Application Notes
Figure 18: Setup for measuring charging current
The waveform (a) shows the three-phase ripple frequency. (See Figure 19.)
The average charge current is approximately 27 A with a minimum peak of
approximately 23 A and a maximum peak of approximately 31 A. The waveform
shows a continuous cycle with no dropouts, so the alternator circuit appears to be
funct
ioning properly. A single-phase diode failure normally appears as an extreme
drop in charge current every third cycle, waveform (b). (See Figure 19.)
Fi
gure 19: Charge current waveforms
34 TCPA300/400 Amplifiers and TCP300/400 Series Current Probes User Manual