BK Precision BK Precision 878B, BK Precision 879B-220V Manual

Model 878B, 879B
Dual Display LCR
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
METER
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99 Washington Street Melrose, MA 02176
Phone 781-665-1400 Toll Free 1-800-517-8431

Safety Summary

The following safety precautions apply to both operating and maintenance personnel and must be observed during all phases of operation, service, and repair of this instrument.
DO NOT OPERATE IN AN EXPLOSIVE
ATMOSPHERE
Do not operate the instrument in the presence of flammable gases or fumes. Operation of any electrical instrument in such an environment constitutes a definite safety hazard.
KEEP AWAY FROM LIVE CIRCUITS
Instrument covers must not be removed by operating personnel. Component replacement and internal adjustments must be made by qualified maintenance personnel.
DO NOT SUBSTITUTE PARTS OR MODIFY
THE INSTRUMENT
Do not install substitute parts or perform any unauthorized modifications to this instrument. Return the instrument to B&K Precisi on for
1
service and repair to ensure that safety features are maintained.
WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS
WARNING and CAUTION statements, such
as the following examples, denote a hazard and appear throughout this manual. Follow all instructions contained in these statements.
A WARNING statement calls attention to an operating procedure, practice, or condition, which, if not followed correctly, could result in injury or death to personnel.
A CAUTION statement calls attention to an operating procedure, practice, or condition, which, if not followed correctly, could result in damage to or destruction of part or all of the product.

Safety Guidelines

To ensure that you use this device safely, follow the safety guidelines listed below:
2
This meter is for indoor use, altitude up to
2,000 m.
The warnings and precautions should be
read and well understood before the instrument is used.
When measuring in-circuit components, first
de-energize the circuits before connecting to the test leads.
Discharge capacitor before testing.
The meter is safety-certified in compliance
with EN61010 (IEC 1010-1) Installation Category II (CAT. II) 50 V, Pollution Degree 2 environment.
Use the meter only as specified in this
manual. Otherwise, the protection provided by the meter may be impaired.
The power for the meter is supplied with a
single standard 9V battery. But also a line operation is possible using a 12V AC to DC adaptor. If a power adaptor is selected, please be sure to use fulfilled the safety requirements of a relevant IEC standard.
3
outside is negative (-)
Safety Symbols
This symbol is a warning and indicates that the user should refer to the operating instructions located in the manual.
DC Current
Indicates inside pin is positive (+),

Compliance Statements

Disposal of Old Electrical & Electronic Equipment (Applicable in the European Union and other European countries with separate collection systems)
4
This product is subject
Council of the European
equipment (WEEE) , and
to Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and the
Union on waste electrical and electronic
in jurisdictions adopting that Directive, is marked as being put on the market after August 13, 2005, and should not be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste. Please utilize your local WEEE collection facilities in the disposition of this product and otherwise observe all applicable requirements.
5
Storage Humidity
0 – 80% R.H.
Storage Environment
-20 °C to +50 °C
Pollution degree
Pollution degree 2
Environmental Con diti ons
Operating Environment
0 °C to 40 °C
6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Safety Summar y ........................................................ 1
Safety Guidelines ...................................................... 2
Compliance Statements ........................................... 4
INTRODUCTION ....................................................... 10
PACKAGE CONTENTS ........................................... 11
FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW .................................... 12
Front Panel Display Descriptions .................................. 13
Front Panel Buttons ...................................................... 15
LCD DISPLAY OVERVIEW ...................................... 17
LCD Display Descriptions ............................................. 17
Special Display Indicators ............................................. 19
POWERING INSTRUMENT ..................................... 20
Installing Battery ........................................................... 20
Connecting External Power Source .............................. 22
Low Battery Indication .................................................. 24
Backlit Display (model 879B only) ................................ 25
OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS ................................. 27
Data Hold ...................................................................... 27
Static Recording ........................................................... 27
7
L/C/R/Z Select Mode .................................................... 30
D/Q/θ/ESR Select Mode ............................................... 31
Test Frequency ............................................................. 31
Relative Mode ............................................................... 50
Tolerance ...................................................................... 52
Utility Menu ................................................................... 56
Parallel and Series Measurement Mode ....................... 67
Calibration..................................................................... 85
USB .............................................................................. 90
Automatic Fuse Detection ............................................. 91
QUICK START GUIDE ............................................. 93
CAUTION...................................................................... 93
Inductance Measurement ............................................. 94
Capacitance Measurement ........................................... 96
Resistance Measurement ............................................. 98
Impedance Measurement (Model 879B only) ............... 99
REMOTE COMMUNICATION ................................ 101
Connecting Instrument to PC ...................................... 101
USB (Virtual COM) Configuration ............................... 103
USB Operation ............................................................ 103
Command Protocols ................................................... 105
8
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ........................ 118
Selecting Test Frequency ........................................... 118
Selecting Series or Parallel Mode ............................... 120
Accuracy Discrepancies.............................................. 121
Guard Terminal ........................................................... 123
SPECIFICATIONS .................................................. 125
General Specifications ................................................ 126
Accuracy Specifications .............................................. 127
MAINTENANCE ...................................................... 133
Service ........................................................................ 133
Cleaning...................................................................... 133
SERVICE INFORMATION ...................................... 135
LIMITED WARRANTY ............................................ 136
9

INTRODUCTION

B&K Precision’s 878B and 879B 40,000-count L/C/R hand-held meter is designed ideally for measuring inductance, capacitance and resistance components. Simple to operate, the instrument not only takes absolute parallel m ode m easur em ents, but a lso series mode measurement. The meter provides direct and accurate measurements with selectable testing frequencies.
Front panel push buttons maximize the convenience of function and feature selection such as data hold, maximum, minimum and average record mode, relative mode, tolerance s orting mode, fr equency and L/C/R selection.
The test data can be transferred to PC through a Mini USB connection, great for applications that require data logging
A tilt stand provides position flexibility for viewing and operating the meter. The over-molding rubber case protects the meter for better durability. Additionally, top rubber visor molding above the screen is designed to prevent scratches on the display when meter is positioned upside down.
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A single 9V battery or the included DC 12V power adaptor (model 879B only) can be used to power the meter. This gives user flexibility for portable or bench­top use.

PACKAGE CONTENTS

Each 878B and 879B LCR meters are shipped with the following contents.
878B or 879B LCR meter
Instruction Manual
Mini USB Interface Cable
Red & Black Banana to Alligator Test Leads
9V Batt ery
*AC Ad apter (m odel 879 B only)
*This can be purchased as an optional accessory for model 878B.
Please locate them from the original packaging to ensure nothing is missing. If in the case that an item is missing, please contact B&K Precision immediately.
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+ -

FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW

LCR Meter
REL
LCR
Z
ESR
MAX
MIN
AVG
¦ÈQ
DH
AUTO
TOL
D
1%5%10%20%
OFF
@
1
2
3
POWER
D/Q/
P
/ESR
FREQ
S
4
5
L/C/R/Z
USB
TOL
879B
deg % kHz
PAL SER
n
¦ÌH
n
p F
¦Ì Mk RMT
R
HOLD
REC
UTIL
REL
CAL
7
8
9
10
6
13
!
11
12
Figure 1 - Front Panel Display (model 879B shown)
12

