VT System

Technical User Manual

Version 2.8
English
Imprint

Vector Informatik GmbH

Ingersheimer Straße 24
D-70499 Stuttgart

Vector reserves the right to modify any information and/or data in this user documentation without notice. This documentation nor any of
its parts may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of Vector. To the maximum extent permitted
under law, all technical data, texts, graphics, images and their design are protected by copyright law, various international treaties and
other applicable law. Any unauthorized use may violate copyright and other applicable laws or regulations.
 Copyright 2021, Vector Informatik GmbH. Printed in Germany.
All rights reserved.
Technical User Manual VT System Contents

Contents

1 Introduction 3
1.1 About This User Manual 4
1.1.1 Latest Information 5
1.1.2 Certification 5
1.1.3 Warranty 5
1.1.4 Support 5
1.1.5 Trademarks 6

2 Module Specific 7
2.1 VT1004 8
2.1.1 Electronic Load 8
2.2 VT2004 9
2.2.1 Decade Resistor 9
2.3 VT7001 11
2.3.1 Connection of Sense Lines 11
2.3.2 Usage of four-quadrant Power Supply 13
2.3.3 RS-232 Interface 14
2.4 VT6306 14
2.4.1 Resistor for TC8 V1.0 14

3 Load Capacity 15
3.1 Parallel Usage of Channels 16

4 VT Safety Concept 17
4.1 Behavior of Fuses 18

5 Voltage Measurement 21
5.1 Measurement Accuracy 22

6 Power Supply of ECU 23

6.1 VT7001 Connection Scheme 24
6.2 One Power Supply 25
6.2.1 Internal Power Supply 26
6.2.2 Power Supply 1 27
6.2.3 Power Supply 2 28
6.3 Two Power Supplies 29
6.3.1 Internal Power Supply and Power Supply 1 29
6.3.2 Internal Power Supply and Power Supply 2 31
6.3.3 Power Supply 1 and Power Supply 2 32
6.4 Two Power Supplies in Parallel 33
6.5 Two Power Supplies in Series 34

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 -I-

Technical User Manual VT System Introduction

1 Introduction

In this chapter you will find the following information:

1.1 About This User Manual page 4

Latest Information
Certification
Warranty
Support
Trademarks

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 -3-

Technical User Manual VT System Introduction

1.1 About This User Manual

To Find information This user manual provides you with the following access help:
quickly > At the beginning of each chapter you will find a summary of the contents
> The header shows in which chapter of the manual you are
> The footer shows the version of the manual
> At the end of the user manual you will find a glossary to look-up used technical
terms
> At the end of the user manual an index will help you to find information quickly

Conventions In the two tables below you will find the notation and icon conventions used
throughout the manual.

Style Utilization
bold Fields/blocks, user/surface interface elements, window- and dialog
names of the software, special emphasis of terms.
[OK] Push buttons in square brackets
File|Save Notation for menus and menu entries
MICROSAR Legally protected proper names and marginal notes.
Source Code File and directory names, source code, class and object names,
object attributes and values
Hyperlink Hyperlinks and references.
<CTRL>+<S> Notation for shortcuts.

Symbol Utilization
This icon indicates notes and tips that facilitate your work.

This icon warns of dangers that could lead to damage.

This icon indicates more detailed information.

This icon indicates examples.

This icon indicates step-by-step instructions.

This icon indicates text areas where changes of the currently

described file are allowed or necessary.

This icon indicates files you must not change.

This icon indicates multimedia files like e.g. video clips.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 -4-

Technical User Manual VT System Introduction

Symbol Utilization
This icon indicates an introduction into a specific topic.

This icon indicates text areas containing basic knowledge.

This icon indicates text areas containing expert knowledge.

This icon indicates that something has changed.

1.1.1 Latest Information

Additional technical You may find additional technical information about your VT System:
information > in the CANoe online help,
> on the Vector website www.vector.com (e.g. application notes), and
> in your CANoe installation.

Reference: You may find the latest version of this manual in your CANoe
installation (start menu  CANoe  Help).

