Current-Voltage measurement

[Garth Lautenbach]

I am looking to measure the IV characteristics of a silicon solar cell and due to the current density need to get a source meter capable of outputting 8A or more in order to get an accurate measurement. Are there any non-pulsed sources which are available or am I going about this the wrong way?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Garth Lautenbach,

Research Assistant,

Centre for Solar Energy Research.

[Jas.W]

Hi Garth,

Unfortunately the maximum current that our sources produce is 2A, which is specific to that card. The maximum current that our DMMs can read is 3A, again that is specific to that card. If possible, could you amplify the current to the levels you need. I am not familiar with your application so its hard to say if you are going about it the wrong way or not. If anyone else comes across this thread and can offer advice then please do. 

If you could give more details on the application then I will try to help you out the best that I can. If you have any other issues please do no hesitate to get in touch with us.

Kind Regards,

Jas.W 

[Mark_E]

Garth,

You can use the NI PXI-4110 triple-output programmable DC power supply to cascade channels to go beyond its 1A per channel capability. Our help file recommends only going as high as 2A, but it is physically possible to go beyond it. (Because it isn't recommended for safety reasons, I stand by the suggestion that another setup may be better suited for your application.) One other caveat is that it is a basic programmable power supply meant only for sourcing, not sinking. If sourcing and sinking are needed, our PXI-4130 or PXI-4132 SMUs can do that. A DMM is another option. 3A is the highest our PXI-407x DMMs can measure on their own, but we offer a 10A shunt module that lets you measure up to 10A.

I hope this helps clarify a little bit.