Methods for testing Heavy

current and components

Method for testing Capsule Thyristor
Capsule Thyristor is important components. Testing can be done with a
multimeter. So we have to test them to make sure its quality. When testing, it
should be clamped by a suitable clamp and then it could work normally.
Because the mounting force is about 900kg in normal work condition.
We could test four parameters by this device. Turn on the device. Connect red
pen to anode and black pen to cathode. Press “reset” button. Put Voltage on
x10 gear, and current on 200mA gear. Rotate the “Voltage adjustment knob”
while watching Oscilloscope. Stop rotating the knob after the direction of the
green line changed. So VDRM is 1760Volt and Idrm is 200mA.
Rotate the knob to initial position, put down Polarity button and test again as
what we just do, it shows the parameter of VRRM and Irrm.
• Turn on the Tester. Connect A to anode, K to cathode and G to trigger. Choose
Current gear and press test button, and we could see Vgt is 3.2V and Igt is
12mA.
• It’s time to testresistor by Multimeter. Put it on “200ohm” Put one pen on
Anode and another on trigger. It shows gate resistor is 9ohm. Choose 20M gear.
Put red pen on anode and black pen on Cathode. It shows gate resistor is
1.2Mohm.
• Tq is very important for fast thyristor. We have special equipment to test it.
Connect A to anode, K to cathode and G to trigger. Turn on it. Press test button.
Rotate the knob until light be red. Light is red now. We could see Tq is 18us.
• We could test Vtm by this equipment. Please adjust right current for thyristor
before testing. Turn on it. Press reset button and test button. We need to
remember the intinal number. Put thyristor here, connect wire to trigger. Clamp
thyristor. Press test button. This number reduce intinal number is Vtm.
Method for testing thyristor /doide modules
Proper field-testing of a semiconductor requires a digital multimeter (DMM)
equipped with a diode function.
This function is indicated by the diode symbol on the selector wheel or via
secondary pushbutton. The
purpose of this test is to check that the diode blocks in one direction and
conducts (with a small voltage
drop) in the other direction.
• Diode
With the positive (red) lead on the anode and the negative (black) lead on the
cathode, the diode should conduct and the DMM should indicate a forward
voltage drop.
With the negative (black) lead on the anode and the positive (red) lead on the
cathode, the diode should block and the DMM should indicate open
• Thyristor
The gate of the thyristor should be left unconnected during testing.
With the positive (red) lead on the anode and the negative (black) lead on the
cathode, the thyristor should block and the DMM should indicate open.
With the negative (black) lead on the anode and the positive (red) lead on the
cathode, the thyristor should block and the DMM should indicate open
Method for testing Capsule rectifier diodes
To conduct the test, you must first make sure the circuit is unplugged and that
all capacitors in the circuit have been discharged. As long as you do this, you
do not need to remove the diode from the circuit. Start by touching the
negative meter lead, which is usually the black one, to the diode's cathode,
and the positive lead (red) to the anode.
Note the meter reading, which should be between 0.5 and 0.8 volts. If it's
close to 0, the diode is bad. Now reverse the leads. The diode is good if you
get a reading of 0 or OL. If you get roughly the same voltage reading, the
diode has shorted and isn't working.
Method for testing stud mount rectifier diodes
If your multimeter has a diode function, one of the dial settings will have a marking
similar to the diode symbol. When you select this setting, a voltage exists between the
meter leads, and when you touch them to the diode terminals, the meter records the
voltage drop.
In the forward direction, the voltage drop is usually in the neighborhood of 0.5 to 0.8
volts. In the reverse direction, no current flows, so the meter either records 0 or OL,
which stands for open loop.

To conduct the test, you must first make sure the circuit is unplugged and that all
capacitors in the circuit have been discharged. As long as you do this, you do not need
to remove the diode from the circuit. Start by touching the negative meter lead, which is
usually the black one, to the diode's cathode, and the positive lead (red) to the anode.
Note the meter reading, which should be between 0.5 and 0.8 volts. If it's close to 0, the
diode is bad. Now reverse the leads. The diode is good if you get a reading of 0 or OL. If
you get roughly the same voltage reading, the diode has shorted and isn't working.
Method for testing Triacs
TRIAC = TRIode for Alternating Current.
The TRIAC is 5 layer, 3 terminal Power semiconductor device.
It has a pair of phase controlled SCRs connected in inverse parallel manner on
the same chip.
It is a bidirectional device, means it can conduct current in both the directions.
• Keep the digital multimeter into Ohmmeter mode.
• Using a junction diode determine which ohmmeter lead is positive and which is
negative. The ohmmeter will indicate continuity only when the positive lead is
connected to the anode and the negative lead is connected to the cathode.
• Connect the positive lead of Ohmmeter to MT2 and the negative lead to
MT1. The ohmmeter should indicate no continuity through the triac.
• Using a jumper lead connect the Gate of the Triac to MT2. The
multimeter should indicate a forward diode junction.
• Reconnect the Triac so that MT1 is connected to the positive lead of
ohmmeter and MT2 is connected to the negative lead. The multimeter
should indicate no continuity through a Triac.
• Using a jumper lead, again connect the gate to MT2. The ohmmeter
should indicate a forward diode junction.
Method for testing fast diode modules
The method of testing a fast diode with an analogue meter is quite
straightforward.
1) Set the meter to its ohms range - any range should do, but the middle
ohms range if several are available is probably best.
2) Connect the cathode terminal of the diode to the terminal marked
positive on the multimeter, and the anode to the negative or common
terminal.
3) Set the meter to read ohms, and a "lowish" reading should be obtained.
4) Reverse the connections.
5) This time a high resistance reading should be obtained.
Note:
• In step 3 above the actual reading will depend upon a number of factors. The
main thing is that the meter deflects, possibly to half way or more. The
variation depends on many items including the battery in the meter, and the
range used. The main point to note is that the meter deflects significantly.
• When checked in the reverse direction, silicon diodes are unlikely to show
any meter deflection whatsoever. Germanium ones that have a much higher
level of reverse leakage current may easily show a small deflection if the
meter is set to a high ohms range.
• This simple analogue multimeter test of a diode is very useful because it
gives a very quick indication of whether the diode is basically operational.
It cannot, however, test more complicated parameters such as the reverse
breakdown, etc.

• Nevertheless it is an essential test for maintenance and repair. Although it

is possible for the diode characteristics to change, this very rarely happens
and it is far ore likely that a complete breakdown of the diode occurs, and
this would be immediately visible using this test.
Method for testing fast diode modules
Method for Testing power insulated gate FET's (IGFET’s)
IGBTs and MOSFETs are active devices that require an external gate voltage to
turn them on so the onstate voltage drop cannot be directly measured with
the diode function of the Digital Multimeter. However, IGBTsdevices are
usually copackaged with a freewheeling (inverse) diode that can be checked.
MOSFETs have an intrinsic body diode that can be measured and, in the case
of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, they may have an additional freewheeling
diode in parallel.