Micsig CP2100A Best Affordable Current Probe | Voltlog

[@EEVblog]

My conclusion as well, which is why I'm selling the more expensive 2MHz unit on my store. Nothing else seems to come close, quality and performance is excellent. You beat me to the review video!

[@billimew7496]

True. But for the power electronics circuit we need atleast 10 MHz for the dc-dc converter. All expensive options only. :/

[@TheDefpom]

Now I’m tempted to get one to review, I do have signal generators etc to test its sensitivity across the frequency range.

[@voltlog]

The bandwidth is there, no doubt about it. 😁

[@cmuller1441]

7:25 you don't use the probe properly. To get the best accuracy in DC you should place the probe on the cables with 0A, do the zero and then activate the circuit without touching the probe. Otherwise the probe will be influenced by the change in magnetic field of the environment due to the change in position. If you can't turn off the circuit during the zero then at least place the probe as close as possible to its final position to do the zero you you don't have to move it too much.

[@voltlog]

You are right, getting as close as possible to it's final position will improve the accuracy 👍

[@andrewkieran8942]

@VoltLog, I have no need for one of these but I was so impressed at how cleanly you removed the label to access the screws, without damaging it. ;-)

[@electronic7979]

Nice review video

[@avejst]

Great review Thanks for sharing👍😀

[@voltlog]

My pleasure 😊

[@ufohunter3688]

What does the "800KHz"bellow the 100A printed on the front mean? You can't possibly use a laminated transformer core material in > 100 Hz It will pick up nothing at 800 KHz! That's why I am asking.

[@voltlog]

That's the bandwidth of the probe and the B variant goes up to 2MHz and I'm pretty sure they use the same mechanical construction, possible just a different sensor with higher bandwidth.

[@ufohunter3688]

@@voltlog If the pickup head wasn't made of laminated transformer silicon steel, I'd buy their claim of 800KHz BW. As is, it's all fluff. Try building a switch mode power supply and run it at 800KHz, using a laminated iron-core transformer! See what happens! Vise-versa is true too. You can't use high frequency Iron powder cores, in a line transformer. The efficiency will plummet.

[@jaro6985]

@@ufohunter3688 Laminated cores are used in audio transformers, which is already 20kHz. Powdered cores can be used to measure quite wide frequency ranges, eg 5Hz to 5MHz (ct-b0.05). They may be compensating for any losses with calibration.

[@Gengh13]

Finally a decent current probe in an reasonable price range. Nice review.

[@kenwallace6493]

I bought one of these based on your review. It is indeed a quality device. I found the BW to be close to the more expensive 2.5MHz model. Great find!

[@voltlog]

It seems that most reports indicate the BW is close to the more expensive model which makes it an even better deal.

[@MatthewLiberty]

Great review! Sounds like a product I should own. I ordered the CP2100A, which could help Joulescope customers who want to affordably cross-check their high-amperage pulses.

[@voltlog]

I'm glad to hear the Joulescope creator finds my videos interesting! 👍

[@billimew7496]

Depends on the how fast pulse is. but if its not that fast then this is best option.

[@hemantbabel4279]

I think difference between A and B varient is probe not the circuitery in main box.

[@voltlog]

Well if we can identify the sensor they are using that would be a start.

[@hemantbabel4279]

Yeap

[@NiHaoMike64]

Interesting the core seems to be made of many laminations rather than ferrite as I would first assume.

[@opk157]

What is the status of the Gophert 1601 board you are working on? :)

[@voltlog]

Very little progress done on the firmware side of things, the people who joined the project are quite busy so it might be time to do another call for new people to join forces.

[@Ncky]

@@voltlog if you would like you could publish it to github and start group projects, people can arrange themselves to do what they want and then you can just review pull requests(or add project moderators / idk how are they called on github) . I think that this would work. Mine nps1601 is going to arrive soon, I'm probably going to poke around with logic analyzer on existing control board to see if there is any out data that could be used.

