Agilent
4284A/4285A
Precision LCR Meter Family
20 Hz to 1 MHz
75 kHz to 30 MHz
Technical Overview
A new standard
for precise component,
semiconductor and
material measurements
2
Agilent
precision LCR meter family
Utilize state-of-the art
measurement technologies
• 6-digits of resolution at any range
• Basic accuracies of
0.05% (Agilent 4284A) and
0.1% (Agilent 4285A)
• 20 impedance parameters to access
and measure
• Constant V or I test signal level
• 20 Vrms test signal level
(Agilent 4284A)
Move your process toward
error-free operation
• Instrument setup state storage
• Comparator functions
• Selectable frequency error
corrections
• Open, short and load corrections
remove parasitics
Key specifications
Agilent 4284A precision LCR meter
Test frequency 20 Hz to 1 MHz over 8610 selectable frequencies
Measurement range
1
|Z|, R, X :0.01 mΩ to 99.9999 MΩ
|Y|, G,B :0.01 nS to 99.9999 S
C :0.01 fF to 9.99999 F
L :0.01 nH to 99.9999 kH
D :0.000001 to 9.99999
Q :0.01 to 99999.9
Basic accuracy |Z| , C and L:0.05% D:0.0005
Test signal level range
Voltage 5 mVrms to 2 Vrms
Current 50 µArms to 20 mArms
Constant test signal level range
Voltage 10 mVrms to 1 Vrms
Current 100 µArms to 10 mArms
Measurement time
2
39 ms/190 ms/830 ms at 1 kHz
4284A with Option 4284A-001
Test signal level range
Voltage 5 mVrms to 20 Vrms
Current 50 µArms to 200 mArms
Constant test signal level range
Voltage 10 mVrms to 10 Vrms
Current 100 µArms to 100 mArms
Internal DC bias ± (1 mV ~ 40 V), ≤ 100 mA, 0.1% accuracy
4284A with Option 4284A-002 and 42841A
DC current bias 0.01 A to 20 A (with 42841A and 42842A)
0.02 A to 40 A (with 42841A x 2 ea., 42842B and 42843A)
1. Refer to specifications for complete accuracy.
2. Supplimental information only.
3
Satisfying your
performance needs
Adapt instrument configurations
to fit your test needs
• Internal voltage biasing up to ±40 Vdc
3
• High current biasing up to 40 A dc
3
(Agilent 4284A)
• Wide range of frequencies, 20 Hz to
30 MHz
• BIN’ing and comparator functions for
handlers
• SMD, axial and radial test fixtures
3
Simplify your system
development and integration
• Programming language compatible
with IEEE 488.2
• Test port extensions: maximum 4 m
for 4284A
3
and 2 m for 4285A
• Identical operation for the entire
family of products
• Scanner, handler and GPIB interfaces
3
Key specifications
Agilent 4285A precision LCR meter
Test frequency 75 kHz to 30 MHz with 100 Hz resolution
Measurement range
1
|Z|, R, X :0.01 m Ω to 99.9999 MΩ
|Y|, G,B :0.01 nS to 99.9999 S
C :0.01 fF to 999.999 µF
L :0.001 nH to 99.9999 H
D :0.000001 to 9.99999
Q :0.01 to 99999.9
Basic accuracy |Z|, C and L:0.1% D:0.001
Test signal level range
Voltage 5 mVrms to 2 Vrms
Current 200 µArms to 20 mArms
Constant test signal level range
Voltage 10 mVrms to 1 Vrms
Current 100 µArms to 20 mArms
Measurement time
2
30 ms/65 ms/200 ms
4285A with Option 4285A-001
Internal DC bias ± (1 mV ~ 40 V), ≤ 100 mA, 0.1% accuracy
4285A with Option 4285A-002, 42841A, and 42842C
DC current bias 0.01 A to 10 A
1. Refer to specifications for complete accuracy.
2. Supplimental information only.
3. The options, the accessories, or the test fixtures
are needed.
Dissipation factor rise
due to high ac signal
4
Versatile component
measurements
Characterize inductive devices
• Sweep high current conditions
• Identify device properties precisely
• Test to RF frequencies
Low frequency measurements:
Agilent 4284A
Inductive devices can now be accurately
characterized from 20 Hz to 1 MHz with a
dc bias current up to 40 A
1
dc.
