Brand: HP
Category: Power Supply
Document Type: Manual
Language: EN
Manual for 6038A
Uploaded: Nov. 21, 2025, 7:38 p.m.
Manual Publish Date: 1987-12-01
Warranty Information
Refer to the inside front cover of the manual for Certification and Warranty statements.
The HP 6038A is a 200W autoranging power supply with laboratory performance, capable of providing up to 60V and 10A. It features individual meters for output voltage and current, LED indicators for operating state, and front-panel controls for setting output voltage, current, and overvoltage protection (OVP) trip level. The supply can operate in Constant Voltage (CV) or Constant Current (CC) modes, with foldback protection available to disable the output if the unit switches between modes. It supports direct programming of volts and amps via HP-IB, and can function as both a listener and talker. The unit can be remotely sensed for improved voltage regulation at the load and includes safety features like OVP and foldback protection. It also supports multiple-supply operations like auto-parallel and series configurations.
Troubleshooting and error codes
| Error # | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | No Errors |
| 1 | Unrecognized Character - A character like ! " # was received. |
| 2 | Improper Number - A numeric character (+-.0...9) was received but the following characters did not represent a proper number. For example, +5 Vor. V or + V. Examples of errors that are not error 2 are: E+04 is error 3 because E is not a numeric character and is not used in any command; 12. 34E-01 is error 4 because it is treated as 12 followed by 3.4, and no commands have two numbers separated by spaces. |
| 3 | Unrecognized String - A string of consecutive alpha characters that could not be found in the table of command words was received. Cause could be a spelling error or missing separator. For example, OUTON would be seen as one word, and would be an error. |
| 4 | Syntax Error - A word, number, terminator, or separator was incorrectly placed. For example, ON OUT UNMASK,CC, or VOUT 5 V IOUT 5A. A syntex error will also result if more than the maximum number of parameters are specified in the UNMASK mnemonic-form command. |
| 5 | Number Out Of Range - A number was received that is too large for the command with which it was received, for example, VOUT 5E +5, RCL 200, or DLY 100S. Any negative number will also cause error 5. Note that soft limit errors are error 6. |
| 6 | Attempt To Exceed Soft Limits - An attempt was made to program a voltage or current greater than the soft limit, for example, VMAX 10 V; VSET 11 V. Note that if the programmed voltage or current is greater than the maximum rating of the supply, error 5 will result. |
| 7 | Improper Soft Limit - An attempt was made to program a soft limit less than the associated output value in either first or second rank. Note that if an attempt is made to program a soft limit greater than the maximum soft limit of the power supply, error 5 will result. |
| 8 | Data Requested Without A Query Being Sent - A query command, for example VOUT?, instructs the power supply to ready data for transmission to the controller. A query command must precede each request for data by the controller. If the controller requests data from the power supply (with an ENTER or red state-ment) without first having sent a query, error 8 will result. |