Can the PXIe‑4140 Current Limit or Current Limit Range Be Set to 50 mA?

Updated Apr 15, 2026

Reported In

Hardware

  • PXIe-4140

Driver

  • NI-DCPower

Issue Details

I have PXIe‑4140, is it possible to configure the following:

  • niDCPower Configure Current Limit.vi to 50 mA
  • niDCPower Configure Current Limit Range.vi to 50 mA

Solution

Yes, it is possible to configure the Current Limit to 50 mA, but it is not possible to configure the Current Limit Range to 50 mA on the PXIe‑4140. To understand why, it is important to distinguish between Current Limit and Current Limit Range in NI‑DCPower.

The difference Between Current Limit and Current Limit Range
In NI‑DCPower, these two settings serve different purposes:

niDCPower Configure Current Limit.vi

  • Defines the actual current limit value used during operation
  • Can be set to any value up to the selected current limit range
  • Does not need to match a specific range endpoint

niDCPower Configure Current Limit Range.vi

  • Selects the hardware current range
  • Must be set to one of the fixed, discrete ranges supported by the PXIe‑4140
  • Supported ranges are defined by the hardware and documented in the PXIe‑4140 specifications (for example:
    10 µA, 100 µA, 1 mA, 10 mA, 100 mA)

Additional Information

Correct Configuration Example:
To set a current limit of 50 mA, use the following configuration:

  • Current Limit Range: 100 mA
  • Current Limit: 50 mA

This configuration is valid and recommended, as the current limit value falls within the selected current range. You can set the Current Limit to 50 mA, but you cannot set the Current Limit Range to 50 mA; the Current Limit must always fall within a supported Current Limit Range, and the Current Limit Range itself must be set to one of the PXIe‑4140’s fixed hardware ranges.

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