GW Instek 6S Catalog: High-Power Test Instruments for India: A Build Guide

GW Instek’s 6S designation marks a generation of high-power instruments built around silicon-carbide (SiC) power stages and modular architectures. The line covers the three pillars of any power-electronics test bench, data acquisition, power sourcing, and electronic loading: so a lab can source the grid, sink the battery, and record the whole signal-and-power chain from a single vendor with one communication architecture.

For Indian R&D, EV, energy and manufacturing teams, that integration is the real value: instead of stitching together an AC source from one brand, a DC load from another and a logger from a third, each with different protocols, trigger schemes and software, the 6S line shares interfaces and SCPI control end to end. This guide walks through each of the six instruments, then shows how to combine them into real test benches.

The six instruments at a glance

Instrument	Role	Headline capability
DAQ-9600	Data acquisition	6½-digit DMM core, 14 input types, up to 120 channels (3 slots), 450 ch/sec
PHU Series	DC power source	SiC, up to 15 kW in 3U, 80–1500 V, autoranging multi-range, up to 510 A
ASR-6000 Series	AC/DC power source	SiC, 4U, 4.5–6.6 kVA stand-alone, rack-parallel to 39.6 kVA, 10 output modes
AEL-5000	AC & DC electronic load	1ϕ to 180 kW / 3ϕ to 540 kW, Turbo Mode ×2, AC + DC loading
PEL-5000G	DC electronic load	up to 1200 V, Turbo ×1.5, Surge Mode, CV-in-parallel
PEL-5000C	DC electronic load	up to 192 kW (8-unit parallel), MPPT & PFC test, EV/battery/solar

Pillar 1: Measurement: DAQ-9600

The DAQ-9600 is the measurement backbone. It pairs a 6½-digit (1,200,000-count) DMM core with a 3-slot modular mainframe that accepts plug-in cards for up to 120 single-ended channels, scanning at up to 450 channels/sec. Across its 14 input signal types: thermocouple, RTD and thermistor temperature; DC/AC volts and current; 2- and 4-wire resistance; frequency/period; capacitance; and direct/bridge strain, a single mainframe replaces a rack of separate meters and loggers.

In a power test, the DAQ-9600 records the things the source and load can’t see themselves: winding and heatsink temperatures, auxiliary rail voltages, mechanical strain, and timing across dozens of points at once, the data that turns a pass/fail into a root cause.

The rear panel carries the three module slots and the USB host/device, LAN, Digital I/O and optional GPIB interfaces:

Pillar 2: Sourcing: PHU and ASR-6000

DC sourcing, PHU Series. The PHU is a SiC-based autoranging (multi-range) high-power DC source that packs up to 15 kW into 3U and spans 80 V to 1500 V across an 18-model lineup, with current to 510 A on the high-current models. Autoranging means one PHU covers a wide voltage-current envelope instead of a single operating point, and up to 10 units operate in parallel for as much as 150 kW via APC (Adaptive Parallel Connection). An Advanced Web Server gives browser-based control with no driver install, useful for distributed test floors.

AC/DC sourcing, ASR-6000 Series. The ASR-6000 is a SiC programmable AC/DC power source delivering 4.5 / 5 / 6 / 6.6 kVA from a single 4U chassis (ASR-6450/6500/6600/6660), scaling to 39.6 kVA in rack-parallel configurations. With 10 output modes (AC-INT, DC-INT, AC+DC, external/added/synced variants and AC-VCA), AC output to 350 V phase / 700 V line, DC to ±500 V, and single- or three-phase operation, it simulates everything from a clean grid to brown-outs, surges, harmonics and avionics 400 Hz power.

At the top of the range, ASR-6660 units combine in a single cabinet to deliver up to 39.6 kVA of rack-parallel AC/DC power:

Pillar 3: Loading: AEL-5000, PEL-5000G, PEL-5000C

AC & DC, AEL-5000. The AEL-5000 is an AC & DC electronic load: it sinks both AC and DC sources, single-phase up to 180 kW and three-phase up to 540 kW with scalable parallel expansion. It offers CC, LIN CC, CR, CV, CP and AC Rectified Load modes plus DSP-based precision measurement, so one platform validates a UPS, an AC adapter, a PV inverter or a DC supply. Its Turbo Mode transiently doubles available power and current (×2), letting a smaller unit absorb short surges without oversizing.

High-voltage DC, PEL-5000G. The PEL-5000G is a high-power DC load rated to 1200 V, with Turbo Mode (×1.5) for transient current, a five-point Surge Mode for simulated capacitive loads, and a built-in soft-start on the 600 V/1200 V models. Uniquely, its CV mode works even in parallel operation, and units combine (one master + seven slaves) for higher aggregate power.

