ESR meter project from Nuova Elettronica

[fuevarde]

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.

 

[Borber]

esr meter tl084

Article is not complete. Missing are components values and semiconductor types.

 

[fuevarde]

russia esr meter

Yes I forget it...

Components:


R1=1K5
R2,R3,R4,R5=10K
R6=68K
R7=4K7
R8=12K
R9,R11=1K-1%
R10,R12=22-1%
R13,R14=1K
R15,R16,R17=47K
R18=15K
R19=680
R20=2K2
R21=20K TRIMMER

C1,C2=1 microF electrolytic
C3=1NF POLY
C4=100NF POLY
C5,C6=1microF POLY
DS1,DS2=1N4007
DS3=1N4148
DL1=LED
TR1,TR3=BC547
TR2=BC557
IC1=TL084
S1=SWITCH



Sorry!!!!

 

[netguy]

tl084 esr

Thnaks for your info, I'm looking for it.

 

[Kripton2035]

Re: ESR Meter

I've just started an ESR repository...
take a look !
**broken link removed**

 

[costas]

Re: ESR Meter

Hi ,
Somebody make this ESR **broken link removed** , is working with on site firmware ?

Thank you
Costas

 

[bkelciov]

Re: ESR Meter

Hi,
yes, I did. The hex file work as is. I had to make some minor corrections:
1 - 220Kohm - LM393 pin 3 to +5V - this is to show the correct capacitance. You can modify this value until shown the correct value.
2 - replaced the R4 ( 22Kohm variable ) with 2 fixed resistors. 10K from -5V to R5 and aprox 7,5Kohm from +5V to R5. the 7,5K was made from 30K + 30k + 10k all3 in paralell.
3 - jumper jmp1 must be shorted. Is the supply for PIC.
I did use IRF640 instead of IRF530, VD4 and VD5 - 1n4148
It is working great. I can measure capacitors without desoldering them. Tested on Motherboard, VGA board, swiching power supply, inverters.
It cost me abbout 30 USD ( including plastic case and test leads )

Good luck.

Hi ,
Somebody make this ESR **broken link removed** , is working with on site firmware ?

Thank you
Costas

 

[costas]

Re: ESR Meter

Hi ,
Thank you for your opinion , I make this device and wok fine ....look attach .
Costas

 

[Kripton2035]

Re: ESR Meter

costas or bkelciov,
can you please try to measure a battery (AA or AAA) (an old one and a new one) and tell us the results with the GO esr meter ?
it is to see if we can measure the internal resistance of a battery with this meter
(like the kinza meter does here : **broken link removed**)
thanks.

 

[bkelciov]

Re: ESR Meter

Hi,
NO , you can't measure any kind of battery beacause of the 2 diode put in parallel of the tester leads to prevent voltage above 0,6 V.

 

[Kripton2035]

Re: ESR Meter

it is not to measure the voltage of the battery, it is to measure the internal resistance of the battery.
kinza schematic (**broken link removed**) also have two diodes behind the probe... and it can measure the internal resistance of a battery, which can give a good idea of the real capacity of the battery...
thanks.

 

[bkelciov]

Re: ESR Meter

esr-kinza have 0,47uF capacitor betwen probes and diodes. GO-ESR does not.

 

[costas]

Re: ESR Meter

two devices have different measurement principles, Go-esr measure internal resistance by shorting the capacitor with a MOS-FET, if I try to measure a battery are big risks to destroy the device. anyway at the first opportunity I will try .

Costas

 

[Haran24]

Re: ESR Meter

Hi,
yes, I did. The hex file work as is. I had to make some minor corrections:
1 - 220Kohm - LM393 pin 3 to +5V - this is to show the correct capacitance. You can modify this value until shown the correct value.
2 - replaced the R4 ( 22Kohm variable ) with 2 fixed resistors. 10K from -5V to R5 and aprox 7,5Kohm from +5V to R5. the 7,5K was made from 30K + 30k + 10k all3 in paralell.
3 - jumper jmp1 must be shorted. Is the supply for PIC.
I did use IRF640 instead of IRF530, VD4 and VD5 - 1n4148
It is working great. I can measure capacitors without desoldering them. Tested on Motherboard, VGA board, swiching power supply, inverters.
It cost me abbout 30 USD ( including plastic case and test leads )

Good luck.[/

Hi bkelciov, Good day, well two weeks ago when i look for a pic based ESR tester i found this forum. It really impressed me to do this project. Buddy i'm so frustrated. i tried two different circuit to acheive this go esr none of them work.
i used exact same components and i did the same modification you did it didn't work. All did different is i used BC327 Transistor and 4.7nf caps for C1 & C2. All i'm seeing on the display is just top line is lit no character and the bottom nothing.

