Category: Press Release

Looking back at Exploring EMC 2023 – Hosted by MDL Technologies

Posted on by APC_Marketing

Back in November, MDL Technologies hosted its inaugural “Exploring EMC” event, bringing together some of the brightest minds in the EMC industry to showcase the latest technologies and innovations. Gathering at the British Motor Museum, the event played host to guest speakers from MDL’s range of technology partners to discuss EMC test standards, practical design for EMC compliance and how to prepare for a successful test programme.

Exploring EMC welcomed more than 80 attendees including guest speakers from Raditeq, Unit 3 Compliance, ETS-Lindgren and PMM Narda.

Key takeaways from the event

Radiated Emissions - Causes, Antennas, Noise, and Solutions

Kicking off the day was a talk and demonstration by  James Pawson of Unit 3 Compliance.  James carried out a live demonstration showing how radiated emissions occur from circuits using simple concepts and circuit theory.

Highlighting the differences in EMI Measurements performed by Spectrum Analyzers with EMC Functions vs. Pre and Full Compliant Receivers in the presence of Pulses with Low Repetition Frequency, according to the requirements of CISPR 16-1-1 Standard

Progressing into the morning, Dr. Eng. Michele Zingarelli, EMC Regional Manager from PMM Narda continued the seminar with his talk on the comparison of EMI measurement performance of a Spectrum Analyser, a Pre-Compliant Receiver, and a Full-Compliant Receiver.  Also covered were upcoming changes in IEC/EN 55014-1 for Household Appliances, specifically the discontinuous interference test ‘clicks’ and the impact on the EMI Analysers that can be used.

Test methods for RF immunity testing

Patrick Dijkstra, of Raditeq explained the essential requirements for measuring equipment, with a particular focus on speed and accuracy. Patrick also discussed the performance and measurement criteria required by the EMC Immunity standards to cover all functions of the Device Under Test (DUT).

Considerations for a successful EMC Test program

Closing the Seminar was Ryan Fergus,  EMC Systems Engineer at ETS-Lindgren. The presentation provided helpful information on how to plan for a successful EMC test program, covering things like EMC test plans, pre-compliance testing, product configuration requirements, EUT performance monitoring, test standards and costs.

Scroll down to get access to recordings of our seminar sessions.

Exploring EMC Exhibition

In addition to our speakers, several of our technology partners such as Tektronix, Haefely, and Y.I.C Technologies had small stands at the event to showcase their latest offerings. Attendees had the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and explore new horizons in this rapidly evolving field from trusted industry experts themselves.

“Thank you for everyone who made the effort to attend Exploring EMC from the UK and across Europe. This has been a successful event and is the first of many.” 

– Mike Kennedy, Group Business Development Director

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Want to get a more extensive recap of our
2023 Exploring EMC Seminars?

To watch the recordings of our seminar presentations from our guest speakers, please complete the short form below.

BATTERY INSULATION TESTER BT5525

Posted on by Philip Bailey

Detect contamination that could cause defects. Improve battery cell productivity through high-speed testing.

Enquire!

To ensure the longevity and reliability of batteries, it is important to identify and address the root causes of latent defects during the production testing process. Small insulation defects, if left unchecked, can have a significant impact on the overall service life of a battery and increase the risk of fires. Two primary factors that contribute to insulation defects are contamination with metallic particles and small scratches that occur during the manufacturing process. By identifying and addressing these issues early on, we can ensure that the batteries produced meet the necessary quality standards and provide safe and reliable performance.

The BT5525 can prevent the shipment of batteries with latent defects that could lead to fires.

High-speed testing to increase production volume. Easy to add instruments while saving space. Invest in quality at a reasonable cost.

Ideal for insulation resistance testing before battery electrolyte filling

The BT5525 conducts insulation testing between electrodes prior to filling the cells with electrolyte, with a maximum test voltage of 500 V. Under specific test conditions, it also facilitates insulation testing between module/pack electrodes and the enclosure.

Detecting minuscule insulation defects caused by contamination (Break Down Detect function)

The proprietary BDD testing function is designed to detect even the smallest internal short-circuits caused by contaminants, such as metallic matter, before the battery cells are filled with electrolyte. By catching defective parts early on in the production process, the BDD helps reduce the risk of fires and accidents caused by overheating after the battery is shipped. Moreover, these tiny internal short-circuits can speed up battery degradation. By using the BDD function, the production of batteries with improved durability and electrical performance can be achieved.

Stable insulation resistance testing, even in noisy environments

Hioki utilized its extensive design expertise and insulation resistance tester measurement technology to successfully minimize the impact of external noise. This has led to the BT5525 delivering stable and consistent insulation resistance testing with a level of precision that allows for the detection of internal short-circuits caused by contamination.

