An Instrument for the Objective Measurement of Light Flicker

Measurement of light flicker with a low cost digital device, based on light intensity measurements, is proposed. Unlike current standard instrument based on IEC EN 61000-4-15, which determines flicker severity by filtering powering voltage measurements with a standard lamp model (230V/60W), the presented methodology measures directly the disturbances caused by light intensity variations including the lamp itself in the measurement process. In this way an objective measurement of light flicker is obtained. The metrological characterization of the device has been implemented by means of an automatic testing station which includes a standard IEC flickermeter (Norma D6000) as reference instrument. Thanks to its portability, the instrument can be used to measure light flicker independently of the lighting system, over a wide range of environments spanning from home/office to industrial locations