Case Studies

Defect-class write-ups, not brand call-outs: what a given failure mode looks like in an IV curve, the shape features that reveal it, and how to reproduce the finding yourself in the IV Data Analyzer.

2026-07-02

What a shorted bypass diode looks like

A shorted bypass diode doesn't dim a module — it removes a whole substring's voltage from the curve in one discrete step. The signature is quantization, not a gradual droop.

Modeled 1-of-3-substring case: Voc 37.9 V → 25.3 V (≈ 67%), current path stays intact to ~9 A

bypass diode Voc deficit string design diagnostics

2026-07-01

Diagnosing PID from a field IV curve

Potential-induced degradation shows up as a shunt-resistance collapse, not a flat power loss — here's the shape signature and how to tell it apart from a routine retest.

Modeled R_sh/20 case: Fill Factor 76.0% → 56.5%, while Voc and Isc barely move (Δ < 2%)

PID shunt resistance diagnostics fill factor