fuevarde
Junior Member level 3
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The project came from an italian magazine (Nuova Elettronica N212);
it's very simple but interesting; I've built it and tested some capacitors,
so I think it's very useful: build it.
It measures the ESR (Equivalent Serie Resistance) of capacitor
(electrolytic and not); pratically you can see if a capacitor is good or not.
It's a bridge circuit that work at 100Khz;
there're the following possibilities::
1) The electrolytic capacitor is good: (low ESR) the bridge will stay balanced and the meter will indicate the maximun current.
2) The electrolytic capacitor is not good:
(high ESR) the bridge will be unbalanced and that will cause the meter to indicate less current; as less the meter will indicate as higher will be the ESR;
After few measure you'll be able to decide if a capacitor is good or not.
3) There is a short circuit in the electrolytic capacitor:
the meter will indicate the maximum current and the red LED will lamp; capacitor is not good.
4) The electrolytic capacitor is broken:
the meter will not move. Capacitor is not good.
it's very simple but interesting; I've built it and tested some capacitors,
so I think it's very useful: build it.
It measures the ESR (Equivalent Serie Resistance) of capacitor
(electrolytic and not); pratically you can see if a capacitor is good or not.
It's a bridge circuit that work at 100Khz;
there're the following possibilities::
1) The electrolytic capacitor is good: (low ESR) the bridge will stay balanced and the meter will indicate the maximun current.
2) The electrolytic capacitor is not good:
(high ESR) the bridge will be unbalanced and that will cause the meter to indicate less current; as less the meter will indicate as higher will be the ESR;
After few measure you'll be able to decide if a capacitor is good or not.
3) There is a short circuit in the electrolytic capacitor:
the meter will indicate the maximum current and the red LED will lamp; capacitor is not good.
4) The electrolytic capacitor is broken:
the meter will not move. Capacitor is not good.
