Measure Flatness and Resistance of Surface Resistance Probes

The PRV-813 is a two-sided fixture designed to assess the flatness of conductive rubber electrodes and their total resistance to surfaces under test. While virtually all 5-pound, 2.5-inch electrodes in the industry are perfect when delivered to their end users, over time they may change considerably. Variation in electrodes may be due to extreme use, contamination, poor storage or ambient conditions, general wear, rough handling, and degradation over time.

Designed to Verify your Electrodes before making Measurements

This is not a criticism of electrodes or their manufacturers. Rather, electrode degradation is a reality. Over 70% of all audit and periodic verification measurements made to support ANSI/ESD S20.20 and IEC ESD Program Standards are conducted using 5lbs, 2.5-inch electrodes. Consequently, a set of electrodes may be required to make several thousand measurements each year. Rarely are these important fixtures assessed for resistive performance or flatness.

Measure Flatness of your Electrodes Accurately

The PRV-813 is precision fabricated to measure the surface flatness of the electrode’s conductive rubber surface to within approximately 0.003 inches. Considering surface irregularities, electrode flatness ensures the electrode’s ability to make full contact with a test surface as may be possible. The fixture includes 20 contact pads, each connected to a 10 megohm [1.0x107 (±1%) ohm] resistor, all connected in parallel to each other.

If an electrode surface is uniformly flat and makes contact with all 20 pads, the electrode resistance will be between 4.95x105 to 5.05x105 ohms. This is the approximate range of the PRV-813, 5.00x105 ohms ±1%.

Compatible with most Electrodes

A spacer ring is included for positioning most electrodes, which can be removed to accommodate electrodes with large outer cases.