Programmable Power
Product Lifecycle Management, Legacy Emulation and Long Term Planning
This web page is all about the importance of understanding product lifecycle management and having a reliable supplier who communicates end-of-life (EOL) dates, provides transition plans, and offers support during the transition to modern programmable power supplies. Emulation is suggested to replace EOL legacy products and preserve legacy software. Still, it should be viewed as a temporary solution until a long-term plan is made to upgrade to more modern programmable power solutions. And, when choosing to upgrade to more modern programmable AC sources and DC supplies, this site will share key considerations, such as application, scalability, and power range, to name just a few. It’s based on our eBook, Easing the Transition: Product Development & the Evolution of Your New Generation Programmable Power Supplies.
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About the Author
Dan Donati
Vice President of Strategic Product Management
When transitioning to a new programmable power product family, customers should experience a natural transition that minimizes the need for emergency decisions, provides helpful guidance, and informs them of the benefits and consequences of transitioning or failing to do so. Every product has a lifecycle, from development to end-of-life (EOL), and understanding product lifecycle management is crucial for a smooth EOL transition. A dependable power and instrument supplier will communicate EOL dates, provide transition plans, and notify customers of the reason behind the change.
A good supplier should not instill fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) during the transition process but play it straightforwardly and continue building the legacy products per the planned EOL checklist. The only costs customers should face in the transition are the expenses related to the level of qualification they want to perform on the new programmable power product before making the change.
A partner supplier would have considered potential issues, such as physical integration, system software modifications, or load transient response, and devised solutions to ease the transition, such as pin-swap dongles or emulation software. AMETEK Programmable Power offers several new product lines that customers are smoothly transitioning toward, such as the Asterion AC sources, Asterion DC supplies, and Sequoia and Tahoe AC sources.
Vice President of Strategic Product Management Dan Donati speaks about how customers can modernize their power sources and supplies and navigate end-of-life notices. AMETEK Programmable Power's main consideration is and always has been the customer and their needs, and we strive to provide customers with careful planning and preparation to assist their transitions.
By moving to modern programmable power, AMETEK Programmable Power can streamline its operations, make its factory more efficient, conserve floor space, reduce the number of unique parts to buy, and pass savings on to its customers while providing them with the latest technologies. The company recognizes that some customers can only upgrade slowly and will attempt to build legacy products as long as possible.
AMETEK Programmable Power provides ample time to manage an EOL event, typically providing nine months to a year of EOL notice, followed by nine months to a year notice of the last time to buy, and provides spare parts and support for five years after the last buy. Enough time and planning help smooth the pathway to EOL transition.
Emulation is a tool that enables one product to mimic the performance of another product, usually an older one, which can be invaluable when upgrading a test system that includes one or more programmable AC power sources and other instruments. This system may operate for a decade or more, but ultimately, a source will fail, and a replacement will be required. Unfortunately, the original source manufacturer may have declared end-of-life (EOL) for the model or assembled it using expensive, difficult-to-source parts. In this situation, emulation becomes a practical solution to replace the old model and preserve the investment in legacy software.
Emulation is not a long-term solution but a stop-gap approach that can help customers transition from an EOL legacy product to a new product. The main challenge with emulation is software functionality, which requires minimal hardware or software revisions to the legacy system. In many cases, legacy software may have been written decades ago, and the original programmers have retired or moved on to other jobs, making it challenging to modify the program. This process is likely to be lengthy and expensive and requires extensive verification.
Emulation is not a long-term solution but a stop-gap approach that can help customers transition from an EOL legacy product to a new product.
Emulation presents challenges related to form, fit, and function. Power densities are increasing, so a modern programmable AC source will take up less rack space than the legacy model. In addition, the GPIB interface is seldom offered as a standard on modern power sources, but it is available as an option. Emulation can only provide a partial drop-in replacement. With emulation, you risk the possibility that firmware changes during repair by a third party might prevent the emulation from working.
Rather than viewing emulation as a permanent solution to an EOL problem, it is considered an initial opportunity to talk to your vendor about an upgrade path that may begin with emulation as a practical initial step in a long-term plan to make the capital expenditure necessary to upgrade your test systems to modern hardware and software. The vendor should work with you to understand exactly what features and limitations are essential to your application.
