Column Control DTX

Methods for Characterizing and Tuning DC Inrush Current

Application Notes

Inrush current or input surge current refers to the momentarily large surge current that occurs when you first turn on power to a device. Inrush current often occurs in devices with a large amount of parallel capacitance at the input, such as DC-to-DC converters or devices with extremely low impedance under transient conditions, such as electric motors. Inrush current can be several times larger than the device’s steady-state current. For instance, electric motors can have inrush current levels 25 times greater than their steady-state current levels.

 

When you characterize inrush current, you either capture a high-resolution digitized proile of a device’s inrush current or just capture a reliable peak current reading. The traditional method for characterizing inrush current combines a power supply, a digitizer or scope, and a current shunt or current probe. In this measurement brief, we will look at using a modern performance power supply for characterizing inrush current and compare it with the traditional method.

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Column Control DTX