 16.04.2013 Marking its entrance into the power analyzer market, Tektronix this week debuted the PA4000 power analyzer. Based on intellectual property (IP) gained from Tek’s agreement with Voltech, the new power analyzer features a proprietary Spiral Shunt design, which includes dual internal spiral shunts in each module for stable measurements from micro-amps to high-current motor drives. A few weeks ago, I met up with Ken Price, product planner for Tektronix, to discuss this new product.
First, some specifics: Basic voltage and current accuracy is specified at 0.04% with crest factors up to 10. The PA4000 offers a voltage input range up to 1000V RMS, 2000 V peak. Its dual internal current shunts include a 20A RMS shunt for current up to 30A RMS, 200A peak. For low-current devices, each channel also includes a 1A RMS shunt. The shunts help keep voltage and current phase aligned during measurements. Sensing current accurately is challenging, and the IP in the instrument as well as high-resolution 14-bit ADCs make this possible. The unit measures up to the 100th harmonic.
Available with 1 to 4 inputs, the power analyzer is modular, so it can be configured in multiple ways. For instance, designers working on single-phase devices might order the PA4000 with two modules. Those working on three-phase devices would likely want all four channels. | 
