What is an Oscilloscope?

In the industrial world, devices that turn electric power into mechanical power are commonplace. Some examples of these include pumps, motors, conveyors, robots, and more. Voltage signals are actually the ones controlling Oscilloscopes. But what are Voltage signals and how do we capture them? Here’s what you should know about an Oscilloscope.

An oscilloscope or scopes are an important tool for electrons. Waveforms can become visible thanks to these devices. And because of this, they are useful in looking for any problems in the electronics circuit. Its name draws origins from the name cathode-ray oscilloscope (CRO) when it was still used, as seen in the old televisions due to the high voltages it needed.

Oscilloscopes display in waveforms the voltage signals, which is a visual representation of the variations of voltage. Think of it this way, a waveform is like a ripple traveling along surface water. But in totality, the best way to see signal changes is through plotting. The vertical (Y) axis shows the voltage magnitude while the horizontal (X) axis shows time.

Some other information you can see in the graph of an oscilloscope include:

  • Voltage signal shape when operating as intended
  • Current signal shape when using a current clamp suitable for using on an oscilloscope
  • Anomalies on the signal
  • Amplitude modulation of an oscillating signal and any frequency variations
  • Whether the signal has noise and the changes to the noise

As an item used in electronics test equipment, it helps give insight into circuit operations and is the key to finding many issues and resolving them. Most of the modern oscilloscopes are digital which allows for a more detailed and accurate signal measurement as well as fast calculations, data storage capabilities, and even automated analysis. Handheld digital oscilloscopes such as the one by Presidium, offer more advantages over the benchtop models such as it being battery operated, that it uses electrically isolated floating inputs. This is an advantage of added features that makes its usage easier and more accessible to many different workers.

Visit our website at  https://presidium.ph/product-category/products/fluke-industrial-group-tools/portable-oscilloscopes/ to know more about our oscilloscope products or contact us +63282515165 / +63282570795.

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Types of Clamp Meters

Clamp meters are an electrical test tool that incorporates a basic digital multimeter with a current sensor. Clamps measure current. On the other hand, Probes measure voltage. Having a hinged jaw can allow the technician to clamp the jaws around a cable, wire, and other points in an electrical system. It measures the current in the circuit without the risk of disconnecting it. Below their plastic moldings are hard jaws that contain ferrite iron. Clamp meters measure and monitor magnetic fields as it goes through a conductor.

Another name you can call clamp meters is clamp-on ammeters. Additionally, what other thing you might want to know is that they have three types of categories.

Current Transformer

What you must know is that a current transformer is a type of instrument that produces secondary alternate currents. Ultimately, this makes it proportional to the AC current in the primary. This is used when a current or voltage is too high to measure directly. The secondary current is used for measuring instruments or processing electrical equipment. This process generally needs isolation between primary and secondary circuits.

Hall Effect

Hall Effect clamp meters can measure both ac and dc current up to the kilohertz which is 1000 Hz range. Similar to current transformer types, Hall Effect clamp meters use rigid iron jaws. Basically, when you use iron jaws it can actually help your device concentrate on the magnetic field that encircles the conductor. Compared to current transformer clamp meters the jaws are not wrapped by copper wires. Instead, the magnetic field produced by the conductor is focused across one or more gaps in the core after the jaws are clamped around the conductor.

Flexible

Flexible clamp meters evolved in 1912. From simple solenoids came an advanced test tool ready to take over the industrial market. Compared to the Current Transformer and Hall Effect clamp meter, the flexible clamp meter does not have an iron core. Instead, a wound helix-shaped coil that reacts to a conductor’s magnetic field was used. The faster the change in amplitude, the more voltage generated by a coil. The integrator circuit in the measurement device transforms that output to a signal that’s proportional to the signal in the conductor.

While clamp meters have different types, they all have the same fundamental methodology when making measurements. On the contrary, you can actually pass a probe in the conductor. There are multiple ways on how you can achieve this. One is the most convenient since it can be through the hard jaw and into the clamp meter. Another is a flexible coil of clamp accessory. Ultimately, this will result in a sum of currents flowing through the conductor as measured by the meter.

Fluke offers a 323 clamp meter which is a good basic troubleshooting tool for commercial and residential electricians. It includes True RMS measurements, optimized ergonomics, and a large display for efficient troubleshooting. Trust it to help you confidently diagnose problems almost anywhere. Reach us through https://presidium.ph/product-category/products/fluke-industrial-group-tools/clamp-meters/  to know more about our clamp meter products.

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Electrical Safety Standards

Electricity is a powerful form of energy. Therefore, following electrical safety standards is highly important. It is a given fact that electricity in its entirety is dangerous when not respected.

Presidium will help build a proper multimeter to protect anyone against electrocution, arc explosion, and other unnecessary incidents. A well-built-multimeter will carry a Measurement Category III rating and third-party certification of an independent test lab.

However, don’t be complacent with your meter. Regularly rated meters are preferable to those that aren’t. If not rated, the consequences might be drastic. Another factor is not having proper certification. This automatically does not guarantee any protection for you and for the device. This will eventually lead to insulation breakdown or arc explosion.

