CAT ratings, true RMS, auto-ranging and other terms explained in plain English.
Rohde & Schwarz Oscilloscopes: Ratings, Uses and Checks As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you typed oscilloscope rohde schwarz, you are looking at the oscilloscope line made by Rohde & Schwarz, often shortened to R&S. An oscilloscope draws a voltage signal against time, so you can see waveforms, timing, and noise…
Fluke Proving Unit: What It Does and What the Specs Say A Fluke proving unit is a small battery-powered voltage source that lets you confirm a voltage tester or multimeter still responds before you rely on it. Fluke describes it as a way to verify a tester on a known voltage instead of on a…
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Details Quick answer Bandwidth: Keysight recommends at least three times the highest sine frequency you need to measure for analog work, and at least five times the highest clock rate for digital work. Sample rate: Keysight recommends a maximum sample rate at least four to five…
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Hipot tests, short for high-potential tests, apply a much higher voltage than normal operation to a product’s insulation and measure how much current leaks through. Manufacturers and test labs use them to check that insulation can take the voltage without breaking down. They are equipment tests…
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Details The short version: pick a two-channel scope whose bandwidth is several times the fastest signal you plan to look at, and whose sample rate is several times the bandwidth. Everything else is secondary for a first instrument. Quick answer Bandwidth: Keysight recommends at least three…
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Details A non contact voltage tester signals that a conductor is energized without touching it. A multimeter uses probes to read a numeric value, such as volts, amps, or ohms. Some combination meters offer both functions. The two tools answer different questions, so the job settles…
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Details A true RMS amp meter is only useful if its listed current range covers your load with room to spare, and if the listing actually says True RMS. This roundup covers the four listings in our research pool that state True RMS and describe an…
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This review compares three ESR meter listings from the source packet. The multimeter listings that came with the same packet belong to a different product type, so they are not ranked here, and the keyword’s multimeter side is therefore not answered by these listings. Each listing…
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Details The term circuit tester covers several different tools, and the listings in our research set show three of them: a vehicle circuit probe, an automotive test light, and circuit breaker finder kits that trace a circuit back to its breaker. This guide sets out what…
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Details A continuity tester answers one question: is there a complete electrical path between two points? This guide explains what continuity testers are used for, using only what four listings in our research set say about their uses. The listings are a multimeter with a continuity…