1.1.2 Certification

Certified Quality Vector Informatik GmbH has ISO 9001:2008 certification.

Management System The ISO standard is a globally recognized quality standard.
CE Compliance All VT System products comply with CE regulations.

1.1.3 Warranty

Restriction of We reserve the right to modify the contents of the documentation or the software
warranty without notice. Vector disclaims all liabilities for the completeness or correctness of
the contents and for damages which may result from the use of this documentation.

1.1.4 Support

Need support? You can get through to our hotline by calling

+49 (711) 80670-200
or you can send a problem report to CANoe Support.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 -5-

Technical User Manual VT System Introduction

1.1.5 Trademarks

Protected All brand names in this documentation are either registered or non registered
trademarks trademarks of their respective owners.
> EtherCAT® is registered trademark and patented technology, licensed by
Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Germany.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 -6-

Technical User Manual VT System Module Specific

2 Module Specific

This chapter contains the following information:

2.1 VT1004 page 8

Electronic Load
2.2 VT2004 page 9
Decade Resistor
2.3 VT7001 page 11
Connection of Sense Lines
Usage of four-quadrant Power Supply
RS-232 Interface
2.4 VT6306 page 14
Resistor for TC8 V1.0

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 -7-

Technical User Manual VT System Module Specific

2.1 VT1004

2.1.1 Electronic Load

General The principle design of the electronic load is shown in the following schematic.

Between the two ECU connectors there are two Power MOSFETs and two shunt
resistors. The circuit is symmetric to handle positive and negative difference voltages
between the ECU connectors. With the Power MOSFETs the current will be
controlled. The current will also be monitored by measuring the difference voltage
over the shunt resistors. To dissipate the heat the Power MOSFETs and the shunt
resistors are mounted on a heat sink.

Load capability The continuous load carrying capability of the electronic load is limited by the power
loss which is changed to thermal energy and dissipated by the heat sink. The heat
sink is only able to dissipate a certain amount of power. As the heat sink is common
for all 4 channels on the VT1004 the possible theoretical total load capability of the
module is independent if the load is distributed to one, two or all four channels. If the
heat sink is able to manage for example 30 W of total continuous power then this load
can be distributed to two channels with 15 W each or to four channels with 7.5 W
each. But in practice if the load is distributed to several channels the distribution of
the heat is better and so a higher load can be carried.
The peak load carrying capability is much higher because the thermal distribution on
the heat sink is very slow. So the limit for the peak load is only dependent on the
capability of the used Power MOSFET.

Temperature The electronic load has a temperature protection. So if the junction temperature of the
protection used Power MOSFET is too high the electronic load will be switched off. The
algorithm to calculate the junction temperature considers the measured temperature
at the heat sink, the desired current and the actual voltage. So it might be possible
that the electronic load will be deactivated when a high current is tried to set even
with a low temperature at the heat sink. Because of the thermal inertia the MOSFETs
will be damaged long ago until the temperature sensors at the heat sink will recognize
a noticeable temperature increase.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 -8-

Technical User Manual VT System Module Specific

Current limitation The possible currents are limited by the shunts. For a smaller load bigger shunt
resistors would be necessary to compensate for the resulting smaller voltage
difference. This would result in a decrease of the maximum possible current because
of the voltage difference amplification, which would hit the upper limit at a lower load
current.

2.2 VT2004

2.2.1 Decade Resistor

Overview The decade resistor of the VT2004 stimulation module is basically an electronically
adjustable resistor. The desired resistance value R between the two inputs of each
channel can be defined directly in CANoe. The decade resistor then tries to match the
desired value resulting in a real resistance value R’ like shown in the following figure.

A typical use case for this functionality is the simulation of sensors. In order to do so
an electronic control unit (ECU) can be connected to the input pins of the VT2004.
Usually ECUs read from their sensors by measuring the sensor’s resistance values.
Because of this different sensor-inputs can be simulated by adjusting the resistance
of the decade resistor.

