IN Brief:
- Flir has added EV86-NACS and EV86-T2 charger analysers, the DM266 thermal multimeter and the EM57 thermo hygrometer.
- The EV86 instruments combine charging system safety checks, Control Pilot testing and fault simulation for NACS or Type 2 installations.
- Meterlink provides a common mobile workflow for capturing measurements, reviewing results and preparing reports.
Flir has added four Meterlink connected instruments to its test and measurement range, covering EV charging analysis, combined electrical and thermal troubleshooting, and HVAC environmental measurement.
The range comprises the EV86-NACS and EV86-T2 EV Charger Analysers, the DM266 Compact Thermal Imaging Multimeter and the EM57 Thermo Hygrometer. Each instrument performs a different field measurement task, while Meterlink provides a common route for capturing readings, reviewing data and preparing reports on a mobile device.
EV86-NACS is configured for North American Charging Standard installations, while EV86-T2 is designed around the Type 2 connection used across European and other charging infrastructure. Both instruments are intended to test AC charging equipment rather than the traction battery or vehicle power electronics themselves.
The EV86 functions include Protective Earth pretesting, Control Pilot simulation, waveform analysis, error simulation and low impedance measurement. The NACS model also supports CCID verification, while the Type 2 version covers residual current device behaviour associated with that charging architecture.
AC charger commissioning requires more than confirming that voltage is present at the connector. Signalling between the vehicle and supply equipment establishes connection state, available current and whether energy transfer can begin, so the analyser has to reproduce those states and check the charger response as well as measure the electrical supply.
Control Pilot simulation allows the instrument to emulate relevant vehicle conditions without connecting a complete vehicle for every test. Protective Earth checks, fault simulation and residual current functions exercise the safety path separately, showing whether the charging equipment responds correctly when a fault or abnormal condition is introduced.
The DM266 combines a True RMS digital multimeter with thermal imaging. Its infrared detector has a native resolution of 160 × 120 pixels, while Super Resolution produces images up to 320 × 240. Flir’s MSX processing adds visible scene detail to the thermal image so the physical location of a temperature anomaly can be identified more easily.
Thermal and contact measurements answer different questions during electrical fault finding. Infrared imaging can show that a connection, conductor or component is running hotter than surrounding hardware, after which the multimeter can be used to measure voltage, resistance or other electrical parameters at the relevant point.
The DM266 also includes a VFD AC voltage mode for variable frequency drive environments, where the waveform differs from a conventional mains sinusoid. Flir specifies measurement capability to 600 V, CAT III 600 V safety classification, Bluetooth Low Energy and Meterlink connectivity.
Internal storage supports up to 40,000 readings per set, while battery life reaches up to 12 hours in IGM mode at medium screen brightness. Meterlink can transfer measurements and thermal images to a mobile device, allowing readings to be reviewed and attached to an inspection record without manual transcription.
The EM57 measures air temperature from -20°C to 60°C with basic accuracy of ±0.5°C and relative humidity from zero to 100% with basic accuracy of ±2%, then calculates dew point and wet bulb temperature from those values.
Dew point indicates the temperature at which condensation can form, while wet bulb temperature reflects the combined effect of temperature and moisture on evaporative cooling. Those derived values give a fuller picture of HVAC conditions than an air temperature reading alone, particularly when moisture behaviour is part of the fault.
Flir specifies more than 100 hours of battery life for the EM57, with Meterlink used to capture readings, compare trends and prepare reports. The same software layer therefore connects instruments with very different sensing hardware and electrical safety requirements.
Fluke has also added thermal and acoustic tools that connect directly to mobile devices, moving inspection data into a software record while the measurement is still associated with its location and equipment.
Meterlink does not alter the underlying measurement limits because EV charger analysis still depends on correctly reproducing signalling and protective conditions, while thermal and environmental measurements remain constrained by sensor accuracy, measurement range and the way the instrument is positioned or connected.
The four Flir products share a data workflow rather than a common measurement architecture. EV86 tests charging systems, DM266 combines electrical measurements with thermal localisation, and EM57 measures temperature and moisture conditions, while Meterlink carries the resulting field data into review and reporting.
