A 50 A, 1-/spl mu/s-rise-time, programmable electronic load instrument for measurement of microprocessor power supply transient performance

A prototype instrument has been developed which is capable of providing a transient current of up to 50 A with a rise time as low as 1 /spl mu/s. The minimum current maximum current, and rise time are digitally programmable. This instrument which simulates the transient current loads drawn by a high-speed microprocessor, allows measurement of the transient performance of switch-mode power supplies designed for use in PC systems. The frequency and duty cycle of the load transient waveform is determined by a digital input signal.