Tolerance values Each of the four channels of the VT2004 is equipped with such a resistor. Channels
1, 2 and 3 allow resistance values of 10 Ω up to 10k Ω. Channel 4 covers an even
wider range, i.e. 1 Ω to 250k Ω. Within these ranges the tolerance is the higher value
of ± 2% respectively ± 2 Ω.
The following table shows some examples of the decade resistor’s tolerance values:

Desired Resistance Value R Tolerance Range of R’

10 Ω ±2Ω 8 Ω - 12 Ω
100 Ω ±2Ω 98 Ω – 102 Ω
1000 Ω ± 20 Ω 980 Ω - 1020 Ω
10000 Ω ± 200 Ω 9800 Ω - 10200 Ω

The results of a measurement of the real resistance value R’ for every possible
resistance value R in the range from 10 Ω to 10k Ω are shown in figure 2.2. Here the
ideal resistance values are represented by the blue line, while the tolerance of R ± 2
Ω resp. R ± 2 % is shown in green. The actual measurement of the real resistance
values R’ is represented by the red line.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 -9-

Technical User Manual VT System Module Specific

The following figure shows that the decade resistor’s resolution is extremely high for
low resistance values, where R’ only deviates slightly from the ideal resistance value
(see close-up on range from 10Ω to 20Ω). Although the size of steps starts to
increase for higher resistance values, R’ still stays very close to the ideal line (see
close-up on range from 9kΩ to 10kΩ). So R’ is within the boundary of R ± 2 Ω resp. R
± 2 % at all times as guaranteed by the VT2004’s specification.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 10 -

Technical User Manual VT System Module Specific

Internal design The decade resistor used in channel 4 is slightly more complex because of its wider
range, but it is designed analogous to the other channel’s decades. It will therefore
not be addressed here. Each of the decade resistors of channel 1, 2, and 3 consists
of 16 single resistors which connect the input pins in parallel. Their resistances
ranges from 19 Ω to 655k Ω With FPGA controlled PhotoMOS relays these resistors
can be activated independently from each other. The following figure visualizes this
concept in form of a schematic.

Using this setup an arbitrary subset of the 16 resistors can be activated at any given
time. This way all resistance values in a range from 10 Ω to 10k Ω can be realized
with a tolerance of ± 2 Ω resp. ± 2 %. The minimal value of 10 Ω can be reached by
activating all resistors in the decade. Although values greater than 10k Ω are possible
as well (e.g. by deactivating all resistors except for the 655kΩ resistor) the tolerance
of 2% can’t be maintained in that range of values.
One benefit of this parallel design over a serial decade resistor is the much higher
resolution within the range of small resistance values.

2.3 VT7001

2.3.1 Connection of Sense Lines

General Normally a regulated power supply tries to keep the voltage at its output constant,
independent of the connected load. But the voltage applied at the load may differ from
the voltage at the output of the power supply because of a voltage drop on the used
cables and connectors especially at higher currents. So with a second pair of sense
cables, which are connected between the load and special sense inputs at the power
supply, the voltage at the load can be regulated. The sense lines are carrying nearly
no current and so there is no appreciable voltage drop.
In the following figure you can see the output circuit of a power supply with sense
connectors in principle.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 11 -

Technical User Manual VT System Module Specific

According to this principle schematic you can see what happens if the sense
connection or the connection to the load will be removed. The op-amps try to keep
the voltage difference between its differential inputs at zero. So if the sense input gets
no voltage feedback when the output or the sense cables are removed, the power
supply regulates its output to the maximum voltage the output stage can apply.
So if an ECU is connected to the power supply with the VT7001 it might be a problem
if the output of the VT7001 is switched off while the sense lines are still connected to
the ECU. In this case the output at the power supply will be at its maximum output
voltage. If this voltage exceeds the maximum input voltage of the VT7001 the module
might be damaged.

Connection To avoid this behavior the sense lines should not be connected directly at the ECU
but at the power supply connector of the VT7001 as shown in the following figure. So
the voltage drop from the power supply to the VT7001 will be considered but not the
voltage drop from the VT7001 to the ECU. Therefore the cables from the VT7001 to
the ECU have to be kept short.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 12 -

Technical User Manual VT System Module Specific

2.3.2 Usage of four-quadrant Power Supply

Use cases Sometimes it is necessary to use a four-quadrant power supply with the VT7001. This
might be with the following use cases:
> ECU test with fast changing voltages curves with slew rates up to 10 V/µs
> Simulate ground offset between two components by sinking current with a four-
quadrant power supply.

