Agilent Technologies 4285A User manual

Agilent 4285A Precision LCR Meter
Getting Started Guide
SERIAL NUMBERS
This manual applies directly to instruments with serial number prex
3009J
.
Agilent Part No. 04285-90011
Printed in JAPAN March 2001
Fourth Edition

Notice
The information contained in this document is subject to change
without notice
.
This document contains proprietary information which is protected by
copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be
photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without
the prior written consent of the Agilent Technologies
.
Agilent T
echnologies Japan, Ltd.
Component T
est PGU-Kobe
1-3-2, Murotani, Nishi-ku, Kobe-shi,
Hyogo
,651-2241 Japan
c
 Copyright 1990, 1996, 2000, 2001 Agilent Technologies Japan, Ltd.

Manual Printing
History
The manual printing date and part number indicate its current
edition. The printing date changes when a new edition is printed.
(Minor corrections and updates which are incorporated at reprint do
not cause the date to change.) The manual part number changes when
extensive technical changes are incorporated.
June 1990
::::: :: ::::::::::
First Edition (part number: 04285-90001)
December 1996
:::
::
::
::
Second Edition (part number: 04285-90011)
March 2000
:::::::::::::::
Third Edition (part number: 04285-90011)
March 2001
::::: ::::::::
F
ourth Edition (part number: 04285-90011)
iii

Safety Summary
The following general safety precautions must be observed during all
phases of operation, service, and repair of this instrument. F
ailure to
comply with these precautions or with specic
WARNINGS
elsewhere
in this manual may impair the protection provided by the equipment.
In addition it violates safety standards of design, manufacture
,and
intended use of the instrument.
The Agilent Technologies assumes no liability for the customer's
failure to comply with these requirements.
Note
4285A complies with INST
ALLA
TION CA
TEGORY II and POLLUTION
DEGREE 2in IEC1010-1.4285A is INDOOR USE product.
Note
LEDs in this product are Class 1in accordance with IEC825-1.
CLASS 1LED PRODUCT
Ground The
Instrument
T
oavoid electric shock hazard, the instrument chassis and cabinet
must be connected to asafety earth ground by the supplied power
cable with earth blade
.
DO NOT Operate In An
Explosive Atmosphere
Do not operate the instrument in the presence of ammable gasses or
fumes
.Operation of any electrical instrument in such an environment
constitutes adenite safety hazard.
Keep A
way From Live
Circuits
Operating personnel must not remove instrument covers
.Component
replacement and internal adjustments must be made by qualied
maintenance personnel. Do not replace components with the power
cable connected. Under certain conditions
,dangerous voltages may
exist even with the power cable removed. T
oavoid injuries
,always
disconnect power and discharge circuits before touching them.
DO NOT Service Or
A
djust Alone
Do not attempt internal service or adjustment unless another person,
capable of rendering rst aid and resuscitation, is present.
DO NOT Substitute
Parts Or Modify
Instrument
Because of the danger of introducing additional hazards
,do not
install substitute parts or perform unauthorized modications to the
instrument. Return the instrument to aAgilent T
echnologies Sales and
Service Oce for service and repair to ensure that safety features are
maintained.
Dangerous Procedure
Warnings
Warnings , such as the example below
, precede potentially dangerous
procedures throughout this manual. Instructions contained in the
warnings must be followed.
Warning
Dangerous voltages, capable of causing death, are present in this
instrument. Use extreme caution when handling, testing, and
adjusting this instrument.
iv

Safety Symbols
General denitions of safety symbols used on equipment or in manuals
are listed below
.
Instruction manual symbol: the product is marked
with this symbol when it is necessary for the user to
refer to the instruction manual.
Alternating current.
Direct current.
On (Supply).
O (Supply).
In position of push-button switch.
Out position of push-button switch.
Frame (or chassis) terminal. Aconnection to the
frame (chassis) of the equipment which normally
include all exposed metal structures
.
This
W
arning sign denotes a hazard. It calls attention
to aprocedure, practice, condition or the like
,which,
if not correctly performed or adhered to,could result
in injury or death to personnel.
This
Caution
sign denotes ahazard. It calls attention
to aprocedure
,practice
,condition or the like
,which,
if not correctly performed or adhered to
,could result
in damage to or destruction of part or all of the
product.
Note
denotes important information. It calls
attention to aprocedure
,practice
,condition or the
like
,which is essential to highlight.
Axed to product containing static sensitive devices
use anti-static handling procedures to prevent
electrostatic discharge damage to component.
v