Front Panel Display Descriptions

1. LCD Display
2. Power ON/OFF Button
3. USB Communication / *Back light button
4. Secondary Display mode (for dissipation
factor(D), quality factor (Q), *phase angle (θ),
*equivalent series resistance (ESR) measurement) selection button
5. Primary Display mode (for inductance, capacitance, resistance, and *impedance measurements) / Parallel or Series measurement method selection button
6. Tolerance mode / Utility down arrow selection button
7. Hold Display mode / Record mode selection button
8. Utility menu button
9. Test Frequency / Utility up arrow select ion button
10. Relative mode / Calibration mode selection button
11. 12V DC adapter input (use with an external power adapter (rated 12VDC, 150mA, 4mm power plug))
Note: Use with included power adapter only. Use with improper power adapters may damage instrument.
13
WARNING: Before connecting an external power adapter, please check the battery compartment in the rear side of the unit. If a battery is installed, be sure that the polarity matches the (+) and (-) labels as indicated inside the battery compartment. If it is not installed correctly , please remove the battery and install it with correct matching polarity as indicated in the compartment. See “Installing Battery section for details. DO NOT, at any time, connect an external power adapter when a battery is installed incorrectly. Doing so will damage the instrument and void its warranty.
Input sockets (banana jack inputs) and terminals for positive, negative, and guard (see “Guard Terminal” in “
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12. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION” section for details)
13. Standard mini USB port (for remote controllability)
For model 879B only. Not included on model 878B.
*

Front Panel Buttons

All front panel buttons have specific colored labels on them. They are all marked in white, blue, or yellow color. Each color has a specific representation, as described below:
White – With the exception of the
button, all white colored labels represent the primary function of that button; meaning that function will be set or configured upon pressing it.
Blue – Some of the buttons have a blue label
underneath a white label. This means the function indicated by the blue label will be set or configured if that button is pressed and hold down for 2
seconds.
Yellow – There are total of 3 buttons with
yellow labels. They are
15
exclusively for use when entering UTIL menu only. See “Utility Menu” section for details.
. These functions are
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LCR
REL
ESR
MAX
AVG
MIN
¦ÈQ
AUTO
D
1%5%10%20%
deg kHz
PAL SER
¦ÌH
p F
¦Ì
RMT
Mk
TOL
DH
n
n
@
OFF
Z
1
2 5 9 10
12
14
16
202126
27
28
83
232425
4
15
11
13
6 7
22
17 18
19
%
29

LCD DISPLAY OVERVIEW

Figure 2 - LCD Indicator Display

LCD Display Descriptions

1. LCRZ – Primary display funct ion indic ator (*Z
2. MAX – Maximum reading indicator
3. AVG – Average reading indicator
4. MIN – Minimum reading indicator
5. REL – Relative mode indicator
display)
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6. Θ – *Phase angle indicator f or sec ondary display
7. Q – Quality factor indicator
8. ESR – *Equivalent series resistance indicator
9. – Secondary display
10. – Beeper tone indicator for tolerance mode
11. deg – *Phase angle degree indicator
12. – *ESR(ohm) units indicator
13. % - Tolerance percentage indicator
14. kHz – Frequency units indicator
15. PAL – Parallel mode indicator
16. SER – Series mode indicator
17. – Inductance units (Henry) indicator
18. – Capacitance units (Farad) indicator
19. MkΩ – Resistance units (Ohm) indicator
20. RMT – Remote mode indicator
21. – Primary display
22. D – Dissipation factor indicator
23. DH – Data hold indicator
24. AUTO – Auto-ranging indicator
25. TOL – Tolerance mode indicator
26.
27. @OFF – Auto power-off indicator
28. 1%5%10%20% - Tolerance sorting
– Low battery indicator
percentage indicator
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29. MAX AVG MIN – Recording mode indicators
For model 879B only. Not included on model 878B.
*

Special Display Indicators

Indicates short connectors
Indicates open connectors
Error indication
Indicates calibration mode
Indicates damaged or open fuse
AD converter error
AD converter error
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POWERING INSTRUMENT

Before beginning to operate the instrument, a power source is necessary for it to turn on. There are two methods to power the instrument: Battery and external source.

Installing Battery

The 878B and 879B LCR meters can use a battery to provide power to the instrument so that it can be portable.
The meters use a standard 9V size battery (or NEDA 1604, JIS006P, IEC6F22 carbon-zinc or alkaline battery).
To install the battery:
1. Place the meter upside down. Open up the back-flip stand, and locate the screw that tightens the battery compartment cover as indicated in Figure 3. Use a screwdriver to unscrew and remove the cover.
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Figure 3 - Back Cover
2. Insert 9V battery into compartment. Note the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals as indicated inside the battery compartment (See Figure 4). Be sure to insert the batter y with matching polarity.
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Figure 4 - Battery Compartment
3. Place the battery compartment cover piece by sliding it into the top slid first. Place screw at the bottom of the cover piece and tighten down with a screw driver.
4. Push and hold down the button for 2 seconds to turn on the instrument.

Connecting External Power Source

The 878B and 879B can also be powered using an external AC adapter. The model 879B comes with this adapter included in the pac kage, while it is optional
for model 878B.
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For external power, use AC adapter rate d for output 12VDC, 150mA, with a standard 4mm connector only.
WARNING: Use of incorrect adapters may damage
the instrument. Please use B&K Precision’s adapter only.
To connect the adapter, do the following:
1. If a battery is installed, please check the battery compartment again that the polarity of the battery matches the polarity as indicated by the labels inside the compartment. If it is not, please remove and insert the battery with matching polarity. If a battery is not installed, continue to the next step.
WARNING: DO NOT, at any time, connect an external power adapter when a battery is installed incorrectly (reverse polarity or non-matching polarity to indicator of battery compartment). Doing so will damage the instrument and void its warranty.
2. Connect the AC adapter connector into the right side panel of the instrument. See Figure 5 below.
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AC Adapter
Figure 5 - Connecting AC Adapter to Meter
3. Now, connect the AC Adapter socket into an electrical outlet.
4. Push and hold down the button for 2 seconds to turn on the instrument.
12VDC Input
Note: The meter can be operated with a battery installed while an AC adapter is plugged in at the same time (As long as the battery is inserted properly with correct polarity). In this event, the meter will automatically switch to consume power from the AC adapter instead of the battery to preserve battery life.

Low Battery Indication

The LCR meter has a low battery indicator to notify the user when to replace battery. When the display
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starts flashing the indicator, the battery voltage is below normal working voltage. In this case, accuracy of the meter will also decrease. It is recommended that the battery be replaced as soon as possible before continuing operation. See “Installing Battery” for instructions.

Backlit Display (model 879B only)

Model 879B LCR meter has a backlit display that allows you to see the LCD display in dark conditions.
To turn on the back light, press and hold down button for 2 seconds. Back light will turn on and brighten the LCD display.
To turn off the back light at any time, press and hold down button for 2 seconds again. Back light
will turn off and return to normal display.

When Using Battery Power

When the meter is powered using 9V battery, the back light display will turn on upon holding down the
button for 2 seconds. It will stay at maximum
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brightness for 15 seconds. After another 15 seconds (30 seconds total from the time of turning on), the back light will automatically turn off to conserve battery power.

When Using External Power

When the meter is powered using an external AC adapter, the back light display will turn on upon
holding down the button for 2 seconds. It will stay at maximum brightness continuously until the
user presses and holds down the button for 2 seconds again.
Note: If a battery is installed while using an AC adapter simultaneously, un plu ggi ng the AC ada pter will automatically turn off the back light after it has been lit for 30 seconds.
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OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

Data Hold

The data hold function allows the user to freeze the display when pressed, holding the measured value until data hold is turned off.

