The paper presents the range and possibilities of using expert systems at diagnostic measurements of insulation systems of power appliances taken by the acoustic emission (AE) method. Multi-parametric descriptors characterizing the AE signals, which can be used in the knowledge base as criteria making the identification of basic partial discharge forms (PDs) possible, have been characterized in detail. The paper shows descriptors describing the AE signals registered in time, frequency, time-frequency domains and statistical data.