Operating Basics; Operating Characteristics And Probing Techniques - Tektronix P5200A Instruction Manual

Operating Basics

To help you use the P5200A Series High Voltage Differential Probes safely and effectively, this section provides important
information about safety limits, operating characteristics, and probing techniques.

Operating Characteristics and Probing Techniques

This section explains the operating characteristics of the P5200A Series High Voltage Differential Probes and includes
techniques that you can use to maximize the performance of the probe.
Operating Limits
The probes have two operating ranges that you select with the ATTEN button. These ranges set the maximum differential
voltage that can be measured. The ranges and voltage limits differ between probe models. (See Table 3.)
Table 3: Differential voltage limits (Peak)
Probe model
P5200A (50X/500X)
P5202A (20X/200X)
P5205A (50X/500X)
P5210A (100X/1000X)
The input signals that you attempt to measure must be considered both for the differential potential between each other
and for the amplitude on each input with respect to ground (the common mode voltage specification). The maximum
common mode voltage limits vary between probes, from 450 V for the P5202A, to 2300 V for the P5210A probe. You
should consider both specifications when choosing a probe for your measurement task. Some examples that illustrate this
are shown on the following pages.
P5200A Series High Voltage Differential Probes Instruction Manual
Low attenuation range
(20X/50X/100X)
Voltage limit Overload trip level
130 V
64 V
130 V
560 V
Voltage limit
>140 V 1300 V
>70 V 640 V
>140 V 1300 V
>600 V 5600 V
Operating Basics
High attenuation range
(200X/500X/1000X)
Overload trip level
>1400 V
>700 V
>1400 V
>6000 V
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