Most AC-powered products are designed assuming a clean, stable mains supply, which is exactly the assumption a programmable AC power source lets you break on purpose, safely, in a lab. Whether you need to simulate a foreign grid's voltage and frequency, test how a product rides through a voltage dip, or run repeatable power quality compliance test, the mains outlet on the wall cannot do any of it.
What a Programmable AC Source Actually Controls
Unlike a fixed-frequency mains connection, a programmable AC source lets you set voltage, frequency and, on more advanced models, waveform shape and phase independently and repeatably. That means you can hold a product at 110 V / 60 Hz to validate for the US market, step to 230 V / 50 Hz for Europe, or deliberately program a «voltage sag» or a frequency excursion to see how the product's power supply and control electronics respond, all from the same instrument and the same test script.
Chroma's 61500, 61600 and 61700 Families
Chroma's 61500 series covers single-phase programmable AC output from 500 VA up to 6 kVA, 0 to 300 or 350 V depending on model, across a 15 Hz to 2 kHz frequency range, wide enough to go well beyond standard 50/60 Hz mains simulation. The 61600 series covers a comparable power and voltage range in a different chassis format, while the 61700 series adds AC+DC composite output and three-phase operation, which matters for testing power supplies and drives that need to see a DC offset superimposed on the AC waveform, not just a clean sine.
Where Programmable AC Sources Get Used
- Product qualification for multiple markets, verifying operation across the voltage and frequency ranges of different regional grids without shipping the product abroad to test it.
- Power quality and immunity test, reproducing voltage sags, swells and frequency deviations in a controlled, repeatable way, standard practice ahead of formal IEC 61000-4 series compliance test.
- Power supply and drive characterization, where engineers need to see how a design behaves under abnormal but realistic input conditions before it reaches a compliance lab.
Choosing Between the Families
The decision usually comes down to three questions: single-phase or three-phase, how much power your device under test actually draws at worst case, and whether you need the AC+DC composite output the 61700 series adds. Getting this wrong in either direction means paying for capability you will not use or, worse, discovering mid-project that your source cannot reach the test condition your standard requires.
ALLdata has distributed test and measurement instrumentation for more than 45 years and carries Chroma's full programmable AC source range. See the Power Equipment collection or request a quote with your target voltage, frequency range and power draw, and our team will confirm the right configuration for your test plan.