General Compared to a normal unipolar power supply, a four-quadrant power supply is also
able to sink current like an electronic load. It can operate in all four quadrants of the
characteristic output curve of a power supply.

Limitations The VT7001 represents a capacity load with a few nanofarad when connected to a
power supply. For some four-quadrant power supplies this capacitive load of the
VT7001 might be too high. This will lead to instability and the output signal will start to
oscillate. The tendency to oscillate depends mainly on the size of the applied load of
the four-quadrant power supply and not on the used signal form and speed. The
experience shows, that the tendency to oscillate is lower at higher currents. A known
power supply with this behavior is Toellner TOE7610.
A recommend four-quadrant power supply which works fine with the VT7001 is the
successor Toellner TOE7621. This power supply has a low pass function adjustable
to the cutoff frequencies of 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz and 100 kHz. If this power supply
is operated without any load and without a VT7001, the output signal is stable with
every frequency setting. If a VT7001 is connected to the power supply and the load
current is only very small or there is no load, the output signal might start to oscillate if
a cutoff frequency of 10 kHz or smaller is set. So a known good setup is to use a limit
frequency of 100 kHz.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 13 -

Technical User Manual VT System Module Specific

2.3.3 RS-232 Interface

Parameter Min Typ Max

Output Voltage 5.0 V
Input Voltage -30 V 30 V
Threshold Low 0.6 V 2.0 V
Threshold High 2.1 V 2.4 V
Hysteresis 0.1 V

2.4 VT6306

2.4.1 Resistor for TC8 V1.0

General The resistor value for the TC8 V1.0 test can be selected in 5 Ω steps from 0 Ω to
2555 Ω. Changing the value doesn't use a specific preset pattern. The value instead
directly changes from one to the other. If the change should be realized in specific
steps (e.g. 5 Ω), each of those steps has to be set manually. After a new resistor
value is set a waiting time of a least 20 ms is recommended to allow the new resistor
value to settle in.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 14 -

Technical User Manual VT System Load Capacity

3 Load Capacity

This chapter contains the following information:

3.1 Parallel Usage of Channels page 16

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 15 -

Technical User Manual VT System Load Capacity

3.1 Parallel Usage of Channels

Limitations Sometimes it might be useful to use two channels in parallel to carry a higher total
current. This is especially interesting if using the VT1004 or the VT7001. Although not
recommended in general it is possible to use channels in parallel. But a few things
have to be considered then.
First it is not guaranteed that the total current will be equally distributed to the
participated channels, because of different resistances of connectors and relays
contacts and PCB tracks. Also care has to be taken when switching those channels.
Relays are mechanical parts. They have no identical switching time and they are
bouncing. So when switching channels in parallel it might be that one channel will be
switched slightly earlier than the others and so has to carry the whole current on its
own for a period of time. Or even worse, relays at one or more channel will not be
switched at all because of a mechanical or electrical failure or they have forgotten to
switch on or they are switched off accidentally. This can damage the modules,
especially the relays and the PCB tracks, as they are designed with a good reliability
but not to carry and switch significant more current per channel than specified in the
user manual. Special attention has dedicated when using a VT7001 module, as this
module has no fuses on board and the protection has therefore be done externally.
For the VT1004 another item has to be remembered if using the electronic load. The
current sink capability of the electronic load is limited by the total power loss which is
turned to thermal energy and dissipated by the heat sink. The usage of several
channels in parallel on the same module does provide a better load capability. But a
much higher load capability is available if electronic loads on two different VT1004
modules are used. This is because the heat sink is common for all four channels and
so the capability of dissipating thermal energy is shared. More details about this topic
can be found in the chapter about the electronic load in chapter 2.1.1.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 16 -

Technical User Manual VT System VT Safety Concept

4 VT Safety Concept

This chapter contains the following information:

