Testing Intelligent Chargers with PLI Charger Starter Interface

Intelligent chargers often only start the charging process when they detect a suitable energy storage device at their output.

With the optional Charger Starter Interface (CST), the PLI series electronic load simulates a discharged accumulator by applying an appropriate voltage to the load input.

The Charger Starter Interface can be installed as an option in any PLI load with 60 V (PLI16-06) or 120 V (PLI16-12) voltage range. It works in principle like a programmable power supply.

To simulate a discharged accumulator with the electronic load, set the CST voltage to the voltage expected by the charger when the accumulator is discharged. The activation of the output voltage of the CST can be coupled with the switching of the load input, so that when the load input is switched on, the output voltage of the CST is applied to the load input for a certain time.

As soon as the charger supplies current, a previously programmed voltage list can be started in the load, simulating the battery voltage rising.

The measurement data for current and voltage can be recorded and stored in the electronic load and read after charging.

How to configure such a test procedure is described in our Application Note 15.