What are the Types of Clamp Meter?

The clamp meter is a portable instrument that can directly measure the AC and DC of a circuit without disconnecting the circuit. Clamp meter is easy to use and widely used in electrical maintenance. For example, a clamp ammeter can be used to measure the operating current of a running AC motor, thereby easily understanding its working conditions when there is a load. ATO.com will introduce the main classifications of clamp ammeters to help you better understand the different types and applications of clamp meters.

Measurement Principle

1. Electromagnetic Induction Clamp Meter: The clamp ammeter is the most common type of clamp meter and its working principle is based on Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. A clamp meter uses an iron core in a chuck to capture the magnetic field created around a current-conducting wire and then converts this magnetic field into a current value. This type of clamp meter is typically suitable for low to high current ranges.
2. Hall Effect Clamp Meter: This type of clamp meter uses Hall sensors to detect changes in magnetic fields caused by electrical current generally has higher accuracy and response speed and is suitable for low to medium current ranges.
3. Magnetoresistive Clamp Meters: The clamp meters use magnetoresistive sensors to sense changes in magnetic fields caused by electrical current and are typically very small and suitable for applications in the low current range.

Functions and Features

AC Clamp Meter: The clamp ammeter is the most basic and common type of clamp meter used to measure current in AC circuits. It is usually suitable for standard power line measurement tasks such as measuring household circuits, electrical equipment, and motor currents. AC clamp meters usually have a clamp structure that allows the user to place the clamp around the current conductor being measured. The chuck often contains magnetic material and sensors inside to sense the magnetic field created when an electric current passes through it.

Clamp Ammeters are widely used in various fields such as power distribution, home circuit maintenance, motor performance evaluation, electrical equipment testing, and energy management, and environmental monitoring. The high accuracy clamp meters offer a high degree of safety due to their non-contact nature, eliminating the need for the operator to come into direct contact with the wires, thus reducing the risk of electric shock, and typically feature rugged housings and safety-standard compliant designs to ensure long service life.

DC Clamp Meter: The clamp meter is an electronic test instrument used to measure the intensity of current in a direct current (DC) circuit without cutting the wires or disturbing the normal operation of the circuit. The clamp ammeter is important to power engineers, electricians, and electronic repairmen to ensure the safety and performance of electrical circuits.

Clamp Meter with Power Analysis Function

In addition to measuring current, the clamp meter models of clamp ammeters provide accurate current readings, are suitable for AC and DC circuits, are capable of measuring power factors to help evaluate the efficiency and quality of a circuit and provide active power (real power) and reactive power ( The measurement of reactive power helps to understand energy distribution and utilization, and is suitable for applications that require detailed power analysis, such as energy management and power load analysis.

Digital Clamp Meter

Digital clamp meters display measurement results via a digital screen, providing accurate current readings. The digital displays are generally easy to read and provide clear information under different lighting conditions. The clamp meter have higher measurement accuracy and can provide more accurate current measurements, especially in complex circuits and non-sinusoidal waveforms.

Many digital clamp ammeters have an automatic range selection function, which can automatically select the best measurement range according to the amplitude of the measurement signal, thus reducing the user's operational burden. Some digital clamp meters can record measurement data, allowing the user to subsequently perform data analysis or generate reports. The digital clamp meter is useful for long-term monitoring tasks and troubleshooting. Some digital clamp ammeters feature Bluetooth, USB, or other communication interfaces to transfer measurement data to a computer, smartphone, or other device for further analysis and recording.

Clamp Meter with Temperature Measurement Function

Like traditional clamp meters, clamp ammeters with temperature measurement functions can non-invasively measure the current in AC circuits to ensure the normal operation of the circuit. This type of clamp meter has an integrated temperature sensor, usually using a thermocouple or RTD to measure the ambient temperature. This is useful for tasks that require simultaneous monitoring of current and temperature, such as motor performance evaluation or thermal monitoring. The clamp meter with a digital screen can display current and temperature readings simultaneously, allowing the operator to easily obtain the values of both parameters for temperature monitoring and debugging applications, which is very useful in electronic repair and industrial applications.

Current Range

1. Small Current Range: The clamp meter models are suitable for weak current measurements, typically in milliamps (mA) or below amps, such as current clamp meter AC/DC 80A measuring range. Clamp meters are very useful in electronic circuit testing and micro-current applications.
2. Medium Current Range: This clamp meter is suitable for medium current measurements, usually between a few amps to tens of amps. Clamp meters are commonly found in the power industry and electrical engineering.
3. High Current Range: The clamp meter models are suitable for high current measurements, typically between tens of amps to thousands of amps. Clamp ammeters are commonly used for power systems, factory equipment, and large circuit testing.

Different types of clamp meters are suitable for different applications and working environments. Choosing the appropriate type of current clamp is critical to obtaining accurate measurements while ensuring the safety and effectiveness of your circuit. Each type of clamp meter has its unique features to meet the needs of a variety of professional fields, ranging from power engineering to electronic repair to energy management and environmental monitoring.