California Instruments OMNI 1-18i Impedance Matching Network

Flicker Tests; Existing IEC regulations require flicker testing for a large class of electrical and electronic equipment. Flicker occurs when the current drawn by an electrical device causes a voltage drop on the line due to the line impedance. Flicker measurements require a controlled environment.  EN 61000-3-3 / IEC 1000-3-3 deals with flicker measurement requirements.  This standard describes the required test setup, which includes a precision AC source having a specific impedance.  By measuring the voltage drop across the standard impedance caused by the change in current drawn by the EUT (Equipment Under Test), the amount of flicker caused by the load can be determined. The characteristics of the standard impedance must be precisely controlled at the test frequency of 50 Hz.

OMNI option: The OMNI-1-18i, OMNI-3-18i and OMNI-3-37i were specifically designed to meet the IEC 1000-3-3 reference impedance requirements when used in conjunction with an i Series or iX Series AC power source.  The OMNI-1-18i and OMNI3-18i are capable of handling the maximum 16 A per phase current required under the IEC standard. The OMNI-3-37i supports 32 A per phase.

Bypass Mode; Bypass mode of operation causes the reference impedance in the EUT power paths to be shunted to create virtually zero impedance. This electrically removes the reference impedance between the source and the EUT. In this mode, testing for other applications such as IEC 1000-3-2 (Harmonics) that don’t require the reference impedance is possible without physically having to disconnect it.

Engage Mode; The Engage mode activates the reference impedance path. This mode should be used for IEC 10003-3 (Flicker) test applications. The default mode of operation for the OMNI is the Bypass mode so it is important to select the correct mode of operation when performing IEC 1000-3-3 tests.

Manual Control When used with a power system that lacks direct control capability, the engage or bypass mode can be selected from the front panel. LED’s clearly indicate the status of the OMNI.  At power up, the OMNI defaults to the bypass mode.

Remote Control When used with the i Series or iX Series of programmable AC power sources, the engage or bypass mode of operation are controlled from the AC Source front panel, or via the Power Source’s RS232 or IEEE 488 interface. The OMNI front panel is disabled in this case; however, the LED’s still indicate the status of the OMNI.

Functional Design; The OMNI-1-18i and OMNI-3-18i are housed in a slim line 3.5” high cabinet that matches the style of the i Series and iX Series AC power source.  The OMNI-3-37i is contained in a 5.25” high cabinet. Either cabinet can be rack mounted using the included rack mount handles.