Tektronix A622 User manual

Instructions
A622
100 Amp AC/DC Current Probe
070-8883-03
www.tektronix.com
*P070888303*
070888303

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. 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.

Contacting Tektronix
Phone [phone]*
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 sup-
port
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. After office hours, please
leave a voice mail message.
Outside North America, contact a Tektronix sales office or distributor; see
the Tektronix web site for a list of offices.

A622 Instructions i
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. Disconnect the probe input and the probe ground from the
circuit under test before disconnecting the probe from the measure-
ment instrument.
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.
Replace Batteries Properly. Replace batteries only with the proper type
and rating specified.
Do Not Operate Without Covers. Do not operate this product with
covers or panels removed.
Avoid Exposed Circuitry. Do not touch exposed connections and
components when power is present.
Do Not Operate With Suspected Failures. If you suspect there is damage
to this product, have it inspected by qualified service personnel.
Do Not Operate in Wet/Damp Conditions.
Do Not Operate in an Explosive Atmosphere.
Keep Product Surfaces Clean and Dry.

General Safety Summary
ii A622 Instructions
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.
WARNING indicates an injury hazard not immediately accessible as
you read the marking.
CAUTION indicates a hazard to property including the product.
Symbols on the Product. These symbols may appear on the product:
CAUTION
Refer to Manual
Double
Insulated

A622 Instructions 1
Getting Started
The A622 current probe (Figure 1) enables a general purpose
oscilloscope to display AC and DC current signals up to 100 amps
Peak (70 A RMS). The A622 current probe can also make AC and
DC measurements with a multimeter by using the BNC-to-banana
plug adapter that is available as a recommended accessory. See
page 17 for ordering information.
OFF/Range switch
Zero adjustment
Battery
compartment
Current flow
symbol
Figure 1: A622 AC/DC Current Probe

Getting Started
2A622 Instructions
Table 1 highlights the controls and indicators on the A622 current
probe.
Table 1: A622 controls and indicators
Control/Indicator Description
Current flow symbol. The arrow show the probe’s polarity
convention for measuring current flowing from positive to
negative.
ZERO Zero adjustment. Rotate to adjust the probe output to zero when
there is no current present. It may also be used to offset a DC
signal component. Zeroing is not needed for AC measurements
unless your instrument cannot isolate a DC component (if
present).
OFF/Range switch. Slide the switch from OFF to either the
10 mV/A or 100 mV/A range. When either range is selected, the
probe is turned on, and the green battery indicator lights. If the
indicator does not light, see Battery Notes and Battery Installation
on page 7.
Battery indicator. The green battery indicator lights when the
probe is turned on. For more information, see Battery Notes and
Battery Installation on page 7.
Overload indicator. The red overload indicator lights if the
measured signal is greater that the selected range capacity.
Switch the probe to 10 mV/A if possible, or remove the probe from
the circuit.

A622 Instructions 3
Operating Basics
Before using the probe, the batteries must be installed. See the
battery installation instructions on page 7.
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 DC volts,
the vertical deflection to 0.1 V/div.
2. Move the OFF/Range switchtothe10 mV/A or 100 mV/A
position to power on the probe.
The A622 current probe has a green LED power/battery indicator.
If the LED does not light, replace the battery.
3. Use the ZERO adjustment to zero or offset the probe output.
4. Connect the probe to the circuit by opening the jaws and
clamping around the conductor. See Figure 2.
NOTE. Clamping around both the “hot” and neutral wires may give
you a zero reading.
(Remember to unclamp the probe from the conductor before
disconnecting it from your meter or instrument.)

Operating Basics
4A622 Instructions
Handles
Jaws
From
source
To load
Figure 2: Connecting the A622 current probe
5. Adjust the probe and channel as necessary to get a clear view of
the signal. Set the channel to DC volts to see both the AC and DC
currents; set the channel to AC to see the AC current only.
The current drawn by some devices looks much different than that of
others. While the RMS current may be low, the momentary peaks
may be quite high. Figure 3 shows the difference between the line
current drawn by a resistive load and a motor controller.