Chauvin Arnoux: Electrical measurement instruments for field surveys and permanent monitoring

Chauvin Arnoux supplies portable test instruments, installed power meters, current sensors and measurement software through specialist group companies.

Summary

Best for
Power-quality investigations, energy surveys and permanent electrical submetering.
Less suited to
Treating a portable survey analyzer as an interchangeable substitute for an installed meter.
Deployment
Portable Qualistar analyzers or installed Ulys meters with the appropriate current sensors and software.
Data in
Voltage, current and other measured quantities, depending on the instrument and specialist business.
Pricing
Pricing was not established from the reviewed technical sources; request a quote for the exact configuration.

Overview

Chauvin Arnoux brings together several measurement businesses rather than one uniform device range. The group overview distinguishes portable electrical testing from installed energy measurement, industrial temperature equipment and associated services. For an energy project, the first useful choice is whether the instrument will investigate a site temporarily or remain in the installation to supply ongoing readings.

The CA 8345 Qualistar addresses inspection and power-quality analysis. The Ulys MCM family, supplied by Chauvin Arnoux Energy, centralizes readings from multiple electrical circuits. This division of roles lets a survey establish the problem before permanent metering is selected for the circuits that need continued observation.

Offering

The CA 8345 is a Class A power-quality analyzer with a colour touchscreen, current-sensor options and recording functions. The manufacturer lists Ethernet, Wi-Fi, a web server and USB storage among its interfaces. Its PAT3 software can configure the instrument, retrieve stored readings and export measurement data for reporting.

The Ulys MCM brochure describes a different form of measurement: a cabinet-installed instrument serving several feeders from a common voltage connection. It supports matched clip-on current transformers and MiniFlex Rogowski sensors. The 6, 9 and 18 circuit configurations let a buyer select an appropriate channel count rather than allocating one complete meter and voltage connection to every feeder.

Products and platforms

  1. CA8345 Qualistar

    Portable power-quality analyzer

    Class A instrument with Ethernet, Wi-Fi and PAT3/DataView reporting.3

  2. Ulys MCM6

    Multicircuit power meter

    Six three-phase circuit model with Modbus TCP and RS485.5

  3. Ulys MCM9 and18

    Multicircuit power meter

    Larger feeder-count versions sharing matched current-sensor options.5

  4. PAT3 and DataView

    Measurement software

    Instrument configuration, recorded measurements and report preparation.3

Technology

The Ulys MCM technical brochure identifies Modbus TCP on Ethernet and Modbus over RS485. Current sensors attach through the manufacturer's connection system, while a separate port supports its remote display. These distinctions matter because a sensor connector, display connection and automation interface perform different jobs even when some use familiar connector shapes.

For portable work, the CA 8345 software documentation describes PAT3 configuration, instantaneous measurements, stored-data retrieval, graphs and spreadsheet export. DataView supports wider reporting across instruments. The two workflows therefore differ: permanent Ulys readings can feed an automation system, whereas the analyzer and its software organize a measurement campaign with events, trends and supporting reports.

Markets

The current group-company overview identifies energy production, transmission and distribution, manufacturing, and residential and commercial installations as markets for its portable instruments. Chauvin Arnoux Energy supplies fixed measurement and monitoring equipment for industrial and commercial electrical infrastructure. Manumesure adds laboratory and on-site verification, maintenance and instrument-fleet services, while Pyrocontrole provides industrial temperature measurement. These are distinct roles within a broader measurement group.

The 2026 Ulys MCM 6 announcement specifically targets smaller installations with two to six electrical circuits. Existing 9 and 18 circuit models serve larger sets of feeders. That is a concrete selection difference for building submetering: instrument capacity and sensor arrangement can be matched to the electrical board, while the portable instrument range serves commissioning and investigation tasks.

Company

Raphaël Chauvin and René Arnoux founded the business in Paris in 1893. The official history traces developments in electrical test instruments, including the universal tester and current clamp, alongside international expansion and the establishment of specialist activities. It also explicitly dates the relocation of the group headquarters to Asnières-sur-Seine to 2020.

The current group structure brings together six specialist companies. Portable instruments, installed energy measurement, industrial temperature work, sensors and metrology services sit within that wider organization. Keeping the business names visible helps explain why Ulys documentation comes from Chauvin Arnoux Energy while Qualistar documentation comes from the portable-instrument company, even though both belong in an electrical measurement comparison.

Alternatives in power metering and monitoring

What to look for in power metering and monitoring

References

  1. Chauvin Arnoux specialist group businesses (opens in a new tab)
  2. Chauvin Arnoux history and 2020 headquarters move (opens in a new tab)
  3. CA 8345 technical specifications and PAT 3 software (opens in a new tab)
  4. Ulys MCM 6 launch and channel-count selection (opens in a new tab)
  5. Current Ulys MCM technical brochure and communication interfaces (opens in a new tab)
  6. Current Chauvin Arnoux group businesses and served markets (opens in a new tab)

This profile does not imply a commercial relationship with Chauvin Arnoux and may contain inaccuracies.