B&K Precision Expands Programmable AC Power Sources

B&K Precision has launched the 9810 Series Programmable AC Power Sources, a two-model family designed to give engineers a flexible tool for simulating global power conditions and complex power disturbances. The series, comprising the 9812 (500 VA) and 9814-220 V (1,000 VA), targets production, R&D, and service-environment applications where evaluating transformers, TRIACs, SCRs, and passive components under controlled AC conditions is a daily requirement.

Front and rear views of model 9810. Image used courtesy of B&K Precision

The Full Spectrum of International Mains Power Standards

Both models provide an adjustable output voltage range from 0 to 300 V and a frequency range of 45 Hz to 500 Hz. The lower 45 Hz boundary accommodates railway power systems and legacy AC grids found in certain regions, while the 500 Hz upper limit enables harmonic distortion testing and characterization of switching power supply input filters across multiple harmonic orders.

Engineers validating products for markets spanning North America (60 Hz), Europe (50 Hz), and aerospace or railway environments must verify component performance across this entire bandwidth. Instruments limited to standard 50/60 Hz operation cannot detect resonances or filter anomalies that surface at intermediate or elevated frequencies.

A universal AC output connector ensures compatibility with regional plug types, removing a common friction point when testing products destined for multiple markets.

Programmable Sequencing for Automated Test Routines

The 9810 Series supports list mode, which lets users build up to 50 programs, each containing nine customizable steps. Every step allows independent configuration of voltage, frequency, and timing parameters with ramp-up and dwell capabilities, enabling engineers to construct automated test sequences that replicate real-world power cycling, voltage ramps, and frequency sweeps without manual intervention.

List mode steps. Image used courtesy of B&K Precision

List mode eliminates the repetitive manual adjustment cycles that consume engineering time on fixed-output power sources. Instead of adjusting voltage knobs or entering settings between test runs, engineers define the entire sequence once and trigger repeated executions.

The nine-step depth accommodates complex transient profiles. For example, an engineer testing an uninterruptible power supply can program a nominal voltage hold, step to low-line conditions, hold for a specified duration, ramp back to nominal, introduce a brief dropout, and recover to steady-state, all within a single test run.

Storing up to 50 such programs allows teams to maintain a library of application-specific test profiles for different product categories without reprogramming between test campaigns.

The remote terminal provides direct contact closure control and status feedback, a proven approach in factory automation, and the hardwired interface allows production test systems to command output on/off, select specific list mode programs, and read real-time protection status without requiring USB drivers or serial port configuration, reducing deployment time in high-throughput production environments.

Power Disturbance Simulation and Safety Protections

Beyond steady-state AC output, both models integrate a power line disturbance simulator that generates common waveform anomalies encountered in real-world power grids. This includes surge and dropout simulation for immunity testing, allowing engineers to validate how components and assemblies behave under transient events that cause field failures.

Power line disturbance wave forms. Image used courtesy of B&K Precision

A phase cut-off dimmer simulation covering 0 to 180 degrees supports testing of motor controllers, lighting dimmers, and other phase-controlled loads. This feature is particularly relevant for engineers working on LED driver circuits, TRIAC-based dimmers, and industrial motor control systems, where interactions between phase-cut waveforms and downstream electronics can lead to unexpected thermal or electromagnetic behavior.

On the protection side, the 9810 Series includes overvoltage, overcurrent, overpower, and overtemperature safeguards. A specialized overcurrent fold feature automatically reduces output voltage to maintain safe current limits, protecting both the power source and the device under test during fault conditions.

The 9810 Series slots into B&K Precision's broader portfolio of power supplies, electronic loads, and signal generators as a mid-range AC source aimed at engineers who need more than a basic variac but do not require the multi-kilowatt output of industrial AC sources. The combination of programmable sequencing, disturbance simulation, and PLC-ready remote control makes it suited for both benchtop prototyping and integration into semi-automated production test stations.