A method of identifying an arc fault in a first wire operably connected between a controller and a load, the method comprising: operably connecting a first sense wire to the first wire connected to a first load supplied by the controller via the first wire; measuring a first voltage on the first wire at the first load via the first sense wire; measuring a second voltage on the first wire at a first output interface of the controller; measuring a first current in the first wire; identifying any differences between the first voltage on the first wire measured at the first load and the second voltage on the first wire measured at the first output interface; ascertaining any anomalies in the first current measured in the first wire; and correlating the differences between the first voltage and the second voltage with any anomalies in the first current to identify an arc fault; and characterized by receiving a signal indicative of the envelope of the spectral content on the wire under test in a selected frequency range; receiving the signal indicative of current in the wire under test based on the measuring; applying a negative clipping function to the signal to form a positive envelope signal; applying a derivative function to the positive envelope signal, the derivative function yielding a pulse signal indicative of changes in the positive envelope signal; if the pulse signal exceeds a first selected threshold, integrating the pulse signal to yield an accumulated pulse signal; otherwise set the accumulated pulse signal to zero; if the accumulated pulse signal exceeds a second threshold set a first flag as true indicating a selected amount of information indicative of an arc fault has been acquired; counting the occurrences the first flag is set as true; if the count exceeds a selected third threshold, set a second flag indicating the that the spectral content as measured from the wire indicates a possible series arc fault; filtering the signal indicative of the current in the wire to formulate a pulse associated with when the measured current exhibits an interruption; accumulating instances when the measured current exhibits an interruption based on the pulses; if the accumulated instances when the measured current exhibits an interruption exceeds a fourth selected threshold and a second flag indicating the that the spectral contend as measured from the wire indicates a possible series arc faults is set, then identify a series arc fault in the wire. operably connecting a first sense wire to the first wire connected to a first load supplied by the controller via the first wire; measuring a first voltage on the first wire at the first load via the first sense wire; measuring a second voltage on the first wire at a first output interface of the controller; measuring a first current in the first wire; identifying any differences between the first voltage on the first wire measured at the first load and the second voltage on the first wire measured at the first output interface; ascertaining any anomalies in the first current measured in the first wire; and correlating the differences between the first voltage and the second voltage with any anomalies in the first current to identify an arc fault; and characterized by receiving a signal indicative of the envelope of the spectral content on the wire under test in a selected frequency range; receiving the signal indicative of current in the wire under test based on the measuring; applying a negative clipping function to the signal to form a positive envelope signal; applying a derivative function to the positive envelope signal, the derivative function yielding a pulse signal indicative of changes in the positive envelope signal; if the pulse signal exceeds a first selected threshold, integrating the pulse signal to yield an accumulated pulse signal; otherwise set the accumulated pulse signal to zero; if the accumulated pulse signal exceeds a second threshold set a first flag as true indicating a selected amount of information indicative of an arc fault has been acquired; counting the occurrences the first flag is set as true; if the count exceeds a selected third threshold, set a second flag indicating the that the spectral content as measured from the wire indicates a possible series arc fault; filtering the signal indicative of the current in the wire to formulate a pulse associated with when the measured current exhibits an interruption; accumulating instances when the measured current exhibits an interruption based on the pulses; if the accumulated instances when the measured current exhibits an interruption exceeds a fourth selected threshold and a second flag indicating the that the spectral contend as measured from the wire indicates a possible series arc faults is set, then identify a series arc fault in the wire.