FNIRSI LC1020E Handheld Digital Bridge LCR ESR Tester. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2025, 01:34:25 pm
content: Yet another budget handheld LCR meter.Doesn't look to be a thread for this LC1020E LCR meter, At least nothing pops up under LC1020E, so likely a new product..https://www.fnirsi.com/products/lc1020eManualhttps://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0694/8310/2426/files/LC1020E_User_Manual.pdf?v=1754379738Price seems to be in the ballpark of 65$ to 85$, so a tad under the likes of Zoyi DQ01 & DQ02* Display: 2.8-inch TFT LCD display* Basic Accuracy: 0.3%* Display Digits: Main Parameter: 4.5 digits; Secondary Parameter: 4.5 digits* Test Frequency: 100Hz, 120Hz, 1KHz, 10KHz, 100KHz* Test Level: 0.1V, 0.3V, 0.6V* Internal Bias: 0.0V, 0.5V* Measurement Parameters: Main Parameters: AUTO/R/C/L/Z; Secondary Parameters: X/D/Q/θ/ESR* Measurement Range: L: 0-100H, C: 0-100mF, R: 0-10MΩ* Measurement Speed: Fast (4 times/s), Medium (2 times/s), Slow (1 time/s)* Calibration Functions: Open circuit calibration, Short circuit calibration* Comparison Function: Used to calculate the relative error between the component measurement value and the nominal value, displayed as a percentage, and provides filtering results.Nominal values and tolerance can be set, with a tolerance range adjustable from 0.1% to 99.9%.* Record Function: Checks if the measured component data meets the set nominal value and tolerance, recording the number of successful and failed measurements.* Test Terminal Configuration: Three-terminal, Five-terminal* Output Impedance: 100Ω* Communication Interface: USB-TypeC (Virtual serial port)* Other Features: Language settings, Screen brightness, Sound settings, Auto power-off, Calibration settings, System information.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2025, 04:52:12 pm
content: The main thing I like here that is not available on my DE 5000 is a display ofRandXon the two-line display.I haven’t checked the accuracy specs against the more expensive DER unit.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2025, 04:58:15 pm
content: could be based from the same Zoyi dq02 hardware, i would be curiousseems to have the same specs ??i hate the look ....on Ali you have the leads, the kelvin clips, the short bar ...

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2025, 12:31:00 am
content: Well, a lot of people around here will plain hate it just because it has FNIRSI on it.Then there are those that will build up unfounded expectations, convert those to "specifications" in their minds, and be all pissed off when it doesn't meet them.Let's not forget the ones that will immediately dismiss it because the published specifications don't come near the $6000 one they drool over but can't afford. "How dare they offer a $75 unit that does not fulfill my $6000 dreams!!! It's just complete garbage!!!"We can't leave out the LCR "newbies" that will make measurements with the device incorrectly configured, and without properly reading the manual, then dash on here to claim they found a "fatal bug". Next thing you know they will be re-calibrating it with random AliExpress parts that "someone" assured them were the "bees knees".This should be fun!

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2025, 12:38:58 am
content: Looks like I found the first bug!!Can you spot it?

author: pmx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2025, 08:38:17 am
content: C in ohms is a novelty.I suspect this is more a bug with the graphics designers retouching the pictures...

author: TheDefpom
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2025, 12:03:15 am
content: FNIRSI asked if I wanted to review this unit, so hopefully I will have one fairly soon to do a video about.

author: KungFuJosh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2025, 03:45:21 am
content: Quote from: BillyO on August 09, 2025, 12:38:58 am

author: Dainis
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 13, 2025, 11:37:54 am
content: Internal photos:https://www.ixbt.com/live/instruments/dlya-chego-nuzhen-lcr-metr-na-primere-novinki-fnirsi-lc1020e.html

author: HumbleDeer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2025, 09:18:53 pm
content: I see debug portI enjoyIt's gonna be interesting to get one of these because I've been putting off the DE5000 purchase because of its age, hoping there's a new modern thing around the corner.And, well, especially interesting because I do not think the interface of the readout is really using the real estate all that smartly.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2025, 10:13:12 pm
content: Quote from: Dainis on August 13, 2025, 11:37:54 amLooks like they took the Hantek 1832C and shuffled the components around on the PCB:https://www.voltlog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Hantek_TO11_1832C_teardown_PCB-2.jpg

author: bffargo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2025, 08:11:33 pm
content: For those on the fence, Fnirsi official store had a $6 USD coupon earlier in the week bringing it down to $58.99 plus the commonly found August $10 off $50+ coupon brought it to $48.99+Tax. (I picked one up combining with another large discount item hitting $100 to use a $20 off coupon, bringing it down to about $49 shipped w/Tax.)They're having another monthly week-long sale starting in 2 1/2 days on Monday and the proposed price on the item page shows $54.16 USD. Not sure if the month long coupons will continue to work or lesser sale-week coupons only work, but should be able to bring that price down another $8-$10; plus taxes.Since it's not coming Choice, it isn't due for another 2-3 weeks, but is way less expensive than the Choice options.

