• High-sensitivity, high dynamic range AC/DC current probe, connect to 2 oscilloscope channels
• Bandwidth (with N2825A head): 3 MHz (Zoom-Out Channel); 500 kHz (Zoom-In Channel)
• Rise time: <0.116µsec (Zoom-Out Channel); 0.7 µsec (Zoom-In Channel)
• Min current range: 100nA (with N2825A user-defined 1 kΩ, 500 mW)
• Max current range: 120A (with N2825A user-defined 1.5 mΩ installed, 20 W)

As modern battery-powered devices and integrated circuits become more 'green' and energy efficient, there is a growing need to make low level, wide dynamic range current measurements to ensure the current consumption of these devices is within acceptable limits.

The Keysight N2820A Series high-sensitivity current probes address the need for high-sensitivity current measurements with a wide dynamic range. These probes also offer the advantage of small physical connections to the DUT because today’s application environments require an extremely small form factor. The N2820A Series probes have higher sensitivity - up to 200X greater than existing clamp-on current probes with sub-milliampere low level sensitivity.

The supplied Make-Before-Break (MBB) connectors allow you to quickly probe multiple locations on your DUT without having to solder or unsolder the leads. The MBB header may be mounted on the user’s target board. It fits into standard 0.1” spacing for 0.025” square pins. Users should plan their PCB layouts accordingly. The MBB can be used with all sense resistor probe heads including the user-defined probe head. The MBBs are a great way to easily connect and disconnect across multiple locations on the target board without interrupting the circuit under test.

Keysight offers two current probe models in the N2820A Series: N2820A two-channel and N2821A one-channel. The N2821A looks identical to the N2820A probe but does not include the secondary cable. The N2820A probe connects to two oscilloscope channels to provide simultaneous low and high gain views for wider dynamic range measurement, while the N2821A probe provides one user-selectable view at a time.

The Keysight N2820A current probe comes with two parallel amplifiers possessing different gain settings. The low gain side allows you to see the entire waveform (or the 'zoomed out' view) and the high gain amplifier provides a 'zoomed in' view. The precision sense resistor is positioned in the interchangeable Rsense head that is plugged into the probe body. The probe body can be found at the same location as the differential amplifier. On the 'user-defined' sense head, there is no resistor, which allows the probe to be used with the user’s sense resistor on the target. The user will need to enter the sense resistor value into the scope.

With current waveforms captured, you now want to calculate the average current consumption of the system over time. Keysight’s Infiniium oscilloscopes provide an area under the curve measurement (Charge) where you can easily calculate the integrated current consumptions over time.

The N2820A and N2821A current probes are compatible with Keysight oscilloscopes shown in the characteristics table of Data Sheet in Documents section. The N2820A Series current probes, together with Keysight’s Infiniium S-Series high-definition oscilloscopes with 10 bit vertical resolution, deliver the ultimate high definition measurement solution, letting users view and resolve small current details not traditionally seen on 8-bit oscilloscopes.

Below shows the different components of the N2820A and N2821A probes. The N2820A two-channel probe, with its two internal, parallel differential amplifiers, provides simultaneous low and high gain views. The N2821A also includes two amplifiers and its main output can be switched between these two views. Before using an N2820A probe, connect the secondary cable as described in Quick Start. The N2821A single-channel probe looks identical to the N2820A but does not include the secondary cable. The accessories provided with the probes are shown below.