Keysight N6785A 2-Quadrant Source/Measure Unit for Battery Drain Analysis (80 W)

Key Features At A Glance

• 2-quadrant Source/Measure Unit module for the N6700 Modular Power System, rated 20 V, ±8 A, 80 W; the N6780 Series spans 20 W to 80 W
• Combined source and sink (charge/eLoad) operation; the series is available in 2-quadrant and 4-quadrant variants
• Built-in 18-bit digitizers measure and log voltage, current, and power every ~5 us (~200 kHz)
• Seamless measurement ranging on the top three current ranges captures current from nA to A in one pass without changing ranges
• User-selectable emulation modes (power supply, CC/CV load, voltmeter, ammeter) configure the unit for common use cases
• Zero-burden current shunt (ammeter) mode supports real-world battery rundown tests
• Each module protected against over-voltage, over-current, and over-temperature; output fully isolated and floating from ground and from other modules
• GPIB, USB 2.0, and 10/100 Base-T LAN standard; fully compliant to LXI Class C, with SCPI / IEEE 488.2 programming and VXIplug&play and IVI-COM drivers
• Optional BV9200B/BV9201B PathWave BenchVue power control and analysis software (sold separately)

The Keysight N6785A is a 2-quadrant Source/Measure Unit (SMU) module for the N6700 Modular Power System, tuned for battery drain analysis at 80 W. A source/measure unit pairs a controllable power source with integrated, high-resolution measurement in one instrument, so a device under test can be driven and characterized without a separate supply and meter. The N6785A combines precise sourcing, sinking, and measurement in a single module, letting you visualize current drain from nA to A in one pass to gain insight into a device's power consumption.

The N6785A belongs to the Keysight N6780 Series of Source/Measure Units for the N6700 Modular Power System. The series comprises the N6781A 2-quadrant SMU for battery drain analysis (20 W), the N6782A 2-quadrant SMU for functional test (20 W), the N6784A 4-quadrant general-purpose SMU (20 W), the N6785A 2-quadrant SMU for battery drain analysis (80 W), and the N6786A 2-quadrant SMU for functional test (80 W). The N6781A and N6785A are tuned for battery drain analysis of battery-powered devices from 20 W to 80 W, including e-Book readers, MP3 players, wireless mice, mobile phones, large smartphone phablets, tablets, military radios, and pacemakers. The N6782A and N6786A are tuned for functional test of devices such as DC/DC converters, power management units (PMUs), power management ICs (PMICs), and power amplifiers from 20 W to 80 W, while the N6784A is designed as a versatile tool for general-purpose applications in automated test systems or on an R&D bench.

As a plug-in module, the N6785A installs in the N6700 Modular Power System — a modular DC power platform built from a mainframe chassis populated with interchangeable power, source/measure, and electronic load modules. The N6700 Low-Profile Modular Power System is a 1U-high, multiple-output programmable DC power supply and electronic load system that lets test-system integrators mix and match from over 30 different DC power and electronic load modules to build a one- to four-channel system optimized for performance, power, and price. The N6705C DC Power Analyzer mainframe brings these same modules to the R&D bench, integrating up to four DC power supplies or electronic loads with the functions of a DMM, oscilloscope, arbitrary waveform generator, and data logger in a single integrated instrument, with all sourcing, loading, and measurement functions available from the front panel without programming.

ValueTronics stocks and holds its own test-and-measurement inventory in a 20,000-square-foot secure warehouse at 1675 Cambridge Drive in Elgin, Illinois. Every pre-owned unit is inspected and functionally verified in-house before it ships, while new units ship factory-sealed exactly as received from the manufacturer. Holding inventory under our own roof lets us confirm configuration and condition directly, match the right SMU and condition to your application, and ship quickly to the engineers, labs, and production teams who rely on us.

Brand Heritage

Keysight Technologies traces its test-and-measurement heritage to Hewlett-Packard, whose instrument business was spun off as Agilent Technologies in 1999. Agilent's electronic measurement division was then established as Keysight Technologies in 2014, the brand under which this product family is offered today. Documentation and ordering references issued before that transition may carry the earlier brand names.

