PPSC is a very easy to use application that allows you to quickly create an arbitrary voltage profile for a programmable power supply to generate. In a sense, a high power output arbitrary waveform generator.
There is no ‘looping’ function yet so you can do repetitive waveforms. And due to the generally slow communications between a computer and a power supply, you time resolution is slow an not real accurate, but it does allow you to test products for applications like the voltage profile of a starting car, power supply dip, and power supply instability.
The program can work with any programmable power supplies on the market if you can write or find a .dep file for it. The .dep file format is not a standard, it is specific to this program. The download includes a .dep template and four .dep files for Tenma (72-6630), Lambda (ZUP family) and Agilent programmable power supplies (the Agilent one is untested).
To use the program, you must have the .dep file in the “PPSC dep files” folder. Launch the program and all the dep files will be available in the top pop-up menu. Select your power supply. If you power supply is identified in the .dep file as having a addressable bus for supporting multiple power supplies, the next two pop-up menus will be available, otherwise they will remain grayed out.
The voltage profile file is a comma separated value file with two columns. The first column is time and the second column is the voltage. Select the format of your voltage profile file, your options are:
Seconds, Volts
Seconds, Milivolts
Minutes, Volts
Minutes, Milivolts
A blank line in your voltage profile will end the sequence. This allows you to add comments after an empty line in the file.
Now open your voltage profile file, it will appear in the large edit filed where you may edit it if needed. If you want the power supply set to zero volts after the file is finished generating your profile, check the box at the bottom. Now just push Start to generate your profile.
.dep files - The communication protocol and power supply limits of the power supply is detailed in the power supply .dep file. Currently I only support serial interfaces. The download includes a prototype .dep file and four real ones in the PPSC .dep files folder.
The download includes both a Windows and Mac builds and a sample voltage profile file of the battery voltage of my 2000 Ford Contour starting up.
If you use PPSC and make a .dep file for another power supply, I would like it if you would email it to me so I could include it on my web site to share with all. Please indicate in the email how you would like me to credit your work.
