Electronics > Beginners

Uses for DC programmable load in home lab

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robsims:
Hi,

I'm thinking of buying a programmable dc load to test circuits under different load conditions. Are there any other uses for a programmable dc load in a home lab, besides testing circuits,  batteries and power supplies?

JustMeHere:
If you are building power supplies, the ones for your circuit, you will need a load.  In switching power supplies, its a good idea to sweep the entire range of power and see if there are any current levels that cause excessive noise.  Switching power supplies can be clean under different load conditions, and very dirty under other ones.

robsims:
But besides power-supplies that i build, what can i also use it for. Someone know where i can find one for under $200?

ledtester:
I would recommend that you get the cheapest solution which satisfies your immediate needs. Electronic loads come with a wide variety of capabilities and parameters, and it doesn't make sense to buy features that you cannot make use of right now. Besides, you can test power supplies with simple power resistors, and there are tons of DIY electronic load projects discussed on this forum and the Internet, so it is quite likely you could even build something yourself which will work for you.

To get a better idea of what you really need right now, here's a load that I own and use and have no problem recommending to others:



On ebay/aliexpress search for "Constant Current Electronic Load 9.99A 60W 1-30V Battery Capacity Tester"

Price is around $16. It can do 0.2A - 10A, 60W, 30V. There's a bigger cousin which can do 110W. I consider it one of the better budget offerings based on it's software and features.

If you can tell me why this won't work for you, I can give you some other recommendations.

JustMeHere:
E-Bay is not a bad place to start:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=electronic%20load&_sacat=0&_udlo=0&_udhi=200&rt=nc

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