on Tuesday, 16 December 2025.
Posted in Blogs
Last month, I had the chance to work with an engineer from a testing laboratory who was relatively new to power source and amplifier test equipment. His team was running tests on copper wires and needed something that could reliably supply a constant current of 45A rms. at 60 Hz, continuous duty. Ideally, he wanted a single, complete testing system to eliminate the number of parts they need to track at their Austin facility. He thought our model AL-300-CC-H/S constant current source might be the right fit.
Before we could provide the final solution, we needed to figure out the output voltage required once he injected 45A rms. into his copper wire load. Since he wasn’t sure what that would be, we decided to send him a demo unit of our standard AL-300-CC-H/A constant current amplifier. It was the only standard unit we had in stock at that time.
The amplifier requires a 0–1 V rms. input signal from a Function Generator, and he hadn’t worked with one before. Thankfully, he managed to locate a Function Generator in his lab and successfully ran his copper cable tests. “I tested the demo unit #5 AL-300-CC-H/A AC constant current mode power amplifier with our samples and it worked out well!”, he stated. At that point, he faced a difficult choice—should he go with a constant current source (an all-in-one system) or stick with the amplifier (which required additional equipment) that he tried and loved?
To give him the best of both worlds, we custom-built a new model no. AL-300-CC-H/S-RS232-XX1 to include both features of a constant current source and a constant current power amplifier. We equipped the unit with a front panel toggle switch that allows the engineer to switch the amplifier input signal between the internal oscillator board (power source) and an external Function Generator (power amplifier). This custom unit has two output current ranges, with high current capability, supporting up to 150 A rms., and can be controlled remotely or locally. This unit is also very flexible in terms of different testing needs. It can work either as a standalone constant current source or a constant current power amplifier.
In the end, this custom solution not only met his immediate testing requirement, but also gave him room to expand into potential future testing needs.
What I loved about this project was how collaborative and flexible my team and I were. We didn’t just ship him a product—we worked together and made sure the product we offered met his current and potential future needs.
It was a reminder of why I enjoy this work so much: engineering isn’t just about equipment, it’s about solving real-world problems with flexibility and creativity.
If you’re ever in a similar position—unsure which solution fits your test setup—reach out. We’re always happy to work with you to find or even build the right tool for the job.
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