A Graphical Approach to Fast Identification of the Voltage and Current Requirements to Measure Core Loss at Target Measurement Conditions with Application to High-Frequency Power Amplifier Utilization

For widening the knowledge about an accurate straightforward high-frequency magnetics’ losses prediction, measurements of actual core loss are of paramount importance. In many cases, obtaining the loss of a core of specific shape under target operating conditions is an aim of a measurement. The specific measurement conditions and method adopted impose particular voltage and current requirements to the measurement set-up. This paper introduces a graphical representation of the voltage and current needed for core loss measurements at target conditions. The focus is put on sinusoidal excitation and the two-windings no-load transformer measurement method, while other measurement methods are also discussed. Then, the graph introduced is applied to identifying a high-frequency power amplifier’s capability for core loss measurements at target conditions. The graphical approach presented provides a means for quick recognition of the requirements imposed by an envisaged core under test as well as for a visual inspection of the region of achievable measurements that could be done with a particular power amplifier.