Field Applications for the U1610 / 20A Handheld Oscilloscopes
Application Notes
The Keysight Technologies, Inc. U1610/20A handheld scope integrates test tools—scope, multimeter, and data logger—in a rugged and mobile form factor. This application note presents three field applications for the Keysight U1610/20A.
- Measuring power
- Hunting for signal irregularities
- Analyzing line current harmonics
Measuring Power
In any electrical system, the primary parameter that needs to be specified is the operating voltage. However, voltage by itself has little meaning. To understand the behavior of an electrical system you also need to accurately measure power. This knowledge is needed, for example, when working with such devices as motors, or humidity, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
To understand why a scope is the ideal instrument for measuring power, let’s explore these possible electrical circuits that you may encounter in the field:
- A static DC source, or a low-frequency source, connected to a resistive load
- An AC source connected to a load with non-resistive elements