New toy: Itech IT8512+ Electronic Load - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2015, 09:33:46 pm
content: Hi there!Just got this from Ebay, $460 including USB cable and shipping to Norway.It's a 120V 30A 300W electronic load similar to Maynuo and BK Precision and others.Pretty happy with the thing so far, but I haven't tested all the features yet.The supplied software is uselessIt's got a nice two-line VFD displayWhat does the 10 in a circle mean? Can it be recycled 10 times?This model has SOIC opamps near the center of the board. Some of the other models have DIL chips there.The white thing is a bracket for a TO-92 device (temperature sensor I guess). The TIP42C drives the fans (again, I guess).

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2015, 09:35:52 pm
content: Good score!

author: krivx
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2015, 09:44:16 pm
content: 0.02% voltage accuracy? Seems very good for the price.

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2015, 09:50:13 pm
content: Yes it seems to agree within 3mV and 0.5mA of my Agilent 34405A multimeter. Nice.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 08:46:48 am
content: I like high res pictures as much as the next person, but you should at least have the preview ones no bigger than 1024 pixels wide so we don't have to wait forever for the page to load.Maybe they are hosted by a slow server but it make my system lag so I bet the images are pretty big!

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 08:54:39 am
content: Sorry about the big pictures.I have now edited to 1024x683 pixels for the previews, did that help?

author: Ericho
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 10:00:18 am
content: I have the Maynuo version of it.I got it of ebay 6 months ago, could use it for a single project I was having fun with back then.Turns out I use it a lot, really a usefull tool, didn't expect that. Should have purchached one years ago.

author: jlmoon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 05:24:12 pm
content: That design is strikingly similar to my B&K 8500 too.

author: HKJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 05:39:19 pm
content: Quote from: jlmoon on March 12, 2015, 05:24:12 pmEven the communication protocol is similar.

author: jlmoon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 05:57:26 pm
content: Quote from: miguelvp on March 12, 2015, 08:46:48 amMore power captain.. More power!!!

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 06:05:19 pm
content: Actually the design is a complete copy of the new BK Precision Model 8600The new BKP 8600 has also the lights behind the control buttons and switched to circular numeric buttons.The big question is, who is copying from whom?http://www.bkprecision.com/products/dc-electronic-loads/8600-150-w-programmable-dc-electronic-load.html

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 06:57:25 pm
content: Yes, they do look very similar.The price, however, is not similar: $1295 for the 250W version.I'd like to have a pair of those rubber frames on the front and rear

author: macboy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 07:09:03 pm
content: There is no copying going on here, one is sourcing from the other, or both are sourcing from a third party. B+K definitely does this. My B+K multimeter is sourced from Metrix.

author: LaurenceW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2015, 10:24:31 pm
content: I think I agree with Macboy. I have a Maynuo, and the designs are reallytoosimilar to be copies; more likely they are variants from the same original third party designer/manufacturer. That manufacturer has gone to the "trouble" to produce slightly different display options, to suit different major customers. Personally, I do prefer the newer B+K (and, as already used by the Maynuo brand) fine dot matrix display, over this slightly in-yer-face 7 segment one. Meh, my preference.Yes, I have found my meter serves as much more than a dummy load. Precision volt meter, higher current meter than any of my other meters, battery discharge and capacity tester, variable power resistor, constant current source for driving large LEDs (when fed by a power supply), and transient load tester for power supplies. And even a 300W lab heater, on cold days!Software works, but definitely written by a 12-year old colour-blind kid, who clearly skipped the class on man-machine interface design, and went straight to coding... it goes as far as tomimic7 segment displasy, ferchrisake!!And price, of course, is no real indicator of what lies inside. Price is what the owner of the brand thinks they can sell the instrument for, and nothing else. B+K have one idea of that, Maynuo and others have a different one.

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2015, 12:58:05 am
content: This topic of who copies what in the precision load bidness seems to come up regularly.Dave's response in another thread:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/why-is-bk-precision-still-in-business-bk8500-programmable-load-oem-found/msg138916/#msg138916edit: oops, screwed up link

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2015, 01:42:51 pm
content: The funny thing is, that I saw the BK Precision 8600 instrument at the electronica 2014 in Munich and was surprised to see a new design, since I just had bought the 8500 a few weeks before. When I asked one of the guys that seemed to know about the unit and its new design, he claimed that BK Precision had re-designed the 8600 so it would be different from all the other DC loads that looked exactly like the 8500.Well, it seems now, that there really is a designer at work, that makes the unit for more than one company available.

