Micsig Current Probe CP2100A/B Tests and Comparing

[Hydron]

Huh, looks like Pintech is also doing Tek/Hikoi style probes too now (as well as some of the lower bandwidth ones similar to the links above):
http://en.pintech.com.cn/bls_html/urrentprobeblsarticlelist/bls_article_list12.html

I wonder how closely the construction matches the Tek ones - they business end of those hasn't really changed since the 60s!

Note that there is also Pintek as well in the same market space (albeit without the tek/hikoi type offerings) - I'm not sure who copies who (or if it goes both ways), but the names are bad enough.

[tautech]

Pintech is China company and Pintek is Taiwan.
AFAIK Pintek is the older company and first made the likes of DP-25 differential probes after which they were copied by Pintech.

Pintek's current probe offerings:
http://www.pintek.com.tw/product_classify/landersound-tail/index.php?Product_Site_Classify_SN=33672&PHPSESSID=5ubfkn4vbbie2hnjkpk2r07am6&Company_SN=6002

[Martin72]

I wonder how closely the construction matches the Tek ones - they business end of those hasn't really changed since the 60s!

There was no need to change anything, the concept was brilliant until nowadays.
And what the clones concerns - Looking at ebay, many parts from the tek probes are offered from china.
I think, they´ve examined it, now they don´t need them anymore and selling them...

[Weston]

Oh, interesting....
Never saw it before, looks like a tek/hioki clone.
Noisefloor 1mVrms=10mArms, accuracy 3%.
Hm-hm...Interesting.

I would not be surprised if the most expensive parts of the whole thing was the nice plastic case and the custom mechanical components.

If Micsig could pull out the technical design and real good building quality at such a low price, these "alternatives" are much more overpriced:


Rigol RP1002C for 1886€

Testec TT-CC990 for 1178€

R&S RT-ZC02 for 898€

Siglent CP4070A for 842€

Aside from the high bandwidth probes similar to the tek models, which are a hybrid current transformer and hall effect sensor, those alternatives are indeed even more overpriced. Its the same technology used in cheap PCB mount current sensors, a TMR/hall effect sensor and some commodity opamps.

I know because I have designed the same thing, except using a higher bandwith AMR sensor. Development is ongoing, but I am going to be launching it as a crowd funded project in the next few months https://www.flickr.com/photos/63341195@N08/albums/72157715180470002 

Test equipment has a huge markup compared to other products, their profit margins must be very large.

[JonM]

Trying to justify one of these for myself so trying to understand.  A few questions:
1.  Wouldn't you need to look at a much higher scope frequency to see any ringing?
2.  On a typical solar inverter or SMPS would there typically be any place that large a probe would fit that would be worth while to see ringing?

That specifically was a dig at the CP-65 and clones of it.. yeah.. it rings at that low of a frequency x_x

I'd point you to watch this guy's review of it.. and yeah he kinda looks like he came from metallica lol

The Kiss Analog guy compared the Micsig to a Fluke 80i-110s which appears to be identical to my HP 1146A current probe (delivered in an Agilent box in late 2000). Presumably neither Fluke nor HP made that probe.

I just got an email from Suse with the tracking number for my CP2100B so I will remove the battery from the 1146A and store it out of the way...

[maginnovision]

Well mine is supposed to be delivered today from Dave and as luck would have it I'm not home. Let's hope nobody decides to take it. Hasn't happened before but always a first time.

[Kean]

Mine has gone walkabout thanks to Australia Post.  It is still somewhere in Sydney, so hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.

[maginnovision]

Wow, that's pretty bad it makes it to my house in Ca, USA before you.

[Kean]

Wow, that's pretty bad it makes it to my house in Ca, USA before you.

Especially as shipping USA to AU is really slow right now, and I can't even get stuff delivered at all from some European countries, at least without paying a small fortune.

Postal service vs DHL Express
40km vs 12,000km
AUD $8 vs $30
6? days vs 5? days

And just for fun, tracking info currently shows it in a non-existent Sydney suburb "BROOKVALEOREST".  The suburbs of Brookvale and Frenches Forest are actually further away from me than Dave's lab.

[maginnovision]

Here in the US I get that kind of service from FedEx. All my packages go the wrong way a couple days before starting the right way and then they don't attempt delivery for a couple days.

Rise time good at 125.8ns and delay at 136ns at 10A, and 116ns at 100A using the same current. Looks pretty good.

[Kean]

Well it turns out the tracking info was bogus.  I got home from a full day client meeting to find it on my bench.  My wife had gone for a walk and collected it from the post office.  I'll take it into the office tomorrow, but not sure when I will have a chance to test it out.

[Elasia]

Mine is still in sydney... it left and came back a half hour later lol

good thing its just a spare and dont need it

[Cubdriver]

Mine's apparently made it through Customs, and will allegedly arrive on Thursday the 3rd.

-Pat

[JonM]

Mine was supposed to arrive on Thursday the 3rd but it arrived today, Tuesday the 1st.