4285A Precision
LCR Meter
Documentation
Map
The documentation for the 4285A has been separated into several
manuals
.F
ollowing is a brief description of each manual and its
purpose
.
The
4285A Getting Started Guide
walks you through
system setup and initial power-up
,shows how to make
basic measurements and explains commonly used features
.
The
4285A OPERA
TION MANU
AL
(Agilent P
art Number
04285-90020) provides general information, specications
,
GPIB programming information, and in depth reference
information.
The
4285A MAINTENANCE MANU
AL
(Agilent P
art
Number 04285-90030) explains how to verify conformance
to published specications
.
The 4285A SERVICE MANUAL (Agilent Part Number
04285-90031) explains how to adjust, troubleshoot, and
repair the instrument. (Furnished Option 915 only.)
vi

Typeface
Conventions
Bold
Boldface type is used when a term is dened.
F
or example:
icons are symbols.
Italics
Italic type is used for emphasis and for titles
of manuals and other publications
.
Italic type is also used for keyboard entries
when anameor a variable must be typed in
place of the words in italics. For example:
copy
lename means to type the word
copy
,
to type a space, and then to type the name of
ale such as
file1
.
Computer
Computer font is used for on-screen prompts
and messages.
4
HARDKEYS
5
Labeled keys on the instrument front panel
are enclosed in
45
.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
SOFTKEYS
Softkeys located to the right of the Liquid
Crystal Display (LCD) are enclosed in
NNNNN
.
Certication
Agilent T
echnologies certies that this product met its published
specications at the time of shipment from the factory
.Agilent
T
echnologies further certies that its calibration measurements are
traceable to the United States National Institute of Standards and
T
echnology (
nist
), to the extent allowed by the Institute's calibration
facility
,or to the calibration facilities of other International Standards
Organization members
.
W
arranty
This Agilent T
echnologies instrument product is warranted against
defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from
the date of shipment, except that in the case of certain components
listed in \Components not Covered by W
arranty" in Chapter 1of this
manual, the warranty shall be for the specied period. During the
warranty period, Agilent T
echnologies will, at its option, either repair
or replace products which prove to be defective
.
For warranty service or repair
, this product must be returned to a
service facility designated by Agilent T
echnologies. Buyer shall prepay
shipping charges to Agilent T
echnologies and Agilent T
echnologies
shall pay shipping charges to return the product to Buyer
. However
,
Buyer shall pay all shipping charges
,duties
, and taxes for products
returned to Agilent Technologies from another country.
Agilent Technologies warrants that its software and rmware
designated by Agilent Technologies for use with an instrument will
execute its programming instruction when property installed on that
instrument. Agilent Technologies does not warrant that the operation
vii

of the instrument, or software
,or
rmware will be uninterrupted or
error free.
Limitation of
W
arranty
The foregoing warranty shall not apply to defects resulting from
improper or inadequate maintenance by Buyer
,Buyer-supplied
software or interfacing, unauthorized modication or misuse
,
operation outside of the environmental specications for the product,
or improper site preparation or maintenance
.
No other warranty is expressed or implied. Agilent Technologies
specically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability and
tness for aparticular purpose
.
Exclusive
Remedies
The remedies provided herein are buyer's sole and exclusive
remedies
.A
gilent T
echnologies shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages
,whether based
on contract, tort, or any other legal theory
.
Assistance
Product maintenance agreements and other customer assistance
agreements are available for Agilent T
echnologies products
.
F
or any assistance
,contact your nearest Agilent T
echnologies Sales
and Service Oce
.A
ddresses are provided at the back of this manual.
viii

