Table of Contents
1 Safety 2
1.1 Precautions 2
1.2 Compliance 4
2 Product Contents and Inspection 4
3 Introduction 5
3.1 Overview 5
3.2 Impedance Parameters 5
3.3 ESR or RP 7
3.4 Quality and Dissipation Factors 8
4 Product Description 8
4.1 Primary Measurement Display 8
4.2 Secondary Measurement Display 9
4.3 Front Panel Description 9
4.4 Rear Panel Description 10
5 Operating Instructions 11
5.1 Connecting the LCR-600 11
5.2 Powering On 11
5.3 Open Circuit / Short Circuit Compensation 11
5.4 Auto LCR Mode 12
5.5 Auto Mode 12
5.6 Measuring Inductance 13
5.7 Measuring Capacitance 13
5.8 Percentage Error 14
5.9 Sorting Function Mode 14
5.10 Display Hold Mode 15
5.11 Measuring Frequency 15
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5.12 Measuring DC Resistance 15
5.13 Connecting to a Computer 15
6 Maintenance 15
6.1 Preventive Maintenance 15
6.2 Fuse Replacement 16
6.3 Cleaning 17
7 Appendix 17
7.1 USB/RS232 Connection 17
7.1.1 Data Transmission Configuration 17
7.1.2 Data Code 17
7.1.3 Control Code 17
7.1.4 Data Format Description 17
7.2 Open / Short Compensation 18
7.3 Selecting the Serial / Parallel Mode 19
7.3.1 Capacitor 20
7.3.2 Inductor 20
7.4 Calibration Sequence 21
8 Specifications 24
8.1 General 24
8.2 LCD Display 24
8.3 Accuracy 24
8.3.3 Impedance Accuracy (Ae) 24
8.3.4 C
DUT
Accuracy 25
8.3.5 L
DUT
Accuracy 26
8.3.6 D Value Accuracy 26
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8.3.7 Q value Accuracy 26
8.3.8 θ value Accuracy 26
8.3.9 Secondary Display Parameter Accuracy 27
9 Service and Warranty Information 28
9.1 Warranty 28
9.2 Calibration and Repair 29
1 Safety
1.1 Precautions
WARNING: The normal use of test equipment involves a
certain amount of risk from electrical shock. The following general
safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation,
service, and repair of this instrument. Failure to comply with these
precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual
violates the safety standards of the design, manufacture, and
intended use of the instrument. The manufacturer assumes no
liability for the customer’s failure to comply with these requirements.
You will significantly reduce the risk factor if you know and
observe the following safety precautions:
• Don’t expose yourself to high voltage needlessly.
• Remove housings and covers only when necessary.
• Turn off equipment while making test connections on high
voltage circuits.
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• Discharge high voltage capacitors after removing power.
• If possible, familiarize yourself with the equipment being
tested and the location of its high voltage points. However,
remember that high voltage may appear at unexpected
points in defective equipment.
• Use an insulated floor material or large insulated floor to
stand on, and an insulated work surface on which to place
equipment. Make certain such surfaces are not damp or
wet.
• Use the time proven “one hand in the pocket” technique
while handling an instrument probe.
• Be particularly careful to avoid contacting a nearby metal
object, which could provide an unwanted ground return
path.
• When testing AC power equipment, remember that AC line
voltage is usually present on some power input circuits such
as the on-off switch, fuse, power transformer, etc. anytime
the equipment is connected to an AC outlet, even if the
equipment is turned off.
• Some equipment with two-wire AC power cords, including
some with polarized power plugs, are the “hot chassis” type.
A plastic or wooden cabinet insulates the chassis to protect
the customer. When the cabinet is removed for servicing, a
serious shock hazard exists if the chassis is touched.
• On test instruments, or any equipment with a 3-wire AC
power plug, use only a 3-wire outlet. This is a safety feature
to keep the housing or other exposed elements grounded.
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1.2 Compliance
The LCR-600 is CE compliant.
2 Product Contents and Inspection
This unit is tested prior to shipment. It is therefore ready for
immediate use upon receipt. An initial physical inspection should be
made to ensure that no damage has been sustained during
shipment.
