EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
Products => Test Equipment => Topic started by: ErikTheNorwegian on March 11, 2014, 09:23:50 pm
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Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter
http://midwestdevices.com/ (http://midwestdevices.com/)
Capacitor Wizard® Operating Manual
http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Capmanual9.pdf (http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Capmanual9.pdf)
ESR: Methods of Measurement
http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf (http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf)
(http://midwestdevices.com/_images/CapWiz_BiFold_Inside_6.gif)
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=84766)
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=84768)
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=84770)
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=84772)
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=84774)
Missing som strain relef here?
After some testing of capacitor tester with the tester i will come back with a test report..
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A black and a red wire both going to the same place on the meter?
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A black and a red wire both going to the same place on the meter?
Note that there's a second yellow sticker with no wire. Looks like the original meter's studs poked through where the yellow stickers are and the current meter has a smaller movement.
Ed
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Pretty horrible soldering job.
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Don't mean to rain your parade, but at $230 a pop its just way too much imho. :palm:
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This meter had advantage that goes up to 50ohm and scale between 0-1 is almost 25% of the scale.
Its way expensive...
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This meter had advantage that goes up to 50ohm and scale between 0-1 is almost 25% of the scale.
Its way expensive...
Yeah, you can get a real LCR meter that will actually measure ESR accurately with milliohm accuracy for half the price.
Not to mention L and C :)
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that is not soldered. it looks more like someone had a big ball of liquid solder , farted over it and the spray landed on the board ...
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An ATLAS PEAK ESR meter with a digital readout costs £70, are they having a laugh with $230??
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This capacitor wizard is IMHO obsolete and overpriced. Moreover it is a 1995's technology.
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What do you guys think of the CapAnalyzer 88A Series II?
http://www.eds-inc.com/cap.html (http://www.eds-inc.com/cap.html)
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What do you guys think of the CapAnalyzer 88A Series II?
http://www.eds-inc.com/cap.html (http://www.eds-inc.com/cap.html)
I actually have one of those to... so i will make a comparison of them. :)
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=84851)
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What do you guys think of the CapAnalyzer 88A Series II?
http://www.eds-inc.com/cap.html (http://www.eds-inc.com/cap.html)
For $50? Worth considering if you're doing a lot of repairs.
For $229 (which is what they're asking for)? YGTBSM.
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Nice, but... what's on the component side of the pcb?
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This capacitor wizard is IMHO obsolete and overpriced. Moreover it is a 1995's technology.
You dont use speakers then, they are som 1920`s technology, and has not developed much from the original concept. :P
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Is this Capacitor wizard someway different from these well-known schematics of ESR meters?
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/5-transistor-esr-meter-design/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/5-transistor-esr-meter-design/)
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Ah, but this one has a low battery detect. ;D
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How about a look at the component side. :)
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It is claimed that the Capacitor Wizard applies a sine wave to the DUT:
http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf (http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf)
Erik, would you connect a capacitor that's not too big, say a 10 uF electrolytic, to the capacitor wizard and look at the waveform across the cap with a scope to verify if it's really a sine wave?
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It is claimed that the Capacitor Wizard applies a sine wave to the DUT:
http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf (http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf)
Erik, would you connect a capacitor that's not too big, say a 10 uF electrolytic, to the capacitor wizard and look at the waveform across the cap with a scope to verify if it's really a sine wave?
Will try that tommorow if i get outa bed. ;)
(Have no helpers tommorow, so may stay i bed all day if i dont get out mysellf. )
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Hi,
This is interesting reading.
It tells you how to repair the Capacitor Wizard:
http://www.midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Sbullit8.pdf (http://www.midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Sbullit8.pdf)
Here is a picture showing part of the board, component side:
http://howardelectronics.com/ieinc/images/Capwizsavr%201.jpg (http://howardelectronics.com/ieinc/images/Capwizsavr%201.jpg)
There is another picture here:
https://www.howardelectronics.com/ieinc/CapSVR%20Install%20Instructions.pdf (https://www.howardelectronics.com/ieinc/CapSVR%20Install%20Instructions.pdf)
This patent describes the protection circuit:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22Capacitor+Wizard%22&OS="Capacitor+Wizard"&RS="Capacitor+Wizard" (http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22Capacitor+Wizard%22&OS="Capacitor+Wizard"&RS="Capacitor+Wizard")
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=84942;image)
If you want an ESR meter with really good protection, build the ESR meter adapter described in this thread:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/esr-meter-adapter-design-and-construction/msg341177/#msg341177 (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/esr-meter-adapter-design-and-construction/msg341177/#msg341177)
Regards,
Jay_Diddy_B
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I wonder if the "CapSVR" add-on kit is just the transformer/diode arrangement described in the patent.
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It is claimed that the Capacitor Wizard applies a sine wave to the DUT:
http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf (http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf)
Erik, would you connect a capacitor that's not too big, say a 10 uF electrolytic, to the capacitor wizard and look at the waveform across the cap with a scope to verify if it's really a sine wave?
