The Keysight N6782A is a 2-quadrant Source/Measure Unit (SMU) for functional test, part of the N6780 Series of SMUs for the N6700 Modular Power System. 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 N6782A 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 N6782A is tuned for functional test of devices such as DC/DC converters, power management units (PMUs), power management ICs (PMICs), and power amplifiers.

The Keysight N6700 is a low-profile Modular Power System (MPS) — a 1U-high, multiple-output programmable DC power supply and electronic load system that lets test system integrators optimize performance, power, and price to match their test needs. Built on an advanced switching power supply design that fits within 1U of rack space, a single mainframe holds one to four modules, and the system lets you mix and match from over 30 different DC power and electronic load modules to create a 1- to 4-channel system tailored to specific test requirements. Test system engineers can invest in high-performance outputs where speed and accuracy are needed, or choose basic performance outputs for simple DC power requirements. The same modules also run in the N6705C DC Power Analyzer, which brings them to the R&D bench and combines one to four DC power supply or electronic load modules 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 directly from the front panel, no programming required.

Power supplies and electronic loads of this kind are a fundamental component of test systems across aerospace and defense, consumer electronics, computers and peripherals, communications, semiconductor, and automotive electronics. The N6700 MPS is designed for automatic test equipment (ATE) systems in R&D, design validation, and manufacturing, where designers must reduce the rack space occupied by multiple supplies or loads while increasing test system throughput. Within the family, precision modules are suited to semiconductor and passive device testing where a precisely controlled output and highly accurate measurements are needed, while the source/measure unit modules support applications such as battery drain analysis and functional test.

ValueTronics stocks and holds its own test and measurement inventory in a 20,000 sq ft secure warehouse at 1675 Cambridge Drive in Elgin, Illinois. Holding inventory under our own roof lets us confirm configuration and condition directly and ship quickly to the engineers, labs, and production teams who rely on us.

Brand Heritage

Keysight Technologies traces its measurement heritage to Hewlett-Packard, whose test and measurement 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 instrument family is produced today. Documentation and ordering references issued before that transition may carry the earlier brand names.

Compare Other Models in This Series

The Keysight N6780 Series groups five Source/Measure Units for the N6700 Modular Power System, each combining a controllable source with integrated measurement: 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 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 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; they add programmable output resistance for battery emulation, an auxiliary voltage measurement input, and battery emulator and battery charger emulation modes. 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, and add output modulation up to 100 kHz for functional test. The N6784A is the only 4-quadrant model, designed as a versatile tool for general-purpose applications in automated test systems or on an R&D bench, and is 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 seamless current ranging from nA to A in one pass without changing ranges.

Beyond the SMU series, the broader N6700 Modular Power System catalog organizes modules into distinct series: basic DC power modules (the N6730, N6740, and N6770 ranges), high-performance autoranging modules (N6750 series), precision modules (N6760 series), source/measure units (N6780 series), application-specific modules (N6783A), and DC electronic loads (N6790 series). Each module occupies one mainframe slot, except the double-wide N6753A–N6756A, N6763A–N6766A, N6785A–N6786A, and N6792A, which occupy two of the four slots. Mainframes are available in 400 W (N6700B/N6700C), 600 W (N6701A/N6701C), and 1200 W (N6702A/N6702C) total-output-power tiers; the N6705C DC Power Analyzer mainframe has four slots and 600 W of total available power. The N6715C is the same N6705C system ordered as a fully assembled, build-to-order instrument with one to four modules pre-installed. The N6705C provides four module slots, 600 W of total available output power, front-panel binding posts rated 20 A per post, 4 gigabytes of internal non-volatile storage, a built-in real-time clock, and power management that allocates mainframe power to the outputs that need it.

