L4421A - KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES

Agilent L4421A

40-Channel Armature Multiplexer

Data Sheet

• LXI compliance includes built-in Ethernet

connectivity

• Fully-featured graphical web interface

• 40 2-wire latching armature relays

• Thermocouple reference junction for

temperature measurements (requires

external DMM)

• Relay counter

• Scan up to 100 ch/s

• 300 V, 1 A switch; 2 A carry current

• Software drivers for most common

programming environments

40-channel multiplexer offers high-

performance signal switching wher-

ever your application needs it

The Agilent L4421A is a high-perfor-

mance 40-channel armature multiplexer

that is LXI Class C compliant. With

its small size and Ethernet connectivi-

ty, this switch can be placed wherever

your application needs it.

The L4421A is a versatile multiplexer

for general purpose scanning or,

when using the module in a non-scan-

ning mode, you can close as many

channels as you wish. The low ther-

mal offset characteristics and built-in

thermocouple reference on the terminal

block, make it ideal for temperature

measurements when used with an

external DMM. The dense, multi-func-

tion switching with 100 channel/ sec-

ond scan rates addresses a broad

spectrum of data acquisition, design

verification and functional test appli-

cations. The Ethernet connection also

simplifies distributed data acquisition

so that you can collect data from mul-

tiple locations.

Four additional fused inputs (channels

41- 44) can route up to 1 A of current to

an external DMM, allowing for AC and

DC current measurements without the

need for external shunt resistors.

Using this LXI instrument, you’ll get all

the benefits of an Ethernet connection,

instrument web interface, standard soft-

ware drivers and more. The LXI standard

is supported by multiple vendors,

enabling lower cost of test with acceler-

ated test integration and development.

Figure 1. L4421A 40-channel armature multiplexer with low thermal offset (bank 2).

Switch features for ﬂexible

and reliable connections

Connect one of many different points

to a single point or create your own

custom conﬁguration with multiple

switch closures. When conﬁgured as a

multiplexer, the L4421A features "break

before make" connections to ensure

that no two signals are connected to

each other during a scan.

The sequence feature deﬁnes switch

sequences and controls complex signal

routing to ensure the order of switch

closures. Assign a sequence, give it

a name and then execute it with the

custom name you created.

External trigger capabilities make it

easy for you to time and synchronize

measurements and other events. The

external trigger can be used to deter-

mine the beginning or end of data to be

acquired.

The L4421A also includes a relay coun-

ter to monitor and help predict when

relays are nearing their end of life.

Easily route signals to an

external DMM

The L4421A switches support signals

up to 300 V and 1 A so that no external

signal conditioning is required. The

34921T features a built-in thermocouple

reference that allows for scanning

temperature measurements with an ex-

ternal DMM. The analog bus connector

can be used to easily route your multi-

plexed signals to an external DMM.

Hardware handshake with an external

DMM is supported through a channel

closed trigger output and a channel

advance trigger input.

System connections you can trust

The L4421A comes with 2 heavy duty

50-pin Dsub connectors that allow for

simple, reliable connections. Each con-

nector uses 30 micro-inches of gold to

ensure a repeatable, accurate measure-

ment. Other connection options include:

• Detachable terminal blocks with strain

relief

• Low-cost, standard 50-pin Dsub connec-

tor kits and cables

• Mass interconnect solutions

Ethernet connectivity enables simple

connection to the network and remote

access to measurements

The Ethernet interface offers high-

speed connections that allow for

remote access and control. You can

set up a private network to ﬁlter out

unwanted LAN trafﬁc and speed up the

I/O throughput, or take advantage of

the remote capabilities and distribute

your tests worldwide. Monitor, trou-

bleshoot, or debug your application

remotely. Ethernet communication also

can be used with the support of LAN

sockets connections.

The optional GPIB interface has many

years of proven reliability and can be

used for easy integration into existing

applications. The L4421A ships with

the Agilent E2094N I/O Libraries Suite

making it easy for you to configure

and integrate instruments into your

system — even if your system

includes instruments from multiple

vendors.