author: Songhua
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2025, 07:19:52 am
content: Here's a video review of FNIRSI LC1020E vs Zoyi ZT-DQ02 vs bench 6 1/2 LCR meterhttps://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1F1GJzqESZ/If you don't understand Chinese, you can still read from the comparison.Conclusion:These 2 handheld LCR meters are not very reliable. Get Tonghui(TechMize) or Anbai(Applent) handheld LCR meter for instead.

author: Aldo22
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2025, 07:42:53 am
content: Quote from: Songhua on August 16, 2025, 07:19:52 amSure, for ten times the price...

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2025, 09:05:00 am
content: There are quite a few of these handheld LCR budget meters..There was also another one from Peakmeter for around 50 bucks.It's an LCR meter from around 2021/22Peakmeter PM-5318https://www.peak-meter.com/china-ac_dc_10_50_amp_auto_range_digital_multimeter_high_reliability_and_safety-10764530.htmlManual and tolerances:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jr12O5Dnnmc3W30KCC21yFJs0XXz2zZS/view?pli=1

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2025, 02:10:56 pm
content: Quote from: Songhua on August 16, 2025, 07:19:52 amdid he zero out the lcr's before testing ? his bench is sure crowdy ....

author: Aldo22
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2025, 02:52:06 pm
content: Quote from: Songhua on August 16, 2025, 07:19:52 amWell, the Zoyi measures the same values as the reference for the first inductor.The second value is outside the Zoyi's measuring range (< 0.1μH).What's the problem?

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2025, 04:01:57 pm
content: i think at some point it is a joke to put a big Wayne kerrr or any big lcr against some toys like the zoyi fnirsi and many cheap lcr'sat some point like me, you know what you're getting into when buying themeven the de-5000 or any related 2 chipset lcr's are toys at some point, they help diagnose problems with caps, coils, resistors, even the cheap 20$ part tester can helpeven with doubts, i push some of them against an Sencore LC102i try to avoid an serial or parallel measurement, it can help, bit not an definite answer, remove the part and redo testseven some bench ones are far from being perfect, we see lots of teardowns and tests, the FW quality play an important role, and some companies simply don't care, or as we see, they put things on the market very fast, and we are the guinea pig for them ...sure the ones you can tests calibrate and certify are the best ones .... alas they are pricey but if you do serious stuff, get serious with the materials too ...some interpret them the way they like / want and may bash, it is always an love hate relationship

author: shabaz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2025, 04:52:55 pm
content: Quote from: thm_w on August 13, 2025, 10:13:12 pmInteresting! Yes, from a quick glance the topology does look about the same, perhaps just with different mnfr op-amps etc.The Fnirsi one is using aCH444analog switch, and some op-ampsRS8752RS822andMS8606.Seems pretty stable with the few measurements in the one Youtube video currently]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf9YzxqZIkw(not in English so I don't know what was being said), although it would have been good to see measurements at the extremes too. I don't often need to measure large capacitances and inductances for instance, so for me, I'd have wanted to see smaller values being measured. I know there are better instruments for that (and sometimes I'll bring out the VNA for some of those measurements) but the naturally simpler handheld LCR instrument for a quick measurement, even if it's at a lower frequency than the component-under-test will be used for, can still be a good datapoint for comparisons.The USB-C charging connector looks like it might be a physically weak point.I'm tempted to order it, but will hold off since I don't have an immediate need. I'm interested though, because I'd like to eventually get rid of my larger benchtop LCR meters, I simply have no need for the precision they offer since I only want ballpark L and C values usually (and tune the circuit through other means later).Besides, I still have a (different) Fnirsi test instrument to still make use of, my need went away and I've merely turned it on and done a very simple test just to make sure it wasn't DOA. The LCD screen is adequate on that, not the best contrast nor viewing angle range, but more than adequate for indoor use. I suspect the screen in the LCR video is probably similar, but looks extremely dim due to the bright video recording environment.

author: TheDefpom
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2025, 06:04:51 am
content: Well here is my review video on the LC1020E:

author: NikNik
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 03, 2025, 07:31:22 pm
content: https://dzen.ru/video/watch/68b717ea59f39475d033aad0This video is in Russian and on the Russian website, an overview of the device - and with the measurement of precision resistances of 0.005-0.02% and capacitors of 1% and various typical inductors...This author has a YouTube channel, his channel is in Russian "Aka Kasyan" , in English "Kasyan TV", but so far there is no such review..I've been using this device for a month and a half now, I like the way it works and measures, it behaves quite stably, I can't say about the degree of accuracy yet (I don't have precision elements), I have the best accuracy of the elements of 1%, all measurements fit into the error of the details...

