GW Instek LCR-800 Series, LCR-817, LCR-827, LCR-829, LCR-826 User Manual

LCR-800 Series User Manual

i

CONTENTS PAGE

1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………..……... 1

2. PRECAUTIONS BEFORE OPERATION…….…………….
2-1.Unpacking the instrument………………….…………….
2-2.Checking the Line Voltage…………………..……………
2-3.Environment……………………………………..………..
2-4.Equipment Installation, and Operation…………………

2
2
2
3
3

3. PANEL DESCRIPTION…...……………………..………….. 4
OPERATION…………….………………………………...….

4-1.Connects to DUT….………………..………….……..…...

4-2.Start-Up……….....……………………………..………….

4-3.Zeroing…………………………………………………….
4-4.Menu Functions.…..………………………………………
4-5.Measurement Condition…..……………………………...

8
8
8

8
11
18

4.

5.

SPECIFICATIONS…………………………………………...

35

6. MESSAGE CODE.………………………………………….... 42

7. MAINTENANCE....…………………………………………... 43

8. OPTION 1 (BIN Function for LCR-826/827/829 only)……..
8-1. BIN Functions for Components Sorting……………..….
8-2. BIN Setting Conditions:...………………………………..

8-3. BIN Range Sett i ng : Component Sort ing Range.. ....... .....

44
44
46
52

9. OPTION 2 (RS-232, for LCR-816/817/819 only)…………… 61

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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SAFETY TERMS AND SYMBOLS

These terms may appear in this manual or on the product:

WARNING : Warning statements ide ntif y condit i on or practice s
that could result in injury or loss of life.

CAUTION: Caution statements identify conditions or practices
that could result in damage to this product or other property.

The followin g sy mb ols may a p pear in this man ua l or on the product:

DANGER ATTENTION Protective Earth (ground)

High Voltage refer to Manual

Conductor Terminal

Terminal

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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FOR UNITED KINGDOM ONLY

NOTE: This lead / applianc e must only be wired by compete nt per sons

WARNING: THIS APPLIANCE MUST BE EARTHED

IMPORTANT: The wires in this lead are coloured in accordance with the

following c ode:

Green / Yellow: Earth
Blue: Neutral
Brown: Live (Phase)

As the colours of the wires in main leads may not correspond with the
colours marking identified in your plug/appliance, proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured Green & Yellow must be connected to the Earth
terminal marked with the letter E or by the earth symbol

or coloured

Green or Green & Yellow.
The wire which is coloured Blue must be connected to the terminal which is

marked with the letter N or coloured Blue or Black.
The wire which is coloured Brown must be connected to the terminal

marked with the letter L or P or coloured Brown or Red.
If in doubt, consult the instr uctions provided wi th the equipment or contac t

the supplier.
This cable/ appliance should be protect ed by a suitably ra ted and approved

HBC mains fuse: refer to the rating information on the equipment and/or
user instructions for details. As a guide, cable of 0.75mm

2

should be
protected by a 3A or 5A fuse. Larger conductors would normally require
13A types, depending on the connection method used.

Any moulded mains connector that requires removal /replacement must be
destroyed by removal of any fuse & fuse carrier and disposed of
immediately, as a plug with bared wires is hazardous if a engaged in live
socket. Any re-wiring must be carried out in accordance with the
information detailed on this label.

LCR-800 Series User Manual

iv

EC Declaration of Conformity

We

GOOD WILL INSTRUMENT CO., LTD.

No. 95-11, Pao-Chung Rd., Hsin-Tien City, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan

declares that the below mentioned product

LCR-817/819/827/829/816/826

are herewith confirmed to comply with the requirements set out in the Council
Directive on the Approximation of the Law of Member States relating to
Electromagnetic Compatibility (89/366/EEC, 92/31/EEC, 93/68/EEC) and Low
Voltage Equipment Directive (73/23/EEC).
For the evaluation regarding the Electromagnetic Compatibility and Low Voltage
Equipment Directive, the following standards were applied:

EN 61326-1: Electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use ––

EMC requireme nt s (19 97+A1: 1998)

