This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
David, I never use Arc Detect for type testing and I never recommend using Arc Detect for routine testing. It has a reputation of indicting perfectly good material as being bad. The Arc Detect setting is not required by any safety standard I use. Check and see if it's in print in the standard you're using. In fact, some IEC60664-based standards specifically say that partial discharges (micro-arcs) are excluded from the scope of dielectric test. And arc are definitely something that Arc Detect can sense.
I did some checking on how this "feature" can about, some time ago. It appears one manufacturer originally designed this circuit and then the others felt there was a competitive edge. So, all they followed suit. This is truly a marketing-driven feature. The problem is that the standards do not describe the correct detection circuit to use and hipot test equipment manufacturers each claim theirs uses the best detection method possible. The can't all be correct! The result is that different detection methods have different results. All this is not to say that Arc Detect is useless. It might be used as an early warning of partial discharge issues and your quality / reliability people may be interested in what this circuit does. However, it is not appropriate for product safety testing. When and if the technical committees accept the design and use of Arc Detect and explicitly codify it in the safety standards only then I will consider using it. Before that time, I'll stand toe-to-toe with any testing agency that tries to mandate it. Best regards, -doug Douglas E. Powell, Staff Engineer Corporate Compliance Advanced energy Industries, Inc. This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to [email protected] Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/listserv/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: [email protected] Dave Heald: [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstcTitle: RE: Dieletric Test Methods
David,
I never use Arc Detect for type testing and I never recommend using Arc
Detect for routine testing. It has a reputation of indicting perfectly
good material as being bad. The Arc Detect setting is not required by
any safety standard I use. Check and see if it's in print in the
standard you're using. In fact, some IEC60664-based standards
specifically say that partial discharges (micro-arcs) are excluded from
the scope of dielectric test. And arc are definitely something that Arc
Detect can sense.
I did some checking on how this "feature" can about, some time ago. It
appears one manufacturer originally designed this circuit and then the
others felt there was a competitive edge. So, all they followed suit.
This is truly a marketing-driven feature. The problem is that the
standards do not describe the correct detection circuit to use and hipot
test equipment manufacturers each claim theirs uses the best detection
method possible. The can't all be correct! The result is that
different detection methods have different results.
All this is not to say that Arc Detect is useless. It might be used as
an early warning of partial discharge issues and your quality /
reliability people may be interested in what this circuit does.
However, it is not appropriate for product safety testing. When and if
the technical committees accept the design and use of Arc Detect and
explicitly codify it in the safety standards only then I will consider
using it. Before that time, I'll stand toe-to-toe with any testing
agency that tries to mandate it.
Best regards,
-doug
Douglas E. Powell, Staff Engineer
Corporate Compliance
Advanced energy Industries, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------
This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society
emc-pstc discussion list. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/
To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to [email protected]
Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/listserv/request/user-guide.html
List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html
For help, send mail to the list administrators:
Ron Pickard: [email protected]
Dave Heald: [email protected]
For policy questions, send mail to:
Richard Nute: [email protected]
Jim Bacher: [email protected]
All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at:
http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc
ATT58999.txt
Description: Binary data
