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Is an ESR Meter the best measure for caps?
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| Just curious if by using an ESR meter I'm getting the most accurate picture
of the viability of capacitors? Are there other aspects of the caps that
could be tested that affect its function that an ESR meter wouldn't show?
just curious
thanks!
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| Antti Panula 2005-04-16, 3:17 pm |
| "S" <s@s.com> wrote in message
news:SP67e.466$E57.187@fe51.usenetserver.com...
quote:
> Just curious if by using an ESR meter I'm getting the most accurate
> picture
> of the viability of capacitors? Are there other aspects of the caps that
> could be tested that affect its function that an ESR meter wouldn't show?
>
> just curious
>
> thanks!
Yes, that is capacitance. You can measure it with most multimeters.
Antti
OH7GLS
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| I haven't owned a multimeter yet that will measure capacitance--what do you
mean?
--
Stuart Harrison
NISC
tel/fax: 905-332-2238
cel: 734-732-0491
"Antti Panula" <atpanula@nic.fi> wrote in message
news:425d19b6$1_2@news.dnainternet.net...
quote:
> "S" <s@s.com> wrote in message
> news:SP67e.466$E57.187@fe51.usenetserver.com...
that[vbcol=seagreen]
show?[vbcol=seagreen]
>
>
> Yes, that is capacitance. You can measure it with most multimeters.
>
> Antti
> OH7GLS
>
>
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| Antti Panula 2005-04-16, 3:17 pm |
| "S" <s@s.com> wrote in message
news:c697e.475$E57.320@fe51.usenetserver.com...
quote:
>I haven't owned a multimeter yet that will measure capacitance--what do you
> mean?
> --
> Stuart Harrison
Most common digital multimeters above $30 will measure capacitance, it's not
a space program design...
Antti
OH7GLS
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| Leonard Caillouet 2005-04-16, 3:17 pm |
| The Sencore LC103 that we use makes four measurements, capacitance, ESR,
dielectric absorbtion, and dc leakage. I have found many bad caps with the
DA test that tested good on ESR, capacitance, and leakage. High DA caps
will usually leak but sometimes can produce very unusual symptoms.
Still, nearly all of the bad caps I find are caught with ESR tests on my DSE
kit or the capacitance measure on my Fluke 179. Hard to beat the Bob Parker
design for value. The Sencore is nice for the bench but not very portable.
Leonard
"S" <s@s.com> wrote in message
news:SP67e.466$E57.187@fe51.usenetserver.com...
quote:
> Just curious if by using an ESR meter I'm getting the most accurate
picture
quote:
> of the viability of capacitors? Are there other aspects of the caps that
> could be tested that affect its function that an ESR meter wouldn't show?
>
> just curious
>
> thanks!
>
>
>
>
>
>
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| Gerard Bok 2005-04-16, 3:17 pm |
| On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 16:46:44 +0300, "Antti Panula"
<atpanula@nic.fi> wrote:
quote:
>"S" <s@s.com> wrote in message
>news:c697e.475$E57.320@fe51.usenetserver.com...
>
>
>Most common digital multimeters above $30 will measure capacitance, it's not
>a space program design...
>
Actually, it does come from a space program design :-)
(Like all microelectronic parts)
--
Kind regards,
Gerard Bok
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| Tom MacIntyre 2005-04-16, 3:17 pm |
| On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 16:08:09 +0300, "Antti Panula" <atpanula@nic.fi>
wrote:
quote:
>"S" <s@s.com> wrote in message
>news:SP67e.466$E57.187@fe51.usenetserver.com...
>
>
>Yes, that is capacitance. You can measure it with most multimeters.
>
>Antti
>OH7GLS
>
Also dielectric absorption (rare, but can cause problems in some
circuits) and leakage.
Tom
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| The ESR meter measures the electrical source resistance. This is very
important. This is In fact the reactive resistive efficiency, if you want to
look at it that way.
The capacitance measurement, is another important test. A cap can measure to
have the proper capacitance, but its ESR can be out of specs. If this is the
case, the cap will fail when under the stress of use.
http://www.labtestsonline.org/under...s/esr/test.html
http://octopus.freeyellow.com/esr.html
--
JANA
_____
"S" <s@s.com> wrote in message
news:SP67e.466$E57.187@fe51.usenetserver.com...
Just curious if by using an ESR meter I'm getting the most accurate picture
of the viability of capacitors? Are there other aspects of the caps that
could be tested that affect its function that an ESR meter wouldn't show?
just curious
thanks!
| |
| Charles Schuler 2005-04-16, 3:17 pm |
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"S" <s@s.com> wrote in message
news:SP67e.466$E57.187@fe51.usenetserver.com...
quote:
> Just curious if by using an ESR meter I'm getting the most accurate
> picture
> of the viability of capacitors? Are there other aspects of the caps that
> could be tested that affect its function that an ESR meter wouldn't show?
ESR is equivalent series resistance. It's mostly an issue with electrolytic
capacitors. These have a wet electrolyte that can boil out via high
temperatures or just dry up over time. For these types of capacitors, high
ESR is a significant failure mode!
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