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Probing the Magnetic Field Probe

By Roy Ediss, Philips Semiconductors, UK.



Introduction
Commercial and handcrafted probes similar to those shown in Fiure ! are commonly used in
E"C dianostic wor#, but ha$e you e$er considered how they operate% &he manetic field
probes are made in the form of a loop with an inherent electrostatic shield, enerally from '(
)hm semi*riid coa+ial cable. &hey $ary slihtly in confiuration and in characteristics, but
essentially they are electrically small shielded loop antennas deri$ed from the antennas used
since the !,-(.s for radio communication and direction findin /!,-0.


Figure 1. Various shielded loops.

How they work
Refer to the diarams of the $arious 1*field loop probes shown in Fiure -. &he followin
e+planation can be applied in eneral to all the probes, but the common probe type -2a3 will be
considered. &he e4ui$alent circuit diaram is shown as Fiure 5, which has numbered location
points correspondin to Fiure -2a3 /5,60. 7n eleant arranement e+ists where electric fields
may impine on the outer sheath but are shielded from the inner sinal line. 7 small ap in the
outer sheath is howe$er always included, pre$entin a shorted*turn to manetic fields.

7 manetic field passin throuh the probe loop enerates a $oltae accordin to Faradays law,
which states that the induced $oltae is proportional to the rate of chane of manetic flu+
throuh a circuit loop. 7t $ery low fre4uencies a $oltae would be induced directly in the internal
loop conductor, but the copper sheath is 4uite a ood shield to manetic fields at fre4uencies
e+ceedin the low K18 rane. So at hih fre4uency, a $oltae is then induced preferentially in
the outer sheath loop, and this appears across the sheath ap 2points ! 9 :3 /'0. &he metal
sheath thic#ness is se$eral s#in depths, so this pre$ents direct interaction between currents on
the e+ternal surface and internal surfaces of the shield. &he '( )hm transmission line, formed
by the inner surface of the sheath and the inner conductor, is then dri$en by this $oltae and is
terminated by the '( )hm measurement system 2points 6 9 '3.

7n analoy to the effect described abo$e may be made, by considerin a circuit loop
arranement where a coa+ial shield termination is unconnected at one end 2see Fiure 63. )r
an imperfect coa+ial shield termination, where some round current may create a $oltae
across an inducti$e path such as a ;Pitail< round connection.


Figure 2. Loop configurations.


Figure 3. Equivalent circuit diagram for type 2(a) 2(!).



Figure ". #ircuit analogy of pro!e construction.

Type variations
Probe type 2-a3 is common and a commercial $ersion is a$ailable /:0. 7 '( )hm chip resistor
termination is sometimes included 2at points - 9 5 as in -2b33, to terminate the short lenth or
half loop of coa+ial transmission line in a balanced way and help pre$ent contributin effects
from any unbalanced cable currents. &his chip resistor will howe$er somewhat reduce the low
fre4uency sensiti$ity when the probe is used as a pic#*up.

=hen the outer sheath is formed in two hal$es as in Fiure -2b3, the outer surface of the shield
may then be considered as a balanced two*conductor transmission line arranement />0. &his
arranement of the electrostatic shield was particularly important for direction findin as it
helped a$oid distortion of the loop antenna directional pattern.

7 "oebius $ersion of the balanced probe type -2b3 with both sinal lines connected to their
opposite sheath at the central ap, is claimed to ha$e twice the output of the Kin probe type
-2d3 and is noted in /?0. &he Kin type probe is named*after R. =. P. Kin who discusses loop
antennas and probes in /, 9 !(0. 7n interestin 5*layer Printed Circuit Board $ersion of the
Kin probe type -2d3, is described in /!!0.
Sensitivity and performance comparison
&he probe types shown in Fiure - are not normally utili8ed to determine circuit current by
application of a transfer impedance@ they are enerally used as a dianostic aid to detect the
source of sinals, or as local field*eneratin source. Performance of the probe types has
therefore been compared in a representati$e way, by usin the microstrip line techni4ue as
detailed in /!!0 but with the probe at a fi+ed distance of !(mm from the microstrip line, as shown
in Fiure '.


Figure $. %ro!e sensitivity test arrangement. %d & 'd(m.

&he transfer function of this arranement with $arious probe types may be compared in Fiures
: to !(. 7 throuh*connection was normali8ed to the reference le$el at the top of the plot prior
to measurement. 7ll the handcrafted probes were formed with 5.:mm )A semi*riid coa+.
Bote their uniform flat response abo$e !'("18 due to the low pass filter effect described below.

