LCR bridge sets new price-performance standard

The LCR400, new from TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments), is a precision LCR bridge with a built-in 4-terminal test fixture and a full limits comparator for component sorting.

The LCR400, new from TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments), is a precision LCR bridge with a built-in 4-terminal test fixture and a full limits comparator for component sorting.

The new instrument has been designed to bridge the gap in the LCR measurement market between low-cost handheld units of limited performance and high-accuracy professional quality bridges with prices starting at over ?1000 and rising rapidly as performance and features increase.

While the portability of handheld units is an asset to field service engineers, the format is inappropriate for serious component inspection applications, and their relatively poor accuracy limits their usefulness in laboratory situations.

The large physical format of the LCR400, coupled with its comprehensive facilities and high basic accuracy, meets the requirements of both volume component inspection and precision laboratory use.

However, its price of under ?600 gives it an unrivalled price-performance ratio.

The LCR400 is a precision instrument with a basic accuracy of 0.1% for L, C and R measurements.

Three measurement frequencies are available between 100Hz and 10kHz.

The instrument is fully autoranging (with range hold), and can also automatically select the function based on the component inserted.

It has dual 5-digit displays using large and bright LEDs.

The second display is used for the secondary parameter of Q or D, and is also used with the limits comparator for showing binning information.

The instrument has a built-in high-quality 4-terminal test fixture that will accept most wire-ended components directly.

A pair of plug-in pillar adaptors enables axial components, such as bandoliered resistors, to be measured directly without bending the wires.

The position of the test fixture on the instrument ensures that component bandoliers can be handled without interfering with the display or keyboard.

An external test fixture can also be used and a capacitance null function allows up to l00pF to be nulled out.

A switchable bias voltage is provided for polarising electrolytic capacitors.

The instrument incorporates a full limits comparator with binning.

Up to eight pass bins can be defined, along with two fail bins, and binning can be used to sort different tolerances of the same value or multiple different values.

A numeric keyboard allows rapid set-up of binning values.

Nonvolatile memory is provided for the storage of up to nine complete instrument setups.

The LCR400 has a substantial steel case and large high-grip feet which keep it in position while components are passed through the test fixture.

This is an essential requirement when measuring large numbers of components in an inspection area.

An RS232 interface is incorporated which allows connection to a PC and can be used to set up all measurement and sorting functions as well as store readings.

PC software is supplied.

The price is ?595 (plus VAT) in the UK.

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