Tektronix Launches Dynamic Test System for 800-V AI Data Centers

Tektronix Inc. has introduced the EA-ELR 21000 Dynamic Test System, a high-dynamic, auto-ranging electronic load platform designed to validate the ±400-V and 800-V DC power architectures emerging in AI data centers. The system combines rapid load emulation with a fully regenerative architecture, allowing it to return absorbed test energy to the grid rather than dissipate it as heat.

The platform centers on the EA-ELR 21000-80 4U HS, a 30-kW regenerative electronic load module rated for up to 1,000 V and 80 A. The additional voltage headroom lets engineers test 800-VDC power systems while reproducing the fast load transitions of increasingly dynamic AI computing workloads.

Growing AI workloads are increasing power demand and driving the adoption of higher-voltage distribution architectures. Moving toward ±400-V sidecar systems and 800-V DC distribution can reduce conversion losses and the amount of copper required throughout the data center. However, these architectures must also accommodate rapid changes in power demand that can propagate through power shelves, racks, and upstream infrastructure.

The EA-ELR 21000 meets this requirement with load transitions of up to 12 A/µs at 240 kW. Engineers can use programmable waveforms and coordinated control of multiple loads to reproduce demanding operating conditions and investigate voltage droop, recovery behavior, stability, and conversion performance before deployment.

A key characteristic of the system is its regenerative architecture, which achieves up to 95% efficiency when returning absorbed energy to the grid. Because the AC input primarily supplies system losses rather than the full test power, sustained efficiency, burn-in, endurance, and lifetime testing can require less facility power and cooling infrastructure than conventional dissipative loads.

The modular system scales from 30 kW to 1.92 MW across eight racks and 64 loads. Capacity can be expanded in 30-kW increments, while each rack provides up to 240 kW within a 0.6 m² footprint. You can also service individual modules without taking the complete system offline.

The EA-ELR 21000 targets 800-V power shelves and racks, as well as solid-state transformers used to convert medium-voltage AC for high-power DC distribution. Tektronix plans to add the EA-ELR 20080-1000 4U HS later this fall, an 80-V, 1,000-A regenerative load for testing the 48-54 V rails used closer to AI compute hardware.

The EA-ELR 21000 system and 21000-80 module are available now.

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