Chauvin Arnoux®, Inc. d.b.a. AEMC® Instruments
certifies that this instrument has been calibrated using
standards and instruments traceable to international
standards.
We guarantee that at the time of shipping your
instrument has met its published specifications.
An NIST traceable certificate may be requested at
the time of purchase, or obtained by returning the
instrument to our repair and calibration facility, for a
nominal charge.
Thank you for purchasing the Megohmmeter Model 6522 or 6524.
For best results from your instrument:
■ Read these operating instructions carefully
■ Comply with the precautions for use
WARNING, risk of DANGER! The operator must refer to these
instructions whenever this danger symbol appears
WARNING, risk of electric shock. The voltage applied to parts
marked with this symbol may be hazardous
Equipment is protected by double insulation
> 700V
The voltage on the terminals must not exceed 700V
Ground/Earth
Battery
Information or useful tip
Remote test probe
The product is recyclable in accordance with standard ISO14040
This instrument exceeds regulatory requirements with respect to
recycling and reuse
Indicates conformity with European directives, in particular LVD and
EMC
Indicates that, in the European Union, the instrument must undergo
selective disposal in compliance with Directive WEEE 2002/96/EC.
This instrument must not be treated as household waste
Denition of Measurement Categories (CAT)
■ CAT II corresponds to measurements taken on circuits directly connected to
low-voltage installations.
Example: power supply to electro-domestic devices and portable tools.
■ CAT III corresponds to measurements on building installations.
Example: distribution panel, circuit-breakers, machines or xed industrial
devices.
■ CAT IV corresponds to measurements taken at the source of low-voltage
installations.
Example: power feeders and protection devices.
This instrument is compliant with safety standard IEC 61010-2-030, and the leads
are compliant with IEC 61010-031, for voltages up to 600V in CAT IV or 1000V in
CAT III.
Failure to observe the following safety instructions may result in electric shock,
re, explosion, and damage to the instrument and installation.
■ Carefully read and understand all precautions for use.
■ Be aware of all electrical hazards when using this instrument.
■ Using this instrument other than as specied may compromise its user
protection features.
■ The safety of any system in which this instrument is incorporated is the
responsibility of the integrator of the system.
■ This instrument can be used on CAT IV installations, for voltages
not exceeding 600V
between terminals.
■ Do not use the instrument on networks whose voltage or category
exceeds those specied in this manual.
■ Observe all environmental conditions of use (see § 3).
■ Except for voltage measurements, take no measurements on
electrically “live” systems.
■ Do not use the instrument if it appears damaged, incomplete, or poorly
closed.
■ Before each use, check the condition of the insulation on the leads,
housing, and accessories. Any part on which the insulation is
deteriorated (even partially) must be set aside for repair or scrapping.
■ Using the instrument without its battery compartment cover may result
in electric shock to the user.
■ Before using your instrument, ensure it is completely dry.
■ Use only the leads and accessories supplied. The use of leads (or
other accessories) of a lower voltage rating or category limits the use
of the instrument/leads (or accessories) combination to the lowest
category and service voltage.
■ When handling the leads, test probes, and alligator clips, keep your
ngers behind the physical guards.
■ Before removing the battery compartment cover, ensure all
measurement leads and accessories are disconnected. Replace all
batteries at once. Use alkaline batteries.
■ Use personal protection equipment where appropriate.
■ All troubleshooting and metrological checks must be done by
Upon receiving your megohmmeter product package, ensure the contents are
consistent with the packing list. Notify your distributor of any missing items. If
the equipment appears to be damaged, le a claim immediately with the carrier
and notify your distributor at once, providing a detailed description. Save the
damaged packing container to substantiate your claim.
Ordering Information:
Megohmmeter Model 6522.............................................................. Cat. #2155.51
Megohmmeter Model 6524.............................................................. Cat. #2155.52
Shipping Contents:
One of the following:
Megohmmeter Model 6522
Megohmmeter Model 6524
Both models also include 6 AA batteries and a user manual.
4
or
Soft Carrying Case
Two 1.5m test leads (red/black), two alligator clips
The Megohmmeters Models 6522 and 6524 are portable measuring instruments
with digital displays. They are powered by batteries. These instruments can
check the safety of electrical installations. For example, they can be used to test
new installations before they are powered up, check an existing installation in a
power-off condition, or troubleshoot an installation.
