High power laboratory testing with a real-time computer; a new generation of testing methods

A dedicated minicomputer is used to record transducer signals during high power interruption testing of circuit breakers. Special interface circuits employing optical coupling and low capacitance shielding techniques buffer the computer aginst the typically high electrical fields. A computer gives the recording system the ability to handle digital signals and apply software processing to the data. This provides the design engineer with a printed report of the analyzed data after each power test.