Turn On Data Hold

To use data hold, press the button once. The “DH” indicator will display on the screen when data hold is active.

Turn Off Data Hold

To disable the data hold, press again. The “DH” indicator will disappear on the screen, and meter will remain in normal operation mode.
Note: Changing the primary function, secondary function, or test frequency will automatically turn off the data hold.

Static Recording

This mode is used for recording maximum, minim um, and average values. It is often useful for testing the range of values in which a component is expected to fall within upon measurement.
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Enable Static Recording

Press and hold down the button for two seconds to enter the static recording mode. The display should indicate “MAX AVG MIN” simultaneously. This indicates the meter is in static recording mode and recording is performed immediately.

Using Static Recording

There are four different modes that can be selected in static recording. They are indicated by the descriptions below. These modes can be changed
with each button press. Per each press of the
button, the modes will change and repeat in
the following order:
Recording Mode Maximum Mode Minimum Mode Average Mode
Recording Mode
This is the default mode when first enabling static recording. In this mode, the screen will display “MAX AVG MIN” indicator. At this point, the meter will start making recordings based on measured values from
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the input sockets or terminals. As recording is performed, maximum, minimum, and average values will be stored after a brief moment. A beep tone will sound once a recording has been stored.
Note: Subsequent beep tones may occur in this mode if there are new values that are recorded. For example, if a new maximum is detected, it will beep once again to indicate that the new value has been stored. Any previously stored values will be overwritten with the new recorded values.
Maximum Mode
In this mode, the “MAX” indicator will be shown on display. This indicates that the value in the primary display represents the recorded maximum value.
Minimum Mode
In this mode, the “MIN” indicator will be shown on display. This indicates that the value in the primary display represents the recorded minimum value.
Average Mode
In this mode, the “AVG” indicator will be shown on display. This indicates that the value in the primary display represents the recorded average value. This average value is obtained by taking the maximum and minimum recorded values and taking the average of the two values.
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Disable Static Recording

To exit this mode, press and hold the button for two seconds. The “MAX AVG MIN”, “MAX”, “MIN”, or “AVG” indicator will disappear on screen.
Note: Changing the primary function, secondary function, or test frequency will automatically turn off static recording.

L/C/R/Z Select Mode

The primary display of the LCR meter is used to indicate measured values under four different modes (three modes for model 878B, which excludes Z (impedance) measureme nt s ). These modes are: L (inductance), C (capacitance), R (resistance), and Z (impedance).
To change between these four primary modes of measurement, press the (or for model
878B) button. The modes will change and repeat upon each button press. On the screen, the indicators “L”, “C”, “R”, or “Z” (model 879B only) will be displayed to indicate which mode the meter is in.
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D/Q/θ/ESR Select Mode

The secondary display of the LCR meter is used to indicate measured values for four various parameters (two for model 878B, which excludes θ and ESR measurement mode), which provide additional information of the component being tested and is supplementary to the primary mode measurements. These modes are: D (Dissipation factor), Q (Quality factor), θ (Phase angle), and ESR (Equivalent series resistance).
To change between these measurement parameters, press the (or for model 878B) button.
The parameters for measurement will change and repeat upon each button press. On the screen, the indicators “D”, “Q”, “θ” (model 879B only), or “ESR” (model 879B only) will be dis played to indicate which secondary mode the meter is in.

Test Frequency

The 879B and 878B LCR meters use an AC signal to test
and measure components at the input sockets or
terminals. With this measurement method, a test frequency must be selected. The test frequency can affect the accuracy of the results depending on what
frequency is selected and what type and value of a
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component is being measured or tested. For details on
selecting the optimal test frequency for measurement,
refer to the “
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REMOTE COMMUNICATION

The meter has the capability to communicate with a PC over the mini USB interface. Upon installation of a USB driver, the PC can control the instrument over virtual COM (RS-232). The mini USB communication interface of the meter is designed in full duplex and has a 64-byte input and output buffer, making it reliable and efficient for data transmission.

Connecting Instrument to PC

Follow the below procedures for connection setup.
1. Download the USB drivers from www.bkprecision.com .
2. With the included mini USB cable, connect the mini USB end to the LCR meter and the other end to an available USB port on the PC (see Figure 14).
3. When Windows recognize the USB connection, do not follow the default Windows driver installation wizard. Simply run the setup file from the downloaded USB drivers and follow the prompt to install drivers.
4. When completed, the computer will recognize the instrument as a USB (virtual COM) device, meaning it will be detected as a serial COM
33
port. Windows will automaticall y assign a COM port to the instrument. Please verify which COM port Windows has assigned by going into “Device Manager”.
Figure 14 - USB Connection
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USB (Virtual COM) Configuration

The USB will be recognized as a virtual COM on the PC, thus serial port settings must be configured properly for remote communication to be successful. Below are the settings used by the 878B and 879B meters.
Baudrate: 9600
Dat a bits: 8
Parity: None
Stop bits: 1
Flow Control: None

USB Operation

There are two modes that describe the operation of the meter when it is setup for remote communication. They are remote mode and auto fetching mode.

Remote Mode

Upon connecting to the instrument, sending any commands listed in the “Command Protocols” section will automatically set the LCR meter into remote mode. In remote mode, the LCD display will show the
RMT indicator. When this is shown, all front panel
35
buttons will be disabled, except for the (or
for model 878B) button.
To exit remote mode and go back to local mode, press the (or for model 878B) button
once. The display. Pushing the same button once more will put the meter into auto fetching mode, which is described in the next section.

Auto Fetching Mode

When connected to a PC, the meter can be configured to auto-fetching mode. This means, the meter will continuously fetch data to the PC after every measurement cycle is completed. It fetches data from measured readings of primary display and secondary display, as well as tolerance compared results. This mode is useful when doing quick data logging using PC.
RMT indicator will disappear on the LCD
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Enable/Disable Auto Fetching
To toggle between enabling and disabling auto fetching, press the (or for model
878B) button. When enabled, data will be fetched constantly after every measurement cycle is completed. When disabled, no fetched data will be available.
Note: Alternatively, auto fetching mode can be disabled when a remote command is sent to the instrument, turning it back into remote mode. In this
event, the display, and auto fetching will be disabled automatically. To re-enabled auto fetching again in
this state, first press the (or for model 878B) button once to exit out of remote mode and return to local mode. Then, press the button once more to have it set to auto fetching mode again.
RMT indicator will appear on the LCD

Command Protocols

Overview of Command Type and Format

All commands are entered in either the upper case or the lower case. There are two types of the meter programming commands: IEEE 488 common
37
commands and Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI). Some commands are device-specific to the meter. They are not included in the version 1999.0 of the SCPI standard. However, these commands are designed with the SCPI format in mind and they follow the syntax rules of the standard.

Common Command Format

The IEEE 488 standard defines the common commands as commands that perform functions like reset and system query. Common commands usually come with the asterisk “*” character, and may include parameters. Some examples of Common command like: *IDN?, *GTL, *LLO.

