RMX-410x Behavior During Output Short

Updated Apr 28, 2026

Reported In

Hardware

  • RMX-4101
  • RMX-4102
  • RMX-4104
  • RMX-41011
  • RMX-41012
  • RMX-41013
  • RMX-41014
  • RMX-41021
  • RMX-41022
  • RMX-41023
  • RMX-41024
  • RMX-41041
  • RMX-41042
  • RMX-41043
  • RMX-41044

Issue Details

While my RMX-410x DC Power Supply was active, I unintentionally shorted the output terminals (Vout+ and Vout-). How should I expect the instrument to respond to this type of unexpected connection?

Solution

The Vout terminals and Chassis Ground (GND) are isolated from one another, so the expected behavior will change based on the location of the short.

If the short occurs between the two output terminals (Vout+ and Vout-), the instrument will be forced into Constant Current operation (swapping from Constant Voltage mode if needed). The output voltage will drop to approximately 0-0.5V (limited by wiring and connection resistances), and the output current through the short will rise to the configured current limit.

If the short occurs between one of the output terminals and Chassis Ground (GND), this will not lead to a fault condition, but will shift the output reference to the instrument's ground reference. Caution should be taken if connected devices share a common ground reference with the instrument as the signal level those devices see may change.

Additional Information

While the RMX-410x power supply should maintain normal operation, abrupt changes in output connections could cause transient signal levels to exceed configured protection levels and move into an error state. Caution should always be taken to resolve the unexpected short connections and proceed with a reset of the instrument if this occurs.