Artificial load 1.0V - 30V 0.01A - 9.99A. Max. 60W R06 - China - review

CMS 11910 35

TL;DR

A Chinese constant-current electronic load for testing power supplies and batteries, sold on AliExpress as “Constant Current Electronic Load”.
It has two modes: power-supply testing with set voltage/current, and battery discharge testing to a chosen cutoff voltage while recording Ah and Wh.
Specs are 1.0V–30V, 0.01A–9.99A, with a 60W maximum and a 12V 1A supply requirement.
In use, it held the set current well, and the author reports testing over 60 18650 cells plus other batteries successfully.
Large batteries such as truck packs are discouraged because the 60W limit would make discharge testing take a very long time.

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#31 17092932 10 Mar 2018 11:27

hetm4n hetm4n

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Post #31
17092932 10 Mar 2018 11:27

CMS wrote:

traax wrote:
I don't know how this case suited you, but it is 2mm short in length. I am talking about the Z3A housing.

Look carefully at photos 4 and 5 from the end.

I have seen. For me, I have to cut the pcb by 5mm on the fan side to fit the plate between the walls.
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#32 17093055 10 Mar 2018 12:28

CMS CMS

VIP Meritorious for electroda.pl

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Post #32
17093055 10 Mar 2018 12:28

5mm is a piece of a sculpture. You're doing something wrong. For me it was a 1mm issue. Note that "the front panel is pushed all the way to the right so it won't be in the way. It must fit.
Unless you have some other version of the board. Enter your dimensions.
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#33 17113930 19 Mar 2018 14:37

endymion endymion

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Post #33
17113930 19 Mar 2018 14:37

My copy has arrived and it works perfectly.
In the version I ordered, the minimum current that can be set is 0.2A - probably this is how majfrendy solved the problem mentioned by a colleague:

GrandMasterT wrote:
In my version there is such a slight drawback that the very beginning of the current setting range - somewhere down to 0.15A - is quite difficult to set because the actual current "floats" a bit in relation to the set one.

An additional change in relation to the item tested by the author of the thread is the indication of the average battery voltage after the end of the test (not the current one).
This value for Li-ion cells is displayed only after exceeding 0.1Ah.
It is useful when we do not know what the rated voltage of the cell is - 3.6 or 3.7V. But you have to remember that heavily worn cells will significantly reduce this voltage.

I also tried to measure the capacity of a 12V / 44Ah car battery, but with a current of 0.1C = 4.4A and a voltage of slightly over 13V, the load works at the limit of the permissible power and the heat sink gets very hot.
I postponed this measurement until I improved the cooling by means of "dips".
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#34 19245141 09 Feb 2021 20:27

przemek_a1 przemek_a1

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Post #34
19245141 09 Feb 2021 20:27

I know that the archival topic, but maybe someone had a case that after connecting the power to Jack 13.4V and the load also around 13V for the contacts from the green plug, it displays "error 6"?
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#35 19246822 10 Feb 2021 15:14

endymion endymion

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Post #35
19246822 10 Feb 2021 15:14

Tutaj masz listę błędów:
Err1 Input Overvoltage
Err2 Low Battery Voltage / No Battery Present / Reverse Polarity
Err3 Battery ESR Too High / Cannot sustain selected discharge current
Err4 General Failure
Err6 Power Supply Voltage Too Low / Too High. Minimum 12v 0.5A.
otP Overtemperature Protection
Ert Temperature Sensor Failure / Temperature Too Low
ouP Power Supply Overvoltage Protection
oPP Load Power Protection

Więcej informacji masz pod tym linkiem:
https://www.experimental-engineering.co.uk/2016/11/06/zhiyu-zbp30a1-electronic-dummy-load/
#36 19246828 10 Feb 2021 15:16

przemek_a1 przemek_a1

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Post #36
19246828 10 Feb 2021 15:16

Thanks a lot mate!
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion revolves around a Chinese-made artificial load with adjustable voltage (1.0V - 30V) and current (0.01A - 9.99A), with a maximum power rating of 60W. Users share their experiences, including modifications to improve performance, such as replacing a faulty thermistor for better fan control and addressing issues with current setting accuracy. The importance of impulse response in testing power supplies is highlighted, along with recommendations for using an oscilloscope during tests. Some users mention alternative models, including a 200W version, and discuss the need for four-wire measurement to enhance accuracy. Various error codes related to the device's operation are also provided, along with links to additional resources for building similar devices.
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FAQ

TL;DR: This 1 V–30 V electronic load sinks up to 9.99 A (60 W) with measured voltage error under 0.6 % at 5 A [Elektroda, CMS, post #17021671] “Everyone should have one in their workshop” [Elektroda, CMS, post #17017821] It doubles as a power-supply and battery tester, offers basic protections, and costs ~€15 on AliExpress [AliExpress listing, 2023].

