GW Instek GCP-100 User manual

AC/DC Current Probe
GCP-100
QUICK START GUIDE
ISO-9001 CERTIFIED MANUFACTURER

This manual contains proprietary information, which is
protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part
of this manual may be photocopied, reproduced or
translated to another language without prior written
consent of Good Will Corporation.
The information in this manual was correct at the time
of printing. However, Good Will continues to improve
its products and therefore reserves the right to change
the specifications, equipment, and maintenance
procedures at any time without notice.
Good Will Instrument Co., Ltd. No. 7-1, Jhongsing Rd.,
Tucheng Dist., New Taipei City 236, Taiwan.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
In this User’s manual, failure to follow or carry out instructions
preceded by this symbol may result in personal injury or
damage to the device and the installations.
Safety Symbols
Warning
Warning: Identifies conditions or practices that
could result in injury or loss of life.
Symbol 102 according to IEC-1010-2-
032(Application or withdrawal authorized on the
drivers under dangerous tension)
Do not dispose electronic equipment as unsorted
municipal waste. Please use a separate collection
facility or contact the supplier from which this
instrument was purchased.
Thank you for purchasing GCP-100 AC/DC current probe. To
obtain the best possible service from your device:
•Read this User’s manual carefully,
•Comply with the precautions for use.
PRECAUTIONS FOR USE
•Do not use the clamp on conductors in which the voltage is
more than 600 V rms.
•Keep the jaw faces clean. Clean them if necessary with a
lightly oiled soft cloth to prevent rusting.
•Keep the cable or the busbar centred in the clamp which
should be perpendicular to the conductor.
•Avoid proximity to other conductors which may create
fields of interference.
•The clamp must be totally disconnected in the OFF
position when the battery is changed.

•For your safety, ensure that the instruments used with
your clamp are also in accordance with IEC 1010.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Protection From Electric Shocks
Instrument with double insulation or strengthened insulation in
the part that is hand held in normal use, and with single
insulation or additional insulation between the primary and the
secondary output.
Maximum service voltage in accordance with IEC 1010
600V in installations of category
III and degree of pollution 2
300V in installations of category
IV and degree of pollution 2
Dielectric strength test voltage in accordance with IEC 1010
5550V 50/60Hz between the parts
that are hand-held in normal use,
on one hand, and the primary
with the secondary on the other
hand.
3250V 50/60Hz between the
primary on one hand, and the
secondary on the other hand
Electromagnetic Compatibility
Electrostatic
discharge
4kV without disturbance, 8kV without destruction
in accordance with IEC 801-2
Radiated field
3V/m in accordance with IEC 801-3
Rapid transients
1kV class 1 without disturbance, 2kV class 2 with
minor defects in accordance with IEC 801-4
Electric shocks
1kV - 0.5kA class 2 without disturbance, 2kV - 1kA
class 3 with minor defects in accordance with IEC
801-5

FEATURES
•The GCP-100 is a current probe for oscilloscope which uses
a Hall effect cell for the measurement of DC or AC current
without modification of the installation (without switching
off the circuit)
•It can measure currents from 50 mA to 100 A peak. It has 2
ranges and 2 lights indicating:
ON
correct power supply to the clamp
OL
overload of the range in use (saturation or peak)
•In addition a thumbwheel can be used to reset zero for
adaptation to the measurement environment.
•This clamp adapts to all measurement instruments which
have a BNC input and an impedance of 1MΩ, < 100 pF.
DESCRIPTION
1. Switch
The switch has 3 positions:
Off
The clamp is no longer supplied with power
Range 10 mV/A
Measurement of DC or AC peak currents on the
basis of 10 mV per ampere.
Range 100 mV/A
Measurement of DC or AC peak currents on the
basis of 100 mV per ampere.
2. Battery indicator
This LED is unlit when the switch is OFF.
In normal use, the green LED is lit. When the switch is no
longer in the OFF position and the LED is unlit, this warns that
the value of the battery voltage is too low or that the cell is no
longer supplied with power, thus showing that there is a fault
in the clamp.

