Gw-Instek GPD-4303S 4-Channel PS Review

[dr.diesel]

Basic and brief review of the Gw-Instek 4-Channel 200 watt linear power supply.  This model was chosen for two main reasons, one it's rather shallow depth of 10.5" (unit depth not including panel buttons) and the LED display.  I personally despise LCDs, LED or VFD was a must.

Summary Cliff notes:

Good:

- Solid unit construction.
- Machine screwed construction, 0.060” base ~15 AWG.
- Quality feel to the encoders, both push-able for Fine/Course adjustments. Decent velocity implementation.
- Comes with 4-sets of quality leads.
- Service manual, schematics, calibration manual available.
- PCB construction/layout/soldering/placement is good.

Neutral:

- Jamicon 85C caps, not super, not the worst.
- A few 7815/7915 regulators running ~150F.  They will pretty much live this way forever, a peeve of mine, if you can't comfortably hold on, it needs a heat sink.

Bad:

- Stock cooling fan BLOWS.  (I've ordered a sound pressure meter, will report back)
- Cannot individually switch on/off channels.
- Cannot adjust channels 3/4 when in parallel/series mode.


Channel 1/2 Specs:

CONSTANT VOLTAGE OPERATION

Line Regulation?0.01%+3mV
Load Regulation?0.01%+3mV(rating current ?3A)
?                             ?0.02%+5mV(rating current>3A)
Ripple    ?1mVrms(5Hz~1MHz)
Noise   ?10mVpp(5Hz~1MHz)
Recover Time   ?100?S(50% Load Change, Minimum Load 0.5A)
Temp. Coefficient   ?300ppm / ?
Output Range   0 to rating current continuously adjustable

CONSTANT CURRENT OPERATION

Line Regulation?0.2%+3mA
Load Regulation?0.2%+3mA
Ripple Current   ?3mArms
Output Range   0 to rating current continuously adjustable

Measured Outputs:

Code: [Select]

                                      No Load
Setpoint          Fluke 289 Tek DMM4020 Panel Meter
CH1/2, 0v          0.0004         0.00047         0
CH1/2, 5v          4.9993         4.9991         5
CH1/2, 10v          9.999         9.9979         9.999
CH1/2, 15v          14.998         14.9964         14.998
CH1/2, 20v          19.997         19.9941         19.999
CH1/2, 25v          24.995         24.992         24.998
CH1/2, 32v (max) 31.993         31.989         31.997

As I increased current from 0 to 3 amps the measured output tracked perfectly for both channels, linearly across the voltage ranges above, to about -2.5mV max at 3amps/32v.  So the offset from actual is either a slight calibration issue or a meter/cable issue on my end.  All measurements taken at the front binding terminals, not at the load of course.  Panel meter current was within spec throughout the entire voltage/current range (as read from a fresh BK8500).  Note I have not verified channels 3 or 4.

Channel on under/overshoot:

All channels were tested for over/undershoot both fully loaded and no load.  No overshoot and extremely low ringing, single mode off a TDS210, sorry, no screen capture from this old beast.

Included software is very basic, it runs fine under wine, full serial command list is provided but have yet to check functionality.

For about $460 the value is ok, the performance is more than I need however might be out of spec as seen above, possibly fixed by a better/full calibration.  My lab is dead silent and the fan is simply too loud.  The fan is variable based on temp, but comes up to full speed when only luke warm, they missed the boat on this one IMO.  However, in a normal lab facility this would probably not be an issue to most, as ambient noise in production is much higher.

As with all the rest of my equipment, I'll mod it with additional heat sinks (maybe remote mount) and rework the fan setup, for silent operation.

Questions, please ask.  More picts, please ask before I put it back together!

[Hydrawerk]

- A few 7815/7915 regulators running ~150F.  They will pretty much live this way forever, a peeve of mine, if you can't comfortably hold on, it needs a heat sink.

150°F means about 66°C temperature... Well, it is still rather OK. Are they cooled by the fan?

This is what I would expect from GW Instek. Solid construction, no visible bugs, simple front panel, good cooling.
BTW I miss separate on/off for each channel. The user interface looks a bit confusing.

[dr.diesel]

Only thing cooled by the fan are the IRFP150s and the two main bridge rectifiers (more than adequate cooling here).  The regulators are tucked away in the back, no air circulation, note the temps listed were with the cover off, probably just a bit hotter when the case is all sealed up.

Aside from the on/off I am happy with the UI, nice and bright display, smooth k-nobs and buttons.

[Dark Prognosis]

This looks nice but I am with you in regards to the heat.  If I can't touch it then it is too damn hot imo (regardless what the specs say it can handle).  Stick something in at 0 degrees Kelvin and see how wonderfully well it works as opposed to ~340 degrees Kelvin.

Do they make a cheaper version of this with only 1 or 2 outputs?  Four outputs I will never ever need for the stuff I would use it for.

[dr.diesel]

Of that series this one is the cheapest, don't forget the EEVBlog discount.

http://www.tequipment.net/InstekGPD-2303S.html

But Gw makes a ton of different supplies.

[Dark Prognosis]

EEVBlog discount?

[dr.diesel]

EEVBlog discount?

Yup, 6% my friend!

