Electrical tester enables simultaneous voltage and current measurements

 Troubleshooting electrical systems has traditionally required gaining access to metallic contact points so the test leads can make contact. And while pen-style non-contact voltage testers have been available for some time, these tools only detect voltage. They do not give the user a measured value.

Fluke has now developed FieldSense technology that takes the open-fork, current-measuring functionality of its existing T5 Electrical Tester and adds ac voltage measurements. So now, electricians can use Fluke tools to take simultaneous voltage and current measurements — not just detection — without test leads.

The new T6 true-rms Electrical Testers, the first tools to use FieldSense technology, are now available at local distributors and retailers.

Safer way to test voltage
Contacting electrical conductors with test leads requires metal-to-metal contact, which carries the potential for arc flash or electrical shock.

FieldSense technology eliminates that step.

How FieldSense works
While the technology in the T5 detects an ac magnetic field to derive an ac current measurement, FieldSense Technology detects the ac electric field.

The T6 creates a reference signal, which is carried to earth ground through capacitive coupling. When the open fork of the tester is placed over a live conductor, the ac electric field interacts with the reference signal. The resulting composite waveform is detected by an electronic sensor built into the tester. After amplification, digital signal processing, and calculations, voltage and frequency measurements are derived.

Fluke engineers then combined the two different physical phenomena— ac magnetic field sensing and ac electric field sensing—into one device. The result is Fluke’s first tool that gives users a way to simultaneously measure voltage and current without metallic contact.