Conducted and Radiated Emissions
EN 5 5011 Gr oup I cla ss A: 1998

Electrostatic Discharge

EN 61000-4-2: 1995
Current Harmonic
EN 61000-3-2: 1995

Radiated Immunity

EN 61000-4-3: 1996
Voltage Fluctuation
EN 61000-3-3: 1995

Electrical Fast Transients

EN 61000-4-4: 1995

————————————————

Surge Immunity

EN 61000-4-5: 1995

————————————————

Conducted Susceptibility

EN 61000-4-6: 1996

————————————————

Power Frequency Magnetic field

EN 61000-4-8: 1993

————————————————

Voltage Dips/ Interrupts

EN 61000-4-11: 1994

————————————————

Oscillatory Waves

EN 61000-4-12: 1995

Low Voltage Equipment Directive 73/23/EEC & amended by 93/68/EEC

Safety Requirements
EN 61010-1: 1993+A2: 1995; IEC 61010-1: 1990+A1: 1992+A2: 1995

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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1. INTRODUCTION

The pr eci se LCR m eter ser ies ar e au t omat ic, u ser pr ogra mma ble in str umen ts
th at pr ovide h igh r elia bilit y and gr eat preci sion for mea sur ing a wi de var iet y of
impedance parameters. The frequency range of LCR-819/829 covers from 12Hz
to 100kHz, LCR-817/827 from 12Hz to 10kHz, and LCR-816/826 from 100Hz
to 2kHz. The basic accuracy is 0.1% for LCR827/829, 0.05% for LCR-817/819,
and 0.2% for LCR-816/826. The measured results can be displayed on the high
quality LCD monitor with decimal points and units. The measured result
resolution is five full digits for Inductance (

L), Capa citan ce (C), an d Resista nce

(

R) (four full d igit s for D issi pation (D), Quality factor (Q) or C with R). In the

meantime, the LCD monitor is also shown the control status and parameters of
settings. The keypads are easy for menu programming. The LCR Meters’ test
fixture (option) is a method of convenient, reliable, guarded 4-terminal/2 wires
connection of radial and axial leaded components to the LCR Meters. Test
conditions can be stored and recalled from internal memory that will reduce the
setup time for measurement preparing.

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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2. PRECAUTIONS BEFORE OPERATION

2-1. Unpacking the instrument

The product has been fully inspected and tested before shipping from the
factory. Upon receiving the instrument, please unpack and inspect it to
check if there ar e any damag es ca used durin g tr an spor tat i on. If an y dama g e
is found, not ify th e bearer an d /or the dealer im mediately.

2-2. Checking the Line Voltage

The LCR Meters can be operated with AC power source between 100V
rated voltage and 240V rated voltage at a frequency of 50 to 60Hz, no AC
voltage selector is necessary. Power connection to rear panel is through an
AC inl et modul e com p rised of an AC conn ect or and fuse hold er. To change
the fus e p roceed a s fol lows:

! Remove the fuse holder by inserting a small flat head screwdriver

behind the small tab to force the holder outward.

! Install the correct fuse (slow-blow, 3A, 250Vac).
! Re-install the fuse holder back into the LCR Meters AC inlet module,

push in and lock.

WARNING. To avoid electrical shock the power cord protective
grounding conductor must be connected to ground.

WARNING. To avoid personal injury, disconnect the power cord
before removing the fuse holder.

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2-3. Environment

The norm al ambien t temperat ure range of th e LCR Meters is fr om 10° to
50°C. To operate th e instrument over this specific temp erat ure r ange may

cause damage to the circuits.

Do not use th e LCR M eters in a place wh ere str ong ma gnetic or el ectric
field exists as it may disturb the measurement.

2-4. Equipment Installation, and Operation

Ensure there is proper ventilation for the vents in the LCR meters case. If
this equipment is used not according to the specification, the protection
provided by the equipment may be impaired.

WARNING : This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment
this prduct may cause radio interference in which case the user
may be required to take adequate measures.

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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3. PANEL DESCRIP TI ON

(1). Power S witc h

Turns AC Power on or off.

(2). Function keyF1

Soft key functions as indicated on the adjacent LCD monitor.