4.1 Behavior of Fuses page 18

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 17 -

Technical User Manual VT System VT Safety Concept

4.1 Behavior of Fuses

Overview Most signal paths on the VT modules are protected against short circuits with self-
resettable fuses which are not monitored. Only on the VT1004 modules normal lead
fuses are used, because the self-resettable fuses are not available for these high
currents. But these fuses are monitored then and a tripping is indicated. The signal
paths which are protected can be seen in the schematic drawings in the technical
user manual. Special care has to be taken when using a VT7001 module. This
module can handle very high currents and has therefore no fuse protection on board.
The protection has to be ensured by the user by external mechanisms according to
the maximum expected current.

Self-resettable fuses The self-resettable fuses on the VT modules behave not like a lead fuse with a trip
threshold. They behave like a nonlinear PTC (positive temperature coefficient)
resistance. If a current above the nominal current flows through this fuse, the fuse
gets warm and begins to trip by increasing its resistance. If the current decreases
when a short circuit is removed, the fuse gets cooled down and after a few minutes it
has its initial resistance of a few milliohms again.
These fuses have no really defined trip threshold. Their nominal value is only the
value where the fuses have to hold for a certain time. So it is possible to operate the
fuses with a current higher than the nominal value for a period of time until they begin
to trip. The higher the current the smaller is the time to trip. Hence the fuses are more
a protection against really short circuits than a protection against currents above a
certain threshold. But one advantage is they don’t have to be replaced after tripping.
The other advantage is, they are not that sensitive and will therefore not trip if short
current peaks occur for example during switching loads.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 18 -

Technical User Manual VT System VT Safety Concept

Example: Fuses are operated in a range of one to two times their nominal value.

For example if you have a fuse with a nominal value of 6 A. Than it might take
minutes, dependent on the environment temperature and heat dissipation, until the
fuse trips if a current of 8 A flows through the fuse, because the fuse has to hold a
current of 6 A for a certain time and has to trip at 12 A after a certain time at room
temperature. So if you have a power supply that is only able to provide 8A or the
current limiter at the power supply is set to limit at 8 A than the fuse will not trip
immediately although a short circuit occurs.
In worse case a short circuit current of 10 A flows through this 6 A fuse and it will take
perhaps still a few seconds until the fuse trips. If a relay is switched during this state
the relay might be damaged because of an electric arc at its contacts as the relays
are not specified to handle nearly the double current as the current path normally
carries.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 19 -

Technical User Manual VT System Voltage Measurement

5 Voltage Measurement

This chapter contains the following information:

5.1 Measurement Accuracy page 22

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 21 -

Technical User Manual VT System Voltage Measurement

5.1 Measurement Accuracy

Overview The accuracy of the voltage is mainly dependent on the characteristics of the used
A/D converter. To get a detailed statement about the accuracy of a measured value
the technical data in the technical user manual is specified in a manner to represent
the real characteristic of the A/D converter.
As the A/D converter not only has an offset but also a slope in its characteristics, the
accuracy curve for the voltage measurement in the 60 V range of the VT2816 looks
like the following figure.

Calculation The calculation of this curve depends on the formula +/- (1.5% of reading + 0.1% of
range) and is closer to the behavior of the A/D converter than only specifying the
accuracy as % of full scale respectively range. So the accuracy of every measured
voltage value will be within this curve. The calculation of this accuracy curve depends
on two components:
> The first component is the % of reading, where reading is the measured value.
This component is responsible for the slope of the curve.
> The second component is the % of range. This component represents the offset
of the curve. This value is independent from the measured value; it only depends
on the range. For the +/-60 V range of the VT2816 this component is 120m V
(0.1 % of 120 V). This means the accuracy is at least 120 mV, independent of the
measured value.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 22 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

6 Power Supply of ECU

This chapter contains the following information:

6.1 VT7001 Connection Scheme page 24

6.2 One Power Supply page 25
Internal Power Supply
Power Supply 1
Power Supply 2
6.3 Two Power Supplies page 29
Internal Power Supply and Power Supply 1
Internal Power Supply and Power Supply 2
Power Supply 1 and Power Supply 2
6.4 Two Power Supplies in Parallel page 33
6.5 Two Power Supplies in Series page 34

