Power platform aims for military ATE duties

ReFlex Power provides a reconfigurable, flexible platform, ideal for ATE and production test environments.

Elgar Electronics has released the ReFlex Power (RFP) system for military automated test at the IEEE Autotestcon 2005 conference in Orlando, Florida.

In keeping with the theme of the IEEE Autotestcon 2005 conference - "Technology - powering the next generation of test" - RFP employs sophisticated digital control and power technologies in a new, high density, modular, programmable power system.

ReFlex Power provides a reconfigurable, flexible platform, ideal for ATE and production test environments where it can provide programmable stimulus and bias power as well as programmable loads for the device(s) under test.

Initially available are: a 12-slot 19in 4U mainframe; the RFP system controller with Ethernet host computer communications interface; and a range of fully programmable power modules.

These comprise: 330 and 1000W DC power modules; a 875VA dual output voltage range AC power module; and 500V-rated 375 and 750W DC load modules.

The 4U high RFP mainframe can hold up to 12 single slot modules or combinations of the available single, dual and triple slot wide modules to configure (or reconfigure) the system for the particular requirements at hand.

The mainframe can support up to 6kW of output power providing the highest power density available.

Up to eight mainframes of modules - potentially up to 95 assets - can be controlled via a single controller.

The RFP controller communicates with the host via an Ethernet LAN connection compliant with the LAN Extension for Instrumentation (LXI) standard, assuring interoperability and ease of integration.

The controller communicates to the individual modules via a proprietary high speed back plane providing high datarates and a high degree of deterministic control.

RFP is designed to satisfy the commercial, off the shelf (COTS) requirements of the military services.

The compelling economies of the RFP power subsystem solution that result from a significant reduction in the number of power assets required to cover military legacy test systems, is one of the reasons that it has been selected for the IFTE V6 and ARGCS programmes.

Elgar President and CEO, Joe Budano, stated: "ReFlex Power is an extremely exciting new product line and technology that represents a significant investment for Elgar".

"RFP's adoption for both the ARGCS technology demonstration programme as well as the next generation of IFTE along with the interest expressed by several major contractors in RFP is very gratifying".

"We anticipate that ReFlex Power will become the industry standard for next generation military ATE power".

Full commercial release is scheduled for late Q1 2006.

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