LC-meter kits - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: orbanp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2014, 02:45:13 pm
content: Hello Everyone,There are a number of inexpensive LC-meters available on eBay, in kit and assembled versions:http://www.ebay.ca/itm/IY-Kit-Secohmmeter-Capacitance-Meter-Frequency-Meter-Inductance-Capacitance-/111471657716?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f43a82f4http://www.ebay.ca/itm/L-C-Inductance-Capacitance-LC-Meter-High-Precision-For-DIP-SMD-Free-2-Clips-/251402642035?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a88c3e273Is anyone familiar with them, has anyone used them?Are there web-pages describing the details of the testers and projects, similar to the transistor/component tester that has been discussed in detail here?I am familiar with the earlier PIC based high accuracy LC-meter projects.Thanks, Peter

author: MarkPalmer
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2014, 03:18:38 pm
content: Here is my somewhat pessimistic take on these things, the results of others may vary....As long as you understand that even in the best sense they are Sparkfun type items for the hobbyist and not serious test/measurement tools you’ll be OK and maybe even enjoy the experience a bit. My friend got one of these do-it-all-on-one-chip things from China, but it wasn’t explained clearly in the advertisement that it was a kit and not an assembled board. So he got a baggie of components with a display and board with no Chinglish assembly instructions or drawings LOL! Any time something is said to do it all, it never does any one thing particularly well, and the functions it has are often severely limited in ranges. In other words you put it together, smile at it, then toss it in a drawer where you find it 10 years later after the battery leaked all over the place.-Mark-

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2014, 03:31:22 pm
content: Quote from: orbanp on October 09, 2014, 02:45:13 pmI bought the assembled version of the "LC200A" (I know that's not exactly the same, but I think it's related), and I found that it works fine. However, if you have the money, I suggest getting a DE-5000 instead, it does a lot more.If you are buying a kit, make sure you see the assembly instructions before you order it.I have not found any magazine article or web page description.BTW, the PIC/AADE type LC meters are not high accuracy. They are high precision, because it's easy to measure frequency, but they are subject to calibration error and errors due to non-ideal properties of the component being tested. A true phase sensitive LCR meter like the DE-5000 is more accurate.

author: HiTech
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2014, 04:04:02 pm
content: I bought a similar kit off eBay for under $15. It adds transistor/diode type ID and test function, LCR, ESR and more. I don't plan on using it as a mainstay to my bench equipment.... more for use to quickly sort and ID my components inventory. I have shoe boxes full of loose components and this device will be handy. It's a kit and has no assembly/instruction manual. Just the silkscreened pcb and the illustrations of it already assembled shown in the eBay ad. I figured it'd be a fun [or frustrating] cold weather project sure to steam me somehow.As M. Palmer stated, keep one's expectations reasonable when dealing with these little PIC type pieces of test equip. They can be good for those hobbyists on a very limited budget towards outfitting their bench inexpensively while still having the ability to test components reasonably well. Just don't over-expect of them.... they are not near the performance of the $$$ dedicated component testers.

author: DmitryL
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2014, 05:46:31 pm
content: Quote from: orbanp on October 09, 2014, 02:45:13 pmDo these sellers provide schematics? If no, it may be tricky to debug these things if something goes wrong or if you wish to improve something.Basically, the specs advertised are similar to the LCF meter I built, but mine has:- probes compensation / calibration modes (imagine you want to measure 12 pF and your probes have stray 60pF capacitance... you'll have to use calculator- reed relays instead of buttons. These low-quality buttons commutate L & C _inside_ the resonant circuit used for measurement. Thus, any bad contact, hands around would affect measurements.- much better inductor, it is very important. The one is shown is the cheapest, non-screened one, any change in magnetic field around it will skew results. I used an rfinductor from old TV with its magnetic shield, it works much better. Like this one:http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/High-frequency-Variable-inductors-for-RF_844682600.html

author: orbanp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2014, 06:31:12 pm
content: Thanks for everyone for the comments!Dmitry:Do you have any documentation of your meter on the web?I would be interested in seeing the details, possibly duplicating it for myself!Thanks, Peter

author: DmitryL
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2014, 08:46:42 pm
content: Quote from: orbanp on October 10, 2014, 06:31:12 pmHi! I haven't designed it by myself, it was an open-source project. I just made some modifications to improve performance. All these AADE - based designs suffer from the same problem - they DRIFT. They drift because of inductance temperature drift, reference capacitor drifts, you place it differently regarding to the earth magnetic field etc.If you want to make somethig more capable, I would recommend another open-source project called "RLC-2". It is a proper A-V design, it used 100Hz, 1 and 10 KHz test frequencies, it has DC bias, it can measure Q, D etc. Some forum members tried to make it, AFAIK. Don't know about the outcome.The problem with these 2 devices is that theis authors didn't publish the designs in English - only in Russian, on Russian forums. And corresponding topics are huge; a lot of people made tweaks, etc. Though I think that the documentatio can be translated into Englih with Google translate and such.Here you can find documentation, design, firmware, PCB layout (all in Russianfor RLC-2:http://www.pro-radio.ru/measure/6873/Here I put a link to the archive with LCF doc/design/firmwarehttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13432371/LCF/LCF.RARMostly in Russian. Don't know if it would help you.Thanslating everything to English is a big job....

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2014, 02:16:42 am
content: One of the eBay sellers sent me the documentation for the "Secohmmeter" kit...

author: orbanp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2014, 01:31:14 pm
content: Dmitry, David,Thank you very much for the comments and pointers!Peter

author: fudmuffin
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2019, 10:07:17 am
content: I just built one of these kits and was surprised to find a recently updated GitHub repository for this same "Secohmmeter" device, including updated firmware, links to what is likely the original project, as well as information about its working principles. While I don't expect this device will ever get the massive ongoing development that the transistor testers have, I found it very interesting to see any developments and will be keeping an eye on it. The link ishttps://github.com/gazzyt/secohmmeterWith some functions I've found the kit more accurate than some reviews have stated, and useful in that it can measure lower capacitance than the usual ebay transistor tester kits, and higher frequencies than the usual ebay frequency tester kits.

author: orbanp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2019, 02:03:35 pm
content: Hi Fudmiffin,Thanks for that GitHub pointer, I have not seen that, I will check that out!I did get one of that Secohmmeter kit way back, and built it.I also did modify the SW, ported it to the "MCU 8051 IDE" environment and made some changes.I also found that it is quite good at measuring small capacitors, and less good at measuring inductances.Electrolytic cap measurement is OK I guess.I also found a few HW issues.Thinking about getting another one, running it faster, and having another go at the SW.Regards, Peter

author: rhb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2019, 02:15:11 pm
content: There is a *massive* thread on these and Dave did a video on them.I bought a BSIDE ESR02 Pro as a result of reading the thread on it. It's quite well made and provides the equivalent of $300 worth of Atlas Peak units. I've compared it to my Atlas Peak devices and it's close enough I have no way of telling which is better. The BSIDE is built like a TV remote. You could throw it against the wall and the only damage would be to the wall.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2019, 03:52:46 pm
content: Quote from: rhb on January 20, 2019, 02:15:11 pmPlease don't add to the confusion.The "secohmmeter" being discussed here is a completely different design from the AVR based testers that the other thread is about.

author: 001
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2019, 01:00:28 pm
content: Quote from: edavid link=topic=37475.msg2135194#msg2135194 d :-//ate=1547999566What adwantage is?Links are dead now. What do You mean as "secohmmeter"?

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2019, 02:19:06 pm
content: links work just downloaded the github repo