Siglent SDL1000X/SDL1000X-E Electronic Load

[Mortymore]

Second version of the shelf for the SDL.
Added 2 BNC connectors for Current and Voltage monitoring.

[Mortymore]

Making a Banana Jack Adapter for Siglent Electronic Loads
by Clough42

[colorado.rob]

Waste of time. These are inexpensive and work great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R2KJ88S?th=1

[mawyatt]

These high current spade lugs kinda work, we've used them for up to ~30 amps pulsed. Sure wish Siglent had proper banana jacks on the front, maybe the type that we've seen that are in the center of the high current terminals.

Best,

[mawyatt]

These high current spade lugs kinda work, we've used them for up to ~30 amps pulsed. Sure wish Siglent had proper banana jacks on the front, maybe the type that we've seen that are in the center of the high current terminals.

Best,

[tv84]

Second version of the shelf for the SDL.
Added 2 BNC connectors for Current and Voltage monitoring.

That's not off-the-shelf, that's in-the-shelf!  You have to show that to IKEA. 

[mawyatt]

Closer look.

Best,

[Martin72]

Hi folks,

I must admit that I´m too lazy to read the whole thread now...
My test equipment is missing two things, a SA and a electronic load.
Short question:

https://www.batronix.com/versand/last/SDL1020X-E.html

Recommendable? any issues/traps ?

[colorado.rob]

Hi folks,

I must admit that I´m too lazy to read the whole thread now...
My test equipment is missing two things, a SA and a electronic load.
Short question:

https://www.batronix.com/versand/last/SDL1020X-E.html

Recommendable? any issues/traps ?

Do you have any specific needs for an electronic load? Would you be better off with a four quadrant device (SMU)?

[Martin72]

Hi,

No, a four quadrant one is not necessary.

[mawyatt]

The Siglent we have works fine, no complaints, other than front terminals. Like most Siglent gear, easy to augment with the kind help of folks here

Disclaimer this is the only Electronic Load we've ever used or owned.

However, it has been very valuable and earned it's keep on a number of projects including the one we are presently working, like observing the Over-Current and Over-Load current trip points of 10 and 15 amps respectively, an emulating various electro-mechanical devices, like a 30 amp DC motor load.

Also, handy for doing self-calibration/verification of lab power supplies.

Best,

[Martin72]

The Siglent we have works fine, no complaints, other than front terminals.

This is also a bit of a mystery to me, but siglent is not alone in this, many have these actually impractical connectors.
At work we have "ancient" DC loads from Zentro, which have reasonable connections.

[Mortymore]

I bought mine some 3 months ago, and have not yet used all the functions.

Besides using it to calibrate my PSU after turned the SDP3303X-E into a non E model, I tested some small power DC-DC converters and other minor thing.
I've been using it mostly to test UPS batteries, since we got an assorted of brands, and they are not all the same. This testes could take a long time, depending on the test conditions chosen. It would be great if the SDL could display the Internal Resistance of the battery.

I use EasySDL to plot a trend chart of the voltage and record to csv file. There's an issue with the trend chart time, that is halved, meaning, if the plot has taken 10 minutes, it's 20 in reality.

Only this weekend my SDL1020X-E was turned into an SDL1030X. I don't do hacks right away. I prefer to give some time to see if everything is Ok and allow some "burn-in" before an upgrade. Checking current and voltage against the 5.5digit DMM, the load seems accurate, though the last 1 or sometimes 2 digits, tend to be jumpy.
The EasySDL shows the 4 decimal points, even with the E model.

I did the hack connecting the SDL through USB, and using NI MAX, sending only 3 commands as suggested by atimos

Go from 3 to 4 decimal places: SDL1020X-E --> SDL1020X
SYSTem:DEVICE:PRODUCTUG:ID 1
(EDIT: actually I used "ID 4" since from the atimos diagram and TV84 info, I believe 4 is for the SDL1030X, that was the goal)

Go from 200W to 300W: SDL1020 --> SDL1030
SYSTem:DEVICE:POWERUG 300

Change model name: SDL1030X
SYSTem:DEVICE:PRODUCTUG SDL1030X

PS: Unfortunately Siglent didn't extend the 10% off (until the end of this month) to the SDL, but if bought from Welectron, you may try to take 5% off with Marco Reps code: marcoreps5 (5% off Brymen, Siglent)

[nctnico]

Hi folks,

I must admit that I´m too lazy to read the whole thread now...
My test equipment is missing two things, a SA and a electronic load.
Short question:

https://www.batronix.com/versand/last/SDL1020X-E.html

Recommendable? any issues/traps ?