(3). Function keyF2

Soft key functions as indicated on the adjacent LCD monitor.

(4). Function keyF3

Soft key functions as indicated on the adjacent LCD monitor.

(5). Function keyF4

Soft key functions as indicated on the adjacent LCD monitor.

(6). MENU key

Enters menu display mode or exits sub menu back to main menu.

(7). Compound key

! For making numerical entries as labeled.
! Turns the “RANGE HOLD” mode on or off.

(8). Compound key

! For making numerical entries as labeled.
! Turns the “CONSTANT VOLTAGE” mode on or off.

(9). Compound key

! For making numerical entries as labeled.
! Measures the unit of Dissipation and Quality Factor in PPM.

(Note: The models of LCR-816 and 826 do not have this function.)

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(10). Compound key

! For making numerical entries as labeled.

! Selects th e “INTERNAL BIAS” mode or “EXTE RNAL BIAS” mode. ( If

this key function is switched to “INTERNAL BIAS” mode, the bottom of
LCD monitor will display the “INT.B” message. If the external DC bias
is selected, the bottom of LCD monitor will display the “EXT.B”
message.)

(11). Compound key

! For making numerical entries as labeled.
! Turns the INTERNAL BIAS mode or EXTERNAL BIAS mode “ON” or

“OFF”.

(12). Compound key

! For making numerical entries as ““ (the negative sign).
! Input s th e “TEST FREQUE N C Y”.

(13). START (Compound k ey)

! Starts measurement sequence. Normally used in the “MANU”

(Triggered) mode.

! Selects “AUTO” or “MANU” mode by pressing this key for 3 seconds at

least.

! The LCR Meters will process the measurement automatically, if the

“AUTO” mode is selected .

(14). ↵

↵↵

↵ key (ENTER)

Thi s key ena bles pr ogrammin g of all speci al fun ction s, t est fr equ enc y, t est
volt a ge, averaging, delay, and nom in al val u e etc.

(15).  Symbol key

In puts the d ecimal p oint

(16). Numeral key—“2”
(17). Numeral key—“3”
(18). Numeral key—“5”
(19). Numeral key—“6”
(20). Numeral key—“9”
(21). Primary Displa y

This line can display the measured Inductance, Capacitance, or Resistance.

(22). Secondary Display

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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This line can display the measured Quality Factor or Dissipation or ESR or
EPR.

(23). Instrument status or indicates measurement results based on entered test

limits.

(24). Test conditions
(25). Input terminals

BNC connect ors, connects to device u nder tes t (DUT) .

Conn ectors of t he LCR Met ers

BIAS

Lforce (current, low)



Lsens e ( p otential low)



Hsen se (potential high )



Hforce (current, high)



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FRONT PANEL

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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4. OPERATION

4-1. Connects to DUT

The LCR Meter s utilize th e stru cture of four wires measur ement which all ows
accurate, easy, and stable measurements and avoids mutual inductance and
interference from measurement signals, noise and other factors inherent with
other types of connections. For the accuracy of measurement, GOODWILL
produces the cable set and test fixture (option) for connection directly to the
fron t pan el BNC connect ors.

4-2. Start-Up

Conn ects th e power cor d of th e LCR M eter s to th e main s socket- outlet . Presses
the

POWER button of front panel to apply the AC power to the LCR Meters.

4-3. Zeroing

In ord er to elimina te stra yed capa citan ce and impedan ce of test ca ble du rin g the
meas urement , the LCR Meter s shoul d be zeroed to corr ect for t est cabl e and/ or
test fixture errors before taking measurements. The corrections are calculated
and stored in memor y of the LCR Met ers dur ing the z eroin g pr ocess. Open and
short circu it zeroing should be d one for test cable and/or te s t fixture. For the be s t
accur a cy, th e test ca ble an d/ or test fix tur e sh oul d be zer oed on ce p er day a t l east
and each time tes t cabl e or test fi xture is changed in general.
The z eroing pr ocess of open an d sh ort cir cu its are following:

Open Circuit

! The t es t cable or tes t fixture should be open with n o com p onent connect ed .
! Press MENU key.
! Press F1 key to select “OFFSET” menu.
! Press F1 key to sele ct open cir cu it zeroin g (the “CAP OFFSE T” i s indicated

on the adjacent LCD mon itor.).