The instrument has one positive ( + ) terminal and one negative ( - ) terminal. The
negative terminal also supports the remote probe accessory (see § 2.2.2.3).
1.7 Function Buttons
In general, each button has two functions. One is marked on the button, and is
enabled via a short press. The second function is marked under the button, and
is enabled by a long (>2 seconds) press.
BUTTON
HOLD
SET-UP
∆Rel
MEM(Model 6524) Records measurements (§ 2.3).
CLR(Model 6524) Erase recorded measurements (§ 2.3.3).
DESCRIPTION
Selects the , , PI, and DAR functions (§ 2.2.2).
Toggles backlighting ON and OFF (§ 2.1.5).
Freezes/unfreezes the displayed measurement on the LCD (§
2.1.4).
Accesses the instrument’s setup parameters and information (§
2.1.1).
Applies lead compensation in continuity testing (§ 2.2.3.1).
Except when measuring voltage, all measurements must be made on poweredoff systems. Therefore check to ensure there is no voltage on the system under
test before making a non-voltage measurement. When the rotary switch is set
to the voltage or an insulation testing position, the instrument measures and
displays any voltage present at the input terminals prior to the user pressing the
test button.
2.1 Setting Up the Instrument
2.1.1 Configuration Settings
A >2 second press of the SET-UP button enables you to
change conguration settings on the instrument. You can
then use the ▲ and ► buttons to scroll through and modify
> 2s
parameters.
In Set-Up mode, the ▲ button performs the following functions:
1st press
on
Megohmmeter Model 6522/6524
The alarm buzzer is active. To
deactivate it:
1. Press . On will blink to
indicate it is selected.
2. Press to change the
setting to OFF.
3. Press to validate the
change.
The symbol disappears from the
display when you exit Set-Up.
Note that this setting reverts to On
when you turn OFF the instrument.
In each measurement mode, the third threshold can be replaced by a user-
ALARM
<
M
ALARM
k
M
>
dened value. To do this:
1. Press the ► button while the threshold value is displayed.
2. The > symbol starts blinking; you can change it to < by pressing the
button. This symbol indicates the direction of the alarm threshold: < for a
low threshold and > for a high threshold.
3. To change the threshold setting, press the ► button to navigate to the
rst digit, and then use the button to change its value.
4. Use the ► and buttons to select and change the other digits in the
threshold value, as well as the units of measurement.
5. When nished setting the threshold, press the ► button to validate the
setting.
2.1.2.3 Viewing Alarms
When the measurement is below a low alarm threshold or above a high alarm
threshold, the instrument emits a continuous audible signal and the LCD
indicates the threshold crossed:
When checking continuity, this enables you to determine whether or not the
continuity measurement is less than 2Ω simply by listening, without looking at the
display. You can similarly check insulation quality.
For an insulation, resistance, or capacitance measurement,
you can congure the instrument to subtract a reference value
from the measured value and display the difference.
To activate this function, take a measurement, and then press
REL
If the measured value is less than the stored value, the display becomes
negative.
the ∆REL button. This measurement becomes the reference
(Rref) and will be stored and subtracted from subsequent
measurement values (Rmeas). The ∆REL symbol appears on
the LCD while this function is activated.
You can display the difference as a percentage of the reference ()
by pressing the button until the % sign appears:
%
G
M
REL
For insulation measurements, only the digital display is modified by ∆REL. The
bar graph continues to display the true measured value.
To deactivate the ∆REL function, press the ∆REL button or turn the rotary switch
to another setting.
Pressing the HOLD button freezes the display of the
measurement. This can be done in all functions except the MΩ
settings, or during a timed measurement (, DAR, PI).
To unfreeze the display, press the HOLD button again.
2.1.5 Backlighting
Pressing the button turns ON backlighting for the LCD.
To switch it OFF, press the button again. Otherwise,
backlighting goes OFF automatically at the end of one
minute.
2.1.6 Standby Mode
After 5 minutes of operation with no user activity, the instrument automatically
switches to standby mode. To restore normal operation, simply press any button.
The instrument returns to the state it was in prior to entering standby mode, with
no loss of information (value of the last measurement, compensation of the leads,
∆Rel, timed mode, alarm, etc.).
Automatic switching to standby mode is disabled during:
■ insulation measurements in mode and in timed mode (, PI, or DAR).
■ continuity measurements, for as long as measurements are made.
Automatic switching to standby is disabled via the SET-UP button (see § 2.1.1).
