The AT3600 offers two basic alternative ways to confirm that the transformer has been assembled properly, with the appropriate number of primary and secondary turns, the right grade of magnetic material for the core, and the correct air gap if required.

Magnetising current and open circuit voltage are the preferred tests for line frequency transformers, designed to operate over the full extent of the B-H curve, including the non-linear regions.

(For other transformers, such as pulse transformers and those used in switched mode power supplies, inductance and turns ratio are the preferred tests.)

MEASUREMENT CONDITIONS

When measuring magnetising current, you should normally program the test to apply the highest working voltage at the lowest working frequency to the primary winding.

In the case of a transformer with a split primary, the test can be conducted equally well by energising just one of the primary windings, as opposed to the two in series. The expected current will be greater for the single winding, rising in proportion to the turns ratio:

I_A = I_AB x (N_AB / N_A)

where
I_A = The current to be specified when testing with winding A
I_AB = The current for windings A and B in series
N_A = The number of turns on winding A
N_AB = The number of turns on A and B in series

(As an alternative, the formula above can be written using the voltage ratio between the two windings, rather than the turns ratio.)

In principle, you may measure the magnetising current using any winding, or any series combination of windings, with the current limit adjusted according to the formula above, because the Ampere-turns required to magnetise a transformer to a given flux level is independent of which winding is used.

In practice, the magnetising current waveform may have a transient component following the switch-on of the test voltage. To give you repeatable accurate results, the measurement does not start until any transient has settled. In addition, to give you the quickest test execution time, the AT3600 uses a switch-on sequence which minimises such transient effects.

SPECIFYING THE TEST LIMITS

The AT3600 offers you two ways to specify the test limits:
Using a true rms measurement
Using a mean-sense measurement, which is scaled to rms for sinewaves.

Generally the rms value would be used.

However, you may wish to use the second method if, for example, your test limits have been established by a previous measurement on a low cost multimeter which uses this technique.

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