High-Power Current Probe Captures Up to 1,000 A with 1.5 MHz of Bandwidth

Teledyne LeCroy introduced a 1000-A RMS AC-DC current probe designed for accurate, high-current measurement in applications such as motor drives and traction inverters in electric vehicles (EVs).

The CP1000 offers a bandwidth from DC to 1.5 MHz, enabling accurate capture of fast-switching waveforms and visibility into harmonics that engineers depend on for system design and validation. Based on a combination of transformer-based and Hall-effect current sensing, Teledyne LeCroy said the device can capture currents accurately and reliably without breaking the circuit or interrupting it with a shunt placed on the board.

The current probe features a large 33-mm split-core aperture, enabling contactless measurements of both AC and DC, and a long cable for improved safety and flexibility during testing. Teledyne LeCroy rolled out the solution at APEC 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.

The current probe integrates with the company’s oscilloscopes via the ProBus interface. In addition to supplying power, the ProBus connection enables communication between the oscilloscope and the probe. As a result, current waveforms are automatically displayed in amperes, along with power calculations shown in watts. This integration also allows users to remotely execute functions such as degauss and autozero directly from the oscilloscope interface.

The CP1000 belongs to a broader portfolio of current probes offering bandwidths of up to 100 MHz, peak current capabilities of up to 1,400 A, and sensitivities of down to 1 mA/div. Other products in the family, including the CP030B and CP031A, can measure less overall current but capture it with higher sensitivity. Particularly when paired with the company’s high-resolution 12-bit oscilloscopes, Teledyne LeCroy said this enables the precise measurement of low-current waveforms.

Test and measurement companies have been racing to roll out current probes that can keep up with the latest innovations in power electronics. This includes fast-switching SiC and GaN power converters prevalent in high-voltage systems and high-current voltage-regulator modules embedded in servers.

Another Current Probe Unveiling at APEC

At APEC, Tektronix separately showed its TICP series of IsoVue isolated current probes, which supports reinforced galvanic isolation between the oscilloscope and the device being tested.

Though it requires interrupting the circuit with a shunt, Tektronix said the TICP series can operate at high bandwidths up to 1 GHz, allowing engineers to accurately measure fast-changing currents from microamps to kiloamps — and capture them across a wide voltage range in nanoseconds. It’s primarily targeted at high-voltage power systems, but Tektronix said the series is also well-suited for low-power applications such as battery performance testing in mobile devices.