The Capacitor Wizard model CAP-1B had a rather "bursty" sinus 102,8 KHz. 3,2 mV
and the Electronic Design Specialist EDS-88A CapAnalyzer II had the same "noisy" more triangle than sinus 124KHz ant 3 mV.
Se if i can get some pictures taken if its of interest, but really nothing to see.
The reason i bought the CAP-1B from Capacitor wizard, is that the "wand" (Probes are way better to use on some cards than the tweeter with thin copper contacts) on the EDS-88A is way better. Lock at the pictures. The tweezers is ok on small boards where you have to/can use it with one hand. But if there is a lot of corrosion, lacquer etc. on the board, the sharp probes of the CAP-1B is the best, but i have to use both hands. Fluke AC72 Alligator Clip Set fits right on, and makes it easy to connect onto a capacitor if necessary. I must say that both testers do what they claim, easy and very quick. I enjoy the different beeps of the EDS-88A when fast going over a ex mainboard on a computer, don’t need to look at the meter, if good or bad. But if in doubt, the table has to be searched and you have to read the table for info. That takes time. And the automatic discharging that the CAP-1B don’t have is a big plus on some jobs. The CAP-1B, has a meter that is clearly marked BAD - COMPAERE - GOOD and is quicker to read. So i guess, both meters has its + and -. Some like the mother, some the daughter and nerds are hands on, as we say here in Norway!
There is a place for both on my bench. (Instruments that is!)
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=84851)
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I wonder if the "CapSVR" add-on kit is just the transformer/diode arrangement described in the patent.
From the photographs I believe that it does. It is the circuit from the patent plus a coupling capacitor in series with the transformer primary. The idea is for large voltage the diodes conduct and the current in the two windings cancel. For small signals the diodes do not conduct and it behaves like a transformer.
I am not sure how well it works.
Jay_Diddy_B
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I am not sure how well it works.
Jay_Diddy_B
The patent says the transformer has to resonate at the frequency which is applied to the DUT, and then it works well.
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The curves 47mF 10volts capasitor.
CAP-1B
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=85122)
EDS-88A
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=85124)
Both tips, the CAP-1B has Fluke gator attached.
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=85126)
DST-88A custom made tip
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-quick-teardown-of-capasitor-wizard-esr-meter-a-few-pictures/?action=dlattach;attach=85128)
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I know this is an old post, but I have to say, that has to be the most horrendous and despicable soldering and overall pisspoor construction I have ever seen. It's a total hack job. Who builds these things, Ray Charles? They brag about made in USA, yet I have not seen a single Chinese electronics made this poorly. What a disgrace...
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Well, Capacitor Wizard is probably a 100% design from 1995. Nowadays you can buy or build an AVR component tester
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/)$20-lcr-esr-transistor-checker-project/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lVIVKr36iM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lVIVKr36iM)
http://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/ (http://www.mikrocontroller.net/svnbrowser/transistortester/)
or buy a Cyrustek chipset based LCR 100kHz meter like CEM DT-9935 or many others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16UPoy0INag (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16UPoy0INag)
I think that most people know well about this.
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Who in his right mind would buy that garbage Capacitor Wizard?
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Who in his right mind would buy that garbage Capacitor Wizard?
Anything of value in your post? :-//
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I know this is an old post, but I have to say, that has to be the most horrendous and despicable soldering and overall pisspoor construction I have ever seen.
Then you have not seen much. Watch EEVBlog #822.
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Component side.
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subscribed...
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Well, this capacitor wizard was good back in 1995. https://www.midwestdevices.com/index.php (https://www.midwestdevices.com/index.php)
It might do the job. $239.95 USD is too much. You can buy a handheld LCR meter for that. I just randomly found this... https://eleshop.eu/de-ree-de-5000-lcr-meter.html (https://eleshop.eu/de-ree-de-5000-lcr-meter.html)
I have my CEM DT-9935 lcr meter since 2012...
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/cheap-lcr-meter-cem-dt-9935/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/cheap-lcr-meter-cem-dt-9935/)
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Component side.
It looks ugly, but it might work just OK.
There are some asian made LCR meters in a similar price range as the capacitor wizard.
https://www.tequipment.net/ExtechLCR200.asp (https://www.tequipment.net/ExtechLCR200.asp)
https://www.electron.com/digital-multimeter-rlc-uni-t-ut612-p54037/ (https://www.electron.com/digital-multimeter-rlc-uni-t-ut612-p54037/)
OK, straight away, I can tell from the first photograph that what you have there will be based on the same chipset as a large number of other mid-range LCR meters that use the same cyrustek ES51990 chipset, also found in Mastech Ms5308 (which I have), GenRad/IET DE5000, to name but two of many.
(...)
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I am not familiar with the Peak Atlas ESR70, but it looks way better than Capacitor Wizard...
https://www.peakelec.co.uk/acatalog/esr70-capacitor-esr-meter.html (https://www.peakelec.co.uk/acatalog/esr70-capacitor-esr-meter.html)
https://www.newark.com/peak/72-12835/esr-meter-capacitor-1mf-to-22000mf/dp/56Y1286?st=esr70 (https://www.newark.com/peak/72-12835/esr-meter-capacitor-1mf-to-22000mf/dp/56Y1286?st=esr70)