Labview from the Rigol PSU rather than being measured? I think you can do a lot with this…
  • jc2048
    jc2048 over 5 years ago +3
    This is your gain curve but with the vertical axis scaled so we can see what it's doing in more detail. With the exception of a few very odd measurements [settling time? noise?] it has a clearly defined…
  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 5 years ago +3
    I've placed the resistor R32 back: As you can see, the board has gone through heavy storms by now. Input: (chart Y axis in µV) Output: (chart Y axis in mV) For those who get stress when seeing a bouncy…
Parents
  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 5 years ago

    Advise from Analog Devices on dealing with non-inverting opamp circuit offset.

    https://www.analog.com/media/en/training-seminars/tutorials/MT-037.pdf

    image

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  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 5 years ago

    Advise from Analog Devices on dealing with non-inverting opamp circuit offset.

    https://www.analog.com/media/en/training-seminars/tutorials/MT-037.pdf

    image

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  • Andrew J
    Andrew J over 5 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

    Will you give this a go?  I read about the thermal differences between metals somewhere else early this week and thought that it was losing game!  I guess re-calibration of instruments involves things like measuring and tweaking those potentiometers.  Interesting paper.

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  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 5 years ago in reply to Andrew J

    Yes. I'm going to try and trim away the offset, then run the characterisation process again.

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  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 5 years ago in reply to Andrew J

    Andrew J  wrote:

     

    Will you give this a go?  I read about the thermal differences between metals somewhere else early this week and thought that it was losing game!  I guess re-calibration of instruments involves things like measuring and tweaking those potentiometers.  Interesting paper.

    image

    I've glued a  multi-turn trimmer to the underside.

    One side will be connected to -5, the other to +12.

    I'll use some MΩ sized resistor between wiper and OpAmp node...

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  • Andrew J
    Andrew J over 5 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

    I‘m finalising a prototype schematic at the moment so I’ll be interested to see how this pans out; I can provide spacing to add something similar in before I get the PCB made.  Did you do the maths or are you just going for it?!

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  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 5 years ago in reply to Andrew J

    I used what I have here. I don't run a big stock.

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