Each new model linked below is its own dedicated product page with condition-matched pricing. Select the specific mainframe or module that fits your configuration to see its availability and price. Across the mainframes, output sequencing can be synchronized between multiple units by wiring the rear-panel I/O ports together — a capability supported on the N6700B, N6701A, and N6702A mainframes but not on the discontinued N6700A. The N6702A/N6702C 1200 W mainframe additionally senses the available AC line power at turn-on and automatically scales back output power to 600 W to avoid overloading a standard AC outlet, so a high-power mainframe can be plugged into any standard outlet. The comparison table below details key output ratings; additional differences in specifications beyond the few shown are detailed in each model's full specifications.

Product Core & Specifications

The N6782A includes a built-in digitizer rated to 200 kHz, with up to 256 k samples per trace (512 k via SCPI) and approximately 30 kHz measurement bandwidth, capturing voltage- and current-vs-time and logging to internal or USB storage. The performance specification values shown above are for the highest output and measurement range; this module has multiple ranges.

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. Output current is derated 1% per °C above 40 °C ambient temperature.

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

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

Important: Arbitrary waveform generation, scope view, and the related N6705 oscilloscope measurement capabilities apply only when the power modules are installed in a Keysight N6705 DC Power Analyzer.

Important: 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. The N6753A–N6756A, N6763A–N6766A, and N6792A modules each occupy two of the four mainframe module slots; all other modules occupy one module slot.

Important: For modules with outputs rated greater than 20 A, such as the N6753A or N6792A, high current wires must be brought out through the N6705's rear panel.

Important: Installing one of the 500 W modules in a 400 W N6700B/N6700C mainframe may prevent that module from running at its full rated output power.

Important: When configuring a mainframe with fewer than four filled module slots, you MUST order a filler panel kit (N6708A); each kit contains three filler panels, and every empty module slot must be filled with a filler panel for proper operation.

Important: If you will be rack mounting the N6700, you MUST order the rack mount kit (N6709A for the B-series, N6709C for the C-series); standard rack rails or slides are not compatible with the N6700 because of its 1U size and airflow requirements.

Important: For models N6712A and N6712C, the maximum output power is limited to 600 W at 100 VAC; to achieve full output power of 1200 W you must use option 929 and operate at 200 VAC. For the N6702C mainframe, an AC mains rated at 100–180 VAC cannot supply enough current to power the mainframe at its full rated power; internal circuits limit the module power to 600 W maximum at that input.

Important: Output current is limited on some modules when option 760 (Output Disconnect/Polarity Reversal Relays) is installed; option 760 limits output current to 10 A maximum on models N6742B and N6773A, and is not available on models N6741B, N6751A, N6752A, N6761A, N6762A, and N6781A–N6786A.

Important: Option 2UA (200 µA measurement range) is only available on Models N6761A and N6762A. Keysight N6783A modules cannot be used in series with other N6783A modules or any other N67xx module.

Important: The Keysight N6791A and N6792A Electronic Load Modules are not supported on the previous Keysight mainframes N6700B, N6701A, N6702A, N6705A, and N6705B. Multi-mainframe output sequencing synchronization is supported on the N6700B, N6701A, and N6702A mainframes; it is not supported on the discontinued N6700A mainframe.

Important: This data sheet does not include a comprehensive list of all power module specifications and characteristics; complete performance specifications and supplemental characteristics for all power modules are in the Keysight N6700 Modular Power System Family Specifications Guide (also referenced as the N6700 Series Power Modules Specifications Guide, Chapter 5), part number / literature number N6700-90001.

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

About this Pre-Owned unit

This is a Pre-Owned (used) Keysight N6782A module. Every used unit is inspected and functionally verified in-house at our 20,000 sq ft secure facility in Elgin, Illinois before it ships, so you receive a unit we have handled, checked, and stand behind. For the exact configuration, available options, included accessories, calibration status, or current lead time for your application, our Test Architects can confirm the details before you order.

ValueTronics supplies both new and used test and measurement equipment. Every used unit is inspected and functionally verified in-house at our 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.