MagnaLINK™ Distributed Digital Control

Magna-Power’s MagnaLINK™ technology provides distributed Texas Instrument DSP control across power processing stages inside the MagnaLOAD DC electronic load. This technology follows a significant internal development cycle from Magna-Power to provide a unified digital control platform across its electronic loads and power supplies, featuring fully digital control loops, adjustable control gains, programmable slew rates, digital master-slaving, and many new advanced control technologies.

All ARx Series MagnaLOADs come with the following interfaces:

• Front panel knob, keypad, and menu system
• 25-pin configurable external user I/O, including a high-speed analog input
• Front and rear USB and rear RS-485 or optional Ethernet and IEEE-4888 GPIB

When in standby or diagnostic fault, the DC input bus is disconnected via a switching device.

Finally, with a dedicated +5V interlock input pin and included +5V reference on all models, external emergency stop systems can be easily integrated using an external contact.

Five Operating Modes

To accommodate a variety of DC sources, all ARx Series MagnaLOADs come with many configurable control modes, including:

• Voltage Mode
• Current Mode
• Power Mode
• Resistance Mode
• Shunt Regulator Mode

Preference for DC regulation is given to the parameter in the selected mode within the programmed set-points. Using the MagnaLOAD's set-points and trip settings, the product can configured to either trip with a fault when a limit is exceeded or to cross-over into a different regulation state.

Shunt Regulator Mode turns the MagnaLOAD into a high-speed smart braking resistor, engaging the DC input only when a specified voltage and exceeded by a user-defined percentage, while limiting the shunt current to a programmed set-point.

Digital Master-Slaving: Expandibility Without Compromise

All MagnaLOADs come standard with a MagnaLINK™ Input and a MagnaLINK™ Output port, which provides plug and play digital master-slaving. Simply connect the master's MagnaLINK™ Output to the slave's MagnaLINK™ Input and, using the MagnaWEB software, the products will automatically configure themselves for master-slave operation as a higher-power unit based on the populated ports. Buffered digital MagnaLINK™ connections means many MagnaLOADs can be daisy-chained in master-slave operation. Master-slave MagnaLOAD units will aggregate measurements to one display panel.

The internal MagnaLINK™ protocol was developed with expandability at the forefront. When configured for master-slave operation, the master controller takes control of all the slave's digital "targets." With this digital master-slaving strategy, it is completely transparent whether the unit is operating as a stand-alone product or in master-slave.

Configurable External User I/O

Beyond the front panel and computer controls, all MagnaLOADs come standard with a 25-pin D-Sub connector designated as the External User I/O. This connector provides:

• 8 Digital Outputs
• 4 Digital Inputs
• 4 Analog Outputs
• 4 Analog Inputs

All the analog-digital I/O ports are configurable, allowing the user to select which parameters they want to control and monitor. This configurable I/O scheme reduces complexity, eases PLC integrationand allows control parameters from various interfaces simultaneously.

The MagnaLOAD's configurable analog inputs provide 0-10V programming from PLCs and external D/A converters.

MagnaWEB Software Interface

Magna-Power's next generation software interface, MagnaWEB, provides intuitive and user-friendly web-browser based controls for programming and measurement read-back of the MagnaLOAD's activity. Virtually all of the MagnaLOAD's available functions can be controlled and monitored from the MagnaWEB software over any of product's installed communication interfaces.

MagnaWEB uses a server-client software model to provide access to the MagnaLOAD from nearly any device and operating system. Install and run the MagnaWEB software locally on Windows then, using a web browser, access the server connected to the MagnaLOAD from a variety of devices including other desktops, tablets or smart-phones.