Measuring short

interrupts on the
mains with a Fluke
ScopeMeter® 190 Series Application Note

Electrical energy is the driving force of today’s world. It is

available almost everywhere you go, and is capable of driving
all sorts of equipment from heating and cooking equipment,
through motors and ventilators to the PC that this application
note is written on. And it’s available all the time.
Or is it?

Power interruptions repetitive signal. But it is also

capable of detecting the absence
Unfortunately the unconditional
of a signal for a certain amount of
availability of electrical power can
time, for instance of the mains
never be taken for granted. In fact,
voltage.
quite frequently interruptions occur
of various durations. Many of these
When the oscilloscope is used to
pass unnoticed, but some may
monitor the mains signal, an
prevent your equipment from
interruption will trigger the
working properly. The longest
oscilloscope and the waveform
interrupts are obviously the ones
information will be “frozen” in the
that make all lights go down and all
oscilloscope’s memory. If more such
equipment stop. But sometimes, we
events should occur, the scope
see only a single piece of equipment
screen will automatically be
blink as if the power has been
updated for each such event, and
interrupted, after which operation
the successive events will be stored
continues immediately with nothing
in the so-called REPLAY-memory.
else apparently indicating that mains voltage is interrupted. To do
The whole sequence of events can
anything has happened. This then so, we set up the ScopeMeter to
then be re-played and analyzed
raises question of whether the recognize the absence of any
from the scope screen which also
‘hiccough’ was due to a power voltage for longer than 3/4 of a
displays a date- and timestamp,
malfunction, or to the fact that the cycle, this is 15 ms (or 12.5 ms for
or it can be copied to a PC for
affected piece of equipment itself a 60 Hz system), as this can only
documenting and archiving.
is faulty. happen during an interrupt of the
normal cycle.
Here's a set-up that allows you to
An oscilloscope from the ScopeMeter
detect the moments that the mains
190 Series can be a valuable tool in Connect the ScopeMeter probe to
voltage is interrupted.
finding answers here, as it allows input A, and connect the probe
you to detect these short-duration ground clip (alligator) to the mains
Instrument set-up
interrupts of the electrical power neutral. Connect the probe tip to the
system. The mains voltage is a sinusoidal ‘live’ mains line. Be careful in
AC voltage. This means that it is half making these connections as the
Pulse width triggering the time positive and half the time mains system carries a lethal
negative. A full cycle takes 20 ms if voltage! Use only the safety-
ScopeMeter 190 Series oscilloscopes
the line frequency is 50 Hz, or designed accessories described
are equipped with a so-called
16.6 ms for 60 Hz systems. with the Fluke ScopeMeter.
pulsewidth-trigger facility.
Given this AC voltage, we can set-up Alternatively, if a low-voltage
This system is able to detect, for
the ScopeMeter to detect if the transformer is part of the system
instance, the pulse width in a
under test, measure on the low- ready to respond to any short-term
voltage side of that transformer as interrupt of the mains voltage.
this provides the necessary safety Figure 3, 4 and 5 give some examples
barrier. of power interrupts that were
captured.
Select the ScopeMeter to work in
‘Scope’ mode, and make sure the Conclusion
instrument is in ‘Auto’ mode (see
Malfunctioning of electronic
upper right corner of the screen).
equipment is sometimes related to
If it is not in ‘Auto’ mode, press the Figure 3: Power disruption due to a loose
short-duration interrupts of the
green AUTO/MANUAL button to set contact in the wiring (Fluke 199C)
mains supply. This calls for a tool to
the indicator in the upper-right
find such interrupts, complete with
corner to read ‘Auto’. A continuous a new menu layer appears. Select
date and time of occurrence. Fluke
the negative oriented pulses (‘U’-
ScopeMeter 190 Series oscilloscopes
shaped pulses) and the condition
are capable of conveniently
‘Pulsewidth >t ’, select ‘update on
detecting and storing such power
trigger’ in order to catch successive
interrupts. Even if many such events
interrupts rather than only one.
occur over a longer period of time,
up to 100 individual events can be
stored, complete with date- and
time-indicator, making longer-term
power monitoring easier than ever.

Figure 1: 60 Hz mains voltage using AUTO-

mode (Fluke 199C)

sinewave will now be visible.

Change the timebase setting to give
about 2 or 3 cycles per horizontal Figure 4: Power disruption (Fluke 199)
division, so select 20 or 50 ms/div
(see figure 1). Press F4 (Enter) until all selections
are made, and the menu text is
Change the horizontal trigger switched off again. The up and
position to a position to the right of down controls (▲ and ▼) can now
the screen, e.g. at a position three be used to change the time duration

Fluke. Keeping your world

up and running.
Figure 2: Menu layer for pulse-width trigger
settings (Fluke 199C) Fluke Corporation
PO Box 9090, Everett, WA USA 98206
divisions from the right side of the
Fluke Europe B.V.
screen. Look at the ∫-symbol in PO Box 1186, 5602 BD
figure 1. A continuous sinewave will Eindhoven, The Netherlands
remain visible and is repeatedly For more information call:
In the U.S.A. (800) 443-5853 or
refreshed on screen. The vertical Fax (425) 446-5116
position of the ∫-symbol marks the Figure 5: Interrupt as stored in the replay- In Europe/M-East/Africa (31 40) 2 675 200 or
memory. Note the date- and time-markers that Fax (31 40) 2 675 222
voltage level that the trigger system were automatically attached to the recording In Canada (800)-36-FLUKE or
is responding to. (Fluke 199C) Fax (905) 890-6866
From other countries +1 (425) 446-5500 or
Fax +1 (425) 446-5116
Now select the ‘Trigger’ menu, and of the interrupts that the scope will Web access: http://www.fluke.com
press F4 (Trigger options) and select respond to. Set this to 15 ms (or
“Pulse Width on A” from the menu. 12.5 ms hen working on a 60 Hz
Press F4 (Enter). You will notice that system). The oscilloscope is now ©2003 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved.
Printed in the Netherlands.
04/2003 Pub-ID: 10617-eng Rev. 01