High Efficiency Hipot Test Solution

The hipot test is one of the major test items in electrical safety testing. All electrical components and products including transformers, capacitors, power supplies, chargers, and home appliances require hipot testing. With more than 3 decades of experience in developing instruments for test and measurement, Chroma created the 19020 Multi-Channel Hipot Tester with a brand new architecture. It can measure the hipot leakage current of all channels at the same time and conduct tests on up to 100 DUTs simultaneously. Chroma 19020 saves space on the production line by eliminating the need to purchase multiple hipot testers. Its one-time multi-channel test increases the efficiency of electrical safety testing. It improves manufacturing efficiency and reduces testing risks for products that require only hipot testing. Chroma 19020 also has powerful functions for Flashover detection and Open/Short Check. With several international patents, it is the best tool for regulatory electrical hipot tests as it not only offers reliable quality, but also creates a highly efficient test platform.

World's First Sync Hipot Test(Patent Registered) 

Chroma 19020 comes equipped with the world's first sync hipot test function. One single unit can operate 10 channels simultaneously with synchronized output and measurements. Up to 10 units (master & slave) can be linked to have 100 channels in total. These can be grouped for output as to avoid creating voltage differences caused by adjacent tests as well as to improve productivity.

Application 

Apply Chroma 19020 to various electrical products for quality assurance sampling, production line tests, and other previously time consuming testing demands.

One issue frequently encountered when testing multiple DUTs for hipot is that the voltage output cannot be synchronized. When planning for a production line or plant automation, facilities are often minimized and space optimized. As a result, the distance between two DUTs is usually quite small. For example, using an output voltage of 5kVac, if the output of the hipot tester is not synchronized, the two DUTs may create a discharge of high voltage difference (up to14kV peak-peak). This can cause the fixture to be damaged and create erroneous test results. Chroma 19020 synchronizes the output signal, preventing high voltage differences on the adjacent two ends. This not only extends the life of production equipment but also can reduce the occurrence of misjudgments.

As with other Chroma EST instruments, the 19020 has a Flashover detection function. Flashover is the electrical discharge generated by a high electric field inside or on the surface of insulation material which causes the DUT to lose its insulation characteristics and form a transient or discontinuous discharge. It can cause a carbonized conductive path, or even damage the product under test. Flashover cannot be detected by only monitoring leakage current. The change rates of the test voltage or leakage current must also be monitored to identify flashover as its detection is one of the most indispensable test items for electrical safety testing.

The OSC function checks for any Open (bad connection) or Short (DUT short circuited) errors during testing. If a DUT has an open circuit during testing, the unit might be misjudged as a good product. If a DUT has a short circuit, the OSC function can filter it out early to diminish damage to the fixture and save testing costs.

In general, products under hi-pot test have capacitance (CX). CX could be tens of pF to several μF under normal operating conditions. When the circuit connection is interrupted, a small capacitance (Cc in Figure 6) will be formed on the broken interface that is usually lower than 10pF. This makes the entire capacitance of the product lower than its normal value. The capacitance of a product may be higher than normal when the product is short-circuited or near a short circuit. Thus, the high/low limits of capacitance variation can be used to identify short circuit errors.

Chroma 19020 can be used to test a variety of electrical parts and products. The multi-channel hipot tester can test multiple DUTs at once. Some applications include:

• Power cord and other cable material for automation devices
• Capacitor and resistance for automation devices
• Insulation test of switch and connector
• One-time testing of transformer with multiple pins or multiple units
• Production planning for charger and adapter