Tektronix TCPA300 SERIES User manual

xx
TCPA300/400 Amplifiers &
TCP300A/400 Series AC/DC Current Probes
ZZZ
User Manual
*P077118301*
077-1183-01

TCPA300/400 Amplifiers &
TCP300A/400 Series AC/DC Current Probes
ZZZ
User Manual
xx
This document applies for firmware version 1.0 and above.
www.tektronix.com
077-1183-01

Copyright © Tektronix. All rights reserved. Licensed software products are owned by Tektronix or its subsidiaries
or suppliers, and are protected by national copyright laws and international treaty provisions.
Tektronix products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and pending. Information in this publication
supersedes that in all previously published material. Specifications and price change privileges reserved.
TEKTRONIX and TEK are registered trademarks of Tektronix, Inc.
Additional trademark statements can be added here.
Contacting Tektronix
Tektronix, Inc.
14150 SW Karl Braun Drive
P.O. Box 500
Beaverton, OR 97077
USA
For product information, sales, service, and technical support:
In North America, call 1-800-833-9200.
Worldwide, visit www.tektronix.com to find contacts in your area.

Warranty
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. Parts, modules and replacement products used by Tektronix for warranty
work may be new or reconditioned to like new performance. All replaced parts, modules and products become
the property of Tektronix.
In order to obtain service under this warranty, Customer must notify Tektronix of the defect before the expiration of
the warranty period and make suitable arrangements for the performance of service. Customer shall be responsible
for packaging and shipping the defective product to the service center designated by Tektronix, with shipping
charges prepaid. Tektronix shall pay for the return of the product to Customer if the shipment is to a location within
the country in which the Tektronix service center is located. Customer shall be responsible for paying all shipping
charges, duties, taxes, and any other charges for products returned to any other locations.
This warranty shall not apply to any defect, failure or damage caused by improper use or improper or inadequate
maintenance and care. Tektronix shall not be obligated to furnish service under this warranty a) to repair damage
resulting from attempts by personnel other than Tektronix representatives to install, repair or service the product;
b) to repair damage resulting from improper use or connection to incompatible equipment; c) to repair any damage
or malfunction caused by the use of non-Tektronix supplies; or d) to service a product that has been modified or
integrated with other products when the effect of such modification or integration increases the time or difficulty
of servicing the product.
THIS WARRANTY IS GIVEN BY TEKTRONIX WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT IN LIEU OF ANY
OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TEKTRONIX AND ITS VENDORS DISCLAIM ANY
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
TEKTRONIX' RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR OR REPLACE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS IS THE SOLE
AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY PROVIDED TO THE CUSTOMER FOR BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY.
TEKTRONIX AND ITS VENDORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL,
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER TEKTRONIX OR THE VENDOR HAS
ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
[W2 – 15AUG04]

Table of Contents
General safety summary ........................................................................................... v
Compliance Information......................................................................................... vii
EMC Compliance (Applies to TCPA300 & TCPA400 Amplifiers Only) ............................. vii
Safety Compliance Information............................................................................ viii
Environmental Considerations ............................................................................... x
Preface.............................................................................................................. xi
Manual Conventions.......................................................................................... xi
Getting Started ............................. .................. ........................................ ............... 1
System Configuration ......................................................................................... 1
Options.......................................................................................................... 3
Standard Accessories.......................................................................................... 4
Optional Accessories.......................................................................................... 4
Probe Cover .................................................................................................... 5
Ground Lead ................................................................................................... 6
Travel Case..................................................................................................... 7
Connecting the Amplifier to an Oscilloscope...... ...................... .......................... ......... 8
Power on the Amplifier ....................................................................................... 8
Connecting a Current Probe to the Amplifier............................................................... 9
Operating the Current Probe Slide.......................................................................... 10
Degaussing and Autobalancing the Current Probe........................................................ 12
DC Measurements ............................................................................................ 13
AC Measurements ............................................................................................ 15
Control Summary.................................................................................................. 17
TCPA300 and TCPA400 Controls .......................................................................... 18
Reference Notes ................................................................................................... 23
Degaussing a Probe with an Unpowered Conductor in the Jaws........................................ 23
Measuring Differential Current ............................................................................. 24
AC and DC Coupling......................................................................................... 26
Maximum Current Limits.................................................................................... 27
Measuring Noncontinuous Current with the TCP404XL Probe......................................... 30
Extending Current Range .................................................................................... 32
Increasing Sensitivity........................... .............. .............. ................................ .. 34
Application Notes ................................................................................................. 35
Automobile Charging Systems.............................................................................. 35
Inductance Measurements ................................................................................... 37
Continuity Test of Multiple-Conductor Cable ......... .............. .............. ........................ 39
Measuring Inductor Turns Count ........................................................................... 40
Power Measurement and Analysis Software............................................................... 41
TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual i