SCPI Command Format and Query Format

The SCPI commands control instrument functions. A subsystem command has a hierarchical structure that usually consists of a top-level (or root) keyword, one or more lower level keywords, and parameters. The following example shows a command and its associated query:
A. FUNCtion:impa L Select L as primary parameter
B. FUNCtion:impa?
Return primar y parameter
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function is a root level keyword with the second level keyword, impa, and L is the command parameter. The query command ends with a question mark “?”.
Note: SCPI stems from IEEE488.1 and IEEE 488.2. Although the IEEE 488.2 standard addressed some instrument measurements , it princ ip al ly dealt with common commands and syntax or data formats. Please refer to the IEEE488.2 and SCPI reference manual for more information.

Termination Character

A terminator is a character sent by a host, which identifies the end of a command string. A valid terminator consists of two-byte data: <CR> (Carriage Return, ASC(&H0D)) or <LF> (Line Feed, ASC(&H0A) ) o r <CR><LF>

Responding Message

Returned result
After the meter executes a query command, the return of the result will be in the following format:
<Result> + <CR> <LF> For example, in auto fetching mode, the meter will
send the measured data automatically when the
39
Data Type
Explanation
Example
<NR1>
An integer
+800,-200,100,-50
This numeric
point
This representation
exponent
A parameter for
or “1” for Boolean
measurement cycle is completed. The format of the printed data will be shown as the following:
<Primary measured data, Secondly measured data, Tolerance Result > + <CR> <LF>

Data Types

Returned message is an ASCII string from the meter responding to a query. A query is a command accompanied a “?” mark. Table 4 below explains the different data types.
Table 4 - Data Type of Responded Message s
<NR2>
<NR3>
<Boolean>
representation has an explicit radix
has an explicit radix point and an
Boolean setting. Always return “0”
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+1.56,-0.001,10.5
+2.345678E+04
-1.345678E-01
ON or OFF
query command
short literal form
Text Symbol
Meaning
[ ]
Option; can be omitted
|
Exclusive OR
< >
Defined element
( )
Comment
?
Question mark
Separated two command keywords
A string is used as
<Literal>
command parameters with
HOLD

SCPI Commands

This section described all the SCPI commands supported by the meter. The meter can accept both upper case and lower case commands.
Table 5 - SCPI Symbol Conventions
:
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Description: Queries the instrument ID. version>, <serial number>
Set 100Hz frequency
Description: Query the measurement frequency only)
*IDN?
Response: <instrument model>, <firmware
*LLO
Local Lockout. This means that all front panel buttons, including the "USB" key is not available.
*GTL
Go to local.
Puts the meter into the local state,
clearing the remote state and front panel lockout.
FREQuency Subsystem
FREQuency <value>
Description: Set measurement frequency Parameters: Parameters are 100, 120, 1000,
10000 (879B only) or 100hz,120hz,1khz,10khz (879B only)
Example: FREQuenc y 100hz
FREQuency?
Response: 100hz, 120hz, 1khz, 10khz (879B
42
Description: Select primary parameter Selects L as primary parameter
only),NULL
Select D as secondly parameter
Description: Query secondly parameter ESR (879B only), NULL
FUNCtion subsystem
FUNCtion:impa < L | C | R | Z >
(Z for model 879B only)
Example: FUNCtion:impa L
FUNCtion:impa?
Description: Query primary parameter Response: Return L, C, R, Z (879B
FUNCtion:impb < D | Q | THET A | ESR >
(THETA and ESR for model879B on ly)
Description: Select secondly parameter Example: FUNCtion:impb D
FUNCtion:impb?
Response: Return D, Q, THETA (879B only),
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Set series mode
string
Description: Enable or disable relative
CALCulate:RELative:STATe ON
Description: Query the relative state Response: Return ON or OFF
FUNCtion:EQUivalent < SERies | parallel | PAL >
Description: Set equivalent mode Parameters: SERies — serial mode Parallel — parallel mode
Pal — parallel mode
Example: FUNCtion:EQUivalent SERies
FUNCtion:EQUivalent?
Description: Query the equivalent mode Response: Return “SER” or “PAL” format
CALCulate subsystem
CALCulate:RELative:STATe < ON | OFF >
function Example:
CALCulate:RELative:STATe?
44
Description: Quer y the relative val ue Response: Return <NR3 > or “-----” format string
Description: Enable or disable tolerance function Example: CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe ON
Description: Quer y the tole ranc e state Response: Return ON or OFF
Description: Quer y the nominal value of Response: Return <NR3 > or “-----” format string
Response: Return <NR3 > or “-----” format string
Description: Set tolerance range
Set 1% tolerance range
CALCulate:RELative:VALUe?
CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe < ON | OFF >
CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe?
CALCulate:TOLerance:NOMinal?
tolerance
CALCulate:TOLerance:VALUe?
Description: Query the percent value of tolerance
CALCulate:TOLerance:RANGe < 1 | 5 | 10 | 20 >
Parameters: 20 (879B only) Example: CALCulat e:T O Leranc e:RANGe 1
45
Description: Quer y the tole ranc e range “BIN4” or “----” format string
ON
Response: Return ON or OFF
string
Description: Query the minimum value of
string
CALCulate:TOLerance:RANGe?
Response: Return “BIN1”, “BIN2”, “BIN3”,
CALCulate:RECording:STATe < ON | OFF >
Description: Enable or disable recording function Example: CALCulate:RECording:STATe
CALCulate:RECording:STATe?
Description: Query the recording state
CALCulate:RECording:MAXimum?
Description: Query the maximum value of recording function Response: Return <NR3 , NR3> or “-----” format
CALCulate:RECording:MINimum?
recording function Response: Return <NR3 , NR3> or “-----” format
46
Description: Quer y the aver age value of
string
Description: Query the present value of
string
Example: FETCh?
CALCulate:RECording:AVERage?
recording function Response: Return <NR3 , NR3> or “-----” format
CALCulate:RECording:PRESent?
recording function Response: Return <NR3 , NR3> or “-----” format
FETCh Subsystem
FETCh?
Description: Returns the primary, secondary
display value and tolerance compared result of device’s output
buffer. Response: Return <NR3, NR3, NR1> format string
47
Command
Parameter
Explanation
FREQuency
<Value>
Set Test Frequency
FUNCtion
:impa
<Literal>
Select primary display parameter
:impa?
Query primary display parameter
:impb
<Literal>
Select secondary display parameter
parameter
:EQUivalent?
Query equivalent mode
CALCulate
:STATe
<Boolean>
Enable/disable relative :STATe?
Query relative state
:VALUe?
Query relative value
:STATe
<Boolean>
Enable/disable tolerance :STATe?
Query tolerance state
:NOMinal?
Query nominal value of tolerance
:VALUe?
Query percent of tolerance
:RANGe?
Query tolerance range
:RECording
Summary of Supported SCPI Commands
Table 6 - Summary of SCPI Commands
FREQuency? Query Test Frequency
:impb? Query s econdary display :EQUivalent <Literal> Set equivalent mode
:RELative
function
:TOLerance
function
:RANG <Value> Set tolerance range
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function
:STATe?
Query recording state
:MAXimum?
Query max. value of recording
:MINimum?
Query min. value of recording
:AVERage?
Query average value of recording
recording
:STATe <Boolean> Enable/disable recording
:PRESent? Query present value of FETCh? Ret urn dat a any tim e last
reading is valid

Error Codes

In certain situations, errors may occur, and an error code will be displayed on the meter. Below defines the error description based on the error code.
E10: Unknown command E11: Parameter Error E12: Syntax Error
49
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION” section.

