---
title: "Measurements with an SMU | Workbench Wednesdays #40"
description: "Source Measurement Units, or SMUs, combine an accurate power supply, high-power electronic load, and precise digital voltmeter into a signal unit. They are a four-quadrant…"
canonical: "https://www.baldengineer.com/measurements-with-an-smu-workbench-wednesdays-40.html"
author: "James Lewis"
date: "2021-06-22T22:43:00Z"
lastmod: "2022-04-01T22:55:45Z"
categories: ["blog","element14","workbench-wednesdays"]
tags: ["measurements","rohde-schwarz","smu","source-measurement-unit"]
---

# Measurements with an SMU | Workbench Wednesdays #40


Source Measurement Units, or SMUs, combine an accurate power supply, high-power electronic load, and precise digital voltmeter into a signal unit. They are a four-quadrant source. That means they can provide power to a circuit or consume it.

With an SMU you can characterize semiconductor devices (like Diodes), monitor the power consumption of a circuit, or simulate a battery. In this video, see the difference between an SMU and a Power Supply.

This episode was sponsored by Rohde & Schwarz.