Test & Measurement

Power analyser combines colour graphics, 0.05% basic accuracy

9th January 2014
Mick Elliott
0

Tektronix is expanding its family of precision power analysers with the introduction of the PA1000 single-phase power analyser. The company is positioning itself to take advantage of the burgeoning power inverter market which Curt Willener, general manager, Power Analyser Product Line, Tektronix suggested could be worth £70bn by 2020. The analyser is available now from Tektronix distributors including Farnell element14 and RS Components.

He cited government regulations and commercial and consumer demands for lower energy consumption as important issues facing engineers developing power supplies for single-phase electronics face new demands for greater energy efficiency and lower line pollution. New semiconductor technologies such as GaN (Gallium Nitride) and SiC (Silicon Carbide) are emerging to meet these demands, new test and measurement tools such as the PA1000 are required to keep pace.

Willener described the PA1000 as “ a comprehensive best in class offering”.

The analyser features a patent pending Spiral Shunt design and a colour graphical display, one-button application modes and intuitive menu system enable optimum instrument set up in seconds, and the powerful PWRVIEW PC software includes comprehensive reporting features such as a full compliance IEC62301 standby power certificate.

The new single-phase power analyser complements the PA4000 series of precision three-phase power analysers introduced earlier this year, as well as Tektronix oscilloscopes and probes for circuit analysis.

"Power is one of the most dynamic segments in electronics today given the intense interest on the part of consumers, business and government to reduce overall energy consumption. Improving battery life is another key driver,” said Willener.

The PA1000 offers 0.05% basic accuracy and 1MHz measurement bandwidth. Two internal current shunts are included on each PA1000 — one for current measurements up to 1A, for precise low-current measurements, and another for current measurements up to 20A. The 1A shunt is particularly useful for maintaining measurements resolution and accuracy on demanding low-current signals common to standby power testing.

The full-colour graphics display is designed to make setup and other tasks easy and intuitive, with one-button access to measurement results, power waveforms, harmonic bar graphs, and menus. Application-specific test modes for standby current, lamp ballast testing and energy integration can simplify optimisation of instrument settings, saving engineers time and reducing mistakes. PWRVIEW PC software further simplifies testing with one-click test automation for compliance-test applications.

Standard features including LAN, USB and GPIB interfaces, harmonic analysis, and PC software that cost extra on many analysers. And there is a five-year warranty.

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