From page 3 it looks like this Siglent load has a similar mains ripple issue like the Korad DC load I got recently.

[Mortymore]

It would be interesting to replicate today, at least some of the tests Timpert made 4 years ago to see what the hardware and software revisions and updates had solved, or not.

[tautech]

It would be interesting to replicate today, at least some of the tests Timpert made 4 years ago to see what the hardware and software revisions and updates had solved, or not.

HW changes are never disclosed.

[Mortymore]

My observation

It would be interesting to replicate today, at least some of the tests Timpert made 4 years ago to see what the hardware and software revisions and updates had solved, or not.

was in the sequence of what nctnico said about the SDL having ripple issues according to what was written in page 3 of this thread back in 2019
 

Hi folks,

I must admit that I´m too lazy to read the whole thread now...
My test equipment is missing two things, a SA and a electronic load.
Short question:

https://www.batronix.com/versand/last/SDL1020X-E.html

Recommendable? any issues/traps ?

From page 3 it looks like this Siglent load has a similar mains ripple issue like the Korad DC load I got recently.

I realise now that I should have inserted quotations in my previous message to make this clear

I was not expecting that Siglent reveals anything, but instead with some tests, the SDL reveals itself, if some of the "not so good" things reported by Timpert back then, as the ripple issues, was solved or not, from (updated) tests and not from what Siglent may or may not state it was done/solved.

I appreciate so much when a user does this sort of testes, as Timpert did, since it's a great opportunity to learn more, be wiser about to what to expect from a device, and for sure this will show to the "brand" (Siglent in this case) that the users are aware of some issues that a product may have, and working in benefit of both, improve the product if needed.

[Johnny B Good]

Banana lead capable input terminals were mentioned in some other thread so followed an old link in this thread to find they are still readily available:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32778229464.html

 That's not a bad price if you actually need two pairs of red/black connectors but I only needed one pair.

 I've just ordered a red and a black 6mm to 4mm banana plug binding post adapter from here,
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005474135340.html

  for a total vat and shipping to the UK inclusive price of £6.63

I'm in the middle of my mark III GPSDO project and have a bad case of "AJ Rimmeritus" (Red Dwarf reference) and my presence here is by way of distraction therapy, hence this belated alternative suggestion (Ebay no longer list these items).

 However, I'd still like to know whether anyone has ever managed to activate the OTP protection on their 'hacked to 300 (or higher) watt SDL1000X-E loads. I never managed to do so, even when I pushed the hotter (monitored) end of the heatsink way past the stated 85 deg C limit to some 93 deg C or so (200 deg F).

 For some reason, I'd assumed a total of just ten IRF250p devices when originally calculating the thermal margin per device. Teardown movies clearly show a total of twelve meaning some 25 watts per device for a 300W loading. The thermal specs for the IRF250p indicate a thermal gradient Jncn to heatsink of just under 1 K/W when directly mounted onto a thermally greased flat heatsink surface. In this case, Siglent have been obliged to use silpads which, at a best and conservative guesstimate, might double the thermal gradient to some 2 K/W ( 50 K rise for 25W of dissipation).

 With no safety margin for error, this implies a maximum heatsink temperature limit of 125 deg C (it might be another 5 or 10 degrees higher). With this in mind, I'm left wondering if Siglent have raised the OTP cut out temperature by another 10 to 15 degrees without updating the user manuals or whether the OTP function in mine is faulty in some way.

[mawyatt]

A few weeks ago we ran ours at over 300W for some time without issue, we are emulating a 30 amp motor load for a Solid State Switch we had developed.

Those terminal do look attractive and tempting 

Best

[Johnny B Good]

@mawyatt,

 Thanks for providing that information. I don't suppose you tried measuring the heatsink temperature with a thermocouple? My original tests can be found here https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sdl1000xsdl1000x-e-electronic-load/msg3937981/#msg3937981

 Also, a few posts further down, arcitech posted about increasing the power limit above the 300W mark here https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-sdl1000xsdl1000x-e-electronic-load/msg4229470/#msg4229470

 Presumably, you followed his lead?    I guess if we can trust the OTP to kick in before any of the IRF250ps suffer a meltdown, it should be safe enough to raise the max wattage to, say, 350W (at least as far as arcitech's usage case with discharging a 6S LiPo battery pack is concerned).

 However,I wouldn't care to rely on the OTP if its trip point was any more than 15 degrees higher than its published 85 deg limit which is why I'm so interested in the actual OTP trip temperature.

