GW Instek RBS Series: Applications and Model-Selection Guide for India

The GW Instek RBS Series is a regenerative bidirectional DC source: one 3U instrument that sources power, sinks power, and feeds the energy it absorbs back to the grid instead of wasting it as heat. If you have read our technical deep-dive on how the RBS works, this companion guide is the practical other half, where the RBS earns its place on the bench, and which of the twelve models to specify for the job.

Where the RBS Series Is Used

A bidirectional, regenerative source is most valuable wherever a device under test has to both receive and return power, or where a test runs long enough that wasted energy becomes a real cost. In Indian labs that maps to a handful of high-growth applications.

EV Battery and Pack Testing

Battery work is the headline use case. With eight built-in chemistries (LMO, LCO, LFP, NCM, LTO, lead-acid, NiMH, NiCd) plus a user-defined model, the RBS can emulate a pack to qualify a BMS without hardware, or connect to a real pack and run full charge/discharge cycles. Because discharge energy is regenerated, 24/7 cycle and aging programmes stay affordable, exactly what EV battery validation demands.

On-Board Chargers and DC-DC Converters

On-board chargers (OBC) and the DC-DC converters in an EV drivetrain push power in both directions. The RBS sits on either side as a programmable bus, sourcing and sinking as the converter changes state, no blocking diode, no separate load instrument, no rewiring between forward and reverse tests.

Solar-Inverter MPPT Validation

On the 500 V-and-above models, the built-in SAS function (PV SAS, EN50530, Sandia) generates programmable I-V curves and reproduces cloud shading and cloud movement for static and dynamic MPPT testing. Solar-inverter algorithms get validated indoors, on demand, without waiting for the right sky.

Energy-Storage Systems (BESS)

For grid-tied storage qualification, the RBS sources the DC bus at utility-typical voltages and sinks the discharge with regeneration, turning what would be a prohibitively expensive continuous-cycling test on a resistive load into a routine one.

Motor-Drive Testing

A motor-drive bench traditionally needs a DC supply, a blocking diode, and a separate electronic load to absorb regenerative braking energy. The RBS is the DC bus and the load, and returns the braking energy to the grid, fewer instruments, less heat, less wiring.

Choosing the Right RBS Model

Two questions decide the model: how much voltage and current does the DUT need, and how much power. Pick the voltage class first, then the power class within it.

If your application is…	Look at voltage class	Typical models
Low-voltage, high-current (12 V/48 V systems, large packs)	100 V	RBS05K-100 / RBS10K-100 / RBS15K-100 (up to ±510 A)
EV traction packs, OBC, general battery work	500 V	RBS05K-500 / RBS10K-500 / RBS15K-500
800 V EV architectures, DC fast-charging	750 V	RBS05K-750 / RBS10K-750 / RBS15K-750
String-level solar / higher-voltage DC bus	1000 V	RBS10K-1000
Utility-scale PV strings, high-voltage stacks	1500 V / 2250 V	RBS15K-1500 / RBS15K-2250

A few rules of thumb:

• Choose voltage with headroom. The source range runs 0 V to the model’s rated maximum; specify a class comfortably above your DUT’s peak.
• Current scales with power within a voltage class. At 100 V, moving 5 → 10 → 15 kW raises current ±170 → ±340 → ±510 A; at higher voltages the same power buys proportionally less current.
• Need PV simulation? Stay at 500 V or above: the SAS/PV function is not offered on 100 V models.
• Start modular, scale later. Begin with one 5 kW or 10 kW unit and add identical units in master-slave parallel, up to ten, for 150 kW, as power needs grow.

Why It Belongs in an Indian Power-Electronics Lab

Beyond the per-test savings, the RBS consolidates three instruments (supply, diode, load) into one 3U chassis, simplifies wiring, and lowers the running cost and cooling burden of long-duration testing. For teams writing energy efficiency into their equipment and ESG criteria, energy recovery is a selection factor in its own right.

Buy the RBS Series in India

GSAS Micro Systems is GW Instek’s authorized partner in India. We help you select the right RBS model for your DUT, arrange demos and evaluation units, and provide installation, calibration and after-sales support from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi NCR.

See the RBS Series → · Request a quote → · Book a demo →