Is an ESR Meter the best measure for caps?

[S]

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!

 

[Antti Panula]

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

 

[S]

I haven't owned a multimeter yet that will measure capacitance--what do you
mean?

 

[Antti Panula]

I haven't owned a multimeter yet that will measure capacitance--what do you
mean?

Most common digital multimeters above $30 will measure capacitance, it's not
a space program design...

Antti
OH7GLS

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

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

 

[Gerard Bok]

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)

 

[Tom MacIntyre]

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

 

[JANA]

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/understanding/analytes/esr/test.html

http://octopus.freeyellow.com/esr.html

--

JANA
_____


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]

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!

 

[NSM]

Also dielectric absorption (rare, but can cause problems in some
circuits) and leakage.

I know of no good way to measure it but RMS current rating might also be
significant.

 

[Stein-Olav Lund]

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.

Nice instrument (or test system, rather)
The price in the USD 2500 range(!!!) is prohibitive for individuals and
small firms.
I use a handheld LCR meter, made in the far East (our is marked Escort
ELC131D) It measures R, L and C, but as it uses 60Hz and 1kHz it isn't
suited for ESR measurement. I use a home-built ESR meter which really is
an ohmmeter using a 50kHz signal.
The multimeters I have seen have just limited C and L ranges.

Stein

 

[Bob Parker]

Thanks for making that correction about what ESR stands for and
what its significance is, Mr Schuler.
If you didn't, I was going to!

Regards,
Bob

 

[S]

I did purchase the dick smith ESR meter and am very happy with its
performance--I was just curious if there was another aspect to a caps
properties that could be more telling as to its expected performance

thanks for the great replies!

 

[Arfa Daily]

Without doubt, an ESR meter gives the very best indication of an
electrolytic's servicability. I have had many year's professional experience
of tracking capacitor faults, and on many occasions, I have had caps whose
ESR is out of the window, but whose value read on a capacitance meter, is
almost spot on. Thus, using a capacitance meter, the bad cap would not have
shown.

Another major advantage of the ESR meter over other tests, is that the check
can be carried out whilst the component is still in circuit. Only other
check I ever carry out, is with a simple analogue ohm meter - actually an
AVO 8. The reason for this is that an electrolytic in good condition, may
have an indicated ESR of say 0.08 ohms. However, this apparently very good
reading, could also be a DC short circuit of 0.08 ohms, internal to the cap
....

Hope this helps

Geoff

 

[NSM]

Without doubt, an ESR meter gives the very best indication of an
electrolytic's servicability. I have had many year's professional experience
of tracking capacitor faults, and on many occasions, I have had caps whose
ESR is out of the window, but whose value read on a capacitance meter, is
almost spot on. Thus, using a capacitance meter, the bad cap would not have
shown.

Was the B&K Model 801 Capacitor Analyst the first to measure ESR?

 

[Bob Parker]

Larry Dishman has told me that the Creative ESR meter dates back to
the early-mid 1980s. If it wasn't the first ESR meter on the market,
it was one of the first. And after all this time, it still has a very
dedicated band of supporters.

Bob

 

[NSM]

Larry Dishman has told me that the Creative ESR meter dates back to
the early-mid 1980s. If it wasn't the first ESR meter on the market,
it was one of the first. And after all this time, it still has a very
dedicated band of supporters.

I see they still go for $25 and up on eBay. Somehow I trust this stuff more
than a bunch of little CPU's!

 

[[email protected]]

Rupturing electrolytics: The excerpt below is from:
http://theinquirer.net/?article=17075
Probably detectible during QC as excess leakage:

The document cites an article published in September 2002 by Passive
Component Industry Magazine, saying that some PCs were failing because
of faulty low ESR capacitors. The problem, according to that article,
was due to imperfect water based electrolytes built in China by
Lumious Town Electric, and subsequently the people who built that part
marketed it to aluminium manufacturers in Taiwan "including Luxon
Electronics Corp, Lelon Electronics Corp and many others".

Such caps were unstable after packaging, leading to a build up of
hydrogen causing either the case to rupture, or the seal to be
breached, and causing electrolyte fluid to leak onto motherboards.
http://www.niccomp.com/taiwanlowesr.htm