 I don't suppose you'd be using those temptingly attractive terminals with 30A loadings.  They'd be more of a convenience to connect sub 10A power sources (small sub 20W dc-dc converters for example). I took a look at those 8/6mm spade to 4mm banana loudspeaker converters but the pricing, aimed at the audiophile market demographic, rather put me off, leading me to explore a much cheaper DIY alternative using solder connected in line 4mm banana jacks with a 3 or 4 inch 8/6mm spade ended 12 AWG flylead.

 The problem with this solution being the misuse of a male banana connector on the end of a cable connected to a power source. The only safe way to use 4mm banana connectors being to use only the safety shrouded type, preferably with the male connector used on the short flylead connection to the load to eliminate the temptation to use an unshrouded male banana plug on the end of the cable connected to the power source.

 I could find in-line shrouded 4mm male banana connectors ok but not any corresponding female connectors other than back to back gender bending connectors which, apart from adding more contact resistance and length, would reintroduce the temptation to use unshrouded male banana plugs.

 I gave up this search for "Unicorn droppings" and decided that since I couldn't find a 'safe' solution, I might as well be damned and go for those 6mm terminal to 4mm banana adapters since they'd be no less safer an option than those overpriced loudspeaker adapters. It just means I'll have to make sure to disconnect at the DUT end of the connection before pulling the banana plugs at the load. A rule that should be followed regardless of the safety of the connectors anyway. 

[blackdog]

Hi,

For anyone wanting to buy a Siglent DC Load and use the measurement outputs on the back, these measurement outputs almost are unusable.
I have heard through word of mouth that Siglent themselves are not happy about this either.
I therefore sent the Siglent DC Load back.

But, the Rigol in the same price range is not much better.
It too has problems with the measurement outputs on the back.
If you connect a battery scope to it(floating), which is therefore not connected to the Net ground, then these outputs usually oscilate!

Connecting the battery scope to the mains ground solves this problem, or a capacitor from the BNC connector to ground of the DC Load.
Great job Rigol, and very well tested too!

Also, I have the Korad model.
The Developer who made the interface is probably on drugs.
I made some lists on how to set certain functions for the Korad, but one mistake and you can start again from 0 with many button presses.

The DC Load Brands/Models I have held in my hands, do not seem to use a real DAC, but probably PWM, so the noise level is high.
Good measurements in terms of dynamic behavior on linear power supplies is therefore not well possible.

For this I now again use my self-designed DC Load, which is free of noise and other undesired behavior.

I had hoped with the built-in test functions of modern DC Loads that I could also do good and fast measurements on all kinds of power supply circuits.
That was not possible with the Korad, Siglent and Rigol.
With the prices of these devices between 300 and 800 Euro.
Not to mention the software bugs in these units, with emphasis on Rigol...
Just try setting the Duty Cycle in percentages, have fun!

Kind regards,
Bram

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

[BillyO]

Turned on my SDL1020X-E.  It looked fine when it booted.  The I went to get a cup of coffee .. maybe 3 minutes later this is what I now have:



It has suddenly got all these white horizontal lines on the display.  Turning it off and letting it cool down overnight did not do any good.  Leaving it on overnight to fully warm up did not do any good.

Is this something that can be fixed with a little adjustment or is this a return to Siglent thing?

[nctnico]

I had hoped with the built-in test functions of modern DC Loads that I could also do good and fast measurements on all kinds of power supply circuits.
That was not possible with the Korad, Siglent and Rigol.
With the prices of these devices between 300 and 800 Euro.
Not to mention the software bugs in these units, with emphasis on Rigol...
Just try setting the Duty Cycle in percentages, have fun!

It is surprising how many manufacturers manage to mess up a device that has a relatively simple function so bad. According the reviews, you can add Keysight to the list as well. I have not checked expensive loads from Chroma and GW Instek (and other brands) though.

@BillyO: looks like a return for a warranty repair to me. If you have no warranty, maybe it is something simple like re-seating the cable to the display.

[BillyO]

@BillyO: looks like a return for a warranty repair to me. If you have no warranty, maybe it is something simple like re-seating the cable to the display.

I was thinking it might be something like that, but I do have warranty.  However, the cost of return will be high.  This is Canada and it's heavy.  Plus I'll have to do without it for a couple of weeks.

[tautech]

@BillyO: looks like a return for a warranty repair to me. If you have no warranty, maybe it is something simple like re-seating the cable to the display.

I was thinking it might be something like that, but I do have warranty.  However, the cost of return will be high.  This is Canada and it's heavy.  Plus I'll have to do without it for a couple of weeks.

Contact NA and seek advice.
As Nico says it could be a ribbon cable contact issue but FWIW the last section to the display is a mylar flat cable with embedded components which if faulty will require display replacement.