[@johnwick7175]

I have been happy with Micsigs differential probes, so I might get a set of these aswell

[@pdminvo4126]

I'd like to use this on HVAC equipment to see the inrush current so I need to measure current up to 400 amps. Is there something equivalent?

[@victorcastrellon4880]

Excellent video. Thank you. Did you already review the 2mhz probe? I am really interested in the 2mgz

[@voltlog]

I have not reviewed the 2MHz model but should be just as good 😁

[@ovidiulu]

My only concern would be C55 on the bottom side of the main PCB, which seems to connect the probe ground to the oscilloscope ground. It looks like a 0805, so accidentally putting 300V on the magnetic core seems too much. Or is the DC-DC converter used just for +/-5V and there is no galvanic separation for the probe circuitry?

[@AttilaAsztalos]

I suppose it's a good deal if one's requirements include a 800KHz bandwidth; but as long as they do not... $200 is quite far from my idea of cheap, especially while I can get exactly four Hantek CC65 probes from the same place for that money.

[@adlerweb]

Jupp. Only thing exceeding CC65 etc spect would be SMPS stuff, but current ICs are usually >800kHz, so the A-variant fills a space I wouldn't find much use cases here.

[@voltlog]

It's not just bandwitdh advantage over the CC65. The Micsig is also higher build quality, lower noise. Might be better in other regards as well, I haven't looked into the CC65 too much but with superior hardware design on the Micsig you would expect other advantages as well.

[@EEVblog]

The Hantek is 20kHz, so pretty useless for almost any switching supply frequency, not including even remotely fast edge harmonics.

[@AttilaAsztalos]

@@EEVblog which is specifically why I mentioned level of requirements explicitly. It's quite obvious a lower spec tool is inadequate _IF_ one really needs that kind of bandwidth. On the other hand we had a CC65 at work, just for occasionally measuring some of our stuff that changed current draw faster than a DMM could follow, and it did that quite adequately, especially considering that a clamp meter is _not_ a precision instrument, especially not in DC. And I know it's different for _you_ Dave, but around where _I_ live people simply don't tend to have $200 laying around for "the extra spec would be nice to have but I don't actually need it" McGuffins. Or, generally, laying around at all.

[@ristomatti]

Nice review! I didn't even know about this category of products but indeed they seem a very good value for the money.

[@voltlog]

Ristomatti Airo thank you!

[@FixDaily]

"Affortable" because it was for free :D

[@Markus0021]

Even at the $220 list price, it is 'affordable' compared to the $800-900+ competition. Similarly, a $50K Lamborghini knock-off would be 'affordable' compared to the original. It all depends on what you're comparing it to.

[@NiHaoMike64]

@@Markus0021 "a $50K Lamborghini knock-off" That's called a Tesla.

[@Markus0021]

@@NiHaoMike64 LOL

[@mumbles1justin]

This current prob looks like it’d be a good companion for the migsig differential probes I have. Right now I use a handtek ac/dc current prob I use it just because I couldn’t justify $800 ~ $1000 on a nicer one. But I can justify a couple hundred on a better one like this migsig.

[@allinoner]

Or you could have showed us the Hantek CC-65 or CC-650 AC/DC clamp 20kHz/400Hz which costs 50$. Hantek is also quite a good company. But hey, they didn’t send you theirs for free

[@RickB3n]

But the giveaway time? 😂 Thanks for the review.

[@voltlog]

I don't know what you mean?!

[@joelevi9823]

Theres a cheaper one from hantek for around 50$

[@rocketman221projects]

Those have significantly less bandwidth.

[@voltlog]

If you can work with the low bandwidth (20KHz), higher noise, lower build quality, 9V battery power option then the CC-65 might be an option worth trying.

[@ameliabuns4058]

"Budget" :D "300CAD" D: too broke to do electronics sigh....

[@yz8302]

Should we say this is made in China garbage? When talking about Chinese product especially measuring tools some people already have made their mind that these are junk no matter what.lol

[@sto2779]

how the hell you don't have a signal generator? Sounds like u got paid to do this lame advert.

[@modorangeorge4991]

Because nobody gives him a signal generator for free yet.