Table of Contents
Troubleshooting and Error Codes................................................................................ 42
Displaying Error Codes with the Probe Degauss Autobalance Button ................................. 45
Correcting the Cause of an Error Code..................................................................... 47
Shutdown Error ............................................................................................... 47
Specifications ...................................................................................................... 49
Warranted Specifications..................................................................................... 49
Nominal and Typical Characteristics ....................................................................... 50
Mechanical Characteristics .................................................................................. 51
Environmental Characteristics .............................................................................. 53
Performance Graphs.......................................................................................... 54
TCP404XL Maximum Measurement Times............................................................... 58
Glossary
Index
ii TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual

List of Figures
Figure 1: Typical TCPA300/400 current measurement system................................................ 1
Figure 2: Using the probe cover .................................................................................. 5
Figure 3: Connecting the ground lead ........................................................................... 6
Figure 4: Equipment locations in the travel case ............................................................... 7
Figure 5: Connecting and disconnecting a current probe to the amplifier.................................... 9
Figure 6: TCP312A and TCP305A slide operation............................................................ 10
Figure 7: Unlock and open the TCP303 and TCP404XL..................................................... 11
Figure 8: Close and lock the TCP303 and TCP404XL........................................................ 11
Figure 9: Arrow on current probe indicates conventional current flow ..................................... 14
Figure 10: The TCPA300 front panel ........................................................................... 17
Figure 11: Measuring two conductors........................................................................... 24
Figure 12: Measuring differential current and nulls........................................................... 25
Figure 13: Effect of AC or DC coupling on low-frequency signals ............. ............................ 26
Figure 14: Applying the amp-second product rule ............................................................ 28
Figure 15: Duty cycle calculation ............................................................................... 30
Figure 16: Adding a second conductor.......................................................................... 33
Figure 17: Adding multiple turns................................................................................ 33
Figure 18: Increasing probe sensitivity ............. .............. .............. .............. .................. 34
Figure 19: Setup for measuring charging current.............................................................. 36
Figure 20: Charge current waveforms........................................................................... 36
Figure 21: Measuring inductance with a low-impedance source............................................. 37
Figure 22: Linear current vs. time ramp........................................................................ 38
Figure 23: High-impedance source current ramp.............................................................. 39
Figure 24: Measuring the number of turns in a coil ........................................................... 40
Figure 25: Turns measurement using reference coil........................................................... 40
Figure 26: Error code display.................................................................................... 45
Figure 27: Interpreting the error code display.................................................................. 46
Figure 28: Probe jaw dimensions (nominal).................................................................... 52
Figure 29: Frequency derating-TCP312A ...................................................................... 54
Figure 30: Frequency derating-TCP305A ...................................................................... 54
Figure 31: Frequency derating-TCP303 ........................................................................ 54
Figure 32: Frequency derating-TCP404XL .................................................................... 55
Figure 33: Insertion impedance versus frequency ............................................................. 56
Figure 34: Specified operating area of the probes ............................................................. 57
Figure 35: Measuring 750A noncontinuous at 50 °C ambient temperature................................. 58
Figure 36: Measuring 600A noncontinuous at 50 °C ambient temperature................................. 58
Figure 37: Measuring 750A noncontinuous at 23 °C ambient temperature................................. 59
TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual iii

