RadiMation Application Note 143
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Warning: | This application note is still work in progress. It is currently incomplete and could contain errors!! |
Using the Teseq NSG4060 low frequency immunity test system in RadiMation®[edit]
The Teseq NSG4060 is a device that is used for immunity testing in the frequency range of 15 Hz to 150 kHz, accoording the IEC 61000-4-16 and IEC 61000-4-19 standards. For more information regarding this device please see the user manual for the Teseq NSG4060.
Device information[edit]
| Minimal voltage | 0.0 Volt |
| Maximal voltage | 300.0 Volt |
| Lowest voltage | 0.01 Volt |
Immunity testing[edit]
The Teseq NSG4060 can be used for Conducted immunity testing where regulation on voltage is required to generate a disturbance signal. RadiMation® is able to control the NSG4060 generator by using a combination of different device drivers. The details concerning the functions performed by these device drivers is explained below.
Performing immunity measurement according to IEC 61000-4-16[edit]
Immunity testing according to IEC 61000-4-16 describes testing the susceptibility of an EUT while being exposed to common mode disturbance signals. These disturbance signals are generated by injecting voltage into cables attached to the ports found on the EUT. These injected disturbance signals are able to influence the correct operation of the EUT.
The IEC 61000-4-16 standard also describes which cables and port of applicable EUT's should be tested and the test parameters that should be used. These can port with connecteed cables transfering for example data or power to or from the EUT. The standards also describes how these tests should be setup regarding the required components, such as CDN's for example as well as how specific components must be connected or placed during these tests.
Using the information documented in the IEC 61000-4-16 standard, the NSG4060 can be configured to perform these type of measurements automated in RadiMation®.
Required RadiMation drivers[edit]
NSG4060 signal generator[edit]
The NSG4060 generator can be controlled as being a signal generator device driver. Usually RadiMation® set the signal power of signal generators in dBm. The NSG 4060 however being a voltage generator requires that the signal level is set in Volt. To do this the NSG4060 driver is able to map the normally requested signal power in dBm to a signal level in dBV. As both dBM and dBV are logarithmic, the available dynamic range(100 dB) which RadiMation uses to indicate the signal power starting from -100 dBm, can be translated to a similar dynamic Range in which the possible dBV levels can be converted to allowed Voltage levels to be set on the NSG4060 generator.
Mapping between dBm and dBV levels
The relation between mapping dBm to dBV values is "dBm + 10 = dBV". Usually RadiMation starts leveling a signal generator from - 30 dBm to 0 dBm. This means that at a signal power of -30 dBm, a voltage level of -20 dBV will be determined. This results in a level of 0.1 Volt to bet set on the generator. The mapping between dBm and dBV has been selected so that the initial voltage set during regulation is not exceeding dangerous voltage values when the default signal generator start level is used.
The dynamic range of the NSG 4060 generator has been selected to map signal power between -90 dBV and +10 dBV. This is 0.0000316 Volt to 3.16 Volt. As the device support 0.01V as it lowest possible level, all values below -40 dBV are clipped to 0.0V. This means that when RadiMation requests a signal power of -50 dBm, -40 dBV will be returned, which is the lowest possible voltage level. Regulation of the voltage is thus really started when the requested signal power is higher than -50 dBm.
As the device supports testing up to 300 Volt in short duration tests, it will be possible to extend the dynamic range of the generator with +40 dB.
This extension will make sure that a level of +50 dBV can be reached when the mapping from dBm to dBV values is performed.
As extending the default signal generator dynamic range by +40 dB will result in a 140 dBm total range, which means that -90 dBV + 140 dB = +50 dBV can be reached. This will be atleast 300 Volt.
More information on how to extend the maximum allowed signal generator power in RadiMation, see information further below.
This driver is configured to be used as the signal generator found in the active testsite.
NSG4060 MultiMeter[edit]
The NSG4060 generator itself does not require that a voltage regulation loop is "actively" measured to regulate to a requested voltage level. However, to use such a generator, RadiMation still needs to be aware of the current set/measured voltage.
To do this a MultiMeter device driver is available which is able to return the last voltage set on the generator, as being the "real" measured voltage. As the generator performs the internal leveling on its own, the returned voltage by the multimeter would be equal too the actual level set.
This driver is configured to be used as the multimeter found in the active testsite, and is selected as the used measuring device when configuring a voltage closed loop test level.
NSG4060 Amplifier[edit]
The NSG4060 generator has its own internal amplifier which is not actively controlled by RadiMation. However RadiMation does require that a amplifier driver is used in the testsite when performing immunity tests. No actual communication is done related to using this amplifier driver, it is only used to keep track of the expected amplifier state during the test.
Increasing the maximum Voltage
This NSG4060 Amplifier driver however, can be used to increase the maximum allowed signal input power.
Changing the maximum allowed signal power will result in reaching higher possible voltages using the NSG4060.
For more information regarding the maximum allowed signal power and input protection files see: https://wiki.radimation.com/wiki/index.php/Amplifier_Protection
This driver is configured to be used as the amplifier found in the active testsite.
Increasing the maximum generator voltage[edit]
The available dynamic range used to level the NSG4060 generator can be extended in two parts. Using the Amplifier signal input limit correction file, the limitation of signal power at 0 dBm can be increased to +20 dBm.
This will increase the highest possible voltage value from +10 dBV to 30 dBV, which is ~31.6 Volt. A signal power of +20 dBm is currently the configured maximum signal power in RadiMation.
If 30 Volt is still not enough, this limit of +20 dBm signal power can be further extended by changing an advanced option in RadiMation. Using the increased max signal power limit it will be possible to further increase the Amplifier signal input limit to add the additional dynamic range required to reach the requested voltage values.
For more information regarding the maximum allowed signal power and input protection files see: https://wiki.radimation.com/wiki/index.php/Amplifier_Protection