Rather than viewing emulation as a permanent solution to an EOL problem, it is considered an initial opportunity to talk to your vendor about an upgrade path
One specific example of emulation capability is AMETEK Programmable Power's CSW Series programmable AC, DC, and AC+DC sources. Many customers use CSW sources in their ATE systems, relying on the specific functionality of the CSW to perform their tests. AMETEK Programmable Power has introduced its California Instruments Asterion AC Series, which offers power ratings from 500 VA to 36,000 VA. Of particular note is the Model AST6003, a 4U version that delivers 6,000 VA. Through software modifications, AMETEK Programmable Power can offer an emulation option that enables the Model AST6003 to emulate a CSW Series source.
Emulation is not an end but should be considered part of a strategy of supporting legacy ATE and managing EOL products. Carefully consider hardware and software limits before determining how to proceed—whether to continue on the emulation path or dig into your legacy software to see if it can be modified to support the modern programmable power source without emulation.
Programmable AC sources and DC supplies offer maximum system design and testing flexibility, from R&D to product validation, regulatory compliance verification, and high-volume production testing. However, choosing the right product for your application involves more than selecting AC or DC, voltage, current, and frequency ratings. The industry vertical in which you work will impose different requirements concerning standards and operating conditions. A key consideration is the flexibility of the voltage and current ratings to future-proof your equipment. High power density is another feature beneficial for AC sources and DC supplies across all use cases in all industry verticals.
For AC sources, voltage and current flexibility is critical to meet immediate needs and future-proof your equipment. AMETEK Programmable Power offers a feature called iX2 current doubling technology on its new AC sources, providing more power-source purchases flexibility.
Renewable energy systems benefit from regeneration, an increasing necessity for testing renewable-energy systems. When choosing an AC source with regenerative capability, it is vital to meet the anti-islanding requirements per IEC 62116. Over the past decade or two, power requirements for AC sources have grown, driven primarily by advances in the renewables space. This power increase has several implications, including choosing a programmable AC source that can be upgraded remotely with software, firmware, and other upgrades.
Over the past decade or two, power requirements for AC sources have grown, driven primarily by advances in the renewables space.
Many AC power sources can also provide DC outputs, generating an AC waveform with a DC offset, providing considerable flexibility. The programmable DC power supplies offer auto-ranging, providing constant-power output capability. This allows for space savings in rack-mounted test systems. Interface options and transient response for AC sources and DC supplies are also factors to consider when choosing a programmable DC power supply or AC source. Distortion, regulation, and noise should be evaluated for price/performance tradeoffs.
The Sorensen™ Asterion® DC Series combines intelligence and flexibility to create an advanced platform of DC solutions in 1.7, 3.4, 5.0 & 10kW
The Asterion AC features high power density in 1U/2U/4U/14U chassis up to 18 kVA
Choosing a modern programmable AC source or DC supply requires consideration of the industry vertical, voltage and current flexibility, scalability, regenerative capability, auto-ranging, power density, interface options, transient response, distortion, regulation, and noise. Upgrading to a new programmable AC source or DC supply can offer significant benefits, but careful planning and collaboration with the supplier can ease the transition.
In conclusion, understanding product lifecycles and planning for end-of-life transitions is crucial for businesses to stay ahead of the competition and maximize their return on investment. By embracing new technologies and investing in modern programmable AC sources and DC supplies, companies can enjoy increased efficiency, solve critical problems, remain nimble in an increasingly competitive business environment, and improve testing reliability – all while minimizing downtime and maintenance.
AMETEK Programmable Power has built a reputation for having the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of modern programmable power products stocked with well-known, respected, and reliable brand names. Our familiarity with wide-ranging industry applications, from solar arrays to military and aerospace, lends us a breadth of experience available to apply to your business needs.
Companies of all sizes and across industry segments trust us with their programmable power supply. Contact us today to learn more.
Inspired by the enduring power of a brilliant star, the California Instruments "Asterion" line of AC power sources by AMETEK Programmable Power combines intelligence and flexibility to create an advanced platform of AC solutions.
The Sorensen Asterion line of DC power supplies by AMETEK Programmable Power combines intelligence and flexibility to create an advanced platform of DC solutions in 1.7, 3.4, 5.0 & 10kW.
The California Instruments Sequoia Series combines intelligence and flexibility with high power to create an advanced platform of AC solutions.
The California Instruments Tahoe Series combines intelligence and flexibility with high power to create an advanced platform of AC solutions.
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