Table of Contents
List of Tables
Table 1: Safety compliance information....................................................................... viii
Table 2: Amplifier options......................................................................................... 3
Table 3: Service options ........................................................................................... 3
Table 4: Unpowered circuit degauss limits..................................................................... 23
Table 5: Automobile charging systems test setup.............................................................. 35
Table 6: Troubleshooting ......................................................................................... 42
Table 7: Amplifier error codes ................................................................................... 46
Table 8: Warranted TCPA300 and TCPA400 specifications.................................................. 49
Table 9: Nominal and typical amplifier characteristics........................................................ 50
Table 10: TCPA300 and TCPA400 mechanical characteristics .............................................. 51
Table 11: Probe mechanical characteristics..................................................................... 52
Table 12: Shipping weights and dimensions ................................................................... 52
Table 13: Environmental characteristics........................................................................ 53
iv TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual

General safety summary
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.
While using this product, you may need to access other parts of a larger system.
Read the safety sections of the other component manuals for warnings and
cautions related to operating the system.
To avoid fire or personal
injury
Use proper power cord. Use only the power cord specified for this product and
certified for the country of use.
Connect and disconnect properly. Do not connect or disconnect probes or test
leads while they are connected to a voltage source.
Connect and disconnect properly. Connect the probe output to the measurement
instrument before connecting the probe to the circuit under test. Connect the
probe reference lead to the circuit under test before connecting the probe input.
Disconnect the probe input and the probe reference lead from the circuit under test
before disconnecting the probe from the measurement instrument.
Ground the product. This product is grounded through the grounding conductor
of the power cord. To avoid electric shock, the grounding conductor must be
connected to earth ground. Before making connections to the input or output
terminals of the product, ensure that the product is properly grounded.
Observe all terminal ratings. To avoid fire or shock hazard, observe all ratings
and markings on the product. Consult the product manual for further ratings
information before making connections to the product.
Connect the probe reference lead to earth ground only.
Do not connect a current probe to any wire that carries voltages above the current
probe voltage rating.
Do not operate without covers. Do not operate this product with covers or panels
removed.
Do not operate with suspected failures. If you suspect that there is damage to this
product, have it inspected by qualified service personnel.
Avoid exposed circuitry. Do not touch exposed connections and components when
power is present.
TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual v

General safety summary
Do not operate in wet/damp conditions.
Do not operate in an explosive atmosphere.
Keep product surfaces clean and dry.
Provide proper ventilation. Refer to the manual's installation instructions for details
on installing the product so it has proper ventilation.
Termsinthismanual 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.
Symbols and terms on the
product
These terms may appear on the product:
DANGER indicates an injury hazard immediately accessible as you read
the marking.
WARNING indicates an injury hazard not immediately accessible as you
read the marking.
CAUTION indicates a hazard to property including the product.
The following symbol(s) may appear on the product:
vi TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual

Compliance Information
This section lists the EMC (electromagnetic compliance) and environmental
standards with which the instrument complies.
EMC Compliance (Applies to TCPA300 & TCPA400 Amplifiers Only)
EC Declaration of
Conformity –EMC
Meets intent of Directive 2004/108/EC for Electromagnetic Compatibility.
Compliance was demonstrated to the following specifications as listed in the
Official Journal of the European Communities:
EN 61326-1:2006, EN 61326-2-1:2006. EMC requirements for electrical equipment
for measurement, control, and laboratory use. 123
CISPR 11:2003. Radiated and conducted emissions, Group 1, Class A
IEC 61000-4-2:2001. Electrostatic discharge immunity
IEC 61000-4-3:2002. RF electromagnetic field immunity
IEC 61000-4-4:2004. Electrical fast transient/burst immunity
IEC 61000-4-5:2001. Power line surge immunity
IEC 61000-4-6:2003. Conducted RF immunity
IEC 61000-4-11:2004. Voltage dips and interruptions immunity 4
EN 61000-3-2:2006. AC power line harmonic emissions
EN 61000-3-3:1995. Voltage changes, fluctuations, and flicker
European Contact.
Tektronix UK, Ltd.
Western Peninsula
Western Road
Bracknell, RG12 1RF
United Kingdom
1This product is intended for use in nonresidential areas only. Use in residential areas may cause electromagnetic
interference.
2Emissions which exceed the levels required by this standard may occur when this equipment is connected to a
test object.
3To ensure compliance with the EMC standards listed here, high quality shielded interface cables should be used.
4Performance Criterion C applied at the 70%/25 cycle Voltage-Dip and the 0%/250 cycle Voltage-Interruption test
levels (IEC 61000-4-11).
TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual vii

