Patent ID: 6239586
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A breakdown voltage measurement system for measuring the voltage of a sample electrical device following breakdown comprising:an amplifier connected to said sample electrical device for amplifying a signal presented at the output of said sample electrical device when energized via said alternating current source;a digitizer connected to said amplifier for digitizing said signal, said signal comprising pulses;a digital peak detector connected to said digitizer and comprising a capture memory device, said digital peak detector being programmed to generate pulse capture windows, to determine changes in the polarity of said signal, and to control when data relating to at least one of said pulses occurring in at least one of said pulse capture windows is stored in said capture memory device in accordance with said pulse capture windows and the polarity of said signal;a voltage memory device for storing peak values read from said capture memory device at predetermined intervals; anda processing device programmed to store a plurality of successive ones of said peak values and to select one of said peak values in said voltage memory device to represent said voltage of said sample electrical device following breakdown of said sample electrical device.