A current probe isn’t a very common fixture on most workbenches because they are pretty expensive. [VoltLog] looks at a fairly inexpensive current probe from Micsig. He seemed impressed with the workmanship and it looks similar to more expensive offerings. There are two models with different bandwidth numbers (800 kHz and 2 MHz). It can measure current on a 10A and 100A scale.
According to [VoltLog] comparable probes from other vendors are more expensive and have lower bandwidth. He also liked that the device powers from USB since most newer scopes will have a USB port available.
If you aren’t familiar with a current probe, you might enjoy Digikey’s article on the topic or Keysight’s take on it. This probe can measure AC or DC current and while the specifications don’t promise super accuracy, [VoltLog] noted that his unit was better than the spec. He also noted that if you are wanting to measure small currents going to a microcontroller or similar device, these current probes are not really what you want to use.
We enjoyed the teardown of the device, too, about ten minutes into the video. The probe is surprisingly complex. It is possible that like some popular oscilloscopes, that changing the low bandwidth variant to the higher bandwidth model may be possible since the board appears to be used for both models.
We’ve looked at building very precise current probes. We’ve also looked at dirt cheap ones.
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