• • • TEST & MEASUREMENT • • •
WHY MEASUREMENT ACCURACY MATTERS MORE THAN EVER IN ELECTRIFICATION
As a result, performance and reliability concerns BY ANDY PHILLIPS,
ASSET/RESELLER SALES, TEST EQUITY
density, reliability and safety. As systems become more sophisticated and
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performance margins tighten, the margin for measurement error becomes smaller too. Even relatively small inaccuracies can lead to a missed failure mechanism or underestimated thermal load, with far-reaching implications for safety, reliability and the lifespan of crucial electronics. This creates new challenges for test and
measurement, with the accuracy of testing and validation increasingly important as technologies including electric vehicles, heat pumps, industrial electrification and battery systems continue to advance. A good example is the increasing adoption of
wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC). These enable significantly higher switching frequencies, reduced switching losses, and higher voltage classes, key to obtaining the increased power densities desired in modern EVs. Higher-voltage architectures can enable the
same power to be delivered at lower current, helping to reduce resistive losses and support faster charging. However, they also introduce new challenges and stressors, with greater demands placed on connectors and passive components alongside more complex transient and harmonic behaviours resulting from increased switching frequencies.
lectrification is driving rapid advances in power electronics, with increasing demands for greater efficiency, power
are magnified, making accurate testing and measurement all the more imperative. Accurate measurement must extend beyond a simple pass/fail assessment. Engineers need to consider that a measurement that was sufficiently accurate for a previous power electronics system may no longer provide the confidence needed to validate a modern SiC-based design. As power electronics become more
sophisticated, measurements of power quality, efficiency, and safety require better validation. Harmonics and transients can affect both efficiency and system integration, while thermal management becomes critical as power density increases – a shift that is gaining traction at pace in this age of electrification. Power quality also becomes increasingly
important as more complex electrical loads are introduced. Accurately measuring factors such as harmonics, power factor and voltage and current behaviour allows engineers to understand not only the efficiency of individual components, but how those components interact with the wider electrical system. Without sufficient measurement accuracy, relatively small losses or disturbances can be difficult to distinguish from measurement uncertainty. The same principle applies to the lifecycle and
reliability of electronics. Real-world operation often involves multiple stresses acting simultaneously, and traditional measurement approaches may not capture these conditions accurately. Complex testing schedules that combine high voltage, temperature extremes, thermal cycling, power cycling, humidity, corrosion, and vibration can reveal less obvious failure mechanisms while generating valuable data for failure prognosis and lifespan – but engineers need confidence in
34 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • SEPTEMBER 2026
measurement accuracy under these demanding conditions. Modern instrumentation with high accuracy and
stability is vital for measuring critical parameters such as voltage at elevated temperatures and through repeated thermal and power cycling phases, providing confidence that the instrumentation itself does not introduce errors or distortions that could affect test results. This also highlights the importance of testing
beyond nominal operating conditions. A system that performs as expected under stable laboratory conditions may behave differently when exposed to the changing loads, temperature variations and transient events encountered in operation. Start-up and shutdown conditions, sudden changes in demand and variations in supply can all expose behaviour that may not be apparent during steady-state testing. Building these conditions into a test programme
can therefore provide a more representative picture of how a system is likely to perform in the field and help engineers understand its performance envelope across a wider range of operating conditions. It is particularly important when several
stresses occur at the same time. Temperature, for example, can affect component characteristics while electrical loading is changing, meaning measurements taken under one fixed set of conditions may not tell the whole story. Recreating a representative range of operating conditions allows engineers to identify where performance begins to change and establish whether this is a characteristic of the system itself or an artefact of the measurement process. This provides a stronger basis for assessing reliability and making design decisions before equipment moves into service.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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