3. Resetting zero on the probe
The thumbwheel makes it possible to reset the output voltage
to zero. It is thus possible to overcome the different errors due
to thermal shifts, the Earth’s magnetic field, the environment,
and residual induction.
4. Indicator of range overload
This indicator symbolized by «OL» shows as a red light when
the measurement signal is outside the capabilities of the range.
It can also indicate the presence of an impulse outside the
capabilities of the range or that the measurement made on the
clamp isn’t valid.
5. Battery compartment
To change the 9V battery, the clamp should be in the normal
position (jaws closed) and disconnected from the oscilloscope, it
must not clamp any conductor and the switch must be in the
«OFF» position. Unscrew the tool release screw then pull off the
cover in the handle extension to access the battery to be
changed.
OPERATING INSTRUMENT
•To make a current measurement, switch on the clamp by
selecting the 100 mV/A range.
•Check that the battery indicator (green) is lit and that the
«OL» indicator is not lit.
•Connect the clamp to the oscilloscope.
With the clamp closed and without clamping a conductor,
select the highest sensitivity (for example 1 mV/cm) on the
oscilloscope and 100 mV/A on the clamp, then set zero on
the clamp with the thumbwheel in relation to a reference
chosen on the oscilloscope. Zero on the oscilloscope makes
it possible to adjust this setting.
•Select the measurement sensitivities of the clamp and the
oscilloscope.
•Choose the connection method which is the best adapted to
measurement on the oscilloscope.

•Note the direction of the primary current by means of the
arrow marked on and under the case.
•Insert the conductor carrying the current to be measured in
the clamp and take the measurement.
•If necessary, recheck the origin of the graph, with the jaws
not clamped around the conductor, and make the
measurement again.
SPECIFICATIONS
Mechanical Specifications
Model
GCP-100
Max. cable dimensions
Ø 11.8 mm
Jaw opening
12.5 mm maximum
Dimension
231 x 67 x 36 mm win core lead (coaxial) 2m
ended by a BNC plug insulated and
moulded
Weight
330g with battery
Protection
•Degrees of protection: IP 20 to IEC 529
•Protection from shocks: 100 G, 6 ms, half-
cycle, to IEC 68-2-27
•Drop height from all angles: 1 m
•Resistance to vibrations: 10/55/10 Hz
0.15 mm, to IEC 68-2-6
•Bumps: 40 G, 6 ms, 4000 bumps, to IEC
68-2-29
29mm
21m
m
36m
m
67m
m
231mm

Electrical Specifications
Range
Measurement extent
Intrinsic error
Range 100mV/A
50mA to 10A peak
3% R + 50mA
Range 10mV/A
50mA to 40A peak
4% R + 50mA
Range 10mV/A
40A to 100A peak
Graph value below
R: reading
Typical noise level at output (peak-peak value)
These specifications are given for an ambient temperature of
23° ± 3°C, humidity 20 to 75% RH, frequency DC to 1 kHz, load
impedance: 1 MΩ/100 pF, conductor centred and parallel to the
mark
Frequency band
DC-100kHz
Range 10mV/A
480µV
Range 100mV/A
3mV
Pass band
DC to 100 kHz
The pass band of the oscilloscope used depends
on the frequency to be measured.
A pass band of more than 4 times the frequency
of the signal to be measured is sufficient.
Operating
frequency
DC to 20 kHz (not causing an additional error of
more than 3% in relation to the reference range)
Breaking
frequency
- 3 dB at 100 kHz
Rise or fall time
< 4µs
General Specifications
Environmental conditions
Battery
9V type 6 LR 61
Consumption
8.6 mA typical, 12 mA max
Service life
55 h typical, 40 h min.
Indicator
Green light goes out for a battery voltage < 6.5 V
Class of protection
Class II according to IEC 348
Dielectric strength
4 kV
Leakage current
< 0.5 mA

DISTORTION MAGNITUDES
•Battery voltage from 6.5 V to 10 V: ± 6 mA/V typical, ± 10
mA/V max.
•Temperature from 0 to 50°C: ± 2000 ppm/°C max
•Position of the conductor in the window (AC signal of
frequency 1 kHz): max ± 0.5% of the reading.
•Errors of linearity, accuracy, temperature shift and other
specifications of the oscilloscope should be taken into
account during measurement.
•External magnetic fields generated by an AC or DC current
of 1A flowing in a conductor placed in immediate
proximity
MAINTENANCE
For maintenance, use only specified spare parts. The
manufacturer will not be held responsible for any accident
occurring following a repair done other than by its After Sales
Service or approved repairers.
•Jaw faces : It is necessary to always keep the jaw faces clean.
Clean them and lightly oil them to avoid rust. Do not leave
the clamp in very damp places, or directly exposed to
water.
•Handles and case : Clean with a cloth or a sponge soaked
with soapy water, rinse in the same way without ever
getting water on the clamp. Dry with a cloth or in an air
flow.
•To maintain the performance of the clamp, it is advisable to
carry out a check or recalibration every year.
Calibration
For checking and calibration of your instrument, please contact
our accredited laboratories or agent in your country.

Repairs
Repairs under or out of guarantee: please return the product to
your distributor.
APPENDICE
Typical response curves for frequency and
phase
Shift measurement current : 1A peak
Measurement current : 1A peak
Different limiting examples of the response of
the response of the Clamp