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! After the BAR at the bottom of LCD monitor is filled to the full, the zeroing

process is done.

! If th e zeroing pr ocess is su ccessful, a messag e of “OK” will appear on the

LCD monitor. If failed, a message of “FAIL” will appear on the LCD
monitor.

Short Circuit

! The test cable should be connected or test fixture shorted (using a clean

copper wire, as short as possible).

! Press MENU key.
! Press F1 key to select “OFFSET” menu.
! Press F2 key to select short circuit zeroing (the “R/L OFFSET” is indicated

on the adjacent LCD mon itor.).

! After the BAR at the bottom of LCD monitor is filled fully, the zeroing

process is done.

! If th e zeroing pr ocess is su ccessful, a messag e of “OK” will appear on the

LCD monitor. If failed, a message of “FAIL” will appear on the LCD
monitor.

Test Condition:

Test voltage=1V
Test speed = SLOW
R.H = OFF
C.V = OFF

For the summary, the zeroing menu can be chosen through menu selection as
shown i n Fi gure 4-1 above.

NOTE: The “Open Circuit” and “Short Circuit” have to pass the test,

otherwise, the accuracy of the LCR Meters will become worse.

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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SPEED

SLOW

DISPLAY

VALUE

MODE

L/Q

CIRCUIT

SERIES

MENU

L 1.2345H
Q 0.6789

TESTING

F : 1.000 kHz
V : 1.000 V

AUTO MANU INT.B OFF

R.H OFF
C.V OFF

OFFSET

SORT

SETTING

CALBRAT

EXIT

CAP. R/L OFFSET

SET SORT

SET PARAMETER

CALIBRATION

Press menu

key

Press F1 key

to the zeroing

menu

EXIT

OPEN TEST

SHORT TEST

CAP

OFFSET

R/L

OFFSET

Press F1 KEY for

open test

Press

F2

KEY for

short test

Figure 4-1: Summary of zeroing menu

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4-4. Menu Functions

All the LCR Meters’ programmable functions are controlled by the easy to use
menu displays. User can enter the menu mode by selecting the

MENU key that

calls up four top level menus, OFFSET, SORT, SETTING and CALBRAT.
Each one of these is comprised of a sub menu list whose functions are described
in detail below. User can enter one of four functions by pressing the
corresponding function key (just adjacent LCD monitor, see figure 4-2).

4-4-1. Primary & Secondary Display

For the LCR Meters, four combinations of two parameters can be measured and
displayed simultaneously. One referred to the “Primary Display” (displayed
fir st) and the oth er t o the “Secondary Display”. Depen ding on the com ponen t
type t he primar y and secondar y displ ay could be L & Q, C & D, C & R or R
and Q. The parameter can be chosen by the user through

F3 key as shown in

Figure 4-3.

OFFSET

SORT

SETTING

CALBRAT

EXIT

CAP. R/L OFFSET

SET SORT

SET PARAMETER

CALIBRATION

Press F1 key

to the zeroing

menu

Press F2 key

to the bin sort

menu

Press F3 key

to the utility

menu

Press F4 key

to the

calibration

menu

Press

MENU

key

to exit menu screen

Figure 4-2: four main menu screen

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SPEED

SLOW

DISPLAY

VALUE

MODE

L/Q

CIRCUIT

SERIES

MENU

L 1.2345H
Q 0.6789

TESTING

F : 1.000 kHz
V : 1.000 V

AUTO MANU INT.B OFF

R.H OFF
C.V OFF

Press F3 key
successively in order
to select the different
measurement mode
(L/Q, C/D, C/Q, R/Q)

Primary

Display

Secondary

Display

Figure 4-3. Primary & Secondary display

User can select R/Q for resistor measurement; select L/Q for inductor
meas uremen t; select either C/D or C/R for capaci tor measuremen t.