[Dark Prognosis]

EEVBlog discount?

Yup, 6% my friend!

I take it you enter that some place at the end of the order?

[dr.diesel]

They don't have an instant code that I know of.  You can either email them asking for a quote or hit them up on the online chat thing and they'll take care of you.

[Dark Prognosis]

Thanks for the information as I will use it for sure.

[walshms]

Stick something in at 0 degrees Kelvin and see how wonderfully well it works as opposed to ~340 degrees Kelvin.

0 degrees Kelvin?     I don't think that's ever been achieved yet...

[Salas]

Looks like a well balanced unit between construction, no nonsense UI, performance, and price. Good choice mr.diesel congrats.

[Dark Prognosis]

Stick something in at 0 degrees Kelvin and see how wonderfully well it works as opposed to ~340 degrees Kelvin.

0 degrees Kelvin?     I don't think that's ever been achieved yet...

Nope, I was just watching Nova on PBS and 0K can never be achieved they said but damn close because everything moves ever so slightly and with movement comes heat ever so slightly.  They said they have managed nano degree Kelvin though and the computers running in Kelvin uses Quantum states.  Binary in them are 0, 1, and 0/1 simultaneously.  I think they said that just a few bits (was less than 16 bits or 10 I think) would have more numbers than there are stars in the universe.

[Galaxyrise]

I'm considering a new bench supply, and this is one of my contenders: thanks for the review thread!

I see you posted in the How many PSU's Do You Have? thread that you also have another main contender: the BK Precision 9130.  Which do you prefer? 

[Hydrawerk]

This BK Precision 9130 PSU is probably a rebadged Maynuo M8811.

[Galaxyrise]

This BK Precision 9130 PSU is probably a rebadged Maynuo M8811.

It does seem like the 9130 is probably made by Maynuo from the similar faceplates and insides (9130 vs 8811.)  But the 9130 has three outputs and the 8811 has only one!  It's too bad, the 8811 is certainly a lot cheaper

[bronson]

Thinking about getting the triple output version of this power supply...  Dr Diesel, you still happy with it?

I know it has auto CV-CC mode, but can it crowbar too?  Rather than just reducing the voltage, can I set it so if I go past a trip point, it just kills the voltage and waits for me to reset it?

[dr.diesel]

It was an OK supply, not lightning proof however   .  Although I'm not following recent threads, if Rigol got the 832 figured out, it's probably a better choice if you can deal with the increased size.

For a number of reasons I had the 430 powering several loads at a tower sight of mine.  I was briefly gone when a very quick storm blew through and lightning stuck the tower,  , it didn't' survive.

[bronson]

Eh, the Rigol is twice as big, twice as expensive, and is more of an oddball.  Yes, it has a more sophisticated UI, but I'm not sure I want that.

I suppose it's telling that you're not immediately ordering up another Instek.

[dr.diesel]

I suppose it's telling that you're not immediately ordering up another Instek.

I didn't turn around and purchase another cause of the new Hameg HMC8043 that was released, way more cash, but that's what I will buy when I get around to it.  I just bought a K2450 and was feeling guilty, ha ha.

Would I buy another, yes, for the price is a fine supply.  You'll hate the fan though.

In the mean time I simply fixed a couple of the old HP heavyweights in my pile of stuff needing attention.

[bronson]

Just curioius, what do you like about the Hameg HMC8043?  It does look nicer, and it has way more features, but it has half the power.  You need one of those crazy features?

Actually, I could have used the datalogging this morning.  Also, hopefully it has the ability to tell how many watts each output is burning.  Don't make me do math in my head.

Getting rid of the Hameg name and going 100% R&S is probably a good call.

[dr.diesel]

I don't really need the exotic features, my existing pile of HP gear covers most of that.  I had originally bought the HM8118 LCR, needed something of it's class, nobody here had one, like to purchase unique stuff.  Plus my wife was born in Germany, so she thought it was "cool"!

I later bought the HMC8012, 5.5 digit bench DMM, which I love.  Kinda becoming a Hameg fan, underdog of really good stuff.  Plus the form factor of the HM Compact series is really nice for smaller benches.  Their new PS is the same size, so it will fit right in.

The GW does have a software package, but I never explored it, perhaps can do logging.

[dr.diesel]

Oh, one more thing, just to make sure you caught it in the above posts.  One thing I despised about the GW was the global On/Off for all channels, that is super annoying, and got more annoying the more I used it.

Just FYI.

[Galaxyrise]

That Hameg looks nicer than the BK I ended up getting!  :buyer's remorse:

[bronson]

I did not catch it.  Yeah, that's insane, pretty much a showstopper for me.  Thanks for pointing it out!

I like that the Hameg does 0.1mA resolution.  The finer the mA displayed, the happier I am.

BUt I can get three of those Insteks for one Hameg: $1215.00 total vs $1,320.00 ea, or 600W vs 100W...  No brand-new test equipment decision is ever easy.  Not when you're spending your own money anyway.

Yea, I'm sure you could write a program to log from the Instek over USB.  Could also display watts in (almost) realtime, like I was asking before.  Would the effort be worth it?  Unless you're setting up a semiconductor test/assembly line, probably not.