Laser non-contact voltage probes?

[dnar]

Har! How do they really work?



Surely this is an April fools prank?

[planters]

No, I don't think this is a joke. The details of how they compensate for non-voltage effects on the relative field strength the light is passing through puzzles me. Say the beam passed through a loop?

[dsli_jon]

..well, what I really wanna know is.. how much did that fabulousss 'gangsta-lisp' operation cost Phil, there?

Interesting-stuff, but.. if you've got to get within 'a few-feet' of the voltage-terminals to get accurate-readings, etc - isn't that slightly 'incompatable' with safe-measurement of "thousands of Volts"?? (..and I'm assuming this is not intended for super-high V, but only mA applications like tesla-arcs ,etc..) I mean, yeah, I know there are those locos, for example, that work on - what is it 14kV power-lines, at obscenely-high heights - you know, those guys that get dropped on the lines from a helicopter, etc - but they're not standing on the ground!! So.. dunno - seems to me like if this was only useable for 'truly HV' werk, like 5kV and up, what's the point, if you have to work dangerously-close to get a good-read?

j

[Things]

99% sure it's an April fools joke.

[Dyak]

Eh Voltage does not cause a magnetic field. Current does
Totally a fake.

[mixedgas]

Faraday rotation and fiber voltage/current probes are used on transmission towers, and in older fast lasers.

But benchtop?

I cant hear the audio, so until I get home....

Steve

[Robin]

They're probably using prefabricated amulite...

[dnar]

Prefabricated amulite? Differential girdle spring? Hydrocoptic marzle vanes? Turbo encabulator?

[opcom]

It would be nice to measure the 3500VDC @ 1A and 12KVDC 100mA power supplies here but they are already instrumented.

I saw the probe pics. The probes look like old tektronix HV probes with photoshop. But new things are invented every day.

We don't measure voltages on flip chips (dice) with lasers, we do it with probers.

but - -the faraday effect is real. Air is not usually used as a medium- think of the crystals used for attenuators -they rotate phase with a voltage or magnetic stimulus.

[Dyak]

Correct me if im wrong but you will never be able to measure voltage with a laser. Sure you may measure current with a laser. No matter if its 3500VDC or 12KVDC.
So laser current probes may be able but no voltage probes.