Preventing testing do-overs due to erroneous judgments

The BT5525 offers a contact check function to verify that proper contact has been made with the circuit being tested. This is accomplished by measuring the capacitance between the measurement terminals, which includes both the stray capacitance and the capacitance of the circuit itself.

Ideal for insulation resistance testing before battery electrolyte filling

The BT5525 performs insulation testing between electrodes prior to the cells being filled with electrolyte, with a maximum test voltage of 500 V. In certain conditions that meet the requirements, it can also conduct insulation testing between the module/pack electrodes and the enclosure.

Shorten cycle times with a maximum charging current of 50 mA

The BT5525 boasts fast charging capabilities of up to 50 mA and rapid discharging of residual charge at 40 mA, significantly enhancing its charging and discharging performance.



This results in a boosted testing speed, with charging being approximately 25 times faster and discharging 4 times faster compared to earlier models. By doing so, it shortens the insulation resistance testing time for batteries, which are increasingly being produced with higher capacities.



*In comparison to Hioki’s INSULATION TESTER ST5520.

Compact footprint makes it easy to integrate the BT5525 into other systems

With its extensive product design expertise, Hioki has achieved high performance in a compact form factor. The instrument can be integrated into testing systems, thereby reducing their size. This enables manufacturers to utilize compact testing systems, maximizing limited production space.

Invest in quality at a reasonable cost

The BT5525‘s functionality and performance make it a cost-effective solution, as it was designed with careful consideration given to the specific requirements of battery insulation resistance testing.



A dedicated PC application allows for the monitoring of voltage and current fluctuations during testing.



The instrument has the ability to output a test voltage of up to 500 V, making it suitable for insulation resistance testing on batteries of all sizes, from the large batteries used in electric vehicles to small battery cells.

PC application for analyzing waveforms

Hioki offers a free PC application that allows for the examination of voltage and current fluctuations. The capability to view waveforms can be beneficial when evaluating test results and setting judgment reference values for testing lines.

Additionally, since data can be outputted in the CSV format, waveforms can also be reviewed using other applications, such as Excel.

Options

CLIP TYPE LEAD L2130

For HIGH terminal, banana / alligator clip, red, cord length 1.5m

CLIP TYPE LEAD L2131

For LOW terminal special triaxial / alligator clip, black, cord length 1.5m

OUTPUT CORD L9094

For analog output, banana plugs (red, black), cord length 1.5m

UNTERNIMINATED LEAD L2133

For LOW terminal, special triaxial / cut wire, black, cord length 5m

UNTERMINATED LEAD L2132

For HIGH terminal banana / cut wire, red, cord length 5m

UNTERMINATED LEAD L2132

For external control, double shielding, 9-pin / 9-pin, cord length 3m

Key Features

Contact check function reduces the number of false negatives caused by equipment issues.

BDD function for detecting minuscule short-circuits caused by contamination before batteries are shipped.

High cost performance thanks to accessible pricing, high-speed testing, and compact footprint.

Stable insulation resistance testing even in noisy environments.

Ideal for battery production lines.

Product Video

Dimensions and mass

215 mm (8.46 in) W × 80 mm (3.15 in) H × 306.5 mm (12.07 in) D, 2.8 kg (98.8 oz)

Using AR functionality

Scan the QR Code to the left on your Android or iOS device to access this page. Then select the AR button in the 3D model area to start your AR experience.

[ Precautions ] What you see in AR may differ from the actual product in terms of characteristics like size, colors, and materials. The following operating systems and browsers are recommended. [ iOS ] Safari on iOS 15 or later [ Android ] Chrome on Android 12 or later (AR enabled device)

To assure battery quality over the long term, it’s necessary to detect the causes of latent defects in testing processes on production lines. Minuscule insulation defects can eventually degrade battery service life and cause fires. The principal causes of insulation defects are contamination (with metallic matter) and minuscule scratches occurring in production processes.

The BT5525 can prevent the shipment of batteries with latent defects that could lead to fires.

This is introduction to the functions of the new “BATTERY INSULATION TESTER BT5525” for battery production lines. The BDD function, which monitors minute voltages and currents and detects foreign substances mixed in the production process, and a convenient PC application that allows you to view waveforms, will be explained while actually measuring!

Interface

Front Interface

Back Interface

External control and other communications interfaces

The BT5525 ships standard with LAN, RS-232C, and USB interfaces, allowing it to be connected to a PC or programmable logic controller (PCL). This capability can be used to control the instrument and retrieve test results.

Furthermore, the instrument provides external I/O terminals to facilitate instrument control and retrieval of instrument status and judgment results.