Contents
1. Before Y
ou Begin
Initial Considerations .................1-1
Preparation for Use .................. 1-2
Power Requirements ................1-2
Line V
oltage and Fuse Selection ...........1-2
Line V
oltage Selection ..............1-2
Fuse Selection . ...............1-2
Setting Up the High Current DC Biased Measurement
System .......
..............1-3
Equipment Required .......... .. ...1-3
Installing the T
est Fixture ....... .. ....1-3
Interconnecting the Units ......... .. .. 1-4
Setting Up the Precision QMeasurement System ...1-4
Equipment Required ............ ...1-4
Interconnecting the Units ........... ..1-4
Connecting 4285A, 42841A, and 42851A . ......1-5
Equipment Required ...............1-5
Interconnecting Cables ..............1-5
2. Getting A
cquainted with the 4285A
Front P
anel Description ................2-1
LCD P
anel and Softkey ...............2-1
MENU keys and Display P
ages ............2-2
CURSOR and CURSOR Keys .............2-3
ENTRY Keys .. ..................2-4
GPIB Status Indicator and
4
LCL
5
Key .........2-4
4
TRIGGER
5
Key ...............
..
.. 2-4
Memory Card Slot ................ .2-5
4
DC-BIAS
5 Key ............... .. .. .2-5
Contrast Control Knob ...........
....2-5
Front P
anel Operation .... .. .. .. . .. .. . 2-6
3. Basic Measurement Examples
Introduction ......
............... 3-1
Capacitor Measurement . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. 3-1
Measurement Conditions ......
........ 3-1
Equipment Required ................ 3-1
Operation Procedure .... .. .. .. .. .. .. 3-1
Inductance Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Measurement Conditions .............. 3-5
Equipment Required ................ 3-5
Operation Procedure .... .. .. .. .. .. .. 3-5
DC Voltage Biased Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Measurement Conditions .............. 3-10
Equipment Required ................ 3-10
Contents-1

Preparation Before Measurement ..
..
......3-10
Checking the Option Installed ........... 3-10
Operation Procedure . ............... 3-10
Measurements Using 1m/2m T
est Leads ........3-14
Equipment Required . ............... 3-14
Operation Procedure . ............... 3-14
DC Current Biased Measurement ........... 3-20
Measurement Conditions .............. 3-20
Equipment Required ................ 3-20
Preparation Before Measurement ..........3-20
Checking the Option Installed ...........3-20
Conguring the High Current Biased Measurement
System ............... .. .. .3-20
Operation Procedure .............. .. 3-23
Precision QMeasurement ...........
..
.. 3-27
Measurement Conditions ............
.. 3-27
Equipment Required ............
..
.. 3-27
Preparation Before Measurement ..........3-27
Checking the Option Installed ...........3-27
Congure the Precision Qmeasurement System ...3-27
Operation Procedure ...........
..
..
.3-28
4. Instrument F
eature Tutorial
Memory Function .....
..
............4-1
System Memory .....
..
...........4-1
Internal Non-V
olatile Memory/External Memory Card .4-2
A
utomatic Level Control Function ....
.......4-3
ALC Theory of Operation ..............4-3
ALC Measurement Time ..............4-4
ALC Voltage/Current Setting Range .........4-4
Operation Procedure of the ALC Function ......4-4
List Sweep Function ..
...............4-5
Structure of LIST SWEEP function .........4-5
LIST SWEEP DISPLA
Ypage ............ 4-5
LIST SWEEP SETUP page .............4-5
LIST SWEEP Measurement Procedure ........4-6
Print Function ..................
.. 4-9
Print Mode ..................
..
. 4-9
Printer Requirements .......... .. ..
.. 4-10
Printer Troubleshooting ...............4-10
5. What's Next?
Index
Contents-2

