Instructions A621 1000 Amp AC Current Probe 070-8882-02 www.tektronix.
Copyright © Tektronix, Inc. All rights reserved. Tektronix products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and pending. Information in this publication supercedes that in all previously published material. Specifications and price change privileges reserved. Tektronix, Inc., P.O. Box 500, Beaverton, OR 97077 TEKTRONIX and TEK are registered trademarks of Tektronix, Inc.
Warranty 2 Tektronix warrants that this product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of shipment. If any such product proves defective during this warranty period, Tektronix, at its option, either will repair the defective product without charge for parts and labor, or will provide a replacement in exchange for the defective product.
Contacting Tektronix Phone 1-800-833-9200* Address Tektronix, Inc. Department or name (if known) 14200 SW Karl Braun Drive P.O. Box 500 Beaverton, OR 97077 USA Web site www.tektronix.com Sales support 1-800-833-9200, select option 1* Service support 1-800-833-9200, select option 2* Technical support www.tektronix.com/support 1-800-833-9200, select option 3* 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time * This phone number is toll free in North America.
General Safety Summary Review the following safety precautions to avoid injury and prevent damage to this product or any products connected to it. To avoid potential hazards, use this product only as specified. Only qualified personnel should perform service procedures. To Avoid Fire or Personal Injury Connect and Disconnect Properly. Connect the probe output to the measurement instrument before connecting the probe to the circuit under test.
General Safety Summary Safety Terms and Symbols Terms in This Manual. These terms may appear in this manual: WARNING. Warning statements identify conditions or practices that could result in injury or loss of life. CAUTION. Caution statements identify conditions or practices that could result in damage to this product or other property. Terms on the Product. These terms may appear on the product: DANGER indicates an injury hazard immediately accessible as you read the marking.
Product Description The Tektronix A621 current probe enables the display of current waveforms up to 1000 amps RMS on Tektronix TDS, TAS, or general purpose oscilloscopes. The A621 is especially useful where the display and measurement of distorted current waveforms and harmonics is required. The A621 is also compatible with DMMs by using the BNC-to-banana plug adapter (recommended accessory, see page 17 for more information).
Operating Basics WARNING. Do not clamp the probe onto circuits with voltages greater than 600 VAC. Personal injury or damage to the probe may result. Always connect the probe to the instrument before clamping onto the circuit under test. 1. Connect the probe BNC connector to the oscilloscope input. Start by setting the oscilloscope channel vertical coupling to AC volts, the vertical deflection to 0.1 V/div, and the probe to 1 mV/A. 2.
Operating Basics 3. Adjust the probe range and scope channel as necessary to get a clear view of the signal. The current drawn by some devices will look much different than that of others. While the RMS current may be low, the momentary peaks may be quite high. Figure 2 shows the difference between the line current drawn by a resistive load and a motor controller.
Operating Basics If you are using the A621 with a multimeter, use the BNC-to-banana adapter (recommended accessory) to connect the probe. Connect the black lead to the meter COM, and the red lead to the VΩ input. Set the meter to the AC Volts position. To increase the measurement sensitivity of the A621, loop additional turns of the wire under test through the jaws. See Figure 3. The sensitivity of the A621 will be multiplied times the number of loops in the jaws. For example: 10 mV/A X 4 turns = 40 mV/A.
Specifications These characteristics apply to an A621 probe installed on a Tektronix TDS320 oscilloscope. The oscilloscope must be warmed up for at least 20 minutes and be in an environment within the limits in Table 3.
Specifications Typical Response Curves Accuracy vs. Frequency 1 mV/A Range 1.00 Accuracy In % 0.00 - 1.00 - 2.00 - 3.00 @ 10 A - 4.00 - 5.00 @ 50 A 10 100 1000 Frequency (Hz) 10,000 100,000 10,000 100,000 Phase Shift vs. Frequency 1 mV/A Range 5.00 Phase In Degrees 0.00 - 5.00 - 10.00 - 15.00 - 20.00 - 25.00 - 30.00 @ 10 A - 35.00 @ 50 A - 40.
Specifications Accuracy vs. Frequency 10 mV/A Range 5.00 0.00 Accuracy In % - 5.00 - 10.00 - 15.00 - 20.00 - 25.00 - 30.00 @ 1A @ 5A 10 100 1000 Frequency (Hz) 10,000 100,000 10,000 100,000 Phase Shift vs. Frequency 10 mV/A Range 10.00 Phase In Degrees 0.00 - 10.00 - 20.00 - 30.00 - 40.00 - 50.00 @ 1A - 60.00 @ 5A - 70.