I only did a quick test but it was nice to get power from the scope's USB port. I was reminded of old Tek and/or LeCroy scopes that had multi-pin LEMO connectors to power active probes.

Dave still has 10 CP2100B s left, get one before they are gone!

[EEVblog]

Well it turns out the tracking info was bogus.  I got home from a full day client meeting to find it on my bench.  My wife had gone for a walk and collected it from the post office.  I'll take it into the office tomorrow, but not sure when I will have a chance to test it out.

Tracking in the last month since the whole Victorian thing has been completely screwed up for some reason.
Many people saying the tracking just says "Picked up" and then nothing, and then suddenly it just turns up (two weeks later for Victorians).

[Cubdriver]

Mine showed up early, too - got it today.  I'm impressed - less than a week from Australia to CT.  Haven't gotten to play with it yet, but should soon.  Looks like a nice piece of kit.   

-Pat

[Elasia]

Well it turns out the tracking info was bogus.  I got home from a full day client meeting to find it on my bench.  My wife had gone for a walk and collected it from the post office.  I'll take it into the office tomorrow, but not sure when I will have a chance to test it out.

Tracking in the last month since the whole Victorian thing has been completely screwed up for some reason.
Many people saying the tracking just says "Picked up" and then nothing, and then suddenly it just turns up (two weeks later for Victorians).

Same crap here in the states but that has only been the last month or two from trump taking a wreaking ball to the postal service.  DHL goes through the post for the last mile in my area and it just got to them.  Maybe have it in a week if i am lucky.. cant even go pick it up as its in a pallet bundle at the local distribution plant and they arent allowed to pull from it.

When are you going to put down that fixed dumpster scale and uploaded this probes review?   

[Elasia]

Just got mine in, thanks Dave!

Interesting nugget... I have serial number 31000-1166 from Dave and is dated 8/17/20 with the 2 MHz label, and my other one here is 31000-1161 dated 7/22/20 and is labeled 2.5 MHz

So looks like they cut over just after 1160s, i'll have to set something up to compare them sometime

[Martin72]

Well....2Mhz or 2.5, I don´t care about - It´s way beyond my needs anyway...
But I´l habe a look on the serial number of my new arrived one in early august.
It´s on the work for testing it with "real" currents, so I can tell it later.

[EEVblog]

Just got mine in, thanks Dave!
Interesting nugget... I have serial number 31000-1166 from Dave and is dated 8/17/20 with the 2 MHz label, and my other one here is 31000-1161 dated 7/22/20 and is labeled 2.5 MHz
So looks like they cut over just after 1160s, i'll have to set something up to compare them sometime

I'd be interested to see a teardown difference in the 800kHz model.

[Kean]

Just got mine in, thanks Dave!

Interesting nugget... I have serial number 31000-1166 from Dave and is dated 8/17/20 with the 2 MHz label, and my other one here is 31000-1161 dated 7/22/20 and is labeled 2.5 MHz

So looks like they cut over just after 1160s, i'll have to set something up to compare them sometime

Mine has a serial number of 31000-1523 and is labelled as 2MHz.  Dated same as yours 2020-08-17.

[EEVblog]

Just got mine in, thanks Dave!

Interesting nugget... I have serial number 31000-1166 from Dave and is dated 8/17/20 with the 2 MHz label, and my other one here is 31000-1161 dated 7/22/20 and is labeled 2.5 MHz

So looks like they cut over just after 1160s, i'll have to set something up to compare them sometime

Mine has a serial number of 31000-1523 and is labelled as 2MHz.  Dated same as yours 2020-08-17.

All my units are 2MHz.
They might have re-labled old stock units. I don't believe there is any electrical change, they just decided to be more conversative with the spec based on production testing.

[Martin72]

My 2.5 Mhz version got the S/N 31000-1044 and is dated from 29.05.2020

[voltlog]

I recently got the CP2100A and I did a review & teardown on my yt channel I will link the video below the text. I also published some images from the teardown here so if you are interested in taking a closer look to identify any differences between the A and B variant, these should help. From what I could tell the markings on the sensor is 8877 which is the same as what you guys have on the 2MHz B variant, right? BTW if you are looking to get the CP2100A 800KHz there is a discount code mentioned on my video, you could use that to get a better deal.

[Algasman]

After following the discussions and trying to decide if I should go with the A or B version, I decided for the economic more bang for the buck A-Version.
Last week I got it delivered so I wanted to check the performance myself. The results are almost too good to be true, so I would like to know if you agree with my test setup.

SDG1032X as source, feeding a BNC-connector through 5 loops on the current probe clamp into 3x150 Ohms. SDS1204X-E Channel 1 Voltage of 50 Ohm load resistor, 10x Probe, Channel 4 CP2100A 2x (because of the 5 turn coil)

During measurement, I maintained 2,50V RMS over the load resistor, and measured the current as RMS (nominal 50mA)

This picture shows the voltage and current @800kHz, the nominal bandwidth of the CP2100A.

To me this looks much better than the specs, is my setup suitable for bandwidth measurement?