Compliance Information
Australia / New Zealand
Declaration of
Conformity – EMC
Complies with the EMC provision of the Radiocommunications Act per the
following standard.
CISPR 11:2003. Radiated and Conducted Emissions, Group 1, Class A, in
accordance with EN 61326-1:2006 and EN 61326-2-1:2006.
FCC–EMC Emissions are within the limits of FCC 47 CFR, Part 15, Subpart B for Class A
equipment.
Safety Compliance Information
Table 1: Safety compliance information
Category Standards or description
EC Declaration of Conformity – Low
Voltage 1
Compliance was demonstrated to the following specification as listed in the Official Journal
of the European Communities:
Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC, amended by 93/68/EEC.
EN 61010-1/A2:1995. Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement
control and laboratory use.
EN 61010-2-032:1995. Particular requirements for hand-held current clamps for electrical
measurement and test equipment.
U.S. Nationally Recognized Testing
Laboratory Listing
UL3111-1. Standard for electrical measuring and test equipment.
UL3111-2-032. Hand-held probe assemblies for electrical measurement and test.
UL61010-1. Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and
laboratory use.
UL61010B-2-032: Particular requirements for hand-held current clamps for electrical
measurement and test.
Canadian Certification CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 61010.1. Safety requirements for electrical equipment for
measurement, control, and laboratory use.
CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 61010.2.032:1996. Particular requirements for hand-held probe
assemblies for electrical measurement and test equipment.
Additional Compliance IEC 61010-2-032:1995. Particular requirements for hand-held current clamps for electrical
measurement and test.
IEC 61010-1:2001. Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement control
and laboratory use.
Installation (Overvoltage) Category
Descriptions
Terminals on this product may have different installation (overvoltage) category
designations. The installation categories are:
CAT III. Distribution-level mains (usually permanently connected). Equipment at this level is
typically in a fixed industrial location.
CAT II. Local-level mains (wall sockets). Equipment at this level includes appliances,
portable tools, and similar products. Equipment is usually cord-connected.
CAT I. Secondary (signal level) or battery operated circuits of electronic equipment.
viii TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual

Compliance Information
Table 1: Safety compliance information (cont.)
Category Standards or description
Pollution Degree Descriptions A measure of the contaminates that could occur in the environment around and within a
product. Typically the internal environment inside a product is considered to be the same
as the external. Products should be used only in the environment for which they are rated.
Pollution Degree 1. No pollution or only dry, nonconductive pollution occurs. Products in
this category are generally encapsulated, hermetically sealed, or located in clean rooms.
Pollution Degree 2. Normally only dry, nonconductive pollution occurs. Occasionally a
temporary conductivity that is caused by condensation must be expected. This location
is a typical office/home environment. Temporary condensation occurs only when the
product is out of service.
Pollution Degree 3. Conductive pollution, or dry, nonconductive pollution that becomes
conductive due to condensation. These are sheltered locations where neither temperature
nor humidity is controlled. The area is protected from direct sunshine, rain, or direct wind.
Pollution Degree 4. Pollution that generates persistent conductivity through conductive
dust, rain, or snow. Typical outdoor locations.
Equipment Type Test and measuring
Safety Class Class 1 (as defined in IEC 61010-1, Annex H) – grounded product
Overvoltage Category Overvoltage Category II (as defined in IEC 61010-1, Annex J)
Pollution Degree Pollution Degree 2 (as defined in IEC 61010-1). Note: Rated for indoor use only.
1The TCP305A and TCP312A Current Probes are exempt from the Low Voltage Directive and are not third-party listed. However, they have been evaluated to
applicable safety standards.
TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual ix

Compliance Information
Environmental Considerations
This section provides information about the environmental impact of the product.
Product End-of-Life
Handling
Observe the following guidelines when recycling an instrument or component:
Equipment Recycling. Production of this equipment required the extraction and
use of natural resources. The equipment may contain substances that could be
harmful to the environment or human health if improperly handled at the product’s
end of life. In order to avoid release of such substances into the environment and
to reduce the use of natural resources, we encourage you to recycle this product
in an appropriate system that will ensure that most of the materials are reused or
recycled appropriately.
This symbol indicates that this product complies with the applicable European
Union requirements according to Directives 2002/96/EC and 2006/66/EC
on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and batteries. For
information about recycling options, check the Support/Service section of the
Tektronix Web site (www.tektronix.com).
Restriction of Hazardous
Substances
This product is classified as an industrial monitoring and control instrument
accessory, and is not required to comply with the substance restrictions of the
recast RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU until July 22, 2017.
x TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual

