A practical approach for magnetic core-loss characterization

A practical approach for magnetic core-loss characterization up to a few megahertz is presented. An error analysis is for the first time performed, revealing that corrections are needed to compensate for errors introduced by the extra phase shift inherent in a measurement setup, and by shunt parasitic capacitance associated with an inductive device under test. A simple technique is then proposed to control the error so as to satisfy prescribed tolerances. Extensive measurements done on a TDK PC40 core yield results which support the analysis. Several sample cores are then characterized at a few megahertz.