Engineering Essentials: What is Power-Supply Accuracy? (Download)
When testing electrical and electronic devices, accuracy is the name of the game. In a manufacturing or design test situation, high precision is critical for product development, production quality, and, ultimately, customer approval of the final product. The accuracy of a test setup is influenced by many factors, including the choice and arrangement of instruments as well as the configuration and type of wiring used.
The key is the precision of DC programmable power supplies, which play a pivotal role in the overall accuracy of the test system. Like an archer aiming an arrow, an engineer who permits a tiny error at the source can see large errors in their results. Measurement accuracy depends on the DC power supply’s accuracy specifications, how the power supply monitors its output, and how it’s wired to the device being tested.