Figure 2. The web interface makes it easy to set up, troubleshoot and maintain

your test remotely.

Fully-featured graphical web

interface makes it easy to set-up and

troubleshoot your tests from any-

where in the world

The built-in web interface provides

remote access and control of the

instrument via a Java-enabled browser

such as Internet Explorer. Using the

web interface, you can set up, trouble-

shoot, and monitor your instrument

from remote locations.

• View and modify instrument setup

• Open or close switches

• Send, receive and view

SCPI commands

• Define and execute switch

sequences

• View error queue

• Get status reports on relay counts,

firmware revisions, and more

Additionally, since the web interface is

built into the instrument, you can

access it from any operating system

that supports the web browser without

having to install any special software.

Password protection and LAN lockout

are also provided to limit access for

additional security.

Software for most popular

programming environments

Full support for standard programming

environments ensures compatibility

and efficiency. You can use direct I/O

with the software you already have, or

use standard IVI and LabVIEW software

drivers that provide compatibility with

the most popular programming

environments:

• Agilent T&M Toolkit for Microsoft Visual

Studio.NET and Agilent VEE Pro

• National Instruments LabVIEW,

LabWindows/CVI, TestStand, and

Switch Manager

• Microsoft C/C++ and Visual Basic

High-performance switching wherever your application needs it

Power button

Status LEDs

External trigger to

synchronize events

Optional GPIB Built-in Ethernet

Analog bus for

connection to

other devices

Easy connection options

with terminal blocks,

standard 50-pin

cables or connector kits

Product Specifications

Specifications and Characteristics

Channels/configurations 40 2-wire

20 4-wire

4-current (1.5 A fused)

Switch type Armature Latching

Input characteristics (per channel)

Max volts (DC, AC RMS) 1±300 V

Max current (DC, AC RMS) Switch current

Carry current

1 A

2 A

Power (W, VA) 460 W

Volt-Hertz limit 810

Initial closed channel resistance 2,7 < 1.5 Ω

General specifications

Offset voltage 2<3 uV

DC Isolation (ch-ch, ch-earth) >10 GΩ

T/C cold junction accuracy 2,6 < 0.8 °C

AC characteristics

Bandwidth at terminal block 345 MHz

Crosstalk at terminal block (ch-ch) 3300 kHz

1 MHz

20 MHz

45 MHz

-75 dB

-50 dB

-40 dB

Capacitance at terminal block HI-LO

LO – earth

150 pF

General characteristics

Relay life typical No load

10 V, 100 mA

Rated load =

100 M

10 M

100 k

Scanning speeds 5100 ch/s

Open /close time, typical 4 ms/4 ms

Analog bus connection Yes

1 DC or AC RMS voltage, channel-to-channel or channel-to-earth

2 At analog bus connector

3 50 Ohm source, 50 Ohm load, differential measurements veriﬁed with 4-port network analyzer (Sdd21)

4 Limited to 6 W of channel resistance power loss per module

5 Speeds are with an external DMM with 4-½ digits, delay 0, display off, autozero off, and within bank

6 Includes 0.5°C error temperature reference sensor and 0.3°C terminal block isothermal gradient error. See User’s Guide for information on supported external reference sensors.

7 Channel resistance is typically <1.5 Ω but can go as high as 50 Ω if a channel is used in a measurement application with <10 mA load current. Increased relay channel resistance for measurements with

load currents below 10 mA can occur on cards that have been out of service or following relay inactivity for periods of greater than 1 week. Switching relays for 2 K cycles prior to use may reduce the

variation in channel resistance. Agilent recommends the use of 4-wire Ohms for resistance measurements. For high accuracy voltage measurements, select the DMM input resistance setting of>10 GΩto

minimize the impact of relay contact resistance.

8 DC or Peak AC current

Measurement Accuracy For accuracy measurement specification, combine the DMM offset with the switch offset.

Bandwidth of the switch may offset the accuracy of the AC measurement.

