Nuts and Volts - February 2018

62 February 2018

>>>YOUR ELECTRONICS QUESTIONS ANSWERED HERE BY N&V READERS

is typically between 100 mA (0.1A) and 1A (due to the limitations of the magnetic detection circuitry), amp clamp’s use is limited to measuring power lines connected to large devices (i.e., pump motors) that naturally consume large amounts of current in operation.

Ken Simmons Auburn, WA

#2 An amp clamp is a transformer having a one-turn primary (the conductor carrying the current to be measured) and a multi-turn secondary (to feed the measuring instrument).

Being a transformer, it can only be used to measure alternating current. Be aware of its measurement rating, because too much current can saturate the clamp, resulting in inaccurate readings.

The clamp is rated for sinusoidal currents. Measurements of non-sinusoidal current is best done with a true-RMS instrument connected to the clamp secondary winding.

Currents small relative to the capability of the clamp can be measured by passing the conductor through the clamp multiple times and dividing the measured value by the number of turns.

Peter A. Goodwin Rockport, MA

#3 You are on the right track. The ones that measure AC use a pickup coil, and the ones that measure DC use a Hall-effect sensor.

Chip Veres Miani, FL

#4 The common AC current meters use a transformer to measure the current. The “clamp” is the core for that transformer, and it is opened to go around the AC wire as it becomes the one-turn primary. There are simple components to scale the multi-turn secondary current down for the correct reading — either analog or digital. The digital part uses its own circuit to convert the measurement to its display.

A DC current meter cannot use the same transformer method, so it uses the Hall device that converts a magnetic field to a resistance, and the internal components convert that resistance to a reading — analog or digital.