How to choose the right current measurement technology for your application—accuracy, bandwidth, cost, and isolation
Introduction
Current measurement is everywhere: power supplies, motor drives, EV chargers, industrial automation, energy metering. Three dominant technologies: Current Transformer (CT), Rogowski Coil, and Hall Effect Sensor.
Shaanxi SiRui Technology Co., Ltd. supplies magnetic cores for current sensor applications.
1. Technology Comparison
- CT: Highest accuracy (0.1–1.0%), AC only, excellent isolation, lowest cost
- Rogowski: Good accuracy (0.5–2.0%), AC only, no saturation, flexible, very high current
- Hall Effect: Medium accuracy (0.5–5%), DC + AC, compact, higher cost
2. When to Use Which?
CT: Revenue metering, protection relays, fixed power monitoring. Core: nanocrystalline toroids for high accuracy.
Rogowski: Very high current (1000A+), transients, retrofit installations. Needs integrator circuit.
Hall Effect: DC + AC measurement, motor drives, EV battery management. Compact, fast response.
3. Custom Cores from SiRui-Tech
At Shaanxi SiRui Technology Co., Ltd., we supply nanocrystalline toroidal cores for high-accuracy CTs, amorphous cores for protection CTs, and ferrite cores for Hall effect sensor field concentrators.
Conclusion
Theres no single best current sensor technology—it depends on your application. Highest accuracy AC metering? CT. Very high current? Rogowski. DC + AC? Hall effect.