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Sensor for measuring AC current SCT013 30A

grala1 9756 20
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Treść została przetłumaczona polish » english Zobacz oryginalną wersję tematu
  • Hello.
    Below is a description of the sensor for non-invasive current measurement up to 30A.
    The sensor can be purchased on Chinese auction portals together with the shipment at a price from about $ 4.5 or on Polish auction portals from about PLN 25 with the shipment.

    Sensor for measuring AC current SCT013 30A

    This sensor is called "Dietz clamp", i.e. it is easier to say that it is an ordinary transformer, but there is no primary winding in it, there is only a secondary winding, and the core of this transformer is divided, so you can fasten it with a cord non-invasively.
    The primary winding will be a wire on which the sensor core will be fastened.
    When using this sensor, a certain rule must be followed - the same as when using clamp meters - i.e. both this sensor and the clamp meter are fastened to only one of the power cables. In the case of fastening it with two wires supplying the device (phase and neutral wire), our sensor will usually show that no current flows through the wire, because as you know - the current in these wires flows in opposite directions and their sum will be zero.

    What is inside our sensor - not much.
    Sensor for measuring AC current SCT013 30A

    As I wrote above - we have a secondary winding with the number of turns 1800, a split core, a PCB, where the ends of the coil winding are connected and a resistor soldered between them. In this case it is a 62? resistor, on which we will measure our voltage from the sensor. For this one-meter cable terminated with a mini Jack plug.

    The "gear" of our sensor is 30/1, i.e. at 30A, the voltage of 1VAC will appear on the sensor plug.
    As the ratio of our sensor is 1: 1800, a current of 30 / (1/1800) = 0.01666A will flow through the secondary winding at 30A. The sensor has a built-in 62? resistor, so from Ohm's law we can calculate that at 30A, 0.01666 * 62 = 1.033V will appear on the sensor plug
    Now we know why the manufacturer gives the information 30A / 1V on the housing.

    Below are some measurements using this sensor.
    Sensor for measuring AC current SCT013 30A

    Here is a graph of the relationship between the measured current and the voltage appearing on the sensor plug.
    The blue line is our sensor measurement, the green line graph pattern.
    Sensor for measuring AC current SCT013 30A

    As you can see - the graph is almost linear and its deviation is not too large from the standard.
    The table also includes the calculated current based on the voltage reading and the percentage error. Here we see a maximum deviation of 5% between what the clamp meter showed and what came out of the voltage-to-current conversion.
    I used a clamp meter for the measurement, so you can't take these results literally.
    As you can see - in a fairly simple way, it is possible to make a non-invasive current measurement in a cheap way, if we do not care about high accuracy.
    This is how cheap clamp meters work, where we can only measure alternating current. Unfortunately, this sensor is not suitable for measuring direct current and in this case you need to use a sensor that uses the Hall effect, e.g. ACS712.

    On Google you can find several examples of connecting this sensor to Arduino with a ready-made program.
    As you can see, in a fairly cheap way (about PLN 30) we can build our own measuring clamps for measuring alternating current. We can also choose different variants of the CST013 sensor - versions are available: 5A, 10A, 15A, 20A, 30A or 100A, but it should be taken into account that the 100A version does not have a built-in resistor.

    In the appendix, the specification of the sensor described here.

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    About Author
    grala1
    VAG group specialist
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    grala1 wrote 9767 posts with rating 4871, helped 1481 times. Live in city Kalisz. Been with us since 2006 year.
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  • #2 17040721
    Krzysztof Kamienski
    Level 43  
    Ferrite core ...... Not a bad current probe for an oscilloscope. I am buying! even though I have a more advanced one. :D
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  • #3 17041030
    Szyszkownik Kilkujadek
    Level 37  
    I admit that I am very positively surprised by the measurement accuracy.
  • #4 17041087
    andrzejek23
    Level 19  
    This is not a sensor.
    This is an ordinary open-core current transformer with a load resistor on the secondary side. The resistor has two functions - measurement of voltage drop as a function of current and protection against damage to the transformer (the loaded current transformer cannot work with the open secondary side).
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  • #5 17064509
    Rysiek.K
    Level 14  
    Gentlemen, I made such a sensor, based on the Arduino Uno. The problem is that the measurement is floating - does any of you have an idea where to look for the problem?
    The measurement also flows after the system is completely disconnected from the processor. I chose different values of the sensor resistors next to the sensor and I admit that I'm running out of ideas.
    Have any of you had a similar problem?
  • #6 17064698
    Szyszkownik Kilkujadek
    Level 37  
    Did you know you measure alternating current? And therefore sampling must be fast enough ...?
  • #7 17065046
    Rysiek.K
    Level 14  
    I know that. I use a ready downloaded from the Netigo academy
    http://akademia.nettigo.pl/power_meter/#kod_programu
    But also, as I wrote, the measurement `` floats '' even when no electricity is connected, or even the sensor itself. I presume that these are some disturbances but I don't know how to get rid of them
  • #8 17065078
    Szyszkownik Kilkujadek
    Level 37  
    Floats to what extent?
    Have you modified the "calibration" values in your code?
  • #9 17065220
    Rysiek.K
    Level 14  
    I modified it but maybe it was done with inappropriate values - I don't know
    For example, when I set the code so that the return value is in the order of 10 - 20, it is like that for some time, then values around 100 and more appear. Maybe you can tell me which values and how to modify it, because I admit that I am a bit green in it
    By the way, I will ask how can this sensor be calibrated? is there any known procedure?
    - I use 1W, 5W and 50 watt bulbs for this purpose, but as I wrote, even if I do not connect the load in the form of a light bulb, the system automatically gives different values