Selecting Frequency

To select or change the test frequency, push the
button once. With each press, the test frequency will be indicated on the secon dary display of the meter. This will remain displayed until a different function for the secondary display is selected.
The selectable test frequencies for 879B meter are:
100 Hz, 120 Hz, 1 kHz, and 10 kHz. The selectable test frequencies for 878B meter are:
120 Hz and 1 kHz.

Relative Mode

Relative mode is used when the user wants to “zero” the meter based on a reference value or wants to obtain a reading that is relative to a reference value. For example, if test leads are used in the measurement, the user may want to set a reference with the test leads inserted into the input terminals so that any measurements taken will not take into account the test leads.
50

Setup Relative Mode

To setup the relative mode, simply press the button once. The value that is on the display will immediately be stored as the “reference” value. This reference value will be used for all measurements so as long as the meter is in relative mode, which is indicated by the “REL” indicator on the display.
A common use of relative mode is to “zero” out the meter. With nothing connected to the input sockets
and terminals, simply press the button once and the meter will “zero” out, meaning all display reading will become 0.
To make measurements within a specific test setup or with test leads, it is recommended that the user fir st have test leads or wires connected to the meter in the
fashion that they desire. Then, press the button once to “zero” out the meter as reference. This way, any measurements taken would not be affected by the test leads or setup.

Disable Relative mode

To disable relative mode, simply press the button once more. The “REL” indicator will disa ppe ar , which indicates the relative mode is disabled.
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Note: Changing the primary function, secondary function, or test frequency will automatically disable relative mode.

Tolerance

The tolerance mode feature is specifically used for component sorting purposes. Users who need to test and sort through a large number of components will find this function qu ite he lpf ul.

Tolerance Range

The tolerance function is configured primarily by range in percentage, meaning a percentage is used to define whether a measured value is within tolerance or out of tolerance.
(for model 879B) Selectable tolerance range is: 1%, 5%, 10%, and 20%.
(for model 878B) Selectable tolerance range is: 1%, 5%, and 10%.

Setup Tolerance

1. Select the primary measurement mode based on the type of components to be measured.
52
This is done by pressing the (or for model 878B) button to configure the desired measurement mode.
Note: Be sure to select the correct measurement mode, as tolerance mode cannot be activated unless the correct mode is selected. For example, if the component is a capacitor, be sure to select “C” for capacitance. If not, tolerance mode will not be activated following the proceeding steps below.
2. Insert the component to be used as the “standard” reference value. Another words , insert a known “good” component that will be used for testing against all other components.
(See Figure 6 for illustration)
Note: The tolerance mode cannot be activated unless the meter senses a component is connected to either the input sockets or terminals.
WARNING: If the component to be measured is a capacitor fully discharged BEFORE
, be sure that the capacitor is
inserting it into the
53
input sockets or terminals. For large capacitors, it may take longer periods of time for a full discharge. Inserting a charged or partially charged capacitor into the meter’s input sockets or terminals may produce an electric hazard and may also damage the instrument, making it unusable.
Figure 6 - Inserting Component to Inputs
3. Once the desired measured reading is displayed, press the button once to
store the reading as the “standard” value or test reference value. At this point, the “TOL
54
will be displayed on the screen, indicating that the tolerance mode is activated.
Note: Any value which appears on the LCD display, such as DH (data hold) or MAX/MIN/AVG, can also be used as the “standard” value or test reference value for sorting components.
4. To select the tolerance range, press the
button once more. For each button press, the meter will cycle through the tolerance range percentage in this order: 1%, 5%, 10%, 20% (model 879B only). These percentage ranges will also be indicated on the LCD display by the indicators “1%”, “5%”, “10%”, or “20%” (model 879B only) respectively. The component to be tested for will be verified with the tolerance within the selected % of the “standard” value or test reference value (as configured from step 3).
5. Within a few seconds, an audible tone will be heard.
One single “beep” or tone means the component is within tolerance
.
55
Three “beeps” or tone means the component is out of tolerance
.

Disable Tolerance Mode

To disable or exit out of tolerance mode, simply press and hold down the button for two seconds. The
TOL” and/or the percentage indicators “1%”, “5%”, “10%”, or “20%” (for model 879B only) will disappear on the LCD display.
Note: Changing the primary function, secondary function, or test frequency will automatically disable tolerance mode.

Utility Menu

The LCR meter has a built-in utility menu that allows you to con figure some user preferences and settings. The buttons used to set and control the menu are
colored in yellow. They are , , and
. User can configure the beep sound, auto power-off timing, power-up state, and reset instrument to default settings.
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SETTINGS /
PARAMETERS
bEEP
ON / OFF
AoFF
5 / 15 / 30 / 60 / OFF
PuP
PrE / Set
dEF
yES / NO

Entering Utility Menu

Press and hold down the button for two seconds or until the primary display shows “bEEP”. This indicates the meter is currently in the utility menu.

