What it is

The EA-EL 9000 B is a compact programmable electronic DC load, a conventional dissipative load that absorbs and converts DC power to heat, with thermal derating that sets continuous power by ambient temperature. All models are built in a 19-inch, 3U enclosure and support the four common regulation modes: constant voltage (CV), constant current (CC), constant power (CP), and constant resistance (CR). An FPGA-based digital control circuit drives an arbitrary-curve function generator and a table-based XY function for simulating nonlinear internal resistance, and the series spans 1.2 kW to 7.2 kW per unit, expandable in cabinets up to 72 kW.

• Programmable electronic DC load, 3U, dissipative with thermal derating
• Input power 1.2 kW up to 7.2 kW per unit, expandable in cabinets up to 72 kW
• Input voltages 0–80 V up to 0–750 V; input currents up to 0–510 A per unit
• Regulation modes CV, CC, CP, CR
• FPGA-based digital control circuit
• Fast current response, rise time 10–90% ≤50 µs
• Multilingual color TFT touch panel (German, English, Russian, Chinese)
• Function generator plus a table-based XY function for nonlinear-resistance simulation
• Integrated battery test mode and MPP tracking for solar-inverter simulation
• Adjustable protections OVP, OCP, OPP, plus OTP
• Galvanically isolated analog and USB interfaces, with a slot for industrial interface modules
• Master-Slave bus for parallel operation; Share Bus for two-quadrant source-sink systems
• SCPI and ModBus RTU/TCP; LabVIEW VIs and remote-control software for Windows

What it is used for

Some of the use cases for the EL 9000 B include:

• Battery test — constant-current or constant-resistance discharging in a dedicated battery test mode that displays elapsed test time and consumed capacity (Ah) and records data directly to a USB stick
• Solar-inverter and PV test — MPP tracking with four modes to simulate solar-module characteristics and determine the maximum power point and its U_MPP, I_MPP, and P_MPP, including a mode with a 100-point irradiation table
• Two-quadrant source-sink testing — paired with an EA-PSI 9000 or EA-PS 9000 supply over the Share Bus to build a source-sink test system
• General load testing — a wide voltage, current, and resistance envelope for validating power supplies, converters, and other DC sources, with arbitrary function-generator and nonlinear-resistance profiles

Load, control, and test functions

Dissipative load with thermal derating. The EL 9000 B converts absorbed DC energy to heat and manages it with thermal derating: the lower the ambient temperature and the better the cooling, the more power the load can take, with the nominal intake power defined at 21 °C ambient. Each model therefore carries a maximum power figure plus rated power at 21 °C and at 35 °C.

FPGA control and test functions. An FPGA-based digital control circuit gives fast, precise regulation, with a current rise time 10–90% of ≤50 µs, and drives an arbitrary-curve function generator (square, triangle, sine, and more) plus a table-based XY function that simulates nonlinear internal resistance. A battery test mode logs time and consumed capacity, and MPP tracking simulates solar-inverter behavior across four modes.

Handling and interfaces. A large multilingual color TFT touch panel with two rotary knobs and a pushbutton handles manual operation and setup. Built-in interfaces are galvanically isolated: a USB type B port and a 15-pole D-Sub analog interface at 0–5 V or 0–10 V, plus a slot for a retrofittable industrial interface module. Control uses SCPI and ModBus RTU/TCP, with LabVIEW VIs and Windows remote-control software; the optional Multi Control app monitors and controls up to 20 units in one window with sequencing and data logging.

Why engineers pick it

Fast, precise loading. FPGA-based digital control with a ≤50 µs current rise time suits dynamic load steps and reproducible test profiles.

High power density in 3U. Up to 7.2 kW of load in a single 3U enclosure improves power per rack unit over the previous EL 9000 A series, and units expand in cabinets to 72 kW.

Test intelligence built in. A dedicated battery test mode with Ah logging, four-mode MPP tracking, an arbitrary function generator, and a nonlinear-resistance XY table put much of the test system inside the instrument.

Source-sink capability. The Share Bus balances current across paralleled loads and, paired with an EA-PSI 9000 or EA-PS 9000 supply, builds a two-quadrant source-sink test system.

Configuring and scaling

The series resolves along power class, model, and options.

• Power class sets the rating tier — roughly 1.5 kW, 3 kW, and 4.5 kW nominal at 21 °C, with maximum power to 7.2 kW.
• Model sets the voltage-and-current envelope, from 0–80 V / 0–170 A through 0–750 V / 0–20 A in the smallest tier and up to 0–80 V / 0–510 A in the largest. Each model carries its own ordering number.
• Options cover pluggable, retrofittable digital interface modules (CAN, CANopen, Ethernet, Profibus, ProfiNet I/O, RS232, EtherCAT, or ModBus TCP) and a three-way interface (3W) with a rigid GPIB port fitted in place of the standard module slot; models with the 3W option carry different ordering numbers.

For higher current, units parallel on the Master-Slave bus and are current-balanced on the Share Bus, expandable in 19-inch cabinets, for example 42U, up to 72 kW, and mixed cabinets of loads and supplies build source-sink systems.

Configure your EL 9000 B on this page and buy it directly. For the 3W GPIB option, a specific interface module, paralleled or cabinet systems, or a two-quadrant source-sink build, contact W5 Engineering and we will scope it with you.