High frequency measurements:
Agilent 4285A
The Agilent 4285A’s wide 75 kHz to 30 MHz
range allow you to test RF inductors with
improved accuracy and 0.001 nH resolution.
Magnetic heads, ferrite-cores, and power
inductors that need to be tested at a
specified current signal level can be easily
tested with the Agilent 4285A.
Precise ceramic
capacitor measurements
• Test at 1 kHz and 1 MHz
• Resolve measurements to low values
• Maintain constant signal levels
1 kHz and 1 MHz are the primary testing
frequencies for ceramic materials and
capacitors. The Agilent 4284A can provide
these test frequencies while maintaining
an equally excellent accuracy and 6-digits
of measurement resolution.
1 MHz accuracies of capacitance (0.05%)
and dissipation factor (0.0005) are essential
for characterizing DUTs with low dissipation
factors. Dissipation factors can change as
a function of the applied test signal level
to the DUT. For reliable and consistent
measurements, the Agilent 4284A can
maintain a constant voltage test signal
level.
Inductance rolloff due
to high dc current bias
1. Need Option 4284A-001
C-V characteristics
sample—MOS diode
5
Adaptable
parameter testing
Discover new material properties
• High accuracy and precise
measurements
• Wide frequency ranges
• High test signal levels
• Agilent 16451B dielectric test fixture
The Agilent precision LCR meter family
provides the accuracy, resolution, high
test signal and bias levels
1
required for
material measurements. Using the
Agilent 16451B dielectric test fixture
provides you with accurate permittivity
and dissipation factor measurements.
The ability to output a constant test signal
level permits repeatable and accurate
magnetic/dielectric measurements. Both
the Agilent 4284A and Agilent 4285A offer
variable voltage and current test signal
level control.
Semiconductor testing
• Extend the test cable to the DUT
• Detect small parameter changes
• Rapidly acquire data
• Test at multiple frequencies
Both instruments allow you to extend the
front panel measurement port through test
cables, switches, and probers directly to
the DUT. The 6-digits of resolution give
you the ability to sense and identify
changes not normally seen by conventional
LCR meters.
The accuracies of the Agilent 4284A at
key test frequencies up to 1 MHz permit
complete DUT evaluation for either
production or laboratory needs.
For high speed device testing at frequencies above 1 MHz, the best solution is the
Agilent 4285A.
A material’s
characteristics versus
frequency
1. Need Option 4284A/4285A-001
6
Production test
Reduce production test factors
• Increase test throughput
The precision LCR meter family reduces testing costs
by providing accurate high throughput testing.
• Interface easily to handlers
Built-in comparator, cable compensation
1
, and interfaces
2
permit system integration.
• Minimize operator error
Instrument state storage minimizes costly setup errors.
Quality assurance
Automated quality assurance
• Reduce your system development time
The Agilent 4284A and Agilent 4285A are designed to be used
as elements in systems. This means GPIB, programming,
and the ability to interface with scanners
3
.
• Painlessly integrate the system
GPIB and a scanner
3
interface allow the instruments to easily
integrate into system configurations.
• Leverage your programming experience
Learning to program one instrument automatically means
you learn both.
One LCR meter family
for your product’s life cycle
Research and development
Research tomorrow’s electronic components now
• Increase measurement confidence
The basic accuracies are:
Agilent 4284A 0.05% and Agilent 4285A 0.1%.
• Detect 1 ppm changes
The 6-digits of resolution permit you to measure differences
in materials not detectable before.
• Fit the instrument to your test needs
For low frequency applications the Agilent 4284A is the ideal
tool. For testing at RF frequencies the Agilent 4285A is the
best solution.
Material design
Design and test new materials
• Material test fixtures
For accurate permittivity and dissipation factor measurements
of solid dielectric materials, the 16451B dielectric test fixture
is provided. The 16452A liquid test fixture is provided for the
permittivity measurements of liquids with minimal conductivity.
• Sample program
By using the sample program in the operation manual of
16451B, complex permittivity can be calculated rather easily
and instantly. In addition, with the use of a spreadsheet soft
ware, the frequency response of permittivity can be displayed
in a graph.
