| Alternating Current, AC: - Current that reverses direction on a regular basis. Utility power is usually generated in the form of a sinusoid at a frequency of 60 times per second in the United States and 50 times per second in other countries. |
| Arc: - A partial momentary breakdown due to the force of a strong electric field on closely spaced conductors, sometimes evidenced by corona or a luminous flashover.
An arc may or may not be indicative of a breakdown. |
| Breakdown: - The failure of insulation to effectively prevent the flow of current. |
| CE Mark: - The CE Mark is the manufacturer’s or importer’s mark of conformity declaring compliance with all applicable directives (Safety, EMC, Machinery, Medical and others). The use of the CE Marking and the Declaration of Conformity will be mandatory for most products sold in the European Community. |
| Class I Products: - A product with a protective earth connection to its chassis. |
Class II Products: - A product which is composed of both basic and supplementary insulation, sometimes called a Double Insulated product. |
| Conductor: - A solid or liquid material which permits the flow of electrons. A material which has a volume resistivity of no more than 103 Ω-cm |
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Current: - The movement of electrons through a conductor. Current is measured in amperes (A), milliamperes (mA), microamperes (uA), nanoamperes (nA). Symbol = I |
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Dielectric: - An insulating material that is positioned between two conductive materials in such a way that a charge or voltage may appear across the two conductive materials. |
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Direct Current, DC: - Current that flows in one direction only. The source of direct current is said to be polarized and has one terminal that is always at a higher potential than the other. |
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DUT: - Device Under Test. |
Earth: - The point in a circuit or system that is referenced to the earth, also known as Earth Ground. |
Electrical Safety Tester: - General term describes Multi-Function Hipot, Ground Bond Testers. |
Frequency: - The number of cycles an AC waveform repeats over time. Usually given in Hertz (Hz). |
Ground: - Refers to the point of low potential in a circuit to which all other voltages are referenced. May or may not be tied to the earth. Also referred to as Earth. |
Hot: - Used to refer to the test lead or output side of an instrument that is at high potential. |
Impedance: - The property of capacitive or inductive items to attenuate certain frequencies. |
Insulation: - A solid, gas or liquid material which has a volume resistivity of at least 10 ¹² Ω-cm and is used for the purpose of restricting current flow between conductors. |
Leakage : - AC or DC current flow through insulation and over its surfaces. Current flow is directly proportional to voltage. The insulation is thought of as a constant impedance unless breakdown occurs. |
Neutral: - The point of low potential in a circuit to which all other voltages are referenced. Also known as Common. |
Peak Current: - The maximum amplitude of an AC current waveform. For a sinusoid, 1.414 x the RMS value. |
PLC : - Programmable Logic Control, an automation method using relay technology. |
Power: - The amount of work performed by an energy source over time, given in Watts (W). |
Reactive Current: The current component due to the reactive impedance of a load. Also called imaginary current. |
Real Current: - The current component due to the resistance of a load. |
Return: The path by which current returns to a source. |
| Resistance : - The property of a substance that impedes current and results in the dissipation of power in the form of heat. The practical unit of resistance is the ohm (Ω) . Symbol = R |
RMS: The Root Mean Squared value of a voltage or current waveform. An RMS waveform delivers the same amount of energy to a load as a DC waveform of the same value. For a sinusoid, the RMS value is .707 x the peak value. |
Safety Agency listing :- A Safety Agency Listing on an Electrical Safety Tester means that the product has been tested to and passed strict safety agency standards, including type tests such as protective ground circuit, voltage and dielectric withstand tests. It assures the user that the fundamental design of the instrument is safe for normal use. |
| Total Current: - The vector sum of the real current component and the reactive current component produced by an applied voltage. |
| VA: - A rating of instantaneous power found by multiplying an instrument’s maximum output current by its maximum output voltage. |
| Voltage: - The force which causes current through an electrical conductor, given in volts (V). Symbol = V |