Figures
1-1. Line V
oltage Selector ................1-2
1-2. Bias Current System Conguration ..........1-4
1-3. Q Measurement System Conguration ........1-5
1-4. Chaining the 42841A and the 42851A ........1-6
2-1. Front Panel Overview ................2-1
2-2. MENU Keys ................
..
.. 2-2
2-3. Entry Keys ................
..
..
.2-4
2-4. CURSOR Keys and Field Operation Example .....2-6
3-1. Connecting the 16047C ...............3-2
3-2. Connecting aShorting Bar .............3-3
3-3. Connecting DUT to the 16047C ...........3-4
3-4. Measurement Results for a220 pF Capacitor .....3-4
3-5. Connecting the 16034E ...............3-6
3-6. 16034E Contacts in OPEN Condition .........3-7
3-7. Make the 16034E to SHORT Condition ........3-8
3-8. Connecting DUT to the 16034E ...........3-9
3-9. Measurement Results of The F
errite-Cored Inductor ..3-9
3-10. Connecting the 16047C ............... 3-11
3-11. Connecting AShorting Bar .............3-12
3-12. Connecting DUT .................. 3-13
3-13. V
oltage Biased (Option 001) Measurement Results ...3-13
3-14. Cable Correction P
age .......... .....3-15
3-15. 42102A 100 Resistor connection .......... 3-15
3-16. OPEN T
ermination Connection .......... .3-16
3-17. OPEN T
ermination (Alternative) ........ .. .3-16
3-18. SHORT T
ermination Connection ........
..
.3-17
3-19. SHORT T
ermination (Alternative) .... ......3-18
3-20. 100 Resistor Connection ..
..
..
........3-18
3-21. 42842C Bias Current T
est Fixture Connection . .. ..3-21
3-22. High Current Biased Measurement Setup . .. .. .. 3-23
3-23. Open Condition of the 42842C .........
...3-24
3-24. Connecting the Furnished Shorting Bar .... .. . 3-25
3-25. F
errite-Cored Inductor Measurement Results ..... 3-26
3-26. Precision Q Measurement Setup . . ......... 3-28
3-27. Connecting a Shorting Bar ............. 3-29
3-28. Connecting the SMD T
est Fixture .......... 3-30
3-29. Connecting DUT to the SMD T
est Fixture .... .. . 3-30
3-30. Inductor Precise Q Measurement Results . . . . . . . 3-31
4-1. Feedback Control Circuit .............. 4-3
4-2. Structure of LIST SWEEP Function .. .. .. .. . 4-5
4-3. List Sweep Modes ................. 4-7
Contents-3

T
ables
1-1. Line Voltage Selection ...............1-2
1-2. Fuse Selection ................... 1-3
4-1.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
PRINT DISP
and
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
PRINT DATA
A
vailability .....4-9
Contents-4

1
Before You Begin
Welcome to the 4285A Precsision LCR Meter world. The 4285A (75
kHz { 30 MHz) sets anew standard in advanced component and
materials measurement.
Use this guide to install and learn how to operate the 4285A quickly
.
Whatever you are anovice to LCR meter use or an experienced user
,
this guide will give you aworking knowledge of the 4285A so that
you can start using the 4285A immediately to evaluate your devices
.
This guide covers:
Installation
Front/Rear P
anel Components
Front P
anel Operation
Basic Measurement Examples
Memory Function Structure
Automatic Level Control Function Operation
List Sweep Function Operation
Printing Measurement Result
P
erforming Error Correction Function
Initial
Considerations
The 4285A has been carefully inspected both electrically and
mechanically before being shipped from the factory
.V
erify this by
carefully performing an incoming inspection to check the instrument
for signs of physical damage
,missing contents, and to check that it
passes its electrical performance test. If any discrepancy is found,
notify both the carrier and Agilent T
echnologies
.F
or details of the
performance test procedure
, refer to the
4285A Maintenance Manual
,
(Agilent part number 04285-90030).
Before You Begin 1-1

