Editor's Choice


The smart future of field strength measurement

28 June 2023 Editor's Choice Test & Measurement

Narda has realised the future of electromagnetic field measurements with its FieldMan. One handy, intuitive, easy-to-use instrument, with its various digital probes, is all that is needed for reliable isotropic field measurements from 0 Hz up to 90 GHz. Its precise, reproducible measurements will deliver meaningful and authoritative results even for future applications in the fields of health and safety at work and in the environment.

Narda has realised the future of electromagnetic field measurements with its FieldMan. One handy, intuitive, easy-to-use instrument, with its various digital probes, is all that is needed for reliable isotropic field measurements from 0 Hz up to 90 GHz. Its precise, reproducible measurements will deliver meaningful and authoritative results even for future applications in the fields of health and safety at work and in the environment.

Applications for the FieldMan range from the reliable detection and analysis of low-frequency fields in the industrial workplace through to high-frequency measurements on mobile radio antennas, transmitting equipment and radar installations. Its many intelligent features ensure that the operating concept and handling, efficiency, and economy result in an excellent total cost of ownership.

The Narda engineers have channelled customer feedback gathered over many years from the practical side of EMF and EMC measurements into this new device, resulting in a new instrument that can make measurements quicker and more reliably.

The brilliant and intuitive colour display ensures that all the information shown on it can be clearly read, even under the most difficult lighting conditions.

The new FieldMan can be equipped with various digital probes to cover practically any application in the frequency range from 0 Hz (DC) up to 90 GHz. The probes are the proven E field and H field probes for broadband detection of field strengths in the long wave to millimetre wave bands together with two new B field probes for spectral (FFT) measurement of magnetic field components. The two digital probes, BFD-400-1 and BFD-400-3, also make shaped time domain measurements in accordance with the limitations of all the important human safety standards.

With the probes being removable, the instrument can continue to be used while a probe is sent out to a laboratory for accredited calibration. All probes are interchangeable, and each probe has a built-in automatic self-test for all three axes. This effectively prevents measurement errors by detecting any potential failure of an axis well in advance. At the same time, this eliminates the need for complicated separate testing using external test generators. Integrated climate sensors for temperature, air humidity and pressure, combined with automatic thermal coefficient compensation, guarantee precise and correct results even at low ambient temperatures.

With the FieldMan, the capture and processing of the measurement result takes place completely within the probe itself. This means that the active components are located in the lower part of the probe in the connector, which has a major advantage. The connection between the probe and the basic measuring instrument has always been a potential weak point, as every plug in or screw in connection is particularly sensitive, both mechanically and electrically. This problem is eliminated in the FieldMan, because only the measurement results are transmitted across the connector rather than the received signal.

The FieldMan also includes a pair of ultrasound sensors fitted on the underside, which measure the exact distance of the instrument above the ground when the protective cover is opened. This parameter, which is often required by the measurement standards, is automatically shown on the display, and conveniently also recorded simultaneously in the documentation.

With built-in climate sensors, the instrument is also able to detect the environmental temperature, air humidity and air pressure, and record the results fully automatically in the measurement report for further evaluation.

The FieldMan has communication options including USB-C, optical RP-02, and a Micro SD card and Gigabit Ethernet. While the Micro SD can simplify personalisation, the optional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth interface enables remote control via a smartphone app. The smartphone app can upload measurement data to the cloud for further analysis and reporting via the PC software.


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