Product Specifications (continued)

Command Execution Time in msec:

GPIB LAN

Open or Close 4.7 5.3

Init/*WAI 1.9 3

Close/Init/Open 12.4 14

Scanning rates with external DMM (includes switch, DMM measure time and I/O time with Agilent 34401A, 34410A, 34411A)

Scanning channels GPIB

ch/s

LAN (w/ VXI 11)

ch/s

Scanning DCV or Ohms 100 100

Scanning ACV 75 75

Scanning temperature 100 100

Scan triggering

Source Interval, external, software

Scan count 1 to 50,000 or continuous

Scan interval 0 to 99 hours; 1 ms step size

Channel delay 0 to 60 seconds per channel; 1 ms step size

External trig delay < 2ms

External trig jitter < 2ms

Memory

States 5 instrument states with user label in non-volatile memory

General system specifications

Power supply Universal 100 V to 240 V ±10%

Power line frequency 50 Hz to 60 Hz ±10% automatically sensed

Power consumption 15VA

Operating environment Full accuracy for 0°C to 55°C

Full accuracy to 80% R.H. at 40 °C

Pollution degree 1 of IEC 61010-1

Storage environment -40°C to 70°C

Dimensions (H x W x L) 40.9 x 212.3 x 379.3 mm

1.61 x 8.36 x 14.93 in

Weight 3.8 kg, 8.4 lbs

Safety conforms to CSA, UL/IEC/EN 61010-1

EMC conforms to IEC/EN 61326-1, CISPR 11

Warranty 3 years

Product Specifications (continued)

Software

Agilent connectivity Agilent I/O Libraries Suite 14 or greater (E2094N)

software included

Minimum system requirements

PC hardware Intel Pentium 100 MHz, 64 Mbyte RAM, 210 Mbyte disk space

Display 800x600, 256 colors, CD-ROM drive

Operating system 1Windows 98 SE/NT/2000/XP

Computer interfaces

Standard LAN 10BaseT/100BaseTx

Optional IEEE 488.2 GPIB

Software driver support for programming languages

Software drivers IVI-C and IVI-COM for Windows NT/2000/XP

LabVIEW

Compatible with programming tools and environments

Agilent VEE Pro

National Instruments TestStand

Measurement Studio

LabWindows/CVI

LabVIEW

Switch Executive

Microsoft Visual Studio.NET

C/C++

Visual Basic 6

1 Load I/O Libraries Version M for Windows NT support or version 14.0 for Windows 98 SE support

Ordering information

L4421A 40-chan armature multiplexer

Includes User’s guide on CD, power

cord, and Quick Start package

Option -GPIB

Adds GPIB interface

Option 0B0

Deletes printed manual set, full docu-

mentation included on CD ROM

Option ABA

English printed manual set

Connection Options

Select terminal block for discrete wir-

ing, cables or connector kits. Cables

and connector kits require 2 per

instrument.

34921T

Terminal block with temp reference for

34921A and L4421A 40-Ch Multiplexer

Y1135A

1.5 m 50-pin Dsub, M/F twisted pair

with outer shield cable – 300 V

Y1136A

3 m 50-pin Dsub, M/F twisted pair

with outer shield cable – 300 V

Y1139A

Solder cup connector kit with female

50-pin Dsub

Other accessories

Y1160A

Rack mount kit for L4400 series instru-

ments racks 2 instruments side-by-

side on sliding tray

Note: When using the L4400 Series

Rack Mount Kit, use the Y1139A sol-

der cup connector rather than the

34921T terminal block.

34307A

10-pack of J-type thermocouples

34308A

5-pack of 10 k thermistors

Related literature

Data sheets

5988-6302EN, Agilent VEE Pro

5989-1441EN, Agilent W1140A-TKT

T&M Toolkit 2.0 with Test Automation

5989-1439EN, Agilent E2094N

I/O Libraries Suite 14

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Product specifications and descriptions in

this document subject to change without

notice.

Published in USA, September 24, 2013

5989-4825EN

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