Configuration and Settings

There are four different menu options and configurable settings under each option. Below is a table that lists these options and settings.
Table 1 - Utility Menu Options and Settings
MENU OPTIONS
The four menu options allow users to control the beep sound setting (bEEP), auto power off setting (AoFF), power-up state settings (PuP), and resetting instrument to default settings (dEF).
57
By default, the first option after entering the utility menu is “bEEP”. The primary display indicates the menu option, and the secondary display indicates the current settings or parameters configured for the selected option. To change the settings or
parameters, use the and arrow keys. To change or select a different menu option, press the
button once. For each button press, the meter will traverse through each menu options and will repeat itself in the following order:
bEEP AoFF PuP dEF
Note: The settings and parameters are temporarily “remembered” once the button is pressed to
select a different menu option. To save all settings permanently, exit the menu using the save and exit method. With the exception of “bEEP” and “AoFF” settings, in which case under these settings, changes are temporarily saved even when exiting the menu without saving. (See “Exit Utility Menu” section for details).
Beep Sound Setting (bEEP)
The “bEEP” menu option allows the user to enable or disable the beep sound for every key press.
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Note: This option only disables the beep sound for each key press. It does not for “Static Recording” and “Tolerance” mode, as well as the “auto power-off” warning.
To turn ON the beep, push either the or arrow keys until the secondary display shows “ON”.
To turn OFF the beep, push either the or arrow keys until the secondary display shows “OFF”.
Default Setting: ON
Auto power-off Setting (AoFF)
The “AoFF” menu option allows the user to select the auto power-off timer. This timer is always counting continuously. It resets every time a button is pressed or if an action occurred. If the meter is left untouched or unattended, the timer will count until the configured time is up. This is particularly important if the user wants to preserve battery life or run the meter continuously without interruption.
Note: When the timer has reached the configured time, the meter will make an audible “beep” sound continuously for 10 seconds before auto power-off.
disable the beep sound
59
SECONDARY
DISPLAY
REPRESENTATION
5
5 minutes
15
15 minutes
30
30 minutes
60
60 minutes
OFF
No timer. Manual
power off only
To stop the “beep” sound, simply press any button to resume operation and reset the timer count.
The available timer settings are: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and off.
When the primary display shows “AoFF”, push the
or button to select the timer setting. The settings will be shown on the secondary display as follows:
Table 2 - Auto Power-off Options
Default Setting: 15 When the auto power-off option is set to any of the
configured settings in Table 2 (except for “OFF”), upon exiting the utility menu the LCD display will have
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a “@OFF” indicator. This means a timer has been set for auto power-off.
Note: When an external 12VDC AC adapter is used to power the instrument, the auto power-off feature will automatically be disabled LCD display when the “@OFF” indicator disappears. Under this condition, the meter will remain powered
continuously. In this state, powering off the
ON instrument would require manually pushing and
holding down the button for 2 seconds. When external power is removed, the meter will
automatically re-enable auto power-off again and “@OFF” indicator will re-appear if a time has been set from the “AoFF” option of the utility menu.
Power-up State (PuP)
The “PuP” menu option allows user to configure the power-up state of the LCR meter, allowing user to restore settings sa ved into internal EEPROM memory at power-up. In the utility menu, when the primary display shows “PuP”, there are two settings selectable and shown on the secondary display. “PrE” and “SEt”.
Default Setting: PrE
. This is indicated on the
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Storable Settings
Primary function mode (i.e. L/C/R)
Test frequency
Secondary function mode (i.e. D/Q)
Tolerance mode state
Reference value for Tolerance mode
Relative mode state
Reference value for Relative mode
Configure and Save Power-up State
Follow the below procedure to setup and store a power-up state into internal memory.
1. Before entering into the utility menu, configure all the settings and parameters desired for power up state. Do this by turning on any modes and setting values as desired. (Only the settings listed above in “Storage Settings” are stored). If the meter is currently in the utility menu, exit first and setup the desired settings for recalling at power-up. (see “Exit Utility Menu” for details)
2. Once settings are configured, enter/re-enter the utility menu by holding down the
button for 2 seconds.
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3. Traverse through the utility menu until you see “PuP” on the primary display. The secondary display should also show “PrE”.
4. In order to save the current meter settings for power-up state into internal memor y, use
either or button to change the settings so that the secondary display shows “SEt”.
5. Press button to select the next menu option. Once all other utility options are configured, exit the utility menu b y holding
down button for 2 seconds.
6. The meter has now saved all current settings into internal memory. At next power-up, the meter will turn on and recall the saved settings.
Note: The meter allows one set of settings to be stored into memory. Therefore, the same procedure is used to overwrite previously stored settings into memory.
Prevent Overwrite of Stored Setting s
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In the utility menu, the “PuP” option default setting is always “PrE”. This represents “previous settings”. Keeping this setting will prevent the meter from overwriting previously stored settings for power-up state. Therefore, when ent ering the uti l it y menu, be sure not to change to “SEt” to prevent overwriting any previously stored power-up settings.
Reset Default Settings (dEF)
The last option in the utility menu allows you to reset the meter to default settings. When the primary display shows “dEF”, the secondary display will show “NO” by default. The meter will also default this setting to “NO” to prevent accidental reset of instrument settings.
Default Setting: No
To reset the meter to default settings, first select the “dEF” menu option by using the use button to
browse through the utility menu. When the primary display shows “dEF”, either press or
button to change the setting so that the secondary display shows “yES”. Upon saving and exiting the utility menu, the instrument will automatically reset
64
Settings
Default Configuration
Measurement Method
SER (Series)
Test Frequency
1 kHz
Auto Power-off
15 (15 minutes)
Power-up State
PrE
Reset Default Settings
No
back to its original settings. Below is a table of all the settings that will be restored.
Table 3 - Instrument Default Settings
Primary Function C (Capacitance)
Secondary Function None
Beep On
Note: In the case where under “PuP” option, “SEt” is selected and “dEF” is set to “yES”, the “PuP” setting has priority over the “dEF” setting. This means the instrument will not
be set back to default upon saving and exiting the utility menu. Instead, the power-up settings will be stored and will be recalled upon the next power-up of the instrument.

Exit Utility Menu

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There are two methods for exiting the utility menu. One saves all the changed settings before exiting, and the other exits the menu without saving any changes.
Saving and Exiting
To save all utility menu option settings and to exit the menu, press and hold down the button for 2
seconds. After this, the meter will exit the menu, and all settings will be saved.
Exiting without Saving
If user decides to exit the utility menu without making any changes or saving any changes to “PuP” or “dEF”, it can be done by simply pressing any front
panel buttons except , , , and
. Note that settings that are changed under “bEEP” and “AoFF” options are still temporarily set until the next power-up of the instrument.
66

Parallel and Series Measurement Mode

The LCR meter offers the option to select between
parallel or series measurement mode. Depending on
which mode is selected, the method to measure the
component will be different. Additionally, one
measurement mode may provide better accuracies over
the other measurement mode depending on the type of
component and the value of the component to be
tested. For more details, refer to the “
67

REMOTE COMMUNICATION

The meter has the capability to communicate with a PC over the mini USB interface. Upon installation of a USB driver, the PC can control the instrument over virtual COM (RS-232). The mini USB communication interface of the meter is designed in f ull dup lex and has a 64-byte input and output buffer, making it reliable and efficient for data transmission.

Connecting Instrument to PC

Follow the below procedures for connection setup.
5. Download the USB drivers from www.bkprecision.com .
6. With the included mini USB cable, connect the mini USB end to the LCR meter and the other end to an available USB port on the PC (see Figure 14).
7. When Windows recognize the USB connection, do not follow the default Windows driver installation wizard. Simply run the setup file from the downloaded USB drivers and follow the prompt to install drivers.
8. When completed, the computer will recognize the instrument as a USB (virtual COM) device, meaning it will be detected as a serial COM
68
port. Windows will automaticall y assign a COM port to the instrument. Please verify which COM port Windows has assigned by going into “Device Manager”.
Figure 14 - USB Connection
69

USB (Virtual COM) Configuration

The USB will be recognized as a virtual COM on the PC, thus serial port settings must be configured properly for remote communication to be successful. Below are the settings used by the 878B and 879B meters.
Baudrate: 9600
Dat a bits: 8
Parity: None
Stop bits: 1
Flow Control: None

USB Operation

There are two modes that describe the operation of the meter when it is setup for remote communication. They are remote mode and auto fetching mode.

Remote Mode

Upon connecting to the instrument, sending any commands listed in the “Command Protocols” section will automatically set the LCR meter into remote mode. In remote mode, the LCD display will show the
RMT indicator. When this is shown, all front panel
70
buttons will be disabled, except for the (or
for model 878B) button.
To exit remote mode and go back to local mode, press the (or for model 878B) button
once. The display. Pushing the same button once more will put the meter into auto fetching mode, which is described in the next section.

Auto Fetching Mode

When connected to a PC, the meter can be configured to auto-fetching mode. This means, the meter will continuously fetch data to the PC after every measurement cycle is completed. It fetches data from measured readings of primary display and secondary display, as well as tolerance compared results. This mode is useful when doing quick data logging using PC.
RMT indicator will disappear on the LCD
71
Enable/Disable Auto Fetching
To toggle between enabling and disabling auto fetching, press the (or for model
878B) button. When enabled, data will be fetched constantly after every measurement cycle is completed. When disabled, no fetched data will be available.
Note: Alternatively, auto fetching mode can be disabled when a remote command is sent to the instrument, turning it back into remote mode. In this
event, the display, and auto fetching will be disabled automatically. To re-enabled auto fetching again in
this state, first press the (or for model 878B) button once to exit out of remote mode and return to local mode. Then, press the button once more to have it set to auto fetching mode again.
RMT indicator will appear on the LCD

Command Protocols

Overview of Command Type and Format

All commands are entered in either the upper case or the lower case. There are two types of the meter programming commands: IEEE 488 common
72
commands and Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI). Some commands are device-specific to the meter. They are not included in the version 1999.0 of the SCPI standard. However, these commands are designed with the SCPI format in mind and they follow the syntax rules of the standard.