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2015, 08:15:48 pm
content: Hmm, mine seems to have a reverse diode across the input.I sometimes use it for discharging batteries, that means I better be confident about the polarity before connecting. This is usually no problem, but the batteries for my drill, for example, have no indication on polarity. Would be interesting if I get it wrong one time.I wonder how much that diode will take?Some investigation is in order.

author: Mike Warren
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 13, 2015, 09:34:19 pm
content: Quote from: Thomas on March 13, 2015, 08:15:48 pmThe diode you read is most likely the body diodes in the MOSFETs. You definitely do not want to connect a battery to it the wrong way round.I've had the cheap REK version of these loads for a couple of years. It's still going great and I find I use it way more than I expected when I bought it.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/why-is-bk-precision-still-in-business-bk8500-programmable-load-oem-found/msg220287/#msg220287

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 13, 2015, 09:59:25 pm
content: Yes, of course, the body diodes will be visible even if the output is switched off. They don't care about gate voltage. Bah, how could I miss that8x IRFP250N, each with a body diode rated at 30A makes it pretty robust. On the other hand, this will probably kill one or more of the MOSFETs if stressed.Not a huge concern, just something to be aware of.

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 08:34:20 am
content: About "who's copying who": the story is that the Engineer that designed the instrument for Itech (now owned by B&K) left the company taking with him all the designs and founded Maynuo.So the Itech and B&K are replicating the BASIC original design (in fact the Maynuo was for many years the only model with 4 data fields on the screen).Itech and B&K are the same models with different prices and markings, while the Maynuo seems to be the original design with some improvements.Anyway, the B&K model is still overpriced compared to Maynuo.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 09:02:17 am
content: Quote from: mcinque on March 14, 2015, 08:34:20 amThat explains a lot.Thanks!

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 02:21:13 pm
content: I must add that the Itech software is quite crappy while the Maynuo is nice and usable. Don't know the BK but I guess it should be the same thing of Itech.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 04:10:00 pm
content: Quote from: mcinque on March 14, 2015, 02:21:13 pmI have a Maynuo M9812 and a BK Precision 8500 and find myself using the Maynuo more, because of the better software and the extra information on the screen.

author: georges80
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 04:39:40 pm
content: I bought a Maynuo M9812 last year. It's a great piece of kit and I use it nearly every day as a load while testing my LED drivers (no more getting blinded). I do have to sometimes add/remove/change external capacitance I add to the load to 'stabilize' the driver, that expects to see a dynamic load with LED characteristics versus a more resistive based load. The M9812 does have a "LED" mode, but that really doesn't appear to mimic a true LED correctly.I've used it for some battery runtime tests to characterize their discharge curves at the loads I plan to use. Very useful to log it all to a laptop via the serial interface. I threw together a simple level shifter versus buying (or making) and optically coupled interface. At my low voltage DC test levels and a laptop I have no need at present for the isolation.The Maynuo software is quite functional - though I only use it for battery discharge logging.The displayed/measured voltage/current/power is remarkably accurate for such a device, so all those "digits" of resolution are actually quite useful.If you do quite a bit of design work and require a load, as the OP stated, you'll use such a device a lot more often that you think and will kick yourself for not purchasing one a lot sooner...cheers,george.

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 06:43:30 pm
content: Quote from: georges80 on March 14, 2015, 04:39:40 pmThat's my impression too.In addition, mine has adjustable filter response (I guess they all have?). That enables trading response time for noise.I made the response faster without adding any noticeable noise. So now I have 5-8 "readings per second" (actual difference in measurements on each display update, I don't think the display update rate changes), up from 2-3 with the default settings.In summary, the filter can be adjusted from ridiculously high update rate with lots of noise down to painfully slow response with no apparent noise.I have to say I am pretty impressed with this unit, the build quality and user interface (firmware) seems very good. That said, I'm not very surprised having seen Dave's and Gerry Sweeney's reviews before buying.

author: romantao
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2015, 10:17:52 am
content: This post caught my attention to the maynuo electronic loads.Can someone tell me the difference between the Maynuo M9712 and the M9812?The M9812 has a LED test mode and seems to have the same functionalities of the M9712. However, according to the distributorhttp://www.maynuo.eu/,it is like 2/3 of the price of M9712. Somehow i'm missing something... ( more for less? )Regards

author: georges80
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2015, 04:08:06 pm
content: Quote from: romantao on March 18, 2015, 10:17:52 amWhen I was looking to make a decision, they appeared to be the same unit with just the LED load functionality added into the M9812. I've found I never use the LED mode since it doesn't stabilize well on many of my LED driver tests (slow oscillation). Using it a just a constant voltage load works much better and worst case I just add more capacitance across the load input lugs depending on the LED driver topology (boost drivers then to be more problematic to stabilize).In the US (and Ebay listings) the M9812 pricing is typically $20 - $40 less than the M9712, so certainly not 2/3 the price...I purchased my M9812 on ebay and it was shipped direct from China. Came to around USD$500 delivered.cheers,george.

