Agilent Tips for Making Low Current Measurements with an Oscilloscope and Current Probe 5989-7529EN c2014071 free download

File name Tips for Making Low Current Measurements with an Oscilloscope and Current Probe 5989-7529EN c2014071

Keysight Technologies Tips for Making Low Current Measurements with an Oscilloscope and Current Probe Application Note In recent years, engineers working on mobile phones and other batterypowered devices have demanded highersensitivity current measurement to help them ensure the current consumption of their devices is within acceptable limits. Measuring current is a nuisance because you have to break the circuit to put the measuring instrument in series with the circuit. Using a clampon current probe with an oscilloscope is an easy way to make current measurement that does not necessitate breaking the circuit. But this process gets tricky as the current levels fall into the low milliampere range or below.This article offers useful tips to help you make accurate lowlevel current measurements in the presence of relatively high levels of oscilloscope noise. 02 | Keysight | Tips for Making Low Current Measurements with an Oscilloscope and Current Probe Application Note Scope noise matters So, how do you minimize the oscillo scope's inherent noise? With modern 3) Averaging mode When the signal is periodic or DC, you As the current level decreases, digital oscilloscopes, there are a num can use averaging mode to reduce the the oscilloscope's inherent ber of possible approaches: oscilloscope's vertical noise. Averaging noise becomes a real issue. All mode takes multiple acquisitions of a oscilloscopes exhibit one undesirable 1) Bandwidth limit filter periodic waveform and creates a run characteristic