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 23 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

6.1 VT7001 Connection Scheme

Overview The VT7001 is designed to test the power supply of an ECU. For this purpose two
external connected power supplies and one internal power supply can be switched
directly, in series or parallel to two outputs of the VT7001 to supply one or more
ECUs. Thereby the connection of the external power supplies to the VT7001 stays
always the same. To cover the various use cases only the interconnection mode in
CANoe has to be changed. Also the swapping of the polarity can be done with the
VT7001.
PSInt is the internal power supply. It can be used if only small power is needed. PS1
and PS2 are the power supplies which can be connected external to deliver higher
currents. At the first VT7001 module DGND and AGND are connected with relays as
shown in the following schematic. If more than one VT7001 is used in the test setup,
at every further VT7001 module the relay between DGND and AGND is disconnected
to avoid ground loops. Then only the AGND is connected, which is needed as
reference potential for the voltage measurement. There is only one exception of this
rule. If using the internal power supply by choosing the corresponding interconnection
mode, the connection to DGND will also be made at further modules because the
back current path of the internal power supply is DGND as also shown in the following
schematic.

Bus bars There are two connectors (bus bar Vbatt and bus bar GND) which are only available at
output 1 of the VT7001. At these outputs the battery voltage and ground of output 1
can be connected to the corresponding bus bars connectors of other VT System
modules. So signals on other VT System modules can be switched to the battery
voltage or ground to simulate a short circuit error.
The current through the bus bar connectors will be considered at the current
measurement of output 1. This current path is limited to 4 A with a self-resettable fuse
and is active if output 1 is enabled.

Aux lines These outputs are available on both output channels of the VT7001 and can be used
for example to supply other additional devices in the test setup.
Therefore the current through the aux connectors will be not considered at the current
measurement of output 1. This current path is limited to 4 A with a self-resettable fuse
and can be switched independent from output 1 or output 2. If output 1 or output 2 will
be short to ground, the corresponding aux output is automatically short to ground too.

Relays The following schematic shows the basic settings of the relays after the module is
powered up and no interconnection mode is set. To keep the schematic simple the
relays to switch the aux outputs are not shown here.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 24 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

> R1, R2, R3 and R4 are to swap the polarity of power supply 2.
> R5 and R6 are to connect the positive output of the internal power supply to
OUT1 and OUT2
> R7 and R8 are to connect the positive output of power supply 1 to OUT1 and
OUT2
> R9 and R10 are to connect the positive output of power supply 2 to OUT1 and
OUT2
> R11 connects GND2 to the positive input of power supply 2. This connection will
be used for connecting the two power supplies in series.
> R12 connects GND2 to AGND/DGND and the negative output of power supply 1.
This relay will be opened when R11 is closed and GND2 is not connected to
AGND/DGND.
> R13 connects GND1 to AGND/DGND and the negative output of power supply 1.
> R14 connects AGND with DGND. This connection will be set only at the first
VT7001 module if used more than one. At all further VT7001 modules only AGND
is connected to avoid ground loops.
> R15 connects GND1 to AGND/DGND. This relay will be used if a ground break is
active and R12 and R13 are opened.
> R16 will short OUT2 to GND2. Before closing this relay the power supplies will be
disconnected from OUT2.
> R17 will short OUT1 to GND1. Before closing this relay the power supplies will be
disconnected from OUT1.

