Micsig CP1003/CP503 100MHz/50MHz Current Probe

[EEVblog]

Anyone interested in the Micsig CP503B 50MHz current probe that's coming out?
https://www.micsig.com/CP1003/

I'm thinking of stocking it. Can get a reasonable price for 50 units.
The B version has standard BNC for use on any scope, other version is Micsig custom interface.
Could sell the 50MHz version for under USD$500

[Martin72]

Could sell the 50MHz version for under USD$500

 

Are you sure ?
EDIT:

Talking about prices

[EEVblog]

Could sell the 50MHz version for under USD$500

Are you sure ?

Yep. They have already given me a 50qty price.

[Martin72]

WTF...

Do you ship to germany ??
If yes you can bet on it I want one...
Then testing it and if it´s good, maybe order 2 or more for the company I´m working for.

[EEVblog]

WTF...
Do you ship to germany ??
If yes you can bet on it I want one...
Then testing it and if it´s good, maybe order 2 or more for the company I´m working for.

I can ship to Germany.
They said a sample will be available at the end of the month.
I don't have a comparatively high bandwidth current probe to compare to though, but can of course check against a series resistor.

[Psi]

Do you think it's feasible to make up a cable with thinner wire loop across it to turn the 30A range into 300A?

[Martin72]

I would test it simple way,

First with the bodnar pulser and (internal)50ohms(doing bode plot), then taking to work and compare it on several measures with the still unbeatable A6302 probe from Tek...

I can ship to Germany.

Pls pm me when you can do it.

[tautech]

Do you think it's feasible to make up a cable with thinner wire loop across it to turn the 30A range into 300A?

Do you need one ?
I think we have some 200A probes left.

[EEVblog]

Pls pm me when you can do it.

I could take a risk and order 50 units now sight unseen. But otherwise it's end of month to get one, then testing time, then order, then however many weeks/months to get them.
What to do...

[EEVblog]

Do you think it's feasible to make up a cable with thinner wire loop across it to turn the 30A range into 300A?

I guess that's possible. Never tried it myself.

[Martin72]

Do you think it's feasible to make up a cable with thinner wire loop across it to turn the 30A range into 300A?

We also got the A6303 Probe from tek, which can measure up to 100A.
To use it (or the 50Mhz A6302) for higher currents there´s a simple trick avaible.
A "current divider"...
Say 1:10, take 10 wires absoutely with the same length  (crimped together on both sides)as a kind of link in the circuit current flowing.
Then hook the probe in one of the 10 wires and measure the current, multiply it with 10...
It´s the opposite of turning several wires around the core (this you do when you got less current flow)
To simulate more current as you got you turn multiple wires to the core.
To measure more current than your probe can, you use a divider.

[tautech]

Do you think it's feasible to make up a cable with thinner wire loop across it to turn the 30A range into 300A?

I guess that's possible. Never tried it myself.

It's an old as the hills trick and even mentioned in old Tek documentation and one reason why we won't stock current probes with tiny cable holes so to get multiple wraps into them.

[EEVblog]

Do you think it's feasible to make up a cable with thinner wire loop across it to turn the 30A range into 300A?

I guess that's possible. Never tried it myself.

It's an old as the hills trick and even mentioned in old Tek documentation and one reason why we won't stock current probes with tiny cable holes so to get multiple wraps into them.

No, this is the opposite. Not multiple turns to turn a large current proce into a smaller current probe, but a single thicker wire paralleled with a thinner wire that goes through the current probe to turn a small current probe into a bigger current probe. Probaby easier to use say 10 wires of the same diameter and then only clamp one of them, bingo 1:10 probe.

[Martin72]

See my last post here.

[nctnico]

WTF...
Do you ship to germany ??
If yes you can bet on it I want one...
Then testing it and if it´s good, maybe order 2 or more for the company I´m working for.

I can ship to Germany.
They said a sample will be available at the end of the month.
I don't have a comparatively high bandwidth current probe to compare to though, but can of course check against a series resistor.

I have to admit this is a very interesting current probe.

Realistically: how much is MicSig selling these for through their own Aliexpress / Amazon / Ebay store? And how about dealers in Europe like Batronix? My guess is that shipping costs and VAT are going to make the market for overseas orders quite small.

Also, I would really like to see some actual tests where it comes to noise performance and looking at small currents before I would consider getting one myself.