Presidium is an authorized distributor of Fluke Tools.

Why Presidium carries out Fluke Industrial Group tools and Fluke Calibration is that it takes the process of measuring the performance of products very seriously. All Fluke’s test and measurement tools are of high quality in performance and in results. It has the ability to exceed the expectations and safety requirements of a Product Compliance Laboratory.

To be simplified by Mr. Thomas Smith, A Product Compliance Manager, “We put the tools through a variety of foreseeable use and misuse scenarios replicating the conditions we’ve learned from our customers and Once we know the tools demonstrate sufficient safety margin and robustness here, we can be confident in knowing they’ll provide a high level of protection in the real world.

Fluke Products undergoes a series of performance and safety tests and is certified by a third party. All of the products go through is…

  • Baked
  • Frozen
  • Dunked in water
  • Choked by dust clouds
  • Rattled with vibration
  • Bashed on the floor
  • Zapped with electricity repeatedly

The Fluke Product Compliance Laboratory

The Fluke Product Compliance Laboratory has different workstations. It’s a mix from jutting out from the ceiling, walls, and down to the center of a large bright room. Safety engineers’ experts who are testing protocols and safety standards push Fluke tools and instruments to their limit and even up to their breaking point. “We test at least one level beyond the standard. Additionally, our work in foreseeable misuse has led to the development of new standard requirements.” Smith, added.

Furthermore, Fluke actually takes advantage of a variety of tests. Design weaknesses and errors are inevitable and they can happen to a lot of devices. Therefore, the lab has designed special testing to spot these faults immediately. Basically, these tests will benefit users by providing and utilizing protection as much as possible to avoid the dangers of working with electrical systems.

Presidium PH Corporation is an authorized distributor of Fluke Industrial Group and Fluke Calibration products in the Philippines. Having said that Fluke Corporation is the world leader in the manufacture, distribution, and service of electronic test tools, biomedical equipment, and networking solutions. Fluke Product Compliance Laboratory is accredited through CSA to test and certify products for their certification mark. Test procedures are laid out in detail and adhered to rigorously. Once a product has passed the appropriate tests, documentation is sent on for approval and registration.

Testing for safety and reliability

Fluke works with all nationally recognized test labs (NRTLs) such as the: CSA (Canadian Standards Association). The Fluke Products are accredited through CSA to test and certify products for their certification mark. Meanwhile, test procedures are laid out to make certain that it adheres to the requirements. Then, when products have passed the tests, documentation will be sent for approval and registration.

Fluke is also in partnership with the UL (Underwriters Laboratories), TÜV (Technischer Überwachungs-Verein), and ETL/Intertek. On the other hand, we make sure that Fluke lab meets all national and international requirement standards for the safety of every user.

All high-quality test instruments should undergo similar testing. Let’s talk about the example approaches of Fluke testing:

Impulse test

The first test is the impulse test that simulates a transient on an electrical installation from nearby lightning strikes or other large electrical disturbances from the switchgear. To test it, a meter is placed in a chamber and injected with a pulse of thousands of volts of electricity. Meanwhile, this process is to verify whether the meter protection will break down, tear up, or arc over. For this testing, a special test machine is used to generate the high voltage transient and fault current as defined by international and national standards.

Multi-Functional overload test

A test instrument should also undergo an inspection to make sure that it is able to withstand accidental overloads associated with the various functions of the meter. Fluke does this by utilizing the multi-functional overload test. This test involves injecting a high percentage of energy voltage into non-voltage measurement functions, testing for a case in which an operator mistakenly sends voltage into a non-voltage meter function. This mostly occurs if the user leaves the leads in the amps input jacks and then accidentally connects the leads across a voltage source: they have just created a short through the test instrument.

Highly accelerated lifetime test (HALT)

To guarantee the lastingness and permanence of its tools, Fluke uses HALT. This test is a combination of using a high-frequency 6-axis vibration at more than 150 GRMS (root-mean-square acceleration) with extremely fast temperature swings to simulate a lifetime of wear and tear. The chamber has the capability of going from -100 °C (-148 °F) to 200 °C (392 °F) in minutes, testing the tool’s ability to withstand elevated and combined stresses.

Transport under rugged conditions

Another important test is to simulate meters. This is usually done in rugged and rough conditions, such as in off-road vehicles used by the military. To test this, engineers place the meter on a vibration table where it is shaken at over 3 GRMS for at least 30 minutes per axis, repeatedly. With Fluke tools, one test is never enough. This is why meters are tested in several conditions to account for all circumstances.

Other tests are:

  • Anechoic chamber lab test – To withstand radiated electromagnetic interference without displaying erroneous readings, and do not emit disruptive radiation.
  • Drop test – To withstand surprises of breaking even at the lowest temperature rating of the product.
  • Electrical static discharge (ESD) – To withstand static electricity.
  • Ingress Protection (IP), Dust, and Water tests – To test resistance to dust intrusion and water (dripping, spraying, and submersion depending on the rating), respectively.
  • Temperature/humidity/altitude chambers – To test resistance to atmospheric extremes.

Safe handling, bringing safety home.