6.2 One Power Supply

Use cases > Supply one ECU with two different supply inputs (for example clamp 30 and
clamp15) with the same voltage. The current consumption can be measured
independent for every supply input.
> Supply two ECUs with one supply input (for example clamp 30) with the same
voltage. The current consumption can be measured independent for every ECU.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 25 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

6.2.1 Internal Power Supply

Interconnection The used interconnection mode is supint (internal power supply only).
mode

Connection scheme The following schematics show the relay settings and current flow if the internal
power supply is used and both outputs are active. Both outputs can be switched and
measured independently. The back current flows from the ECU through GND1 and
GND2 to DGND of the VT System because the internal power supply is connected to
DGND.
One connected ECU

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 26 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

Two connected
ECUs

6.2.2 Power Supply 1

Interconnection The used interconnection mode is sup1 (power supply 1 only).

mode

Connection scheme The following schematics show the relay settings and current flow if power supply 1 is
used and both outputs are active. Both outputs can be switched and measured
independently. The back current flows from the ECU through GND1 and GND2 to
PS1-.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 27 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

One connected ECU

Two connected
ECUs

6.2.3 Power Supply 2

Interconnection The used interconnection mode is sup2 (power supply 2 only).

mode

Connection scheme The following schematics show the relay settings and current flow if power supply 2 is
used and both outputs are active. Both outputs can be switched and measured
independently. The back current flows from the ECU through GND1 and GND2 to
PS2-.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 28 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

One connected ECU

Two connected
ECUs

6.3 Two Power Supplies

Use cases > Supply one ECU with two different supply inputs (for example clamp 30 and
clamp15) with different voltages. The current consumption can be measured
independent for every supply input.
> Supply two ECUs with one supply input (for example clamp 30) with different
voltages. The current consumption can be measured independent for every ECU.
> Simulate a voltage offset of the battery voltage between two ECUs.
> Simulate a voltage offset between two different supply inputs (for example clamp
30 and clamp15) of one ECU.

6.3.1 Internal Power Supply and Power Supply 1

Interconnection The used interconnection mode is supint_sup1 (internal power supply and power
mode supply 1) or sup1_supint (power supply 1 and internal power supply), dependent on
which power supply is connected to which output.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 29 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

Connection scheme The following schematics show the relay settings and current flow if the internal
power supply is connected to OUT2 and power supply 1 is connected to OUT1. Both
outputs are active and can be switched and measured independently. The back
current flows from the ECU through GND1 and GND2 to PS1- and DGND of the VT
System because the internal power supply is connected to DGND.
One connected ECU

Two connected
ECUs

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 30 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

6.3.2 Internal Power Supply and Power Supply 2

Interconnection The used interconnection mode is supint_sup2 (internal power supply and power
mode supply 2) or sup2_supint (power supply 2 and internal power supply), dependent on
which power supply is connected to which output.

Connection scheme The following schematics show the relay settings and current flow if the internal
power supply is connected to OUT1 and power supply 2 is connected to OUT2. Both
outputs are active and can be switched and measured independently. The back
current flows from the ECU through GND1 and GND2 to PS2- and DGND of the VT
System because the internal power supply is connected to DGND.
One connected ECU

Two connected
ECUs

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 31 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

6.3.3 Power Supply 1 and Power Supply 2

Interconnection The used interconnection mode is sup1_sup2 (power supply 1 and power supply 2)
mode or sup2_sup1 (power supply 2 and power supply 1), dependent on which power
supply is connected to which output.

Connection scheme The following schematics show the relay settings and current flow if power supply 1 is
connected to OUT1 and power supply 2 is connected to OUT2. Both outputs are
active and can be switched and measured independently. The back current flows
from the ECU through GND1 and GND2 to PS1- and PS2-.
One connected ECU

Two connected
ECUs

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 32 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

6.4 Two Power Supplies in Parallel

Use cases > Supply one ECU with two different supply inputs (for example clamp 30 and
clamp15) with the same voltage. The current consumption can be measured
independent for every supply input.
> Supply two ECUs with one supply input (for example clamp 30) with the same
voltage. The current consumption can be measured independent for every ECU.
> Support one power supply with a battery in parallel to deliver short current pulses
which the power supply is not able to deliver.
> Support one power supply with battery to allow back-current from the ECU.

Interconnection The used interconnection mode is sup_parallel (power supply 1 and power supply 2
mode connected parallel). It is not possible to connect the internal power supply parallel to
power supply 1 or power supply 2.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 33 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

Connection scheme The following schematics show the relay settings and current flow if power supply 1 is
connected to OUT1 and power supply 2 is connected to OUT2. The positive outputs
of the two power supplies are connected together. Both outputs are active and can be
switched and measured independently. The back current flows from the ECU through
GND1 and GND2 to PS1- and PS2-. The polarity of power supply 2 cannot be
swapped at this interconnection mode.
One connected ECU

Two connected
ECUs

Caution: The voltage difference between the two power supplies will be monitored
and must not exceed 1V when connected in parallel.

