Comparison between passive and active voltage probes in power loss measurements for power electronic components

This paper presents a comparative study of several design topologies of active and passive voltage probes. The context of the comparison is their application for measurement of power losses in power electronic devices — more specifically electronic switches, inductors and transformers. The parameters considered in the study include voltage scaling and frequency, and transient response. The different topologies are also tested as part of a complete power loss measurement system, where their contribution to the accuracy of the measurement system is evaluated. Models and analytical studies are presented for all of the considered topologies. Experimental verification is given for selected number of designs.