Tektronix TCP0030 User manual

TCP0030
120 MHz, 30 A AC/DC Current Probe
Instruction Manual
*P071181200*
071-1812-00

TCP0030
120 MHz, 30 A AC/DC Current Probe
Instruction Manual
www.tektronix.com
071-1812-00

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.
Contacting Tektronix
Tektronix, Inc.
14200 SW Karl Braun Drive
P.O. Box 5 0 0
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 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.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
General Safety Summary . . ................................................................................................................. v
Service Safety Summary.................................................................................................................. vii
Environmental Considerations ............................................................................................................ viii
Preface....................................................................................................................................... x
Documentation......................................................................................................................... x
Conventions Used in this Manual .....................................................................................................x
Returning the Probe for Servicing.................................................................................................... xi
Key Features ............................................................................................................................... 1
Installation .................................................................................................................................. 2
Connecting to the Host Instrument ................................................................................................... 2
Degaussing the Probe................................................................................................................ 3
Probe Controls and Indicators........................................................................................................ 5
Functional Check .......................................................................................................................... 10
Basic Operation............................................................................................................................ 11
Application Examples...................................................................................................................... 13
Inductance Measurements .......................................................................................................... 14
Measuring Inductor Turns Count .................................................................................................... 17
Accessories and Options.................................................................................................................. 19
Using Standard Accessories . ....................................................................................................... 19
TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual i

Table of Contents
Optional Accessories ................................................................................................................ 22
Options............................................................................................................................... 25
Probing Principles ......................................................................................................................... 26
Degaussing a Probe with an Unpowered Conductor in the Jaws ... ............................................................... 26
Measuring Differential Current....................................................................................................... 27
Extending Current Range............................................................................................................ 29
Increasing Sensitivity ................................................................................................................ 32
Common Mode Noise/Magnetic Field Errors........................................................................................ 33
AC and DC Coupling.................................................................................................................34
Maximum Current Limits............................................................................................................. 35
Specifications.............................................................................................................................. 39
Warranted Characteristics........................................................................................................... 40
Typical Characteristics............................................................................................................... 41
Nominal Characteristics ............................................................................................................. 47
Certifications and Compliances ..................................................................................................... 47
Performance Verification .................................................................................................................. 50
Equipment Required................................................................................................................. 51
Making the DC Current Loop ........................................................................................................ 52
Equipment Setup..................................................................................................................... 53
DC Gain Accuracy ................................................................................................................... 54
Rise Time and Bandwidth ........................................................................................................... 59
Test Record .......................................................................................................................... 62
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Table of Contents
Adjustments................................................................................................................................ 63
Equipment Required................................................................................................................. 63
Equipment Setup..................................................................................................................... 63
DC Gain Accuracy ................................................................................................................... 64
Maintenance............................................................................................................................... 66
Troubleshooting ... ................................................................................................................... 66
Cleaning.............................................................................................................................. 66
Repairing the Probe ................................................................................................................. 67
Probe Head Disassembly............................................................................................................69
Replacement......................................................................................................................... 72
Reassembly.......................................................................................................................... 76
Replaceable Parts ................................................................................................................... 77
Index
TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual iii

Table of Contents
iv TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction 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.
To Avoid Fire or Personal Injury
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. De-energize the circuit under test before connecting or disconnecting the current probe.
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.
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.
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.
TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction 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.
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 symbols may appear on the product:
vi TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual

Service Safety Summary
Service Safety Summary
Only qualified personnel should perform service procedures. Read this Service Safety Summary and the General Safety Summary
before performing any service procedures.
Do Not Service Alone. Do not perform internal service or adjustments of this product unless another person capable of
rendering first aid and resuscitation is present.
Disconnect Power. To avoid electric shock, switch off the instrument power, then disconnect the power cord from the mains
power.
Use Care When Servicing With Power On. Dangerous voltages or currents may exist in this product. Disconnect power,
remove battery (if applicable), and disconnect test leads before removing protective panels, soldering, or replacing components.
To avoid electric shock, do not touch exposed connections.
TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual vii

Environmental Considerations
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.
The symbol shown below indicates that this product complies with the European Union’s requirements according to Directive
2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). For information about recycling options, check the
Support/Service section of the Tektronix Web site (www.tektronix.com).
viii TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual

Environmental Considerations
Restriction of Hazardous Substances
This product has been classified as Monitoring and Control equipment, and is outside the scope of the 2002/95/EC RoHS Directive.
This product is known to contain lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium.
TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual ix

Preface
Preface
This manual describes the installation and operation of the TCP0030 current probe. Basic probe operations and concepts are
presented in this manual. You can also access the Tektronix Web site for this document and other related information.
Documentation
To read about Use these documents *
TCP0030 Probe: First Time Operation, Functional Check,
Operating Basics, Specifications, Performance Verification
Read this Instruction Manual.
In-depth oscilloscope operation, user interface help, GPIB
commands
Access the online help from the Help menu on the host
instrument.
*To access the documentation that is installed on your instrument, click Start in the taskbar and select Programs > TekApplications.
Conventions Used in this Manual
The following icon is used throughout this manual to indicate a step sequence.
xTCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual

Preface
Returning the Probe for Servicing
If your probe requires servicing, you must return the probe to Tektronix. If the original packaging is unfit for use or not available, use
the following packaging guidelines:
Preparation for Shipment
1. Use a corrugated cardboard shipping
carton having inside dimensions at
least one inch greater than the probe
dimensions. The box should have a carton
test strength of at least 200 pounds.
2. Put the probe into an antistatic bag or wrap
it to protect it from dampness.
3. Place the probe into the box and stabilize it
with light packing material.
4. Seal the carton with shipping tape.
5. Refer to Contacting Tektronix at the
beginning of this manual for the shipping
address.
TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual xi

Preface
xii TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual

Key Features
Key Features
You can use the TCP0030 current probe to make accurate measurements from DC to 120 MHz. The probe combines proven
Hall-effect technology with the new Tektronix TekVPI oscilloscope interface. Key features include:
>120 MHz bandwidth, <2.92 ns rise time
AC/DC Measurement capability
50 A peak pulse current (pulse widths
<10 μs)
5 A and 30 A range settings
1 mA sensitivity (on TekVPI oscilloscopes
that support the 1 mV/div setting)
1% DC Accuracy (typical)
One-button degauss/autozeroing
Probe control through the TekVPI
oscilloscope menus or remotely through
the oscilloscope
Direct scaling and unit readout on host
instruments
AC coupling (on TekVPI oscilloscopes that
support AC coupling)
TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual 1

Installation
Installation
Connecting to the Host Instrument
CAUTION. The probe head is a precision assembly. Do not drop the probe or subject it to physical shock, strain, or sudden changes
in ambient conditions. Do not insert conductors larger than 3.8 mm diameter into the probe jaw. Damage to the probe may result.
1. Slide the probe into the TekVPI receptacle.
The probe snaps in when fully engaged.
2. To disconnect, press the latch button and
pull the probe away from the instrument.
When the probe is connected, the host
instrument reads information from the probe
and identifies the device. All of the probe LEDs
light briefly for a quick visual check.
2TCP0030 Current Probe Instruction Manual