Specifications Accuracy vs. Frequency 100 mV/A Range 5.00 Accuracy In % 0.00 - 5.00 - 10.00 - 15.00 - 20.00 - 25.00 - 30.00 - 35.00 - 40.00 - 45.00 @ 0.1A @ 0.5A 10 100 1000 Frequency (Hz) 10,000 100,000 10,000 100,000 Phase Shift vs. Frequency 100 mV/A Range Phase In Degrees 50.00 40.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00 - 10.00 - 20.00 - 30.00 - 40.00 - 50.00 8 @ 0.1A @ 0.
Specifications Table 2: Physical Characteristics Dimensions 206 mm x 48 mm x 105 mm (8.11 x 1.89 x 4.13 inches) Maximum Conductor Size 54 mm (2.13 inches) Cable Length 1.5 m (5 feet) Weight 650 g (1.
Specifications Table 3: Environmental Characteristics Temperature Working 0°C to +50°C (+32° to +122°F) Storage --20°C to +80°C (--4° to +176°F) Humidity 0° C to 40° C, 95% humidity 40° C to 50° C, 45% humidity Table 4: Certifications and compliances EC Declaration of Conformity Compliance was demonstrated to the following specification as listed in the Official Journal of the European Communities: Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC, as amended by 93/68/EEC EN 61010-1/A2:1995 Safety requirements for el
Specifications Table 4: Certifications and compliances (cont.) Pollution Degree 2 Do not operate in environments where conductive pollutants may be present. U.S. Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory Listing UL3111-1, First Edition & UL3111-2-032, First Edition CSA C22.2 No. 1010.1-92 & CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 1010.2.
Performance Verification This procedure verifies that the A621 performs as specified. It can also be an acceptance check. There are no A621 adjustments. This procedure is valid when: H The system is operated in an environment that conforms to the A621 environmental specifications (0_ C to 50_ C unless otherwise stated). H The oscilloscope is set to DC coupling, normal triggering. The performance verification procedure requires the test equipment in Table 5, or its equivalent.
Performance Verification Table 5: Test Equipment Required for Performance Verification Item Minimum Requirements Recommended Example Oscilloscope 1 MΩ input, general purpose oscilloscope Tektronix TAS/TDS series Signal Generator 60 Hz Sine Wave, ≥50 mARMS into <1 Ω Tektronix FG 501A1, FG 5041 or equivalent Multimeter ≥0.5 A max. input current, accuracy ≤0.6% of reading on AC Current measurement at 60 Hz Tektronix DM 504A1 or equivalent Current Loop, 100 turn 100 turns coated wire, 20 AWG (≈0.
Performance Verification AC Accuracy Check 1. Connect the 100 turn current loop, the multimeter current inputs, and the signal generator output in series, using the patch cords and adapter. Set the multimeter to display ACRMS current. See Figure 5. Multimeter Signal Generator Oscilloscope 100 Turn coil A621 Figure 5: Setup for Maximum Input Current and Accuracy Checks 2. Adjust the signal generator output to between 49 mARMS and 51 mARMS as measured on the multimeter. 3.
Performance Verification 7. Check that the waveform peak to peak amplitude measures 1.4 ±0.1 VP--P on the oscilloscope. 8. Continue to check the probe accuracy using the parameters in Table 6. Table 6: AC Accuracy Check Parameters Step Probe Range Oscilloscope V/div setting Multimeter reading Oscilloscope display 1. 100 mV/A 200 mV/div. 50 ±1 mA 1.4 ±0.1 VP-- P 2. 10 mV/A 20 mV/div. 50 ±1 mA 140 ±10 mVP-- P 3. 1 mV/A 2 mV/div.
Maintenance Cleaning To clean the probe body, use a soft cloth dampened in a solution of mild detergent and water. To clean the core, open the jaw and clean the exposed core surfaces with a cotton swab dampened with isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) or ethyl alcohol (fotocol or ethanol). Lubricate the jaws mating surfaces with a light oil. Do not use chemicals containing benzine, benzene, toluene, xylene, acetone, or similar solvents. Do not immerse the probe in liquids or use abrasive cleaners.
Replaceable Parts The A621 is shipped with the following item(s): H these instructions Tektronix part number 070-8882-01 The following accessories are recommended: H a BNC-to-banana plug adapter (for use with DMM’s) Tektronix part number 012-1450-00 The A621 does not have any user replaceable parts. If you should have trouble with your probe, contact your local Tektronix Service Center or representative for help.
18 A621 Instructions
