B+K precision 830C User manual

Model 830C, 890C
Dual Display
Capacitance Meter
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

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Safety Summary
The following safety precautions apply to both
operating and maintenance personnel and
must be observed during all phases of
operation, service, and repair of this
instrument.
DO NOT OPERATE IN AN EXPLOSIVE
ATMOSPHERE
Do not operate the instrument in the presence
of flammable gases or fumes. Operation of
any electrical instrument in such an
environment constitutes a definite safety
hazard.
KEEP AWAY FROM LIVE CIRCUITS
Instrument covers must not be removed by
operating personnel. Component
replacement and internal adjustments must be
made by qualified maintenance personnel.
DO NOT SUBSTITUTE PARTS OR MODIFY
THE INSTRUMENT
Do not install substitute parts or perform any
unauthorized modifications to this instrument.
Return the instrument to B&K Precision for

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service and repair to ensure that safety
features are maintained.
WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS
WARNING and CAUTION statements, such
as the following examples, denote a hazard
and appear throughout this manual. Follow all
instructions contained in these statements.
A WARNING statement calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or condition,
which, if not followed correctly, could result in
injury or death to personnel.
A CAUTION statement calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or condition,
which, if not followed correctly, could result in
damage to or destruction of part or all of the
product.

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SAFETY GUIDELINES
To ensure that you use this device safely,
follow the safety guidelines listed below:
 This meter is for indoor use, altitude up to
2,000 m.
 The warnings and precautions should be
read and well understood before the
instrument is used.
 When measuring in-circuit components, first
de-energize the circuits before connecting to
the test leads.
 Never attempt to measure voltage with this
instrument.
 Do not use the device if it appears damaged
in form.
 Inspect the leads for damaged insulation or
exposed metal. Replace damaged leads if
necessary.
 Disconnect power and discharge all
capacitors prior to testing.
 The meter is safety-certified in compliance
with EN61010 (IEC 1010-1) Installation

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Category II (CAT. II) 50 V, Pollution Degree
2 environment.
 Use the meter only as specified in this
manual. Otherwise, the protection provided
by the meter may be impaired.
 The power for the meter is supplied with a
single standard 9V battery. It can also
operate from AC line using a 12V AC to DC
adaptor. If a power adaptor is selected,
please be sure to use one with correct AC
line input voltage and fulfills the safety
requirements of a relevant IEC standard.
 Use only battery specified by the meter. See
“Installing Battery” section for details.

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Safety Symbols
This symbol is a warning and
indicates that the user should refer to
the operating instructions located in
the manual.
DC Current
Indicates inside pin is positive (+),
outside is negative (-)
Compliance Statements
Disposal of Old Electrical & Electronic Equipment
(Applicable in the European
Union and other European countries with separate
collection systems)

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This product is subject
to Directive 2002/96/EC
of the European
Parliament and the
Council of the European
Union on waste
electrical and electronic
equipment (WEEE) , and
in jurisdictions
adopting that Directive,
is marked as being put
on the market after
August 13, 2005, and
should not be disposed
of as unsorted
municipal
waste. Please
utilize your local WEEE
collection
facilities in the
disposition of this
product and otherwise
observe all applicable
requirements.

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Environmental Conditions
Operating Environment
0 °C to 40 °C
Storage Humidity
0 – 80% R.H.
Storage Environment
-20 °C to +50 °C
Pollution degree
Pollution degree 2

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SAFETY GUIDELINES...............................................3
INTRODUCTION.......................................................11
PACKAGE CONTENTS ...........................................13
FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW....................................14
Front Panel Display Descriptions .................................. 15
Front Panel Buttons ...................................................... 16
LCD DISPLAY OVERVIEW......................................18
LCD Display Descriptions ............................................. 18
PUSH BUTTONS OVERVIEW.................................20
POWERING INSTRUMENT .....................................22
Installing Battery ........................................................... 22
Connecting External Power Source .............................. 24
Low Battery Indication .................................................. 27
Backlit Display .............................................................. 27
POWER ON OPTIONS.............................................29
Reset HI/LO Limits ........................................................ 29
View Firmware Version ................................................. 30
Setup Menu .................................................................. 30
SETUP OPTIONS.....................................................31

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Baud Rate (bAUd) ........................................................ 33
Parity (PArt) .................................................................. 35
Data Bits (Data) ............................................................ 36
Echo (ECHO) ................................................................ 37
Print Only (Prnt) ............................................................ 38
Key Beeper (bEEP) ...................................................... 39
Lock Buttons (LbUt) ...................................................... 40
Auto Power Off (AOFF)................................................. 41
Backlit Display Time (bLIt) ............................................ 44
Bright Level Off State (bOFF) ....................................... 44
Brightness Level On State (bON) ................................. 47
Reset to Default (dEFA) ................................................ 49
OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS.................................51
Data Hold/Trigger Hold ................................................. 51
Static Recording ........................................................... 53
Relative Mode ............................................................... 57
Tolerance ...................................................................... 60
Compare Mode ............................................................. 65
REMOTE COMMUNICATION ..................................75
Connecting Instrument to PC ........................................ 75
USB (Virtual COM) Configuration ................................. 76