Aue to the nature of the manetic field within it, a coa+ial cable transmission line can be
considered to form a !C! transformer with its shield and inner conductor. &herefore a linear
impro$ement in the probe open circuit $oltae and low fre4uency sensiti$ity is created with more
inner sinal line turns. But since the probe inductance forms a low pass DR filter with the '(
)hm measurin instrument impedance, the loop current and the hih fre4uency beha$iour is
thereby notably limited by )Ds abo$e a corner fre4uency to a flat response. See Fiure !!,
which shows the effect of two inner conductor turns on performance.

&he probes are normally reconised to ha$e a self*resonant fre4uency due to the loop
inductance and parasitic capacitance between the centre conductor and outer sheath. &he
smaller the probe loop diameter, the hiher this self*resonant fre4uency, but coa+ diameter and
construction type also ha$e an effect. For a 5(mm diameter type -2a3 the resonance occurs at
around ??("18 2as seen in Fiure >3. =ith type -2b3, -2c3 and -2d3, no resonance was seen up
to a fre4uency of !'(("18 2see Fiures ?, , and !(3@ but type -2c3 had noted sensiti$ity due to
capaciti$e influence when handlin probe nec# and cable. From those assessed, types -2b3
and -2d3 are therefore considered to be the preferred $ersions of manetic loop probe for hih
fre4uency circuit in$estiati$e use.


Figure *. E+#, -*. 3'mm dia. loop. Loop type 2(a)
(/n0no)n semi1rigid coa2 ,3). #entral gap.

Figure 4. 3'mm diameter loop type 2(a) formed )ith
3.*mm ,3 semi1rigid coa2. #entral gap.

Figure 5. 3'mm diameter loop type 2(!) formed
)ith 3.*mm ,3 semi1rigid coa2. #entral gap plus
terminating resistor.

Figure 6. 3'mm diameter loop type 2(c) formed
)ith 3.*mm ,3 semi1rigid coa2. 7ap at nec0.



Figure 1'. 3'mm diameter loop type 2(d) formed
)ith 3.*mm ,3 semi1rigid coa2. #entral gap8 9ing type.


Figure 11. /:4* coa2 ca!le *'mm diameter loop type 2(c)
,ne inner conductor turn in magenta.
;)o inner conductor turns in green.

References
/!0 R. 1. Barfield. ;Some e+periments on the screenin of radio recei$in apparatus. Screened
Doops<, Eour. FEE, Gol. :-, p. -6,, !,-6.
/-0 F. &erman. ;Radio Enineers 1andboo#<, Section !-.-. &he Doop Airection Finder, pp. ?>'*
?>>, "cHraw*1ill !,65.
/50 E. Hoedbloed. Electromanetic Compatibility. -.6.- "easurin emission $ia radiation.
!,,(. FSBB (*!5*-6,-,5*?
/60 H. S. Smith, ;Doop antennas<, R. C. Eohnson 9 1. Easi# 2Editors3, 7ntenna Enineerin
1andboo#, Chapter ', "cHraw*1ill, BI, -
nd
Ed, !,?6. FSBB (*(>*(5--,!*(. 2&his te+t now
re$ised and updated, 5rd Ed., Edited by R. C. Eohnson, "cHraw*1ill, !,,5.3
/'0 C. F. ". Carobbi, D. ". "illanta, D. Chiosi, ;&he hih*fre4uency beha$ior of the shield in the
manetic*field probes< Proc. of FEEE Fnt. Symp. on E"C, 7u. -!*-'th -(((, =ashinton,
US7., pp. 5'*6(.
/:0 E"C), &he Electro*"echanics Company. Bear field probe set user.s manual !,??.
/>0 D.D. Dibby, ;Special aspects of balanced shielded loops<, Proc. of the FRE 9 wa$es and
electrons, Gol. 56, Sept. !,6:, pp. :6!*:6:.
/?0 B. Iordano$, K. Aouhty, R. Iordano$, ;Bear*field probes for E"C applications< E"C &est 9
Aesin, "ay !,,6, pp. !?*-:.
/,J R. =. P. Kin, ;&he loop antenna for transmission and reception<, R. E. Collin, F.E. Kuc#er,
7ntenna &heory, Part !, Chapter !!, "cHraw*1ill, BI, !,:,.
/!(J 1. =hiteside, R. =. P. Kin, ; &he loop antenna as a probe<, FEEE &rans. )n 7ntennas and
Propaation, Gol. 7P!-, "ay !,:6, pp. -,!*-,>.
/!!0 FEC :!,:>*: Fnterated circuits L "easurement of electromanetic emissions, !'(K18 to
!H18 L Part :C "easurement of conducted emissions L "anetic probe method.

!ibliography
&he theory of the shielded loop antenna is i$en by R. E. Buress, ;&he Screen Doop 7erial<,
=ireless En. Gol. !:, p. 6,-, )ctober !,5,.

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