[Hydron]

<$500 is a pretty ground-breaking price if these are the same type of probe as Tek/Hikoi, i.e. thin-film hall sensor with nulling coil/amplifier. Still pricey but we certainly would have bought a couple in a place I worked where the $4k or more to get a tek probe+amp put off the bean-counters (we muddled through using an iProber). I'd even consider $500 for a hobby purchase - these type of probes (where you're not worrying so much about nulling the earth's field, or <5MHz BW limiting their use) are pretty great to have available.

Dave, a quick and dirty way of measuring them would be to break out a sig-gen output via a loop section big enough to clamp around, then terminate it with 50R and derive the reference current from the voltage across the termination (is this what you meant by series resistor?).

There are some high-BW CTs you can pick up second hand as well for comparison, e.g. some of the Tek CT-x range, or Pearson units (I've got a couple of these: https://pearsonelectronics.com/pdf/2877.pdf) but they normally go for good money. It's not necessarily trivial to get a good measurement result once you get to those frequencies though, either to characterise the probe or for in-circuit use, so I'd say that any sizable premium for the 100MHz version vs the 50MHz one wouldn't be worth it in most cases.

[nctnico]

A really good test is to use a square wave current (1A / 10A) with steep edges so you can see whether the changeover between HAL and inductive sensing is working correctly.

[Martin72]

<$500 is a pretty ground-breaking price if these are the same type of probe as Tek/Hikoi, i.e. thin-film hall sensor with nulling coil/amplifier.

It got degaussing function so I guess it follows this principle.
Last year I got a tek clone from instrance, not bad, better than all probes you can buy without degaussing, but it got overshoots and the inside building quality was bad.
So hopes are high micsig will do it better, the CP2100 series from micsic are having a superb building quality outside and inside...

[electr_peter]

On Saelig site, CP503/CP1003 is ~500-700 USD, CP503B/CP1003B is double(!) at  ~1000-1200 USD. Price difference makes no sense to me, because B version just has different form factor with same specs.
CP503B at ~$500 is interesting, though.

[EEVblog]

On Saelig site, CP503/CP1003 is ~500-700 USD, CP503B/CP1003B is double(!) at  ~1000-1200 USD. Price difference makes no sense to me, because B version just has different form factor with same specs.
CP503B at ~$500 is interesting, though.

Sounds like I'm going to own the market then 

[EEVblog]

Dave, a quick and dirty way of measuring them would be to break out a sig-gen output via a loop section big enough to clamp around, then terminate it with 50R and derive the reference current from the voltage across the termination (is this what you meant by series resistor?).

Yes. Function gen direct outputas are limited in output current though, so I'd have to find another solution. But yes the idea is series resistor that can be scoped for comparison. If not ground referenced then I can use my HVP70 70MHz diff probe or a floating scope.

[Martin72]

Price difference makes no sense to me, because B version just has different form factor with same specs.

Look again....
One fits only in micsig scopes, the other(B) is universal for all scopes and got dedicated circuits for it.
Dave:
Which version will you get ?

[EEVblog]

Price difference makes no sense to me, because B version just has different form factor with same specs.

Look again....
One fits only in micsig scopes, the other(B) is universal for all scopes.
Dave:
Which version will you get ?

The B version for all scope of course. Practically zero market for a Micsig interface unit.

[Martin72]

Hm...

Practically zero market for a Micsig interface unit.

Therefore it makes sense when this version is cheaper...or not, I´m a little bit confused.

https://www.saelig.com/micsig/cp503b.htm

They want double the price you offer, but same price (499) for the version which fits only to micsig scopes.

https://www.saelig.com/micsig/cp503.htm

[nctnico]

Dave, a quick and dirty way of measuring them would be to break out a sig-gen output via a loop section big enough to clamp around, then terminate it with 50R and derive the reference current from the voltage across the termination (is this what you meant by series resistor?).

Yes. Function gen direct outputas are limited in output current though, so I'd have to find another solution. But yes the idea is series resistor that can be scoped for comparison. If not ground referenced then I can use my HVP70 70MHz diff probe or a floating scope.

I have a DC load that is switching (low inductance planar) resistors through MOSFETs to achieve various resistance values. It can do seriously steep current changes in 'PSU torture' mode. It is only limited by wire inductance.