4-4-2. Series & Parallel Equivalent Circuit

Impedance that is neither a pure resistance nor a pure reactance can be
repr esen t ed at an y speci fic fr eq uen c y by either a s eri es or a p aral lel combi n at ion
of resistance and reactance. Such repr esentation is called “equivalent circuit”.
The component value of the “Primary Display” depends on which equivalent
circuit (series or parallel) is chosen. In normal, the component manufacturer
shall specify how a component is to be measured (usually ser ies) and at what
frequency.

Suggested Test Conditions:

Inductors le s s t han 10µH: Series, 100kHz.

Inductors from 1 0 µH to 1mH: Series, 10kHz.

Inductors from 1mH to 1H: Se ries, 1kHz .

Inductors greater than 1H: S eri es, 0.1k Hz.

Capacitors less than 10pF: Parallel, 100kHz.

Capacitors from 10 to 400pF: Series or Parallel, 10kHz.

Capacitors from 400 to 1µF: Series, 1 kHz.

Capacitors greater than 1µF: Series, 0.1 or 0.12kHz.

Resistor less than 1kΩ: Series, 1kHz.

Resistor from 1kΩ to 10MΩ: Parallel, 0.25kHz.

Resistor greater th an 10 MΩ: Parallel, 0.03kHz

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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Unless for special reason, always select “Series” for capacitors and inductors.
This has traditionally been standard practice. For very small capacitance or
inductance, select a higher test frequency for better accuracy. For very large
capa citance or ind uctance, select a lower test fr equency for better accur acy. For
dc r esistance, select a l ower test frequency to minimize ac effects .
Becau se th e r eactive component most lik ely to be represented in a low resi s tance
resi stor is series ind uctance, th e “Seri es” is sel ected for a resist or below about

1kΩ. If a resistor large than 10MΩ, select “Parallel” that because the reactive
component most likely to be represent in a high resistance resistor is shunt
capa citan ce. If th e Q is less th an 0.1 , the mea sured Rp is proba bly ver y cl ose to
the d c r es istan ce.
The total loss of a capacitor can be expressed in several ways, including D and
“ESR” (Equivalent Series Resistance). “ESR” is typically much larger than
actu al “ohm ic” s er ies r esi stan ce of th e wir e l ead s and foil s th at ar e in ser ies wit h
the heart of a capacitor physically, because ESR includes also the effect of

dielectric loss. ESR is related to D by the formula: ESR = Rs = D/ωCs. Wher e ω
represents “omeg a” = 2 p i time freq u ency.
Although it is traditional to measure series inductance of inductors, there are
situation s in which the parallel equivalent circuit better represents the physical
component. For small “air-core” inductors, the significant loss mechanism is
usually “ohmic” or “copper loss” in the wire, therefore the series circuit is
appr opr iat e. Never th el ess, for an “ir on cor e” , th e sign i fican t loss mech an is m can
be “core loss”, therefore, the parallel equivalent circuit is appropriate which
being a better model of the inductor.

SPEED

SLOW

DISPLAY

VALUE

MODE

L/Q

CIRCUIT

SERIES

MENU

L 1.2345H
Q 0.6789

TESTING

F : 1.000 kHz
V : 1.000 V

AUTO MANU INT.B OFF

R.H OFF
C.V OFF

Press F4 key to
select the

Series

or

Parallel

circuit

Figure 4 -4. Sel ecti ons of S erie s & Parallel Circui t

4-4-3. Measur em ent Displ ays

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The measured results of the LCR Meters can be shown on the LCD monitor in
thr e e wa ys: VAL UE

, DELTA%, or DELTA . User can pres s F2 key to select the

appropriate it em for mea s uremen t.
VALUE

The LCD monitor will display the measured value of both the primary and
secondary parameter, shown with decimal and units. The resolution of primary
display (L, C, or R) is five digits. The resolution of secondary display (D, Q or R
with C) is four digits. The message “TESTING” is displayed when a test is in
process.

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DELTA%
The “DE LTA%” shows th e percen t deviation of the measur ed L, C, or R va lue
from a stored N O MINAL VALUE. The sign of devi at ion is indic at e d.

DELTA
The LCR differ en ce is similar to th e DELTA% except tha t the d evia t ion is shown
in suitable units (ohms, henries, etc).