author: dadler
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 23, 2015, 11:15:32 pm
content: Anyone know what the warranty is like for these eBay-sourced ITECH/Maynuo units?It kills me to pay almost twice the price for a BK Precision that is almost the exact same unit.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2015, 12:33:50 am
content: It depends on in what way you can enforce a warranty claim. If you buy something from China the chances on getting a warranty period beyond the time you can file a Paypal claim are slim. If you pay using a credit card you can likely file a warrantly claim with your credit card company and have them sort it out.However, there are many local dealers for the typical Chinese brands (Siglent, Rigol, Maynuo, etc) which are at the same price level if you include shipping costs and import duties. It may take some Googleling to find them.

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 24, 2015, 12:40:42 pm
content: If you want warranty, get it from a local dealer.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2015, 04:32:55 pm
content: And even then you can find yourself in front of a closed door (as I found out recently). If you have legal assistance insurance it is easier to send a lawyer after local dealer though.

author: dadler
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 24, 2015, 06:38:58 pm
content: Quote from: Thomas on March 11, 2015, 09:33:46 pmWhich seller did you buy from? I can't seem to find that unit for the stated price. They seem to be $700+.

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2015, 11:36:33 am
content: http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-accuracy-1mV-0-1mA-Programmable-Electronic-Load-300W-120V-30A-Battery-Test-/301546855956?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item463597de14Not that exact listing, but the same seller.Note that the communication cable is extra.

author: dadler
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 25, 2015, 05:04:08 pm
content: Quote from: Thomas on March 25, 2015, 11:36:33 amAh thanks. It shows $106 shipping for me. With import duty and the comm cable, that puts it into the $600+ category, which almost wants me to go for the BK Precision 8600 with integrated USB and some other niceties (Although I can't really find any other feedback on the 8600).

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2015, 08:42:26 pm
content: Yeah, I see your point.It does look a bit nicer, and a bit more practical with builtin USB and RS232 (hope they are isolated?).Bet the software is better too.

author: dadler
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 26, 2015, 06:26:49 pm
content: Quote from: Thomas on March 25, 2015, 08:42:26 pmWelp, we'll find out soon enough. I pulled the trigger on the BK 8600 (30A/120V 150W version). Will post a teardown when it arrives.

author: Thomas
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2015, 09:21:07 am
content: Great, that will be interesting

author: stuartk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2016, 06:55:56 pm
content: I just got one for $420, free shipping from AliExpress. I actually purchased the IT8512A+, that extends the voltage range to 150v. Same cost as the IT8512+http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/FREE-SHIPPING-ITECH-IT8512A-DC-electronic-load-one-way-Programmable-150V-30A-300W/1727580_32521946782.htmlSeller was very good. I had it in a week. $24 of extra taxes.Brand new/pristine , cal certificate, no softwareI purchased the cable for $19 offer + $10 shipping:http://www.ebay.ca/itm/151940912486?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AITI downloaded the software from BK. I would say that it's barely worth the time it takes to install. I've found that there is some sort of error in it as it won't let me enter decimal places in the program. For example if I want to set the constant current to 1.5A, it puts in 2A.Graph on the PC is OK and worth the cost of the cable...

author: stuartk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2016, 12:04:43 am
content: Bad news,I tried the new BK 8600 software and it's not compatible with the IT8512A+It's really too bad as the BK8600 software is much more polished then the BK 8500 software which is compatible. Not too surprising I guess....

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2016, 02:37:24 am
content: Quote from: HighVoltage on March 14, 2015, 09:02:17 amThere is one more wrinkle to this! Tony Xiao left ITech to work at Array, designing THEIR electronic load (which is actually the first one with the 4 data field display I think), then left and went to found Maynuo. Between iTech, Array and Maynuo you cover a HUGE chunk of the budget electronic load market.Array Load:

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2016, 02:47:30 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on March 21, 2016, 02:44:42 amI think they are a shell of themselves. They don't seem to have released ANYTHING for a while (maybe since said engineer and his crew left). That being said, about a year or two ago I contacted them to get some replacement banana jacks for a power supply of theirs and their sr. sales rep sent me some for free. He actually was really quick at responding too.