Author Topic: Advanced continuity tester?  (Read 1940 times)

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Offline brainwashTopic starter

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Advanced continuity tester?
« on: March 07, 2013, 12:00:35 am »
I found out that the most used mode on my meters, after DC voltage, is the continuity one. I'm looking for a tool that is able to perform this stuff with these features:
- latching (200-500ms) sound output with no input delay (<50ms)
- a mode that injects less than 0.5V or a set voltage, so it does not trigger most semiconductors
- is able to provide a pretty high current when asked to, to test intermittent connections
- is able to survive accidental voltage (let's say 12 or 30V)
- is able to measure either resistance and/or voltage drop between the test points

I'll be happy with any three of the first four if such a product exists. A search for continuity meters just shows the stupid automotive ones with a bulb. I'll be happy to buy two or three products if combined they meet the above requirements since hunting down an intermittent connection in an automobile/motorcycle is a bit different than tracing a motherboard short in a phone.
 

Offline PaulAm

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Re: Advanced continuity tester?
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2013, 01:28:39 am »
If you're trying to track down motherboard shorts, get something like an HP 547a current probe.  Connect the shorted traces to a pulse generator and then just follow the current path around the board until it hits the short.  Trivial.  Works on multilayer boards as well.

Took me  less than 5 minutes to track down a shorted tantalum cap on a 12x12 board the other week.
 


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