Hioki PQ3198 Power Quality Analyzer, IEC 61000-4-30 Class A

A Class A analyzer built to settle power quality disputes

The Hioki PQ3198 is Hioki’s advanced power quality analyzer. It follows IEC 61000-4-30 Ed.3:2015 Class A and IEEE 1159, and Hioki positions it for work where precise measurement is needed: contracted jobs, resolving disputes between a supplier and a consumer, verifying compliance with standards, and diagnosing power supply conditions that cause equipment problems. It records the events listed in EN 50160 (transients, swells, dips, interruptions, frequency and flicker) and can detect several events at once, which helps to find the cause when one fault produces multiple disturbances.

Its sampling is the feature that separates it from the standard-class PQ3100 in the same family. Voltage and current are sampled at 200 kHz, while transient voltage is captured at 2 MHz with 12-bit resolution over a peak range of +/-6.0 kV, so short switching spikes are recorded with duration and peak value. The selection guide also lists harmonics from 0 to 50 for voltage and current (including the DC component), inter-harmonics, and high-order (supra-) harmonics from 2 kHz to 80 kHz, which Hioki notes can damage equipment, reset electronics or cause abnormal sound from TVs and radios.

A two-line measurement feature measures two different circuits at the same time, for example the input and output of an inverter or UPS, and an extra input channel (CH4) can be added to any wiring type. Data are stored on an SD card, and the PQ One software gives statistical analysis and reports.

Technical specifications

PQ3198 compared with the other Hioki logger and analyzer models

Hioki’s selection guide sets the models side by side. The PQ3198 and PQ3100 both record power quality events, inter-harmonics and EN 50160 items; only the PQ3198 adds high-speed transient capture, supraharmonics and measurement of two separate circuits. The PW3360-21 and PW3365 are power loggers for energy surveys and trends with harmonics up to the 40th or 13th order, and the CM3286-50 is an AC clamp power meter.

Choose the analyzer when the output must stand up to a contract or regulator, or when the problem involves fast disturbances and high-order harmonics. Choose a logger when the job is a load survey or demand check. The instruction manual describes the Class A synchronisation requirements, so a GPS box (PW9005) is an option for time synchronisation.

What to confirm before ordering

List the circuits to be measured, the voltage level and wiring type, and the currents so that the right sensors can be selected (AC flexible sensors, AC/DC clamp sensors and so on). Confirm whether you need the GPS box, wiring adapters, SD card and carrying case, and whether Class A compliance must be documented. The attached document is Hioki’s selection guide that includes the PQ3198; the full instruction manual is a larger file available from the manufacturer.

Documents and quotation

For permanent monitoring on a panel see the Janitza UMG 96RM panel power analyser; other portable instruments are in the portable test and measurement category. Send the model, sensors, accessories and quantity for a quotation from Seven Star LLC.