SPEED

SLOW

DISPLAY

VALUE

MODE

L/Q

CIRCUIT

SERIES

MENU

L 1.2345H
Q 0.6789

TESTING

F : 1.000 kHz
V : 1.000 V

AUTO MANU INT.B OFF

R.H OFF
C.V OFF

Press F2 key to select the
three different measuring
display ("VALUE",
"DELTA%", or "DELTA").

Figure 4-5. Types of measurement display

4-4-4. Nominal Value

Allows entry of a “Nominal Value” for the primary parameter which is the basis
for th e measur ement result in “DELTA” or “DELTA %”. A ccept s n umer ica l entry
up to five digits with decimal. Units are depended on which measurement
disp lays selected.

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Steps of “Nom in al Value” in p ut (Figur e 4- 6 ):

! Press MENU key.
! Press F2 key to select “SORT” menu.
! Press F1 key to select “Nominal Value” (the “NOM.VAL” is indicated on

the adjacent LCD m on itor).

! Input the nominal value via the numeral keys (5 digits with decimal

maximum).

! Press ↵

↵↵

↵ key

! After the BAR at the bottom of LCD monitor is filled fully, the “Nominal

Value” input is done.

4-4-5. Selection of Measurement Speed

One of three measurement speeds SLOW, MEDIUM, or FAST could be
selected (Figure 4-7). The continuous mode speeds are about 1, 5, and 12
meas urement per second resp ectivel y. Th e trade-off is a ccuracy vs. speed. LC R­817/819 will take a more accurate measurement at a slower rate. The trade-off is
as follows section

SLOW

speed : More than 1 mea surement per second, at 0.05% accur acy ( or

better)

MEDIUM

speed : More than 3 measurements per second, at 0.1% accuracy

(or better)

FAST

speed :

More than 7 measurements per second, at 0.24% accuracy
(or better)

* For th e d etails of a ccu ra cy, please refer to the specifica tions.
* Regarding the models LCR-827 & 829, please refer to 4-6-2 Handler Interface

Timing.

LCR-800 Series User Manual

17

SPEED

SLOW

DISPLAY

VALUE

MODE

L/Q

CIRCUIT

SERIES

MENU

L 1.2345H
Q 0.6789

TESTING

F : 1.000 kHz
V : 1.000 V

AUTO MANU INT.B OFF

R.H OFF
C.V OFF

OFFSET

SORT

SETTING

CALBRAT

EXIT

CAP. R/L OFFSET

SET SORT

SET PARAMETER

CALIBRATION

Press menu

key

Press F2 key

to the sort

menu

NOM.VAL

24.870

HANDLER

EXIT

NOM.VAL = 77.000pF

OPTION 1

Press F1 key to
input the
nominal value

Figure 4-6. Steps of “Nominal Value” input.

LCR-800 Series User Manual

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SPEED

SLOW

DISPLAY

VALUE

MODE

L/Q

CIRCUIT

SERIES

MENU

L 1.2345H
Q 0.6789

TESTING

F : 1.000 kHz
V : 1.000 V

AUTO MANU INT.B OFF

R.H OFF
C.V OFF

Press

F1

key to select the three different measurement

speed. (SLOW, MEDIUM, or FAST)

Figure 4-7. Selection of measurement speed

4-5. Measurement Conditions

4-5-1. Bias Vo ltage

There are two ava ila bl e bi as volt age modes: “Internal” and “External”.

Internal:

An internal DC 2 volts bias voltage will apply to the device under test.

External:

An ex t er n al DC bi a s vol t a g e bet we en 0 a nd 30 volt s can be a ppl i ed t o t h e d evi ce
under test. The external bias connection is located on the rear panel. The
maximum current is 200mA. The supply of bias voltage has to be floating, don’t
connect either side to ground. It’s better to wait approximately 1 second for
takin g a read ing aft er init iatin g a test ing pr ocess, th erefor e, th e device u nder t est
will stabilize after bias voltage applied. The DC bias voltage should be applied
only to capacitors in general. If the DC bias voltage is applied to device of low
impedance, the unreliable testing results will occur.