Why it matters: A cheap, accurate dummy load lets makers validate chargers, batteries and DC supplies without risking real equipment.

Quick Facts

• Operating range: 1.0–30 V, 0.01–9.99 A, max 60 W [Elektroda, CMS, post #17017821] • Control power: 12 V ⎓ 0.5–1 A via 5.5 × 2.1 mm jack [Elektroda, CMS, #17017821; Elektroda, endymion, #19246822] • Display accuracy: ≤0.03 V and ≤0.05 A error at 5 V/5 A (≈0.6 %) [Elektroda, CMS, post #17021671] • Minimum settable current: 0.01 A nominal; some boards lock to 0.20 A [Elektroda, CMS, #17017821; Elektroda, endymion, #17113930] • Typical price: €12–€18 delivered (search “Constant Current Electronic Load”) [AliExpress listing, 2023]

1. What are the key electrical limits of the 60 W dummy load?

The load sinks 0.01 – 9.99 A while the input stays between 1 V and 30 V. Never exceed 60 W; the unit will trip “oPP” if you do [Elektroda, CMS, #17017821; Elektrola, endymion, #19246822].

2. How accurate are the internal meters?

Side-by-side photos show voltage reading within 0.03 V and current within 0.05 A up to 5 A, equal to <1 % error [Elektroda, CMS, post #17021671]

3. How do I discharge a Li-ion cell safely?

Set cutoff voltage (e.g., 3.0 V). 2. Dial desired current (≤1 C). 3. Press On/Off to start. The upper display alternates between voltage, Ah, Wh; it blinks when finished [Elektroda, CMS, post #17017821]

4. What power supply does the control board require?

Feed the barrel jack with 12 V ⎓ 0.5–1 A. Err6 appears if the adapter is outside 11–14 V [Elektroda, CMS, #17017821; Elektrola, endymion, #19246822].

5. Can I use four-wire (Kelvin) sensing?

Yes. The small white JST header routes to a differential amplifier dedicated to remote voltage sense; attach thin sense leads there [Elektroda, zgierzman, post #17022793]

6. What do the error codes mean?

Err1 = input over-voltage, Err2 = battery absent or reversed, Err3 = battery ESR high, Err4 = general fault, Err6 = supply out of range, otP = over-temperature, Ert = sensor fault, ouP = PSU over-voltage, oPP = over-power [Elektroda, endymion, post #19246822]

7. Why does the fan run constantly or loudly?

Some boards ship with a 10 k thermistor instead of 50 k; the controller misreads temperature and drives the fan hard. Replacing it with 47 k–50 k fixes the noise [Elektroda, zgierzman, post #17018152]

8. How can I improve cooling for long 60 W tests?

Replace the stock heatsink with a PC-style radial fin and use quality thermal paste. One user ran several days near 60 W after this change [Elektroda, GrandMasterT, post #17019690]

9. Why is current unstable below 0.15 A?

The control loop loses resolution near the DAC’s bottom code; currents under ~0.15 A can drift. Newer firmware restricts the minimum to 0.20 A to avoid this [Elektroda, GrandMasterT, #17019690; Elektrola, endymion, #17113930].

10. Can I mute the buzzer?

Hold the On/Off key while applying power, rotate the encoder to “bEoF,” then confirm with On/Off. The beeper stays silent until re-enabled [Elektroda, CMS, post #17017821]

11. Which enclosure fits, and what’s the catch?

A Z3A aluminum box accepts the PCB after milling 1 mm from the rear panel; otherwise it is 2 mm too short [Elektroda, CMS, post #17090504]

12. What’s the purpose of the six-pin header under the display?

It exposes a 5 V TTL serial stream (9600 bps) broadcasting voltage, current and capacity, handy for data logging [Elektroda, viaxa, post #17022682]

13. Is there a higher-power drop-in replacement?

Commercial 200 W and 300 W versions use larger heatsinks and cost about US $35–$50; functionality stays similar [Elektroda, GrandMasterT, #17019690; Elektrola, CMS, #17019856].

14. Edge case: what happens if I power a 44 Ah car battery?

At 13 V and 4.4 A the unit runs at its 57 W thermal limit; the sink overheats quickly unless additional fans or water cooling are added [Elektroda, endymion, post #17113930]

15. Should I check transient response when testing supplies?

Yes. Connect an oscilloscope across the DUT to observe overshoot and recovery; static loads miss dynamic errors [Elektroda, elektronik666, post #17019186] "Impulse response matters as much as steady current." [Elektroda, elektronik666, post #17019186]

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