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Remote Mode ............................................................... 76
Command Protocols ..................................................... 77
MEASUREMENT TIPS.............................................97
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION..........................99
Guard Terminal ............................................................. 99
SPECIFICATIONS..................................................100
General specification .................................................. 101
Electrical specifications ............................................... 103
MAINTENANCE......................................................105
Service ........................................................................ 105
Troubleshoot Tips ....................................................... 105
Cleaning...................................................................... 106
SERVICE INFORMATION......................................108
LIMITED WARRANTY............................................109
INDEX .....................................................................110

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INTRODUCTION
B&K Precision’s 830C and 890C 11,000-count hand-
held capacitance meters measure capacitance and
include a capacitance sorting function. Simple to
operate, the instruments can make quick
measurements and simplify the capacitance sorting
process.
Capacitance is measured by using a small DC voltage
signal that slightly charges the connected capacitor for
a short time. Unlike other handheld instruments such
as LCR meters, it does not use an AC signal with a
specific test frequency to make measurements.
Front panel push buttons maximize the convenience
of function and feature selection. The meters support
the following modes: Tolerance sorting mode,
relative mode, data hold, manual and auto range
mode, min/max/avg recording, and high/low limit
setting.
Test data can be transferred to a PC through a Mini
USB connection, which is useful for data logging
applications.
A tilt stand provides position flexibility for viewing and
operating the meter. The over-molding rubber case

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protects the meter for better durability. Additionally,
the top rubber visor molding above the screen is
designed to prevent scratches on the display when
the meter is positioned upside down.
A single 9V battery or the included DC 12V power
adaptor (included with model 830C only) can be used
to power the meter. This gives user flexibility for
portable or bench-top use.

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PACKAGE CONTENTS
Each 830C and 890C capacitance meters are shipped
with the following contents.
• 830C or 890C capacitance meter
• Instruction Manual
• Mini USB Interface Cable
• Red & Black Banana to Alligator Test Leads
• 9V Battery
• *AC Adapter (model 830C only)
*This can be purchased as an optional accessory for
model 890C.There are two versions of this adapter
available. One version is for 110 V AC line voltage
input, and the other for 220 V AC line voltage input.
Please locate each item from the original packaging
and contact B&K Precision immediately if something
is missing.

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FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW
Figure 1 - Front Panel Display (model 830C shown)

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Front Panel Display Descriptions
1. Power ON/OFF Button
2. Relative mode / right arrow selection button
3. Input sleeve terminals for positive (+),
negative (-), and guard (see “Guard Terminal”
in “SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION” section
for details)
4. Input sockets (banana jack inputs)
5. LCD Display
6. Set HI/LO limit / Back light button
7. Manual and Auto range button
8. Set button for entering HI/LO limit set function
menu
9. Tolerance mode / up arrow selection button
10. Data Hold / Save HI/LO limit settings button
11. Record mode selection button
12. Compare mode button
13. Standard mini USB port (for remote
controllability)
14. 12V DC adapter input (use with an external
power adapter (rated 12VDC, 150mA, 4mm
power plug))
Note: Use with included power adapter only.
Use with improper power adapters may
damage instrument.

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WARNING: Before connecting an external
power adapter, please check the battery
compartment in the rear side of the unit. If
a battery is installed, be sure that the
polarity matches the (+) and (-) labels as
indicated inside the battery compartment.
If it is not installed correctly, please
remove the battery and install it with
correct matching polarity as indicated in
the compartment. See “Installing Battery”
section for details. DO NOT, at any time,
connect an external power adapter when a
battery is installed incorrectly. Doing so
will damage the instrument and void its
warranty.
Front Panel Buttons
All front panel buttons have specific colored labels on
them. They are all marked in white, blue, or yellow
color. Each color has a specific representation, as
described below:
White – With the exception of the
button, all white colored labels
represent the primary function of that

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button; meaning that function will be
set or configured upon pressing it. To
escape out of the functions, hold and
press the corresponding button for
two seconds.
Blue – Some of the buttons have a blue label
underneath a white label. This means
the function indicated by the blue
label will be set if that button is
pressed and held for 2 seconds.
Yellow – There are total of 6 buttons with
yellow labels. They are
. These functions are
exclusively for use when entering the
SET menu for configuring setup menu
items as well as compare function.
See “Setup Menu” and “Compare
Mode” sections respectively for
details.

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LCD DISPLAY OVERVIEW
Figure 2 - LCD Indicator Display
LCD Display Descriptions
1. MAX AVG MIN – Static Recording mode,
indicates present reading
2. C – Reading indicator
3. AUTO – Auto range
4. REL – Relative mode indicator
5. DH – Data Hold
6. – Secondary display