1. For 4284A, need Option 4284A-006
2. Choose the combination from Option 4284A/4285A-201, 4284A/4285A-202, or
4284A/4285A-301
3. Need Option 4284A/4285A-301
7
Comprehensive incoming inspection
Satisfying difficulties and requirements
of impedance measurements during
incoming inspection
Many types of measurements requiring a variety of measurement
conditions have to be carried out during incoming inspection.
However, as measurement instruments cannot perform all of the
measurements required, substitute measurements are made. On
the other hand, purchasing all the necessary equipment would
substantially increase capital costs.
By employing the precision LCR meter family, a wide frequency
range is covered (20 Hz to 1 MHz for 4284A and 75 kHz to
30 MHz for 4285A) and various test signal levels can be set
(20 Vrms/200 mArms for 4284A Option 4284A-001 and
2 Vrms/20 mArms for 4285A). In addition, the ALC function
allows measurements of constant-voltage and constant-current
signals, and the added capability of Option 4284A/4285A-001
enables up to ±40 V of dc bias to be applied to the DUT. As a
result of these features, a variety of measurement conditions can
be carried out.
Furthermore, the precision LCR meter family achieves high accuracy
measurements (basic |Z| measurement accuracy: 0.05% for
4284A and 0.1% for 4285A), permitting the characteristics of
inductors and capacitors to be evaluated with excellent reliability.
Also, built-in compensation functions reduce the influence of test
fixtures to a minimum, further raising the reliability.
Built-in functionalities
for efficient measurements
In order to save time and facilitate the efficiency of measurement
routines, the precision LCR meter family has the following features.
The memory card
1
allows the measurement conditions to be preset for various components with different measurement needs.
The comparator function can be set to sort into a maximum of 10
BINs, enabling many components to be handled during inspection.
The Option 4284A/4285A-301 scanner interface solves the problem of having discrepancies in measurement values for different
channels of the switching matrix by allowing channel compensation for up to 128 channels.
1. Need Option 4284A/4285A-004
8
User friendly Interface
Simple front panel operation
• Clearly view the display
• See all instrument settings
• Interactive softkeys for simple control
Directly view all instrument settings and
measurement results on the large LCD
display. This simplifies operation and
improves operator efficiency by minimizing
readout error.
The softkeys simplify front panel operation
by allowing the user to easily change
instrument states by moving the LCD
cursor with cursor keys. The softkeys
will automatically change to reflect the
cursor’s position. This minimizes the
number of menus and key strokes.
Non-volatile memory
• Eliminate costly setup errors
• Increase user productivity
• Archive tests
The instruments contain two types of user
accessible memory; internal and external
(memory cards)
1
. The memory can easily
be used to store measurement setups.
Later, a setup can be loaded back into the
instrument. This reduces test setup errors
and increases the user’s productivity.
The memory can store 10 different instrument states, complete with correction
data and system configuration. Entire
setups including limit information can
now be stored and loaded using either
the internal memory or the memory card
1
.
The memory card
1
system is completely
electronic and is based on EEPROM.
Customized test frequencies
Inserting the memory card
1
1. Need Option 4284A/4285A-004
9
Testing with the
proper tools
Measure the components’
performance in your
power supply
• Test your components under load
conditions
• Bias inductive devices with high
currents
• Satisfy your needs with the right
instrument
Designing advanced switching power
supplies require the use of inductors and
transformers that operate in the RF
regions.
For low frequencies, the Agilent 4284A
1
precision LCR meter with the
Agilent 42841A bias current source,
and the 42842A/B bias current test
fixtures all combine to form a 40 A dc
test system.
Where a high frequency measurement
is required, use an Agilent 4285A
2
, an
Agilent 42842C bias current test fixture,
and an Agilent 42841A bias current source
to achieve up to 10 A dc biasing with
measurements at 30 MHz.
Reduce system
development time
The 4284A and 4285A employ a programming language, which is compatible with
the IEEE 488.2. Since the command names
are similar to the measurement functions,
the time spent for creating and debugging
programs can be largely minimized. The
operation manual lists several key sample
programs, allowing the user to efficiently
create a program for their measurement
system.
High current bias for inductor testing under load conditions
Code generation made easy
1. Need Option 4284A-002
2. Need Option 4285A-002
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