EXT. I/O
RS-232C
LAN
USB

HIOKI’s new Power Analyzer PW8001 provides complete power analysis solutions

Posted on by MDL Technologies

HIOKI sets a new industry standard with its all-new PW8001 Power Analyzer. With up to eight modular power channels, it is the only bench power analyzer on the market with 1500 V DC CAT
II inputs, fulfilling the requirements of today’s PV applications. At the same time, high bandwidth and industry-leading current sensors allow for unrivalled accuracy for example when developing
state-of-the-art SiC and GaN applications.

Best protection against external noise is guaranteed because of the highest Common Mode Rejection Ratio in the industry for both power analyzer and current sensors designed by HIOKI.
In addition, the 15 MHz sampling rate and 18-bit A/D conversion result in extremely accurate measurements and waveform reproducibility.

As unique feature, the automatic phase shift correction function of the PW8001 allows for accurate reactor or transformer loss measurements at high switching frequencies. Optional four motor inputs enable the complete analysis of multiple motor systems like drones, robotics or in-wheel motor drive systems of electric vehicles.

Key Features

  •  Up to 8 modular power channels
  • Unrivalled accuracy for high currents at high frequencies
  • Best protection against external noise
  • Automatic phase shift correction
  • 15 MHz sampling rate and 18-bit A/D conversion
  • 1500 V DC CAT II voltage inputs

See the Features: 

[Webinar] Hioki Solutions for Battery Testing

Posted on by MDL Technologies

35 years ago HIOKI introduced their first battery tester. Since then a wide portfolio of instruments for all battery testing needs has been established, from battery R&D to production, quality assurance and maintenance.

Find out where insulation testers, resistance meters, impedance analyzers and volt meters come into play in battery testing – and of course battery testers. Collaboration with HIOKI UK partners, MDL Technologies.

 

Hioki Battery Solutions Webinar: 

 

HIOKI News release for BT3554-50 Battery Tester

Posted on by Philip Bailey

NEW BT3554-50 Battery Tester

BT3554-51 Heroshot

HIOKI has upgraded the iconic BT3554 series! The new BT3554-50 enhances UPS and lead-acid battery diagnostics with a wireless adapter while still setting the standards in measurement speed, noise resistant technology and usability features such as the comparator function.

Features

  • The interface for the Z3210 Wireless Adapter makes it possible for customers to start with the base model and add the wireless functionality later.
  • Noise resistance technology makes it possible to measure on UPS even while it is in operation.
  • With a measurement time of just 100ms all individual batteries of a UPS can be tested in short time. It is therefore immediately clear which batteries in the string are weak or strong.
  • The mobile app and PC software make it possible to easily create reports and monitor battery degradation.
  • With the Comparator function the BT3554-50 indicates instantly when a battery is getting worse and needs to be replaced.
  • The software enables to create battery profiles that can be downloaded to the BT3554-50
BT3554-50 Data Sheet

HIOKI News release for IM9202

Posted on by Philip Bailey

Test fixture enables HF impedance measurement of irregular shape components

Electronic components in a wide range of shapes and sizes can be tested using a new test fixture from Hioki. Available from MDL Technologies, the IM9202 makes it simple to take reliable high frequency measurements of surface mount and leaded components when using Hioki’s IM7580 range of high-performance impedance analysers.

Ease & Accuracy

Use of the versatile fixture makes testing easier, and enables more reliable and repeatable measurements, higher throughput, fewer handling errors and greater measurement accuracy. Its flexibility in use makes it simple to test complex components, with consequent savings in time and costs.

Component versatility up to 26mm with IM9202

The IM9202 can hold SMDs of irregular shape as well as axial and radial leaded components, including film capacitors and RFID and NFC tags. SMDs from 1.6 mm to 23 mm long can be tested as well as radial components with lead spacings of up to 26 mm.

Test wide range components

These types of components are frequently being used in power circuits with switching frequencies above 1 MHz, with standard practice making it necessary to test their characteristics at frequencies above 10 MHz. The IM9202 is suitable for testing at frequencies from 0 to 600 MHz.

Versatile Fixture for Large Devices

“The Hioki IM9202 lets component manufacturers measure devices that are larger than with other test fixtures, while also being more affordable,” said MDL managing director Mark Lucock.

Fast, Accurate Analysis - Hioki IM7580

The powerful Hioki IM7580 series impedance analysers for which the fixture is designed are available in five models, providing measurement frequency bands up to 3 GHz. With a half-rack footprint and a palm-sized test head, they offer test speeds as fast as 0.5 ms with a repeatability of 0.07 %.

Hioki fixture simplifies high-frequency testing.

Applications for the new test fixture include the research and development of large or irregular shape components for use in high power, high frequency circuits, as well as components and antennas for RFID and NFC circuits.

Find out more!