To ensure proper and accurate operation of the instrument, we recommend
measuring a known voltage (such as an electrical outlet) before measuring
unknown voltages.
1. Set the switch to V or to one of the MΩ positions.
2. Using the leads, connect the system to be tested to the instrument’s
terminals.
G VHz
DC
AC
V
The instrument displays the voltage on the terminals. It detects whether the
voltage is AC or DC; and (for the Model 6524) if it is AC, displays its frequency.
2. Use the leads to connect the system to be tested to the instrument’s
terminals. The system under test must be powered down and
discharged. When testing insulation, the typical connection is negative
(black) lead to conductor and positive (red) lead to ground or the outer
insulation of the device under test.
DC
V
3. (Optional) Press the button to display the current or the elapsed time.
(You can also do this during the measurement.)
4. Press the TEST button and hold it down until the displayed
measurement is stable. Note that if the instrument detects a voltage
greater than 25V in the system under test, pressing the TEST button
has no effect because the test will be prohibited. (An error screen will
appear.)
5. The resistance measurement is displayed on the LCD’s main display
area and on the bar graph. The secondary display area indicates the test
voltage generated by the instrument.
The symbol indicates that the instrument is generating a hazardous
voltage (>70V).
6. At the end of the measurement, release the TEST button. The
instrument stops generating the test voltage and discharges the device
being tested. The symbol is displayed until the voltage on the
system under test has fallen below 70V.
NOTE: Do not disconnect the leads and do not start any measure-
ment while the symbol is displayed.
When you release the TEST button, the measurement results remain displayed
until the next measurement, or the HOLD button is pressed, or the instrument is
turned OFF.
M
2.2.2.1 TEST Button Operation
Pressing the TEST button starts an insulation measurement. In normal mode, the
test voltage is generated for as long as the button is pressed. When the button is
released, the measurement stops.
In mode, press the test button once to start the measurement, then press it a
second time to stop; there is no need to keep the button pressed. However, if you
do not stop the measurement, it will stop automatically after 15 minutes.
In timed test mode (, DAR, or PI) press the TEST button once to start the
measurement. The test will stop automatically at the end of the dened test
The TIMER button activates timed test mode. This button is active only for
insulation measurements.
1st pressThis locks the TEST button. After you start the
measurement, it continues to run without requiring you to keep the TEST button pressed. The
test will run until you stop it, or when 15 minutes
have passed.
2nd pressThis activates timed test mode. You can set a test
duration between 1 and 39:59 minutes. Use the
and buttons to modify the value displayed.
When the time duration is displayed, press the
button to enter edit mode. When the rst digit blinks, you can change it using the button.
Press to go to the next digit and to change
it. Then press to validate.
3rd press
(Model 6524) This enables the PI function. This
is used to calculate the polarization index (the
ratio of the measurement at 10 minutes to the
measurement at 1 minute).
4th press
(Model 6524) This enables the DAR function. This
is used to calculate the dielectric absorption ratio
(the ratio of the measurement at 1 minute to the
measurement at 30 seconds).
5th pressExits timed test mode.
When , DAR, or PI is activated, pressing the TEST button starts the test. The
LCD displays the measurement, along with a “countdown” timer showing the time
remaining in the test. The test automatically stops when the duration end time is
reached and the result is displayed.
Successive presses on the button display intermediate
TEST
values. These include:
For :
■ Programmed time, voltage, and current at the end of
the measurement
For PI and DAR:
■ T1 time and the voltage, current, and insulation
resistance at that time
■ T2 time and the voltage, current, and insulation
resistance at that time
Use the following table as a guide for interpreting the results of a DAR or PI test:
DARPICondition of insulation
DAR < 1.25PI < 2Poor or even dangerous
1.25 ≤ DAR < 1.62 ≤ PI < 4Good
1.6 ≤ DAR4 ≤ PIExcellent
Press the TEST button to return to voltage measurement.
2.2.2.3 Remote Control Probe (Optional)
The optional remote control probe is used to trigger the measurement using the
TEST button on the probe. To use this accessory, refer to its separate operating
instructions.
When the probe is connected, the symbol is displayed on the
0
> 2s
0
instrument’s LCD.
NOTE: The remote probe can also be used as a passive probe by simply
touching the probe tip to the test point. It is not necessary to press the test
button.
2.2.3 Continuity Measurement
Continuity measurement measures a low resistance (<10 or 100Ω depending on
the current) at a high current (200 or 20mA).
