In today's rapidly evolving global market, electronic products must meet stringent international regulatory requirements for emissions and immunity. This is especially crucial for products sold in Europe and an increasing number of countries in Asia. The California Instruments CTSHL System offers a cost-effective solution for verifying high power product compliance with various AC/DC-harmonized test standards. Building on the proven capabilities of the California Instruments CTS Series, the CTSHL system is trusted by EMC labs worldwide for its reliability and advanced features.

AC Power Source

The California Instruments CTSHL is designed to work seamlessly with either Sequoia or Tahoe Series AC/DC power sources. These power sources provide high current capabilities, offering up to 125 ARMS per phase for rigorous compliance testing. Both the Sequoia and Tahoe Series AC sources feature advanced arbitrary waveform generation, precision measurements, and waveform analysis capabilities, making them versatile additions to any test resource portfolio.

Refer to the Sequoia and Tahoe Series data sheets for detailed information on their capabilities and features.

The Sequoia and Tahoe Series not only support high power harmonics and flicker emissions tests but can also be used for a range of IEC 61000-4 AC immunity standards (certain options may be required, see ordering information for details).

High-Speed Direct PC Data Acquisition

A high-speed digital signal processor-based data acquisition system is used to implement the required IEC compliance measurement system. Direct access to the PC bus ensures a much higher data throughput capability than typically found in single-box IEC test systems that use the IEEE- 488 instrumentation bus to communicate with the PC. This architecture offers several advantages, not the least of which is the ability to support future versions of test standards by merely installing new PC software. This greatly reduces the risk of product obsolescence as test standards evolve. Furthermore, since the data is streamed to a hard disk in real-time, a complete data record is created each time, which may be used for audit purposes, further analysis or to prove compliance with the test standard. A special signal conditioning and isolation unit (PACS-3-75) is used to provide a quick and easy connection between the AC source output and the Equipment Under Test. This unit provides the required isolation, signal conditioning, and anti-alias filtering for the measurement system. The equipment under test is wired to a rear panel-mounted terminal block.

Comprehensive Harmonics Analyzer

A key part of the CTSHL system is the IEC-compliant power analyzer which provides detailed information on both voltage and current. Measurements of both harmonics and inter-harmonics are made in real-time with no measurement gaps to fully conform to the latest revision of the IEC 61000-4-7 test standard.

AC source voltage and EUT power are monitored continuously during the entire test. Voltage distortion and current harmonic data are checked against IEC class limits for pass or fail detection. Comprehensive test reports can be generated easily. Test limits are retained in a password-protected database and can be updated if needed in the future without the need to change software. Other software changes because of changing IEC harmonics standards can be accomplished by simply installing new PC software. No harmonics testing software resides.

IEC-Compliant Flicker Reference Impedance

The IEC 60725 compliant reference impedance, capable of handling 75A RMS per phase, is housed in a 43” cabinet. This lumped impedance is designed for testing to the IEC 61000-3-11 Flicker standard. For IEC 61000-3-3 low power Flicker testing (< 16 ARMS), the OMNI-3-37 is used instead, and is mounted in a similar 43” cabinet. The current system includes both the OMNI 3-37 and the OMNI 3-75, allowing for comprehensive testing to both standards. A quick connect scheme is used to switch between the two impedances, providing flexibility and ease of use in a single, combined system.

Compliant Flicker Meter

The IEC 60868-compliant Flicker meter, consisting of the Power Analysis Conditioning System (PACS) and the computer-mounted DSP is an integral part of this cabinet-mounted system.