What is a HIPOT Tester?

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Hipot is an abbreviation for High Potential.

A hipot tester is an electronic device used to verify the electrical insulation in a device or other wired assembly that has the potential to fail & shock someone. It generally consists of:

1. A high voltage source.
2. A current meter.
3. A switching matrix used to connect the high voltage source and the current meter to all of the contact points in a cable.

Hipot testers may also have a microcontroller and a display to automate the testing process and display the testing results.

In normal conditions, any electrical device will produce a small amount of current leakage due to the nature of the product (voltage & internal capacitance). If the insulation within a product fails (due to a design flaw or fault), the current leakage can reach dangerous levels resulting in injury or even death to anyone who may come into contact with the product.

Hipot testing is used to test the integrity of the insulation of the product & a Hipot tester is the device used to provide this information.

In a typical Hipot test, high voltage is applied between a product's current-carrying conductors and its metallic chassis. The resulting current that flows through the insulation, known as leakage current, is monitored by the hipot tester.

Useful Links

Wikipedia page on Hipot & Hipot testing

Clare, part of the Seaward Group are the UKs leading manufacturer of high quality Hipot Testing equipment