The TESCO High Voltage Non-Contact Current Probe (Catalog No. P02-802) was developed using current sensor technology. It is a two-piece, True RMS ammeter with a fiber optic link between the high voltage sensor and the readout at ground potential. The sensor is mounted on a hotstick and slipped over a high voltage line.

A fiber optic cable connects the sensor to a receiver unit at ground potential, which contains the digital readout and an analog output. The instrument has no moving parts and does not require clamping onto the wire. The molded urethane housings are water resistant and will withstand high physical impact.

The fiber optic cable is physically rugged, while providing the high-speed data path required for digital waveform transmission from the sensor to the display unit. It also is the high voltage insulator between the two units and is tested to provide 100 kV isolation per foot.

The analog output is the unique feature of this instrument. It is a reproduction of the high voltage current waveform, accurate to approximately the 50th harmonic, but available as a 0-2 volt AC signal at ground. This allows the use of many sophisticated low voltage instruments, such as scopes, waveform acquisition recorders, analyzers, and other analysis instruments which would previously not be usable at high voltage.