Preparation for
Use
Before turning the power on, the 4285A and its accessories must be
installed and interconnected correctly.
P
ower Requirements
The 4285A requires the following power source:
V
oltage :90 to 132 V
ac
,198 to 252 Vac
Frequency :47 to 66 Hz
P
ower :200 V
Amaximum
Line Voltage and Fuse
Selection
Figure 1-1 illustrates the line voltage selection switch and fuseholder
on the instrument's rear panel.
Figure 1-1. Line V
oltage Selector
Caution
Before connecting the instrument to the power source
,make sure
that the correct fuse has been installed and the Line V
oltage Selection
Switch is correctly set.
Line V
oltage Selection
Select the proper voltage selector according to the T
able 1-1.
T
able 1-1. Line V
oltage Selection
Voltage
Selector
Line
V
oltage
115 V

90{132 V
, 47{66 Hz
230 V

198{252 V
, 47{66 Hz
Fuse Selection
Select proper fuse according to the Table 1-2 . Current ratings for
the fuse are printed under the fuseholder on the rear panel, and are
listed, along with the fuse's Agilent part number,inTable 1-2 .
1-2 Before You Begin

T
able 1-2. Fuse Selection
Operating
V
oltage
Fuse
Rating/Type
Fuse
P
art Number
3A 250V
ac
115 V

UL/CSA type 2110-0381
Time Delay
2A 250V
ac
230 V

UL/CSA type 2110-0303
Time Delay
If you need this fuse,contact your nearest Agilent T
echnologies Sales
and Service Oce.
To remove the fuse, turn the fuse holder counterclockwise until the
fuse pops out.
Caution
Use the proper fuse for the line voltage selected. Use only fuses with
the required current rating and of the specied type as replacements
.
DO NOT use amended fuse or short-circuit the fuse-holder in order to
by-pass ablown fuse
.Find out what caused the fuse to blow!
Setting Up the High
Current DC Biased
Measurement System
By combining with the 42841A and the 42842C, the 4285A can apply
amaximum of 10A DC bias current to the device under test (
dut
).
Equipment Required
To perform high current biased impedance measurement, the
following equipment are required.
4285A Precision LCR Meter with Option 002
42841A Bias Current Source
42842C Bias Current T
est Fixture
16048A T
est Leads
Check the Option slots in the rear panel of the 4285A to conrm that
Option 002 is installed. Option 002 has a50 pin Amphenol connector
,
and is installed in the right most slot (looking from back), labeled
A
CCESSORY CONTROL INTERF
A
CE.
Installing the T
est Fixture
When you use the 42841A Bias Current Source with the 42842C Bias
Current Test Fixture
, connect the 42842C directly to the 42841A. The
connection procedure is:
1. Put the guide rods of the 42842C into the guide holes in the front
of the 42841A.
2. Connect the output terminal of the 42841A to the input terminal of
the 42842C by pushing the 42842C toward the 42841A.
3. Rotate the retaining screws clockwise in front of the 42842C until
it locks.
Before You Begin 1-3

Interconnecting the Units
Interconnect the 4285A, the 42841A, and the 42842C using the proper
cables as shown in Figure 1-2,use the following procedure
.
1. Connect the UNKNOWN terminals of the 4285A and the
TO UNKNOWN terminals of the 42842C with the 16048A T
est
Leads
.
2. Connect the A
CCESSORY CONTROL INTERF
A
CE connector of the
4285A and the BIAS CONTROL INPUT Aconnector of the 42841A
using the furnished accessory control interface cable
.
Figure 1-2. Bias Current System Conguration
Setting Up the
Precision Q
Measurement System
Combined with the 42851A, the 4285A performs precision Q
measurement using the resonant measurment method.
Equipment Required
T
o perform precision Q measurement, the following equipment are
required.
4285A Precision LCR Meter with Option 002
42851A Precision Q A
dapter
10503A BNC Coaxial Cable (2 ea.)
Interconnecting the Units
Connect the cables between the 4285A and the 42851A as shown in
Figure 1-3, use the following procedure.
1. Connect the UNKNOWN terminals of the 4285A and the
TO UNKNOWN terminals of the 42851A using two 10503A BNC
coaxial cables.
1-4 Before You Begin

