Precision power analyser combines accuracy with wideband performance

The PPA1500 has been introduced to meet the increasing demand for smaller and more efficient products. This push for greater efficiency has resulted in the development of power conversion techniques of ever-increasing frequency, and with these new techniques comes the need for power measurement instruments with superior wideband performance and higher accuracy. The new instrument is available as a 1-, 2- or 3-channel model with high-speed sampling on all channels, allowing up to 1 MHz frequency range with 10 millidegree accuracy - something that is necessary for low power-factor applications. High-precision internal shunts provide superior accuracy to the traditional solution of external shunts used on earlier power analysers. The calibrated internal shunt with its unique 10x gain mode makes the PPA1500 ideally suited to standby power measurements. In the power analyser mode, the instrument displays all primary power functions with both total and fundamental values plus the phase relationship to a selected phase reference. When measurements over time are of interest, up to four selected functions can be viewed in data-log mode. Data-log periods can be set with no gap so that no information is missed during data-log capture, and the display is updated during data logging with real time, tabular or graphic display. While precise measurements in power applications generally require the use of a numeric presentation, the "scope" mode provided by the PPA1500 is a valuable aid to development and test. All measurements and graphical displays are shown on the high-contrast full colour 480 x 272 dot full wide-screen TFT display. N4L (Newtons4th Ltd.) was established in 1997, and specialises in sophisticated test equipment, particularly related to phase measurement. The company's product portfolio includes frequency response (gain/phase) analysers, vector voltmeters, phase meters, impedance analysers, true RMS voltmeters, selective level meters, laboratory power amplifiers, and power analysers. www.ttid.co.uk/products-resale/newtons4th/n4l-main.htm