Abstract: This method can be used to locate or identify an object in an electrically conductive medium with a detection system that comprises n electrodes in direct electrical contact with the conductive medium. The n electrodes can be placed in at least three different states: transmitting, receiving, disconnected. Before a series of measurements, the operating point of the detection system is determined according to a given a priori setpoint, or a previous configuration of the system, or a previous measurement result of one of the electrodes, by the configuration of the state of each of the electrodes, the frequency of a sinusoidal component of an electrical signal transmitted by one of the transmitting electrodes, or the amplitude of the electrical signal transmitted by one of the electrodes configured in the transmitting or receiving state.