2. Connect the ACCESSORY CONTROL INTERF
ACE connector of the
4285A and the CONTROL INPUT connector of the 42851A using
the furnished accessory control interface cable.
Figure 1-3. QMeasurement System Conguration
Connecting 4285A,
42841A, and 42851A
The 42841A and the 42851A use the same accessory control interface
,
and both of them can be connected to a4285A. However
,the 4285A
can control either the 42841A or 42851A depending on the
CONFIG
eld setting on the
SY
STEM CONFIG
page
.
Equipment Required
The following equipment are required.
4285A Precision LCR Meter with Option 002
42841A Bias Current Source
42842C Bias Current T
est Fixture
42851A Precision QA
dapter
16048A T
est Leads
10503A BNC Coaxial Cable (2 ea.)
Interconnecting Cables
Connect the cables between the 4285A, the 42841A, and the 42851A
as shown in Figure 1-4 using the following procedure
.
1. Connect the A
CCESSORY CONTROL INTERF
ACE connector of the
4285A and the BIAS CONTROL INPUT A connector of the 42841A
using the furnished accessory control interface cable.
2. Connect the BIAS CONTROL INPUT B connector of the 42841A and
the CONTROL INPUT connector of the 42851A using the furnished
accessory control interface cable.
Before You Begin 1-5

3. When you perform ahigh DC current bias measurement, connect
the UNKNOWN terminals of the 4285A and the TO UNKNOWN
terminals of the 42842C using the 16048A test leads
.
When you perform a precision Q measurement, connect the
UNKNOWN terminals of the 4285A and the TO UNKNOWN
terminals of the 42851A using two 10503A BNC coaxial cables
.
Figure 1-4. Chaining the 42841A and the 42851A
T
olearn how to use the 4285A Precision LCR Meter and its
accessories
,continue with the next chapter
.The 4285A has already
passed its self-test and is ready to make measurements
.
If you want an electrical inspection (incoming inspection, for
instance), go through the
4285A Maintenance Manual
(Agilent part
number 04285-90030).
1-6 Before You Begin

2
Getting Acquainted with the 4285A
Front P
anel
Description
Figure 2-1 shows the front panel of the 4285A. A description of the
front panel is given in the following paragraphs
.
Figure 2-1. Front P
anel Overview
LCD P
anel and Softkey
To simplify the front panel by reducing the front panel keys for each
of the many instrument functions
,the4285A employes LCD (Liquid
Crystal Display)-displayed \menus" for operator input. These menus
list the possible choices for a particular function, with each choice
corresponding to one of the ve softkeys located to the right of the
LCD screen.
In this guide the two types of keys are dierentiated in this way:
4
HARDKEY
5 Keys on the front panel
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
SOFTKEY
Keys located to the right of the LCD bezel
Getting Acquainted with the 4285A 2-1

MENU keys and
Display Pages
The 4285A changes the display format dynamically corresponding to
the measurement mode and the MENU key pressed. These formats
are called
DISPLA
Y pages
.(In
this guide the page name is written in
IT
ALICS .) The currently selected page name is displayed in the upper
left corner of the LCD screen enclosed in the angle bracket.
What is the
Measurement Modes?
The 4285A has following three measurement modes
.
Normal LCR measurement mode which uses the auto balancing
bridge measurement method.
Precision Qmeasurement when combined with the 42851A.
High current DC biased measurement when combined with the
42841A and 42842C.
These measurement modes can be changed on the
CONFIG
eld in
SY
STEM CONFIG
page under
4
CA
T
ALOG/SYSTEM
5
.
The 4285A has three MENU keys
,and each MENU key has four
display pages as follows
.
Figure 2-2. MENU K
eys
4
DISPLAYF
ORMAT
5
The display pages under this menukey are used to choose the
measurement display format, sorting, and sweep results
. The 4285A
performs measurement from only these pages
.Some major selection
elds can be set from these pages the same as from the elds on the
MEAS SETUP page under 4
MEAS SETUP
5 . When the 4285A is turned
on or, when you press 4
DISPLAYFORMAT
5 , MEAS DISPLAY page is
automatically selected. Press a softkey to choose other pages.
MEAS DISPLAY page
BIN No. DISPLAY page
BIN COUNT DISPLAY page
2-2 Getting Acquainted with the 4285A