At 01:58 PM 30/09/2011, you wrote:
>I like the idea of nichrome wire on a very large heatsink with a
>series of FETS - I've got a bunch of IRF530's in stock - I'll drive
>those against the nichrome on the same large heatsink (I've got a
>stack of old CPU sinks around)
>
>Then just run down to the auto parts store and get an ammeter - sounds
>like a great little weekend project!
>
>So no inexpensive off-the-shelf boxes that you guys know of?
>
>Thanks!
>
>DougM

Depends on what you mean by 'inexpensive', but such boxes
start at around $400 (maybe less). We have a nice little 300W digital
one that cost less than $800- it can simulate constant current,
constant power, constant resistance, you can program it remotely
to look at PSU transient responses etc,

Cheap like borscht- we're mostly done with fiddling around with power
resistors, heatsinks, MOSFETs and such like every time we want to
test a battery or reasonably hefty power supply.

Best regards,

Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..."            "The Journey is the rewar=
d"
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.co=
m
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.co=
m



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