Compare Other Models in This Series

The N6780 Series groups five Source/Measure Units for the N6700 Modular Power System, each combining a controllable source with integrated measurement. The models differ along three lines the series itself defines: output power (20 W or 80 W), quadrant operation (2-quadrant or 4-quadrant), and the application each is tuned for — battery drain analysis, functional test, or general-purpose use. The N6781A and N6785A are tuned for battery drain analysis, the N6782A and N6786A for functional test, and the N6784A is the general-purpose member of the family; within each application pairing, the 20 W and 80 W versions cover devices from 20 W to 80 W.

The clearest differences across the family are output power and quadrant operation. The N6781A, N6782A, and N6784A are 20 W modules, while the N6785A and N6786A are 80 W modules with higher current ranges. The N6784A is the only 4-quadrant model and the only one that does not support seamless measurement ranging; the N6781A, N6782A, N6785A, and N6786A are 2-quadrant units whose top three ranges do support it. Application tuning further separates the models: the N6781A and N6785A add programmable output resistance and battery emulator/charger modes for battery drain analysis, while the N6782A and N6786A add output modulation up to 100 kHz for functional test. As an example within the family, the N6781A is the 20 W, 2-quadrant battery-drain member, supporting seamless measurement ranging across its top three current ranges, programmable output resistance for battery emulation, an auxiliary voltage measurement input, and zero-burden ammeter mode.

Each model below links to its own dedicated product page with condition-matched pricing. Compare the models here, then open the page for the specific model and configuration that fits your application. See the comparison table for each model's application, quadrant operation, and power rating.

Additional differences in specifications beyond the few shown above are not listed here — see each model's full specifications below.

The N6700 Modular Power System

The N6785A is one of more than thirty interchangeable modules in the N6700 Modular Power System. Across the family, DC power modules range from 50 W to 500 W with outputs up to 150 V and up to 50 A, electronic loads provide up to 200 W (60 V, 40 A), and the application-specific source/measure units such as the N6785A operate in two or four quadrants at 20 W to 80 W. Modules are grouped into series by role: the basic N6730/N6740/N6770 DC power modules, the N6750 high-performance autoranging modules, the N6760 precision modules, the N6780 source/measure units, the N6783 application-specific modules (18 W to 24 W), and the N6790 electronic loads. Most modules occupy a single slot, while higher-power modules such as the N6753A–N6756A, N6763A–N6766A, N6785A–N6786A, and N6792A each occupy two of the mainframe's four slots.

The modules run in a choice of mainframes. The N6700 low-profile family centers on three 1U mainframes rated at 400 W (N6700C), 600 W (N6701C), and 1200 W (N6702C) of total available output power, each holding one to four modules; the 1200 W N6702C automatically senses the AC line and limits output to 600 W on a standard outlet, drawing full power only at the higher AC input. The N6705C DC Power Analyzer is the four-slot, 600 W bench mainframe at the center of the system, accepting one to four modules; the N6715C is the same system ordered as a fully assembled, build-to-order instrument with modules pre-installed. Modules placed in an N6705C gain front-panel scope view, arbitrary waveform generation, and data logging that are not present in the lower-profile N6700C-series mainframes. All mainframes accept a universal AC input of 100–240 VAC, 50/60/400 Hz, with power-factor-corrected input.

In the N6705C DC Power Analyzer, the built-in digitizer captures voltage- and current-versus-time to 200 kHz, up to 256 k samples/trace (512 k via SCPI), with ~30 kHz measurement bandwidth, and logs to internal or USB storage. The N6705C also provides front-panel binding posts rated 20 A per post, 4 gigabytes of internal non-volatile storage, a built-in real-time clock, 4-wire remote sensing on every output, and power management that allocates mainframe power to the outputs that need it. The command set is shared with the N6700 ATE systems, allowing test correlation between bench and manufacturing setups.

