- Tektronix offers the new TICP Series IsoVu™ isolated current probes, which are, according to their US manufacturer, the first in the world to implement radio frequency (RF) isolation technology.
- This enables them to increase the level of accuracy and safety when measuring current with an oscilloscope.
TICP IsoVu probes are, according to Tektronix, the industry’s first current shunt probes to use RF isolation, providing complete galvanic isolation between measurement systems and devices under test, delivering high-bandwidth, low-noise current measurements in high-voltage applications compared to existing probes on the market or alternative shunt measurement techniques.
Available in bandwidths up to 1 GHz, these probes enable to capture accurate measurements of fast-changing currents on oscilloscopes across a wide voltage range in nanoseconds – from microamps to kiloamps.
“The wide measurement range covers previously inaccessible high-voltage environments, from fast-switching SiC and GaN power converters to low-power applications like battery performance testing in mobile devices – all with a single probe,” said Daryl Ellis, Tektronix’s General Manager of Entry and Mainstream Portfolio.
According to Tektronix, unlike current transformers, Rogowski coils, or Hall effect current probes, TICP current probes enable
measurements from DC to hundreds of MHz, when paired with high-performance shunts or CVRs (current viewing resistors). Complete RF isolation between the probe tip and the oscilloscope eliminates ground loops and helps deliver extraordinary common mode rejection (CMRR) of up to 90 dB at 1 MHz to dramatically reduce common mode noise. Low attenuation and low input impedance (50 Ω) are designed to limit noise contribution to less than 4.7 nV/√Hz (150 μV RMS at 1 GHz) when measuring low voltages (+/- 0.5 V) across shunts.
Equipped with MMCX and SMA tips, the probes ensure proper grounding and shielding, crucial for minimizing noise and ground loops.
# Key features of the TICP Series IsoVu™ isolated current probes:
- Complete galvanic RF isolation, eliminates ground loops
- More than 30X higher common-mode rejection (CMRR) than traditional differential voltage probes: 140 dB CMRR at DC, up to 90 dB at 1 MHz
- Ultra-low noise contribution – in a 1X configuration, the 50 Ω input offers extremely low noise of <4.7 nV / √Hz (<150 μV at 1 GHz)
- Available in 3 models with bandwidths of 1 GHz (TICP100), 500 MHz (TICP050), and 250 MHz (TICP025)
- Uses TekVPI™ probe interface to integrate with Tektronix 4, 5, and 6 series MSO oscilloscopes
The TICP IsoVu probes are available to order now and will begin shipping this month, November 2024.