6.5 Two Power Supplies in Series

Use cases > Simulate ground offset of a single ECU or between two ECUs.
> Overlay a noise voltage to the battery voltage.

Interconnection The used interconnection mode is sup_series (power supply 1 and power supply 2
mode connected in series). It is not possible to connect the internal power supply in series
to power supply 1 or power supply 2.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 34 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

Connection scheme The following schematics show the relay settings and current flow when power supply
1 and power supply 2 are connected in series. The first schematic shows the basic
relay setting after the interconnection mode is set. The voltage of power supply 1 and
power supply 2 will be added. The positive output of power supply 1 is connected to
OUT1 and OUT2. Both outputs are active and can be switched and measured
independently. The back current from ECU1 flows through GND2 through power
supply 2 to PS1-.
One connected ECU

For the use case ground offset this interconnection mode is used too, but the polarity
of power supply 2 will be swapped. The relay settings can be seen in the following
schematic. The positive output of power supply 1 is connected to OUT1 and OUT2.
Both outputs are active and can be switched and measured independently. The back
current from ECU1 flows through GND1 to PS1-. The back current from ECU2 flows
through GND2 to PS2+.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 35 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

Two connected
ECUs

Power supply setup The two power supplies are connected in series, so the voltages of power supply 1
and power supply 2 two will be simply added. The total voltage will be available
between OUT1 or OUT2 and GND2.
For the use case ground offset power supply 1 has to be set to the voltage which will
be applied to both ECUs. With power supply 2 the ground level of the ECU connected
between OUT2 and GND2 can be shifted.
Caution: If creating a ground offset, power supply 2 has to sink current. Therefore a
suitable power supply like a four-quadrant power supply has to be used. Also the
polarity of the power supply 2 has to be swapped.
Power supply 2 has, like an electronic load, to sink current and dissipate the
produced thermal power loss. Therefore a four-quadrant power supply has to be used
and the polarity of power supply 2 has to be swapped with the system variable
ReversePolarity. More information about the usage of a four-quadrant power supply
can be found in the chapter 2.3.2.

Example: Overlaying a noise voltage

The following equivalent circuit diagram shows the setup of the two power supplies
two simulate an overlayed noise voltage.

The voltage of power supply 1 and power supply 2 are simply added. The total
voltage of 13V is applied to ECU1, which is represented as a resistive load.
For this example the following setup has to made:
> Select interconnection mode 9 (sup_series)
> Set power supply 1 to 1V.
> Set power supply 2 to 12V.
> Activate the output OUT1 and OUT2 (dependent on where the ECU is connected)

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 36 -

Technical User Manual VT System Power Supply of ECU

Example: Ground offset between two ECUs

The following equivalent circuit diagram shows the setup of the two power supplies
two simulate a ground offset between two ECUs.

The two ECUs are represented simplified as resistive load with 10 Ohm and 11 Ohm.
Power Supply 1 is set to 12 V and has to deliver the current for both ECUs. ECU1 is
connected to power supply 1 as normal. ECU2 is connected in series to power supply
2. The ground offset is set with power supply 2 to 1 V. Therefore the voltage over
ECU2 decreases to 11 V.
As distinguished from the first example with a normal series connection of two power
supplies, the polarity of power supply 2 is swapped for this use case.
For this example the following setup has to made:
> Select interconnection mode 9 (sup_series).
> Swap the polarity of power supply 2 (system variable ReversePolarity).
> Set power supply 1 to 12V (battery voltage).
> Set power supply 2 to 1V (ground offset voltage).
> Activate the outputs OUT1 or OUT2.

© Vector Informatik GmbH Version 2.8 - 37 -

More Information

> News
> Products
> Demo Software
> Support
> Training Classes
> Addresses

www.vector.com