EV/battery/solar DC, PEL-5000C. The PEL-5000C scales to 192 kW across up to 8 units in master/slave parallel, with a 5-digit V/I/P meter and modes spanning CC/CR/CV/CP, dynamic and short-circuit. It is purpose-built for energy testing: solar-panel MPPT sweeps, PFC test (600 V/1200 V), and battery/EV-charger validation, GW Instek positions it to “test and verify the specifications of batteries, electric-vehicle chargers/charging stations, EV batteries and solar panels.”

In its highest-power single-cabinet form, one floor-standing PEL-5000C handles thousands of amps for battery-pack and EV-charger test, with up to eight cabinets paralleled to 192 kW:

Build an integrated test bench

The point of a single-vendor ecosystem is that the source, load and DAQ speak the same language. Three common benches:

• EV charger / charging-station validation: ASR-6000 simulates grid input (including sag/swell/harmonics), a PEL-5000C emulates the vehicle battery on the DC side, and a DAQ-9600 logs temperatures, efficiency points and timing, all driven from one SCPI script.
• EV battery pack & BMS testing: a PHU source charges and a PEL-5000C discharges for cycle-life and BMS validation, with the DAQ-9600 on cell-group temperatures and balancing voltages. See our EV & energy systems and two-wheeler EV work.
• Solar inverter / PV testing: the ASR-6000 plays the grid while a PEL-5000C runs MPPT I-V sweeps to emulate panels, validating inverter tracking and anti-islanding.
• Power supply / UPS burn-in: the ASR-6000 sources, the AEL-5000 sinks AC or DC across load profiles, and the DAQ-9600 captures thermal and efficiency data over long runs.

Why the SiC power stage matters

The ASR-6000 and PHU use silicon-carbide (SiC) output stages rather than traditional silicon IGBTs. SiC switches faster and dissipates less heat at equivalent power, enabling higher power density in a smaller chassis, the ASR-6000 delivers up to 6.6 kVA from 4U where a silicon equivalent would typically need more height. For Indian R&D and production floors where rack and floor area is at a premium, that density means more test capability per cabinet.

Newest GW Instek additions (2026)

Beyond the 6S high-power line, GW Instek’s 2026 catalogue adds two new bench families now available in India: the SPS-A Series switching DC power supplies and the GDS-2000HD/HG 12-bit oscilloscopes, see New from GW Instek: SPS-A and GDS-2000HD/HG and the oscilloscope buying guide for India.

Frequently asked questions

Which electronic load should I use for EV battery and charger testing? The PEL-5000C, it scales to 192 kW across 8 parallel units, has the battery-discharge and MPPT modes, and is the load GW Instek positions for EV chargers, batteries and solar. For high-voltage DC up to 1200 V with transient Turbo and Surge modes, the PEL-5000G; to sink an AC output (UPS, inverter, adapter), the AC & DC AEL-5000.

What is the difference between the ASR-6000 and the PHU? The ASR-6000 is an AC/DC power source (it generates AC and DC waveforms, including grid simulation); the PHU is a high-power DC source (autoranging, up to 15 kW/3U, to 1500 V). Use the ASR to simulate the grid, the PHU to drive a high-power DC bus or charge a battery.

Can these instruments be controlled from one automation script? Yes, the 6S line shares LAN/USB/GPIB/RS-232 interfaces and SCPI control, so a single Python, LabVIEW or MATLAB sequence can drive the source, load and DAQ together. GSAS provides driver integration and example sequences.

What is the GW Instek 6S price in India? Pricing depends on the exact models, ratings and rack/parallel configuration. As the authorized GW Instek engineering partner in India, GSAS provides INR pricing with GST, system-level quotations and integration guidance, request a quote with your test requirement and we will configure the right combination.

Do you support rack integration and parallel operation? Yes, GSAS handles parallel-unit configuration (APC for PHU, master/slave for the PEL loads, rack-parallel for the ASR-6000), cabling, commissioning and on-site demo across India.

Availability and support in India

GSAS Micro Systems is the authorized GW Instek engineering partner in India, supplying the full 6S line, source, load and data acquisition, with INR invoicing, application engineering and demo units. Our team supports power-electronics, EV, energy and manufacturing test teams across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi NCR with:

• System configuration: matching source, load and DAQ to your test requirement and power level
• SCPI automation support: Python, LabVIEW and MATLAB driver integration and example sequences
• Rack integration: parallel-unit configuration, cabling, commissioning and calibration with maintained traceability

Request a quote · Book a demo · Talk to GSAS

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Source: GW Instek 6S product catalogue and official gwinstek.com product datasheets. Specifications are GW Instek’s; confirm exact model ratings against the current datasheet at quote time.