Product Core & Specifications

Important: The N6780 Series SMUs are plug-in modules for the N6700 Modular Power System; an N6700 Series mainframe (such as the N6705 DC Power Analyzer) is required for operation and is not included with the module. The DC power and load modules (N6731B–N6792A) are not standalone instruments and require an N6700C, N6701C, N6702C, or N6705C mainframe (sold separately) to operate.

Important: Specifications are warranted over the ambient temperature range of 0 to 55 °C after a 30-minute warm-up period, and apply at the mainframe output terminals with local sensing unless otherwise noted. For the N6761A–N6766A precision modules and the N6781A/N6782A/N6784A/N6785A/N6786A SMU modules, the performance specification values shown are for the highest output/measurement range; these modules have multiple ranges.

Important: Output terminal isolation: no output terminal may be more than ±240 VDC from any other terminal or chassis ground. The maximum series operation is 240 V, and the maximum rated parallel operation is 100 A per N6705 mainframe.

Important: Output current is derated 1% per °C above 40 °C ambient temperature. Each N6705C / N6715C mainframe has 4 module slots and provides 600 W total available output power; if the sum of the installed modules' power exceeds the mainframe's available output power, use Keysight's power management capability to allocate mainframe power to the outputs where it is needed.

Important: For modules with outputs rated greater than 20 A, such as the N6753A or N6792A, high-current wires must be routed through the N6705's rear panel; front-panel binding posts are rated for 20 A per post.

Important: When configuring a mainframe with fewer than four filled module slots, fill any empty slots with filler panels; order a filler panel kit (N6708A), which contains three filler panels. To rack mount the N6700, order the rack mount kit (N6709C) — standard rack rails or slides are not compatible because of the unit's 1U size and airflow requirements.

Important: Option 760 (Output Disconnect/Polarity Reversal Relays) is not available on Models N6741B, N6751A, N6752A, N6761A, N6762A, and N6781A–N6786A, and limits the output current to 10 A maximum on Models N6742B and N6773A. Option 2UA (200 µA measurement range) is available only on Models N6761A and N6762A.

Important: N6784A note: when sinking power, the unit can operate at its maximum rated output power for only a limited time; if the output power exceeds its safe limits, the output latches off (annunciated by the OT status bit) and a protect clear is required to resume normal operation.

Important: The Keysight N6791A and N6792A Electronic Load Modules are not supported on the previous Keysight mainframes N6700B, N6701A, N6702A, N6705A, and N6705B. Keysight N6783A modules cannot be used in series with other N6783A modules or any other N67xx module.

Important: This data sheet lists an abbreviated set of specifications and characteristics. For the full list, see Chapter 5 in the Keysight N6700 Modular Power System Family Specifications Guide, part number N6700-90001.

Recommended pairing: the N6780 Series SMUs install in the N6705 mainframe, and the BV9200B/BV9201B PathWave BenchVue Advanced Power Control and Analysis Software adds advanced battery drain analysis when used with the N6781A or N6785A, controlling up to four mainframes and as many as 16 installed modules from a single PC. The earlier 14585A Control and Analysis Software likewise controls the family's DC power and electronic load modules across up to four N6705 mainframes (up to 16 modules) from a single PC.

About this Pre-Owned unit

This pre-owned unit is inspected and functionally verified in-house before it ships and is backed by our pre-owned warranty. To confirm its exact condition, firmware revision, installed options, or included accessories for your application before ordering, contact our Test Architects.

• Warranty included
• Functional verification included
• Standard Calibration Upgrade Options: No Calibration Required, NIST Traceable, Z540.1 or ISO 17025 with Data, Z540.3 Guardbanding with Data.
• Note that unnecessary accessories may not be included (contact Test Architect to confirm).

ValueTronics supplies both new and used test and measurement equipment. New units ship factory-sealed, exactly as received from the manufacturer; every used unit is inspected and functionally verified in-house at our 20,000 sq ft secure facility in Elgin, Illinois before it ships. Our Test Architects can help you select the condition, calibration, and configuration that fit your application.

Please review the Manufacturer's Data Sheet to verify published specifications. Feedback on this webpage is always welcome — please reach out to your Test Architect at any time for questions or concerns. Thank you, we truly appreciate you being our customer.