This test measures the magnitude and the direction of the magnetic field generated by the current.
The first thing you need is a search coil that can be placed on the rotor preferably near the active center of the rotor. This search coil is usually about 2 inches in diameter and has about 200 to 400 turns of fine wire wrapped around its wooden or air core. The leadsare fed to the input to an oscilloscope.
You now need a 60 Hz (or 50Hz as available) connected to the slip rings of the rotor. This is usally done through a variac, to adjust the current/voltage to the rotor circuit. Also place an AC volt meter across the scope terminals to accurately measure the search coil voltage. With AC exciting the rotor winding, start at the edge of the pole. Adjust the scope such that you have 2 full cycles on the screen. As you move the search coil around the the circumference of the rotor you will note the magnitude and direction of the search coil will change by reading the phase angle on the second zero crossing on the scope.
Do this at the first edge of the pole, center and the other edge of the pole, jump to the next pole and the direction changes, i.e. N and S.