NOTE: A current of 20mA reduces the power consumption of the instrument,
increasing its battery life. However, the standard IEC 61557 requires 200mA
current for continuity testing.
The Model 6522 can take measurements only at 200mA.
If an external voltage >15V is detected in the system under test during the
continuity measurement, the instrument is protected without a fuse. The
continuity measurement is stopped and the instrument reports an error until the
voltage disappears.
2.2.3.1 Lead Compensation
Before checking continuity, you should compensate for the
resistance of the measurement leads. This ensures that the
resistance measurement excludes the resistance in the leads.
To do this, set the rotary switch to Ω. Then short-circuit the
measurement leads and press the
The display changes to zero and the symbol is displayed. The resistance
0
100V
V
k
Ω
MR
OFF
Ω
250V
500V
1000V
50V
MΩ
OFF
of the leads will be systematically subtracted from all continuity measurements. If
the resistance of the leads is >10Ω, there is no compensation. The compensation
remains in memory until the instrument is turned OFF.
If the leads are changed with no change of compensation, the display may
become negative. The instrument reports that the compensation must be redone
by displaying a blinking
symbol.
To remove the compensation of the leads, leave the leads open and press the
button for >2 seconds. The LCD displays the resistance of the leads and
the symbol goes off.
2.2.3.2 Continuity Measuring
1. Set the rotary switch to Ω.
2. (Model 6524) Press the ► button to display the measurement current.
The measurement current appears blinking on the LCD. You can change
the current by pressing the ► button.
3. Use the leads to connect the instrument to the system to be tested. The
Except for the batteries, the instrument contains no parts that can
be replaced by personnel who have not been specially trained and
accredited. Any unauthorized repair or replacement of a part by an
“equivalent” may impair safety.
4.1 Maintenance
4.1.1 Cleaning
Disconnect the unit completely and turn the rotary switch to OFF.
Use a soft cloth, dampened with soapy water. Rinse with a damp cloth and
dry rapidly with a dry cloth or forced air. Do not use alcohol, solvents, or
hydrocarbons.
Do not use the instrument again until it is completely dry.
4.1.2 Replacing the Batteries
At start-up, the instrument displays the remaining battery life:
If the battery voltage is too low to ensure correct operation of the instrument, a
“low battery” message appears on the LCD and the symbol blinks:
5. Place the new batteries in the compartment, ensuring that each battery’s
G
<
M mAµA
G
polarity is correct.
6. Put the battery compartment cover in place and screw the quarter-turn
screw back in.
4.2 Troubleshooting
4.2.1 Errors
During instrument operation, errors may be displayed on the LCD. The causes
of any errors must be corrected before the instrument can resume normal
operation.
4.2.1.1 Voltage present before an insulation measurement
Before taking an insulation
measurement, the instrument
measures voltage on the system under
test. If it detects voltage in excess
of 25V and you attempt to take a
measurement, the instrument displays
the message shown to the left, and no
measurement is taken.
You must eliminate the voltage to
resume taking the measurement.
4.2.1.2 Range exceeded during an insulation measurement
If during an insulation measurement
the value to be measured exceeds the
measurement range (which depends
on the instrument and the test voltage),
the instrument reports this condition.
For example, the screen to the left is
displayed when the range is exceeded
on the Model 6524 while measuring in
the 100V range.
The Model 6522 and 6524 are warranted to the owner for a period of one year
from the date of original purchase against defects in manufacture. This limited
warranty is given by AEMC® Instruments, not by the distributor from whom it was
purchased. This warranty is void if the unit has been tampered with or abused, or
if the defect is related to service not performed by AEMC® Instruments.
Full warranty coverage and product registration is available on our website at:
Please print the online Warranty Coverage Information for your records.
What AEMC® Instruments will do: If a malfunction occurs within the one-
year period, you may return the instrument to us for repair, provided we have
your warranty registration information on le or a proof of purchase. AEMC®
Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace the faulty material.
4.6 Warranty Repairs
What you must do to return an Instrument for Warranty Repair:
First, request a Customer Service Authorization Number (CSA#) by phone or by
fax from our Service Department (see address below), then return the instrument
along with the signed CSA Form. Please write the CSA# on the outside of the
Caution: To protect yourself against in-transit loss, we recommend you insure
your returned material.
NOTE: You must obtain a CSA# before returning any instrument.