The first thing to avoid is the industrial outage that could affect hundreds of employees. Other than that, it can also terminate equipment worth millions, and bring production and revenue to closure. It is highly important to have a maintenance team to rely on especially with tools that are tough enough to survive the dust, water, falls, and impacts common in industrial settings. All professionals would demand to see the same level of accuracy, performance, and reliability from their tools.

Safety standards to live by

The Switzerland-based International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) 61010 has established the Measurement Category or what you’ll be familiar with (CAT) and they also have voltage ratings for electrical environments. These CAT ratings are based on how high-energy transient travels through the network resistance of the electrical installation. The ratings will help determine if the tools can withstand voltage transients.

  • A single-phase receptacle-connected loads such as appliances and portable tools. – CAT II
  • The three-phase distribution including single-phase commercial lighting and equipment in fixed locations such as switchgear and polyphase motors. – CAT III
  • The 3-phase at the utility connection, outdoor conductors, electricity meters, and service entrances. – CAT IV

CAT Ratings…

To be exact, a high CAT number will refer to an electrical environment with higher power available and higher energy transients. Thus, a multimeter designed to a CAT III standard is resistant to higher energy transients than one designed to CAT II standards.

Forensic investigations have determined that without a Measurement Category circumstances might get more dangerous. If the rating of interior test equipment does not match the task, it will lead to an explosion if not used properly. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to make sure that your electrical testing tools have been independently evaluated. Having this kind of evaluation can you only be certain that your tools can withstand voltage transients. Moreover, the main goal is to certify that your test device meets the electrical safety standard. Standardization bodies, such as the IEC and NFPA, are not responsible for enforcing their test tool safety standards. Ultimately, any test instrument you use should be certified by at least one independent testing agency.

Let’s admit that even the most careful person can make mistakes that’s why electrical safety standards are important. Test instruments should help back you up. Moreover, it should also provide you with the right protection against inappropriate voltages. To meet the demands of today’s high-energy, high-hazard workplace, quality manufacturers like Fluke continue to improve their test instruments to make them safer and more reliable. Fluke goes a step further in designing and building our test tools with stout input protection. Ultimately, these are tools that are reliable and safe for every user.

Here are five mistakes to avoid in the field:

  1. Don’t use outdated or defective test equipment.
  2. Never neglect to properly inspect test instruments and test leads for damage or possible contamination.
  3. Don’t use the improperly rated test tools for the job.
  4. Stop replacing original fuses with inadequate ones.
  5. Don’t work on a live voltage without proper preparation.

It’s vitally important to take safety precautions when working with electricity. Remember that you are the most valuable asset in the field. Following organizational measures and safety standards help avoid and prevent harmful and dangerous circumstances.

We at Presidium Corporation are ready to support you with highly qualified products and trained specialists! We carry the latest technology products and can cater to most industries in the Philippines. Want to know more about our products? Contact us now +632 82515165. Or visit our website at www.presidium.ph

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What Are Hall Effect (AC, DC) Clamp Meters?

In measuring both ac and dc current, Hall Effect clamp meters can measure up to the kilohertz (1000 Hz) range. With the same current transformer types, Hall Effect clamp meters use rigid iron jaws to deliberate the magnetic field that encompasses the conductor being measured.

The jaws are not wrapped by copper wires, not the same as current transformer clamp meters. In addition, the magnetic field produced by the conductor is absorbed across one or more gaps in the core after the jaws are clamped around the conductor. The point where the jaw tips of a Hall Effect clamp meter meet.

When the jaw tips of a Hall Effect clamp meter meet, a gap exists. It creates an air pocket that the magnetic field (aka magnetic flux) must jump. The core will not saturate when the gap limits the magnetic flux.

In contrast, the jaws of an ac-only current transformer clamp are flush when closed. When opened, the tips of the jaws show bare metal core faces.

Within the gap, there’s a thin plastic molding covering the semiconductor known as a Hall Effect sensor – it is a transducer that differs its output voltage when reacting to magnetic fields, in this case, the magnetic field of the conductor or wire being measured. The objective is to measure the magnetic flux directly. The output voltage from the sensor then improved and mounted to represent the current flowing through the conductor that lies inside the jaws of the clamp.

How the Hall Effect clamp meters work

While the current flow within the conductor is being measured. The iron core is formed by the jaws of a Hall Effect clamp meter that permits the magnetic field to effortlessly pass through easily.

In the case of the magnetic field (flux) that comes to that small air gap in the tips of the jaw, the field must jump that gap. When the gap is small, the field stays determined across the gap. Therefore, the Hall Effect sensor, which sits in the gap—produces a voltage proportional to the magnetic flux. The gap that the clamp transforms into a current reading.

Of all Hall Effect devices, the dc magnetic fields are concentrated through the core – like a permanent magnet sticking iron. Clamps require the reading to be “zeroed” before taking a measurement to eliminate offsets. The dc magnetic field of the earth and the possibility of other magnetic fields near the measurement site.

To learn more about clamp meters, visit https://presidium.ph/product-category/products/fluke-industrial-group-tools/clamp-meters/.

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