LC Meter options?

[VK4GHZ]

Hi all

I am after an LC meter.
Would like to be able to measure inductance down to 10nH with 1nH resolution, ie to read 15nH, 22nH, etc.
Same with capacitance, down to low pF with 1pF resolution.

(Which rules out this kit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261114894644, with 10nH display.)

I see Altronics have a Silicon Chip kit, K2533, and the review they offer a link to is rather glowing.
(I'm sure they wouldn't link to a crap review, BTW )



Has anyone built one of these SC kits up?
How do you find it?
Have you compared it against a commercially made LC meter, how do the results/accuracy bang-for-buck compare?

Altronics are expecting fresh stock of these kits mid June 2015.


Another option from Banggood: http://www.banggood.com/LC100A-Precisio ... 32200.html
It's less desirable due to the 'agricultural' presentation, ie: no case, and I cannot be bothered dicking around with that aspect.




Another Banggood option: http://www.banggood.com/Professional-M4 ... 38984.html


I'm leaning towards the 4070 above, due to the backlit LCD, something the SC kit does not have.

Any other sub $100 options out there?

As normal, all Forum viewers appreciate links to what you may be referring about, instead of just vague technobabble.

[VK3ALB]

Hi Adam,

Not quite under the $100 but I've been using the AADE LC meter for some time now and find it very good for small values of capacitance and inductance. It won't read FARADS or HENRIES but I don't think that will bother you.

[VK3BQ]

Not sub $100 (just) the guy who runs sota beams did a good write up on these ones from peak electronics

Free postage from UK and just over $100

http://www.sotabeams.co.uk/test-equipment/

http://www.sotabeams.co.uk/blog/test-eq ... the-shack/


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[VK4EA]

I have one of the AADE units as well, performs well given the price.

Sent from my SM-T805 using Tapatalk

[VK4GHZ]

What is the AADE unit like measuring small value SMD inductors?

ie; say 10nH - 22nH

Most units handle capacitance measurements with ease, but low value inductance can be hit or miss.

If anyone is willing to try theirs out with this?

[VK4JAM]

I have one of these off e-bay:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Handheld-Cap ... 3384b8b2ee

It appears to do what it claims, and will set you back around $45 posted. Measuring SMD inductors may be a little challenging

73
Andrew
VK4JAM

[VK2XAX]

Hi all,

I have an AADE too and its been great for most of what I've been doing but it does suffer a bit with tiny values.

I also now have a DER EE DE-5000

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-DER-EE-D ... 1683883786

These are worth their weight in gold! - true 4 wire measurement test frequencies of 100 / 120 / 1k / 10k / 100k Hz.

Measure series and parallel of L, C, and R including, Dissipation, Quality factor, Phase angle, and ESR measurement.

check out their specs on pages 34-36 of the manual...

http://akizukidenshi.com/download/ds/de ... u_en2p.pdf

Look for the best deal from Japan on eBay where the package contains all the accessories like the 4 wire SMD tweezers.

For comparisons, tests and tear downs go visit the forums over at http://www.eevblog.com.

If I get some time today I'll try the AADE vs the DE-5000 with some SMD inductors I have and post pics.

regards

Tim

[VK4GHZ]

Capacitance measurements don't appear to be much of a challenge, which is why I'm focused on an instruments ability to measure small inductors to a realistic expectation vs cost.
I spent hours yesterday looking at reviews and videos of LC and LCR meters, but this is where most of the reviews fall over - they don't cover low value inductors, hence starting this topic.

I also now have a DER EE DE-5000
...check out their specs on pages 34-36 of the manual...

Thanks Tim, just looking at the manual now.
I see the highest oscillator frequency is 100kHz with an associated error of 2.5% with small L.

The M4070 (my current fav) does has a higher internal oscillator frequency for small L, being up to 360kHz, with a claimed accuracy of 1%.

If I get some time today I'll try the AADE vs the DE-5000 with some SMD inductors I have and post pics.

That would be great.
Would be interesting for everybody who is looking for an LC meter, even more so if some AADE owners can post up some small L test results as well.

[VK2XAX]

just been poking around in my SMD inductor draw and I found my Murata sample kit of 0603 inductors, see enclose pics.

The lowest value in that is 1.2nH +-0.3nH and they step up from there through 1.5, 1.8, 2.2, 2.7, 3.3 etc. so that's nice close values to see what the meters will make of them.

regards

Tim

[VK2AVR]

I have the Altronics meter, it works well.

It measures small value capacitors to be within marked tolerance, same with inductors, so it's good enough at identifying unknown LC components that whether it's 1% accurate or 5% accurate is largely irrelevant (and you seldom need 1% accuracy anyway, so it doesn't matter).

[ZL2BKC]

It is a big ask to accurately get to 1nH for $100 - you could get that in resolution but it is difficult to get that level of accuracy unless you use a high frequency.

For a 100nH inductor the reactance you need to measure (XL = 2*pi*f*L) is 62 millo ohms for a 100kHz meter which to be accurate requires a 4 wire kelvin connection.

A capacitor is not as challenging to measure and wont need a 4 wire connection but the stray capacitance of the test leads can introduce a significant error as well - so again 4 wire connections are used to significantly improve the accuracy, or guarding which the professional LCR meters use.

Capacitance does change with frequency as well, so one has to understand limitations when working with high and low values (mF and pF).

The AADE LC meter uses a higher frequency but only has a 2 wire connection. Clifton Labs (great site) has a good review http://www.cliftonlaboratories.com/aade ... review.htm which is worth a read on the theory and accuracy.

The DE-5000 will do ESR of capacitors along with a number of extra readings making that a first preference.

Personally I have a M3 LCR meter which is what I settled on with no regrets when pondering this exact question many years ago. Unfortunately they are no longer available, and I have since acquired a HP LCR meter to compliment it.

LCR meters are quick and handy, but if I want to check 1pF and 1nH with any degree of accuracy I would use my DG8SAQ VNWA but that takes you up to a completely different level.

73
Wayne ZL2BKC

[VK4APN]

There is also a cheap homebrew option.

https://sites.google.com/site/vk3bhr/home/index2-html

I have built both this version and the original - they both work well. I also have the AADE meter for over 20 years now - it works well, as others have stated.

[VK2XAX]

Hi all,

using SMD tweezers on both units, i found the following...

Testing both my AADE and DE-5000 on SMD style inductors I found that both units had great difficulty reading any value under 100nH reliably.
In fact the DE-5000 could not read a tiny 0603 inductor of 100nH claiming it was actually 232nH!

With an 150nH 0805 inductor the AADE got close returning a value of 162nH, the DE-5000 - 190nH.

Neither meter could resolve the 1.2nH 0603 inductors I have. The DE-5000 read 9nH and the AADE oscillated between 12nH and 340nH.

Both meters exhibited oscillating readings while measuring these tiny inductors and I believe the 360cm lead length on the AADE acted as an antenna picking up stray fields causing the oscillating readings. The DE-5000 didn't suffer as much since its SMD tweezers are actually 4 wire in design.

Reading such tiny values should be done in a a jig and not with SMD tweezers anyway. I'd have to manufacture such a thing for these meters to go further.

Reading the test sheet from Clifton Labs shows the AADE to use a frequency around 750Khz where as the DE-5000 goes no higher than 100kHz. This difference would also contribute to the aberrant readings of both meters.

As Wayne said, getting under 100nH with a cheap meter is a big ask and measurement of small L should be done with the likes of a VNA or more capable meter such as an HP4194A.

regards

Tim

[VK3UH]

I like the label on the strip of inductors in the orange Banggood meter photo!