HIOKI’s new 12-channel Battery Cell Voltage Generator SS7081-50

Posted on by Philip Bailey

HIOKI’s new 12-channel Battery Cell Voltage Generator SS7081-50 allows you to efficiently build a BMS test environment by simulating batteries or power supplies safely instead of actual batteries. At the same time, the system also offers the high-precision voltage and current measurement capability for minuscule current measurements.

The SS7081-50 facilitates performance and safety evaluation of battery management systems (BMS) used in lithium-ion battery modules or packs of EVs, energy storage systems, or uninterruptible power systems (UPS) by simulating batteries, power supplies or electronic loads. The simulated parameters and cell conditions enable to test a BMS environment more precisely, efficiently, and much safer than with using actual batteries.

Multiple units, each capable of simulating 12 cells, can be connected to create a multi-cell environment with testing parameters that would be difficult to reproduce with actual batteries. This capability eliminates the cost of preparing numerous power supplies and electronic loads as well as the time that would be required to wire them together and fabricate large systems capable of controlling them.

Another unique malfunction simulation enables to reproduce open-wire failures between cells and the BMS. This function is also integrated in SS7081-50 providing a solution without usage of an additional external open test kit.

In addition, the instrument provides high-precision voltage and current measurement capability so that researchers and developers can evaluate increasingly sophisticated BMS functionality that is key in estimating the state of charge (SOC) more accurately and ensure a longer life cycle of LIBs. The system also provides a minuscule current range of 100µA that is ideal for measuring quiescent current or standby current.

DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND

Alongside the growth of the EV market, the demand for LIB packs growing, and R&D programs targeting associated technologies such as sophisticated BMS boards that can monitor and control efficient and safe battery usage are accelerating as well.

Battery Management Systems (BMS) are used to monitor and optimally control the capacity and other parameters of cell systems with the objective to eliminate variability when individual cells exhibit imbalances in order to make full use of the battery’s capacity and prevent incidents such as excessive charging which would cause fire or explosion and excessive discharging that would degrade the battery performance.

Against this backdrop, development of sophisticated BMS boards that can efficiently and safely control batteries is set to increase in the future, and this trend will likely drive up demand for the ability to easily and accurately evaluate those boards.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

SS7081-50
Max output voltage (in series) Up to 1000 V
Voltage output accuracy ±0.0150% of setting ±500 μV
Current measurement accuracy 1 A range: ±0.0700% of reading ±100 μA
100 μA range: ±0.0350% of reading ±10 nA

 

NEW! Chroma 3U 15kVA Regenerative Grid Simulator

Posted on by Philip Bailey

The new Chroma 61800 3U high series of regenerative grid simulators include three models with power ratings of 9kVA, 12kVA, and 15kVA and include single phase and 3-phase operation. With output voltage ranges up to 350VLN and 606VLL, each model can achieve 700VLN by a single phase 3-wire setup. Users are able to increase output power by configuring up to three units in parallel.

Chroma 61809/61812/61815 models are regenerative providing a complete energy-saving solution. The power generated by the DUT during the test can be easily fed back to the grid, rather than dissipated as heat, which protects the environment and lowers the cost of operation. With this capability, the 61809/61812/61815 models can be applied to applications in green energy products, such as PV inverters, energy storage systems (ESS), power conditioning systems (PCS), micro grids, power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL), electric vehicle power supply equipment (EVSE), on-board charger (OBC) and bidirectional on-board charger (BOBC), etc.

For regulatory testing, 61809/61812/61815 models can be applied to IEC 61000-3-2/-3- 3/-3-11/-3-12 (international regulations for AC voltage testing), IEEE 1547/IEC 62116 (international regulations related to green power generation), electric vehicle to grid (V2G) testing, electric vehicle to load (V2L) testing, electric vehicle to home (V2H) testing, energy storage system (ESS) testing.

By using full digital control technology, these models provide a maximum 350VLN output voltage and 30Hz to 100Hz output frequency. The total harmonic distortion rate is less than 0.5% at full load and 50Hz/60Hz output frequency. In addition to AC output, a DC output mode and AC plus DC output mode is included which can be expanded to DC test and AC test with DC bias voltage. The current output capability can provide 3 times the RMS peak current, which is suitable for a DUT input inrush current test.

The 61809/61812/61815 models are also able to provide precision measurements such as RMS voltage, RMS current, true power, power factor, current crest factor and many others. By applying advanced DSP technology, they can easily simulate power line disturbance (PLD) using LIST, PULSE and STEP modes. Additional features such as the waveform synthesis function allows users to program various distorted harmonic waveforms required by some regulatory standards.

With the intuitive 5″ LCD touch screen interface, users can quickly get familiar with the instrument’s operation. Remote interfaces include standard USB, LAN, and optional GPIB, CAN interface. Instruments can be controlled by computer and Chroma Softpanel software for fast digital operation. In addition, Chroma also provides control drivers where users can use LabVIEW software to program integration applications of the control system.