Common Command Format

The IEEE 488 standard defines the common commands as commands that perform functions like reset and system query. Common commands usually come with the asterisk “*” character, and may include parameters. Some examples of Common command like: *IDN?, *GTL, *LLO.

SCPI Command Format and Query Format

The SCPI commands control instrument functions. A subsystem command has a hierarchical structure that usually consists of a top-level (or root) keyword, one or more lower level keywords, and parameters. The following example shows a command and its associated query:
A. FUNCtion:impa L Select L as primary parameter
B. FUNCtion:impa?
Return primar y parameter
73
function is a root level keyword with the second level keyword, impa, and L is the command parameter. The query command ends with a question mark “?”.
Note: SCPI stems from IEEE488.1 and IEEE 488.2. Although the IEEE 488.2 standard addressed some instrument measurements , it principally dealt with common commands and syntax or data formats. Please refer to the IEEE488.2 and SCPI reference manual for more information.

Termination Character

A terminator is a character sent by a host, which identifies the end of a command string. A valid terminator consists of two-byte data: <CR> (Carriage Return, ASC(&H0D)) or <LF> (Line Feed, ASC(&H0A) ) o r <CR><LF>

Responding Message

Returned result
After the meter executes a query command, the return of the result will be in the following format:
<Result> + <CR> <LF> For example, in auto fetching mode, the meter will
send the measured data automatically when the
74
Data Type
Explanation
Example
<NR1>
An integer
+800,-200,100,-50
This numeric
point
This representation
exponent
A parameter for
or “1” for Boolean
measurement cycle is completed. The format of the printed data will be shown as the following:
<Primary measured data, Secondly measured data, Tolerance Result > + <CR> <LF>

Data Types

Returned message is an ASCII string from the meter responding to a query. A query is a command accompanied a “?” mark. Table 4 below explains the different data types.
Table 4 - Data Type of Responded Messages
<NR2>
<NR3>
<Boolean>
representation has an explicit radix
has an explicit radix point and an
Boolean setting. Always return “0”
75
+1.56,-0.001,10.5
+2.345678E+04
-1.345678E-01
ON or OFF
query command
short literal form
Text Symbol
Meaning
[ ]
Option; can be omitted
|
Exclusive OR
< >
Defined element
( )
Comment
?
Question mark
Separated two command keywords
A string is used as
<Literal>
command parameters with
HOLD

SCPI Commands

This section described all the SCPI commands supported by the meter. The meter can accept both upper case and lower case commands.
Table 5 - SCPI Symbol Conventions
:
76
Description: Queries the instrument ID. version>, <serial number>
Set 100Hz frequency
Description: Query the measurement frequency only)
*IDN?
Response: <instrument model>, <firmware
*LLO
Local Lockout. This means that all front panel buttons, including the "USB" key is not available.
*GTL
Go to local.
Puts the meter into the local state,
clearing the remote state and front panel lockout.
FREQuency Subsystem
FREQuency <value>
Description: Set measurement frequency Parameters: Parameters are 100, 120, 1000,
10000 (879B only) or 100hz,120hz,1khz,10khz (879B only)
Example: FREQuenc y 100hz
FREQuency?
Response: 100hz, 120hz, 1khz, 10khz (879B
77
Description: Select primary parameter Selects L as primary parameter
only),NULL
Select D as secondly parameter
Description: Query secondly parameter ESR (879B only), NULL
FUNCtion subsystem
FUNCtion:impa < L | C | R | Z >
(Z for model 879B only)
Example: FUNCtion:impa L
FUNCtion:impa?
Description: Query primary parameter Response: Return L, C, R, Z (879B
FUNCtion:impb < D | Q | THETA | ES R >
(THETA and ESR for model879B on ly)
Description: Select secondly parameter Example: FUNCtion:impb D
FUNCtion:impb?
Response: Return D, Q, THETA (879B only),
78
Set series mode
string
Description: Enable or disable relative
CALCulate:RELative:STATe ON
Description: Query the relative state Response: Return ON or OFF
FUNCtion:EQUivalent < SERies | parallel | PAL >
Description: Set equivalent mode Parameters: SERies — serial mode Parallel — parallel mode
Pal — parallel mode
Example: FUNCtion:EQUivalent SERies
FUNCtion:EQUivalent?
Description: Query the equivalent mode Response: Return “SER” or “PAL” format
CALCulate subsystem
CALCulate:RELative:STATe < ON | OFF >
function Example:
CALCulate:RELative:STATe?
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Description: Quer y the relative val ue Response: Return <NR3 > or “-----” format string
Description: Enable or disable tolerance function Example: CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe ON
Description: Quer y the tole ranc e state Response: Return ON or OFF
Description: Query the nominal value of Response: Return <NR3 > or “-----” format string
Response: Return <NR3 > or “-----” format string
Description: Set tolerance range
Set 1% tolerance range
CALCulate:RELative:VALUe?
CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe < ON | OFF >
CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe?
CALCulate:TOLerance:NOMinal?
tolerance
CALCulate:TOLerance:VALUe?
Description: Query the percent value of tolerance
CALCulate:TOLerance:RANGe < 1 | 5 | 10 | 20 >
Parameters: 20 (879B only) Example: CALCulat e:T O Leranc e:RANGe 1
80
Description: Quer y the tole ranc e range “BIN4” or “----” format string
ON
Response: Return ON or OFF
string
Description: Query the minimum value of
string
CALCulate:TOLerance:RANGe?
Response: Return “BIN1”, “BIN2”, “BIN3”,
CALCulate:RECording:STATe < ON | OFF >
Description: Enable or disable recording function Example: CALCulate:RECording:STATe
CALCulate:RECording:STATe?
Description: Query the recording state
CALCulate:RECording:MAXimum?
Description: Query the maximum value of recording function Response: Return <NR3 , NR3> or “-----” format
CALCulate:RECording:MINimum?
recording function Response: Return <NR3 , NR3> or “-----” format
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Description: Quer y the aver age value of
string
Description: Quer y the pres ent value of
string
Example: FETCh?
CALCulate:RECording:AVERage?
recording function Response: Return <NR3 , NR3> or “-----” format
CALCulate:RECording:PRESent?
recording function Response: Return <NR3 , NR3> or “-----” format
FETCh Subsystem
FETCh?
Description: Returns the primary, secondary
display value and tolerance compared result of device’s output
buffer. Response: Return <NR3, NR3, NR1> format string
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Command
Parameter
Explanation
FREQuency
<Value>
Set Test Frequency
FUNCtion
:impa
<Literal>
Select primary display parameter
:impa?
Query primary display parameter
:impb
<Literal>
Select secondary display parameter
parameter
:EQUivalent?
Query equivalent mode
CALCulate
:STATe
<Boolean>
Enable/disable relative :STATe?
Query relative state
:VALUe?
Query relative value
:STATe
<Boolean>
Enable/disable tolerance :STATe?
Query tolerance state
:NOMinal?
Query nominal value of tolerance
:VALUe?
Query percent of tolerance
:RANGe?
Query tolerance range
:RECording
Summary of Supported SCPI Commands
Table 6 - Summary of SCPI Commands
FREQuency? Query Test Frequency
:impb? Query s econdary display :EQUivalent <Literal> Set equivalent mode
:RELative
function
:TOLerance
function
:RANG <Value> Set tolerance range
83
function
:STATe?
Query recording state
:MAXimum?
Query max. value of recording
:MINimum?
Query min. value of recording
:AVERage?
Query average value of recording
recording
:STATe <Boolean> Enabl e/ disabl e recording
:PRESent? Query present value of FETCh? Ret urn dat a any tim e last
reading is valid

Error Codes

In certain situations, errors may occur, and an error code will be displayed on the meter. Below defines the error description based on the error code.
E10: Unknown command E11: Parameter Error E12: Syntax Error
84
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION” section.