Inspect the packing box on receipt for any external damage. If
any external damage is evident, remove the instrument and visually
inspect its case and parts for any damage. If damage to the
instrument is evident, a description of the damage should be noted
on the carrier’s receipt and signed by the driver or carrier agent.
Save all shipping packaging for inspection. Forward a report of any
damage to the agent through which the unit is procured.
Retain the original packing in case subsequent repackaging for
return is required. Use of the original packing is essential.
After the mechanical inspection, verify the contents of the
shipment. The items included in this package are:
• LCR Meter
• Power Cord
• User Manual
• BNC Plug to Clip Lead Wire
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3 Introduction
3.1 Overview
The LCR-600 is a high precision test instrument used for
measuring the inductance (L), capacitance (C), and resistance (R)
of an electrical component.
The LCR-600 has an operational frequency range of 100 Hz to
100 kHz and basic measurement accuracy of 0.3%. There is a dual
LCD display, measurement voltage fixed at 0.6 V, auto-detect
function, and open-circuit /short-circuit compensation.
Use the LCR-600 to:
• Check ESR values of capacitors and inductors
• Sort and/or select components
• Measure unmarked and unknown components
• Measure capacitance, inductance, or resistance of cables,
switches, circuit board foils, etc.
3.2 Impedance Parameters
The LCR-600 provides both DC and AC impedance
measurements. Electrical impedance is the measurement of the
opposition that a circuit presents to current when a voltage is
applied.
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When showing the impedance as vector (Z), it is the addition of
resistance (R) and reactance (X). On the Cartesian coordinate
system this will be as shown in Figure 1.
Z=( R2 + X2 )½
θ= Tan-1 (X/R)
Z= (Impedance)
R= (Resistance)
X= (Reactance)
Reactance contains (Inductive) XL and (Capacitive) X
C
components :
XL = ωL = 2πfL
XC = 1/(ωC)= 1/(2πfC)
C = Capacitance (F)
f = Frequency (Hz)
L = Inductance (H)
Figure 1
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3.3 ESR or RP
Ideally, capacitors, inductors, or resistors only contribute
capacitance, inductance, or resistance (respectively) to a circuit. But
in reality, these components will always have non-zero values of the
other two characteristics. For instance, a capacitor will not simply
offer capacitance but will have some degree, however small, of
resistance and inductance. These non-zero values we call the
parasitics. Often they are negligible but depending on the degree of
accuracy needed, they can be quite significant.
To more accurately describe a component we can imagine that
rather than having one real-world capacitor let’s say, instead we
have an ideal capacitor (zero parasitics) in series with a resistor. We
call this imaginary resistor the ESR (equivalent series resistance).
By using this ESR method, we get a much more accurate value for
the true capacity or inductance of the component.
The measurement of the equivalent impedance can be
calculated both in series (ESR) and parallel (RP) relationship
between the real and imaginary components. Their equations are as
follows:
Figure 2
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3.4 Quality and Dissipation Factors
Other, secondary measurements of the LCR-600 include
Quality Factor (Q) and Dissipation Factor (D). These two
measurements are actually reciprocals of each other. They refer to
the damping characteristic of the electrical component. A higher
Quality Factor (Q) means that the energy being transmitted through
the component will “die out” more slowly. The component holds onto
the energy longer. Dissipation Factor means just the opposite. It is a
measure of how quickly the energy degrades.
Q = 1/D = ωLs/Rs = 1/ωCsRs = ωCpRp
Usually, Quality Factor (Q) relates to the inductance
measurement and the Dissipation Factor (D) relates to the
capacitance measurement.
4 Product Description
4.1 Primary Measurement Display
DCR: DC Resistance
Lp: Parallel Inductance
Ls: Serial Inductance
Cp: Parallel Capacitance
Cs: Serial Capacitance
Rp: Parallel Resistance
Rs: Serial Resistance
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4.2 Secondary Measurement Display
L/C mode:
θ: Phase Angle
D: Dissipation Factor
Q: Quality Factor
RP: Parallel Impedance
ESR: Serial Impedance
4.3 Front Panel Description
Figure 3
Control/Indicator Description
1 Main Display LCD
2 Secondary Display LCD
3 Power Button
4 FUNC (Auto LCR/L/C/R/DCR Function)
5 FREQ (Frequency Range)
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