The nanoTracer Is a Nano-Ampere High-Precision Programmable Power Supply for Low-Power Projects
With two million samples per second over a range configurable from 100nA up to 100mA, the nanoTracer delivers data in abundance.
Gero Müller, Tanguy Risset, and Guillaume Salagnac have designed a compact benchtop power supply that delivers high-precision current measurement — complete with companion software for live-view and measurement streaming: nanoTracer.
"[nanoTracer is a] voltage supply with micro-second and nano-ampere current measurement," Müller and colleagues explain of the device they have designed. "1MHz bandwidth, 2 MSPS (million samples per second). 0-5.125V in 256 steps. Current up to 100mA. Stable voltage in all ranges, no voltage drop in different dynamic range."
With that 5V, 100mA maximum output, it should be clear the nanoTracer isn't designed for high-power tasks; instead, it's built to provide high-precision measurements of the device under test, through a 14-bit analog to digital converter (ADC) that delivers a claimed overall range from as low as 100nA to the full 100mA. Captured data are streamed back to the host over USB at 6MB/s, and can be viewed in a work-in-progress companion app — or saved to disk for later analysis.
Other features include non-measured 3.3V and 5V power supplies for driving other devices, two input and two output pins, two analog input pins for measurements between 0-3.3V, and and RCA connector for ease of wiring the device-under-test.
More information on the nanoTracer is available on Müller's website; Müller has indicated he is open to "commercial requests," but at the time of writing the nanoTracer was not listed for direct sale.