Pickering Interfaces, a leading supplier of modular signal switching and simulation solutions for electronic test and verification, has introduced the 60-191 LXI high current & sense SPST switching family. The company's highest-current switching products to date, the new family can switch signals up to 80 A and 300 V while simplifying distribution, sequencing, and management of multiple high-current power supplies in automated test systems.

The 60-191 family is available in four standard configurations, combining up to twenty 40 A and four 80 A hermetically sealed SPST-NO contactors with a complementary number of 1 A SPST relays for sense lines. High-current and sense-line connections are via standard front-panel screw-terminal connections. Custom relay combinations and alternative connector options may be requested.

Installed between multiple high-current power supply units (PSUs) and a device or system under test, each unit can programmatically connect and disconnect each PSU’s positive and negative outputs and their associated high- and low-sense lines. Engineers can control every relay independently or operate two high-current and two low-current relays as a group with a single command, simplifying the switching of the four connections commonly used by a PSU.

High-current switching in automated test systems is often implemented as a custom assembly using contactors and digital output modules," said Steven Edwards, Head of Product Management at Pickering. "The 60-191 family provides fully tested, easily maintainable LXI alternatives in standard 4U enclosures, with the switching capacity, control features, and software support needed to integrate high-current supplies more quickly.

Each unit includes a sequencing service that can store up to 5,000 predefined switching sequences and execute them through software or configurable hardware triggers. By storing sequences within the LXI controller, the units can reduce host transactions and system latency. Front-panel LEDs indicate switch status to simplify programming and debugging, while relay cycle counting supports preventive maintenance and balances usage across available paths.

The 60-191 units are controlled through an LXI 1.5-compliant 1000Base-T Ethernet interface using an API or built-in soft front panel. IVI and direct I/O drivers support Windows and Linux and common development environments, including LabVIEW, Python, C/C++, C#, MATLAB, and Simulink.

Typical applications include EV battery and high-drain automotive electronics testing, fuel-cell and hydrogen-electrolysis research, solar inverter and energy-storage testing, aerospace development, and functional or production testing of high-current power supplies.

All four standard configurations include a three-year warranty and Pickering's guaranteed long-term product support. For product details, availability and local sales contacts, visit www.pickeringtest.com