author: mawyatt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2025, 01:32:30 am
content: Quote from: TheDefpom on September 02, 2025, 06:04:51 amOne of the reasons for the meter's inability to accurately read certain DUT components (or high levels of randomness) has to do with the DUT impedance at the test frequency. Small capacitors have high impedances at low frequencies and thus don't draw much current, and since the meter effectively reads the DUT Voltage and Current to compute all the various parameters, this can prove difficult for accurate, repeatable measurements. Likewise inductors have a low impedance at low frequencies which can limit the voltage across the DUT with a similar result. This is why various LCR Meters have a "Sweet Spot" where the DUT voltage and current are within a good range to measure for a given DUT type.The better LCR Meters usually display a DUT Test Voltage and Current so the user can ball park the measurement area for a good overall result. Sometimes changing the source voltage level and/or impedance can place the DUT Voltage and Current in a better spot for better measurement results.Best

author: snoopy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2025, 12:23:05 pm
content: I bought one of these a week ago directly from FNIRSI for $100 AUD delivered. Works well. Like defpom said not quite as sensitive for small C values compared to other bridges such as the XJW01 bridge but handles large C values better and quicker.I also bought the FNIRSI LCR-ST1 Mini Smart Digital Tweezer LCR SMD ESR Tester for $50 AUD, delivered and it seems to be good with low value caps, so must use a different circuit compared to the LC1020E.https://www.fnirsi.com/products/lcr-st1?srsltid=AfmBOoqKW95i3jNKW1R8kaddkuA9J5ZnlIl81Bq-nr7qyW8zA0dfl20-

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2025, 04:54:06 pm
content: Another video out on this. Looks like he found issues with samall caps too.

author: mrrstrat
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 04:09:17 pm
content: Nice reviews - I have a DE 5000 as well as my (ostensible) working LCR for my shop/lab and was curious if this one was able to knock the DE 5000 off the "top". I am going to say yes/no but not enough to consider the DE 5000 yesterday's news. :-)

author: ninodeves
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2025, 01:26:09 pm
content: I have both the Zoyi DQ02 and the Fnirsi LC1020E and the truth is that the Fnirsi is a toy. The Zoyi is much more professional and accurate, but you shouldn't underestimate the Fnirsi for a repair. Knowing if a capacitor is bad is more than enough and for its price you can't ask for more. However, for those who haven't bought one yet and are thinking of buying one, I recommend that you buy the Zoyi DQ02, it's much better. Regards.

author: onefabis
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 27, 2025, 04:40:53 pm
content: Quote from: ninodeves on September 27, 2025, 01:26:09 pmCould you provide some measurement figures from the two devices so that I can understand why you drew such conclusions? I must say that for this kind of comparison, you need to have a reference device of a higher class and also be sure that it is calibrated and certified. Otherwise, the comparison will not be valid. Another option is to measure using high-precision reference components, but even here there is a risk of having inaccurate elements, since I don’t think the sellers of such components take responsibility for their accuracy.

author: BrokeEngineering
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2025, 11:28:55 pm
content: Quote from: onefabis on September 27, 2025, 04:40:53 pmKerry just did a review of it compared to the ZOYi and it seems to be the exact same as it, no difference at a lower price point..https://youtu.be/woVT_Koz9hw?si=8Q-VmXwKXNtCZpdr

author: bffargo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2025, 07:36:38 pm
content: Seeing Kerry's review last night, I took away that the ZOYI was significantly closer to his Hantek for reliable values, and that the Fnirsi was farther off and in some cases jumping wildly when the other two were stable as well.

author: rvalente
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2025, 09:25:26 pm
content: IDK, but feels weird to mimic a 7 segment display when you have a TFT display.

author: bffargo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 02:56:49 pm
content: Quote from: rvalente on October 02, 2025, 09:25:26 pmI'll take 7 segment over the thin and highly serif'd fonts that Fnirsi choses to use in all of their configuration screens making it so much harder to read over simple 8 bit block characters! That could be the end result, DMM screens looking like:

author: mawyatt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 03:40:21 pm
content: Quote from: bffargo on October 02, 2025, 07:36:38 pmOne thing we noted watching the video is that the Kelvin Clips of theunused but active LCR Meterwere not kept far apart from the DUT and Kelvin Clips from themeasuring LCR Meter. These can interfere with high Z measurements such as small caps as the AC signal from the unused Kelvin Clips can be sensed by the high Z measurement and affect the result.Best

author: habsrepariert
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 05:37:54 am
content: My review, comparing it with a cheap LCR T4 solution:https://youtu.be/y-NsZp-3_hk?si=krSgSoNF23gHNYOB

author: BootUse
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 05:44:40 pm
content: I have a LC1020E.I checked it on resistors and capacitors.And I will also compare it with Zoyi ZT-MD2 one of these days.And I don't understand the dissatisfaction with the device for such small ones.It measures well.I am satisfied with the device.Here is a video in which I check its operation.