AMETEK BPS Series - Manual (Page 96)

User Manual AMETEK Programmable Power
BPS Series 96
5.4.2 Controller Measurements
For BPS Series the following four measurement screens are available:
Mode AC
MEASUREMENTS 1
VOLTAGE AC rms voltage
CURRENT AC rms current
FREQUENCY Frequency
POWER Real power
MEASUREMENTS 2
VA POWER Apparent power
PEAK CURR Highest AC current
found
POWER FACT Power factor
CREST FACT Crest factor
MEASUREMENTS 3
VOLT THD Voltage distortion
CURR THD Current distortion
INST PK CURR Instantaneous peak
current
PHASE Phase angle
Note: The V and I distortion calculations are based on H2 through H50 with the RMS current in the
denominator. Note that some definitions of THD use the fundamental component (H1) as the denominator.
This may result in different readings between instruments depending on the implementation chosen.
Measurements are always running in the background. When the user selects a measurement screen for
display, the AC source first updates all the measurement parameters before displaying the requested
screen. This process may take up to a second. Consequently, pressing the MEAS key may not always
bring up the selected screen immediately. There will be a perceptible delay. This will prevent the screen
from appearing with invalid or blank readouts.
The measurement method for voltage and current will depend on the power source’s operating mode. The
following table shows the return value type (rms or average) and method of coupling when the
measurement command is initiated with a different extension in AC operating mode.
Measurement
Extension and
Coupling Operating Mode
AC
AC rms
DC rms
Coupling AC
5.4.3 Accuracy Considerations
Any measurement system has a finite accuracy specification. Measurement specifications are listed in
Section 2. When using the AC source for measurement purposes, always consider these specifications
when interpreting results. Measurement inaccuracies become more pronounced as the signal being
measured is at the low end of the measurement range. This is particularly relevant for low current
measurements. The BPS Series is a high power AC source optimized for providing and measuring high