Can I use SCXI 1000 (110v US model) in 220V 50Hz country?

[Just4Fun]

Somebody is selling SCXI 1000 with couple modules to me at a very good price. However, it is a US model(110V) while in my region we use 220V 50Hz.  Can I use a fransformer to convert 220V to 110V and use with this chassis? Are there any know issues? This will be used for hobby  projects. Not a mission critical task 🙂

Thank you.

Message Edited by System on 08-20-2005 01:35 AM

[Lorne H.]

just4fun,

Let me start my response by saying that most likely there should not be any problems with using a transformer.  If I were you, I would purchase a voltage adaptor that also changes the frequency of the power supply from 50 Hz to 60 Hz.  Neglecting to change the frequency could cause problems in some devices that have power supplies not intended for 60Hz VDC power (this could lead to a noisy DC power line).

With that said,  the newer SCXI chassis can handle the different voltage levels without a voltage adaptor, but you are supposed to change the fuse inside the power supply to a lower amp fuse if you switch from 110 to 220.  You should be able to determine what types of power you can connect to the scxi-1000 (110V/60Hz or 220V/50Hz) by reading the labels on the back of the SCXI chassis.

If the labels on the back of the SCXI chassis make no sense, feel free to reply with the info from the labels in an email and I can help you decipher them.

I hope this helps,
Lorne Hengst
Application Engineer
National Instruments

[Buechsenschuetz]

I have never seen any 110VAC equipment that could not be used with a transformer and 220VAC mains supply (actually the mains voltage was changed to 230VAC in most european countries some years ago, but the upper tolerance limit is almost identical to the upper limit of 220VAC).

Running a system on 50Hz AC instead of 60Hz AC poses no problems in most cases. In case there are any mains transformers inside the system they might generate somewhat more heat when running at 50Hz. In most cases power supplies are over-rated (i.e. have more power than necessary) so this should not pose severe problems.

Some older US made devices use a different earthing scheme than most 220VAC devices. If you are concerned about earthing and connecting the protection earth you should ask a specialist to get a set up that complies with your local safety regulations.

[Just4Fun]

Thank you very much.   Now, it's time to get out and grab a good transformer  🙂

[Logan_K]

Although the chassis supports being used with different power supplies, the problem is that the main power fuse needs to be changed in order to support your different power supply settings. The label on the back of the SCXI chassis will describe the fuse specs for different power supplied - with a 220V power supply NI recommends using "Littelfuse 218.250", which is a 250V 1/4A slow-blow fuse. If you try to use the U.S. fuse in the same chassis with the different 220V power supply setting, you will run the risk of damaging the chassis in the event of a voltage or current spike. Also different fuse manufacturers fuses have different surge withstand specs for the same type of fuses, so if you choose to go with a fuse supplier other than Littelfuse, you should make sure that the Surge withstand (I2t) spec is at least as good as littelfuse's spec.

Logan

Message Edited by Logan K on 08-24-2005 10:49 AM