What do you think any measuring points debug methods would you please help me. which firmware you used?

my doubts are 1. when i mesure the voltage pin 5 on ICL7660 & 5+ i'm getting almost 10 volts but the diagram says it is -5 volts

2. How come no supply voltage for the IC CD4066 vdd & vss (pin 14 &7)

Would please kindly help me to resolve this problem

Thank you in advance.

---------- Post added at 21:51 ---------- Previous post was at 21:42 ----------

Good day Costas, Great job where did you get the right firmware any links

Well two weeks ago when i look for a pic based ESR tester i found this forum. It really impressed me to do this project. Buddy i'm so frustrated. i tried two different circuit to acheive this go esr none of them work.
i used exact same components and i did the same modification you did it didn't work. All did different is i used BC327 Transistor and 4.7nf caps for C1 & C2. All i'm seeing on the display is just top line is lit no character and the bottom nothing.

What do you think any measuring points debug methods would you please help me. which firmware you used?

my doubts are 1. when i mesure the voltage pin 5 on ICL7660 & 5+ i'm getting almost 10 volts but the diagram says it is -5 volts

2. How come no supply voltage for the IC CD4066 vdd & vss (pin 14 &7)

Would please kindly help me to resolve this problem

Thank you in advance.

 

[bkelciov]

Re: ESR Meter

Hi,
The PCB presented on the site does not contain the GND circuit. So I made one in the air. Make sure You have the GND circuit. The LCD should work without the ICL7660, BC327, CD4066.

 

[Haran24]

Re: ESR Meter

Hi Bkelciov, Thank you for the instant reply. The LCD is working but no Characters showing on to the display the image attached. what could be the problem you think?

I did made the made the ground circuit. i connected all the ground to 9v(-) including the display grounds. also both TLO82 Pin 4 and R4 5- to the 7660 Pin 5

 

[bkelciov]

Re: ESR Meter

replace R30 and R31 with 22Ko variable and adjust until is showing something. Check to have 5V on PIC. VDD to GND. JMP1 must be shorted. If is not working is meaning that the program is not working inside the PIC. The reasons can be:
- PIC is defective
- the programm is not writen correctly in PIC
- Cr1 ( the 20MHz crystal ) is not working. This must not be a filter !!! It must be a crystal quartz.
- C5 and C7 must be 22pF not nF
- C1 and C2 can be 4,7nF. I did use 4,7nF too.
- VD4 is 1N4148
- check the continuity of the circuit.
To see what you must see on display, try to use the "Real PIC Simulator" or "PIC simulator IDE".
Good Luck !

 

[Haran24]

Re: ESR Meter

Thanks buddy well i used 22nf caps so i'm gonna replace that gonna try R30 & 31 with variable resistor. I'll let you know the results.

Would you please post me the right hex file (the one you used)because i tried the files i had with the simulator it didn't work

Thanks again
Haran

 

[Haran24]

Re: ESR Meter

replace R30 and R31 with 22Ko variable and adjust until is showing something. Check to have 5V on PIC. VDD to GND. JMP1 must be shorted. If is not working is meaning that the program is not working inside the PIC. The reasons can be:
- PIC is defective
- the programm is not writen correctly in PIC
- Cr1 ( the 20MHz crystal ) is not working. This must not be a filter !!! It must be a crystal quartz.
- C5 and C7 must be 22pF not nF
- C1 and C2 can be 4,7nF. I did use 4,7nF too.
- VD4 is 1N4148
- check the continuity of the circuit.
To see what you must see on display, try to use the "Real PIC Simulator" or "PIC simulator IDE".
Good Luck !

Hi Bkelciov, i triple checked everything and did replaced to 22pf caps(C5,C7) change another crystal reprogrammed a another PIC. Replaced VD4 diode into IN4148. Replaced 22k Variable resistor instead of R30 and R31 no luck.

Question what PIC you used? Mine is 16F873A .

Would you please send me the right HEX file so i can try again.

Thanks for your help pal.

Thanks again
Haran

 

[bkelciov]

Re: ESR Meter

Yeap, 16F873A is mine too.
Here is the hex:

:020000040000FA
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