Preface
This User Manual supports the operation and basic maintenance of the TCPA300
and TCPA400 Current Probe Amplifiers, and the TCP300/400 Series AC/DC
current probes that mate with the amplifiers. The current probes covered in this
manual are listed below:
TCP312A (30 A, 100 MHz, compatible with TCPA300)
TCP305A (50 A, 50 MHz, compatible with TCPA300)
TCP303 (150 A, 15 MHz, compatible with TCPA300)
TCP404XL (500 A*, 2 MHz, compatible with TCPA400) *750 A DC derated
with duty cycle
If you are not familiar with these products, please refer to the Getting Started and
Operating Basics chapters of this manual for basic operating information.
If you are an advanced user, the Reference section contains information on
advanced applications as well as user diagnostic and troubleshooting information.
The Glossary and Index are provided as quick reference locators for important
information.
Service Manual The Performance Verification and Adjustment procedures are located in the
Service Manual and support the qualification and calibration of the probes when
used with either amplifier.
The Maintenance section is also located in the Service Manual and supports the
routine maintenance and repair of mechanical parts associated with the amplifiers.
Manual Conventions
The term "amplifier" is used to refer to either the TCPA300 or TCPA400 when
referring to common attributes. If a subject is unique to either amplifier, the
amplifier will be referred to directly by model.
The terms "current probe" and "probe" are used to refer to any of the TCP300A/400
Series current probes when referring to common attributes. If a subject is unique
to a particular probe, the probe will be referred to directly by model.
TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual xi

Preface
xii TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual

Getting Started
The TCPA300 and TCPA400 current probe amplifiers let you use one probe to
simultaneously measure AC and DC current. The amplifiers convert the sensed
current into a proportional voltage signal that you can measure directly with an
oscilloscope.
The TCPA300 and TCPA400 current probe amplifiers provide better linearity
than other current measurement systems because of a current feedback process
used with the probe. DC measurement capability and high bandwidth allow the
amplifiers to accurately represent square waves and fast-rise signals.
The TCPA300 and TCPA400 amplifiers and associated probes provide these
features:
Simultaneous DC and AC current measurements up to 750 A peak
High sensitivity
One-button autobalancing and probe degaussing
No adjustments needed to match a current probe to an individual amplifier
AC or DC coupling of signal
Direct scaling and unit readout on compatible TEKPROBE level II
oscilloscopes
System Configuration
A complete current measurement system consists of a current probe amplifier, a
compatible current probe, and an appropriate oscilloscope. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1: Typical TCPA300/400 current measurement system
1. 50 Ωoscilloscope input — use the TEKPROBE Interface Cable or use a
50 Ωcable. (Add a 50 Ωtermination here if the oscilloscope only has a
high-impedance input).
TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual 1

Getting Started
TCPA300 and TCPA400
Current Probe Amplifiers
The amplifier amplifies the current sensed by the probe and converts the current
to a proportional voltage that is displayed on an oscilloscope or other similar
measuring device.
Current Probes The following Tektronix current probes are compatible with the
TCPA300 Amplifier:
TCP312A (30 A, 100 MHz)
TCP305A (50 A, 50 MHz)
TCP303 (150 A, 15 MHz)
The following Tektronix current probes are compatible with the
TCPA400 Amplifier:
TCP404XL (750 A 1,2MHz)
1500 A continuous, 750 A DC derated with duty cycle
Oscilloscope An oscilloscope displays the output from the current measuring system. A 50 Ω
cable is included to connect the amplifier to the oscilloscope input channel. A
TEKPROBE-to-TEKPROBE interface cable is also included for connecting to
TEKPROBE level II oscilloscopes.
If the oscilloscope does not have an input that can be set to 50 Ωimpedance, you
need a feedthrough 50 Ωtermination. This termination is included as a standard
accessory with your TCPA300 and TCPA400 Current Probe Amplifiers.
2 TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300A/400 Series Current Probes User Manual