Default Settings

For Capacitance and Resistance measurements, the default measurement mode is parallel
For Inductance measurements, the default measurement mode is series

Selecting Measurement Mod e

The measurement mode of the meter is displayed by the indicators “SER” or “PAR” on the LCD screen. “SER” means meter is in series measurement mode. “PAR” means meter is in parallel measurement mode. To toggle between the two modes, press and hold
down (or for model 878B) button for 2 seconds. The indicators on the display should toggle between “SER” and “PAR”.
.
.

Calibration

Calibration is available on all modes. It is recommended that to achieve optimal readings,
85
calibration should be done before making any measurements.
To enter calibration mode, simply press and hold down the button for 2 seconds. A calibration
prompt will be displayed. There are two types of calibration available. One is the open circuit calibration. The other is the short circuit calibration. To exit calibration mode, simply press and hold down
the button for 2 seconds again.

Open Calibration

Open calibration can be done when meter first enters into calibration mode. If the input sockets or terminals have nothing connected, the display should show Figure 7. Also, “REL” indicator will be blinking on the display. This is to prompt the user that the meter is waiting for an action. At this point, open calibration
will be done when the button is pressed once. Within a few seconds, the meter will return to normal display and meter will be calibrated based on the test frequency and settings selected prior to entering the calibration mode.
86
Figure 7 - Open Calibration

Short Calibration

Short calibration can be done when meter first enters into calibration mode. If the input sockets or terminals have nothing connected, the display will be like Figure
7. For short calibration, simply put a shorting bar or a short piece of conductive metal (i.e. paper clip) across the “+” and “-“ input sockets or terminals. Within 2 seconds, the meter will display the same screen as Figure 8, which prompts for a “short”. Also, “REL” indicator will be blinking on the display. This is to prompt the user that the meter is waiting for an action. At this point, short calibration will be done when the
button is pressed once. Within a few seconds,
the meter will return to normal display and meter will
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be calibrated based on the test frequency and settings selected prior to entering the calibration mode.
Figure 8 - Short Calibration

Quick Procedure

Below is an example of steps to follow to do both open and short calibration.
1. Select the primary function mode for measurement (i.e. L/C/R/Z).
2. Select the test frequency for measurement.
3. Select the measurement mode (i.e. Series or Parallel)
4. Once all settings are configured, hold down
button for 2 seconds to enter into
calibration mode.
5. First, do open calibration. Follow instructions under “Open Calibration” section.
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6. Next, do short calibration. Follow instructions under “Short Calibration” section.
7. Now, the meter should go back to normal display and user may proceed to take measurements of components.

Recommendations

To achieve optimal measurement results, both open and short calibration should be done. It is highly recommended to calibrate extremely high or low values for L, C, R and Z before making precision measurements.
Notes:
1. If test frequency is changed, calibration should be done again before making precision measurements. Once calibration is done on a selected test frequency, calibration data will remain until power off.
2. Either open or short calibration is not associated with measurement function, therefore changing the test function does not require re-calibration.
3. Re-calibration may be necessary depending on many factors such as prolonged use, changing environments, and contact variation (i.e. alligator test leads or socket contacts).
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USB
The USB button (or for model 878B) are
used for remote communication. See “
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REMOTE COMMUNICATION” section for details.

Automatic Fuse Detection

The LCR meter has an internal fuse that protects the inputs from severely damaging the instrument. When the meter detects that the protective fuse is open, the “FUSE” indicator will appear on the primary display (see Figure 9) and an internal “beep” will sound continuously. In this situation, none of the function buttons can be operated and all other meter functions will be disabled.
Figure 9 - Fuse Display
In the event that the above screen is displayed, a fuse replacement is required. Turn off the meter by
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pressing and holding down the button for 2 seconds. If this does not power off the meter, remove external AC adapter if that is used and/or remove the battery from the battery compartment. Refrain from further operation until fuse is replaced. Please contact B&K Precision for assistance.
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QUICK START GUIDE

CAUTION
Do not measure a capacitor that is not fully discharged. Connecting a charged or partially charged capacitor to the input terminals will damage the instrument.
W hen meas uring within a c ircuit, the cir cuit mus t be de-energized before connecting the test leads.
W hen used in a dusty environm ent, the instrument should be wiped and cleaned regularly.
Do n ot leave the instrum ent exposed to direct heat from the sun for long periods of time.
Before removing the cover, ensure that the instrument is disconnected from any circuit and is powered OFF.
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Note:
To achieve optimum pr ecision for a ll L, C, and R measurements at either the highest or lowest ranges, calibrate the meter before testing. See “Calibration” section for details.

Inductance Measurement

1. Press down button for one second to turn on the meter.
2. Press (or for model 878B) button until “L” is displayed on the screen to select inductance measurement.
3. Insert an inductor into either the input sockets or connect alligator leads into the banana jack input terminals and connec t the clips to the com ponent leads as illustrated in Figure 10.
4. Press button until the desired test frequency is displayed on screen.
5. Press (or for model 878B) button to select between D factor, Q factor, θ angle, or
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ESR measurement for secondary display. (θ and ESR function for model 879B only)
6. Read the display readings for inductance measured values and selected measured values on secondary display.
Figure 10 - Inductance Measurement Setup
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Capacitance Measurement

WARNING Fully discharge capacitor BEFORE
inserting it into the instrument. Failure to do this may result in damage to the meter and may cause electrical hazards.
1. Press down button for one second to turn on the meter.
2. Press (or for model 878B) button until “C” is on the screen to select capacitance measurement.
3. CAUTION: BEFORE inserting a capacitor or
capacitive component into the input sockets or terminals, be sure to fully discharge the component. Some larger capacitiv e components may take longer to discharge. In these cases, please allot enough time for a full discharge. If proper dischargin g o f th e component is not done correctly, it will damage the input terminals of the meter.
4. Insert the DISCHARGED capacitor or capacitive component into the input sockets or connect alligator leads into the ban ana jac k input ter m inals and connect the clips to the c omponent leads as illustrated in Figure 11.
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5. Press button until the desired test frequency is displayed on screen.
6. Press (or for model 878B) button to select between D factor, Q factor, θ angle, or ESR measurement for secondar y display. (θ and ESR function for model 879B only).
7. Read the display readings for capacitance measured values and selected measured values on secondary display.
Figure 11 - Capacitance Measurement Setup
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Resistance Measurement

1. Press down button for one second to turn on the meter.
2. Press (or for model 878B) button until “R” is on the screen to select resistance measurement.
3. Insert resistor or resistive component into the input sockets or connect alligator leads into the banana jack input term inals and connect the clips to the component leads as illustrated in Figure 12.
4. Press button until the desired test frequency is displayed on screen.
Note: This meter does not provide a DC resistance measurement of the component. It uses an AC signal for measurement. For this reason, some applications or device under test may not give correct readings if they are designed for measurement in DC.
5. Read the display readings for resistance
measured values.
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