    Below is the code I'm using
    #include "EmonLib.h" // Include Emon Library
    EnergyMonitor emon1; // Create an instance

    void setup ()
    {
    Serial.begin (9600);

    emon1.current (1,111.1); // Current: input pin, calibration.
    }

    void loop ()
    {
    double Irms = emon1.calcIrms (1480); // Calculate Irms only; 1480: number of samples

    Serial.print (Irms * 230.0); // Apparent power
    Serial.print ("");
    Serial.println (Irms); // Irms
    }
  • #10 17083959
    lukiiiii
    Level 29  
    For me, I am distorting it by 0.7A, but the measurement is rather stable.
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  • #11 17102758
    Rysiek.K
    Level 14  
    OKAY
    I can see that a good calibration helps a little, plus cable shielding and separation of power and CPU from mains interference
  • #12 17108926
    TechEkspert
    Editor
    There is a wide selection of these transformers with different measuring ranges: http://en.yhdc.com/product1311.html?productId=401
    I had the opportunity to check the 100A / 50mA current transformer: SCT013 100A: 50mA

    The price-quality ratio of these transformers is good, and for more demanding applications it is known that more expensive transformers are needed.
  • #13 20001294
    JohnNeo
    Level 12  
    Let me refresh the topic a bit

    Can anyone check how this SCT013 sensor behaves at DC pulses? Will it then show me the current values of the alternating current pulses coming from the DC voltage?

    Regards
  • #14 20001347
    Krzysztof Kamienski
    Level 43  
    JohnNeo wrote:
    Will it then show me the current values of the alternating current pulses coming from the DC voltage?
    Like any transformer :D there will be a "counter-impulse".
  • #15 20001361
    JohnNeo
    Level 12  
    I am just asking if someone has tested such a transformer in work with such pulses and will I be able to easily observe these pulses on an oscilloscope?
  • #16 20001371
    Krzysztof Kamienski
    Level 43  
    @JohnNeo Yes, I used this transformer at the output of the thyristor DC motor driver and I need to focus a bit on the interpretation of the oscillogram. :cry:
  • #17 20001380
    JohnNeo
    Level 12  
    Yes, I understand. Did you have the oscillogram repeatable for particular engine loads?
  • #18 20001384
    Krzysztof Kamienski
    Level 43  
    In fact, yes, so many DC pulses were almost mirrored, maybe with a slightly smaller amplitude.
  • #19 20001397
    JohnNeo
    Level 12  
    Precise measurements will not be needed. It is enough for me to see the moment of feeding the coils with very short pulses of hundreds of hertz and to be able to, for example, recognize whether any of these coils (with the same parameters) has failed or whether its parameters differ from the norm.
  • #20 20002475
    Krzysztof Kamienski
    Level 43  
    This is how this transformer works as an oscilloscope current probe and a 25 kW / 400 VDC driver for my product's motor :D . Four 110 V bulbs are the load so far, so no inductive response.
    Sensor for measuring AC current SCT013 30A Sensor for measuring AC current SCT013 30A Sensor for measuring AC current SCT013 30A
    The H-bridge of the four DC SSRs inverts the stator polarity to change the direction of rotation.
  • #21 20002567
    JohnNeo
    Level 12  
    Thank you for the pictures. Helpful post.

Topic summary

The SCT013 sensor, also known as a "Dietz clamp," is a non-invasive current transformer designed for measuring AC current up to 30A. Users have reported positive experiences regarding its measurement accuracy and usability as a current probe for oscilloscopes. The sensor operates by fastening around a single power cable, adhering to the same principles as clamp meters. Discussions include calibration challenges, floating measurements, and the sensor's behavior with DC pulses. Users have shared insights on modifying calibration values, shielding, and separating power from CPU interference to improve measurement stability. The SCT013 model is noted for its good price-quality ratio, with alternatives available for different current ranges.
Summary generated by the language model.
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