BK Precision 878B Instruction Manual
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BK Precision 878B Instruction Manual

Dual display lcr meter
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Dual Display LCR
METER
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
878B, 879B

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Summary of Contents for BK Precision 878B

  • Page 1 Model 878B, 879B Dual Display LCR METER INSTRUCTION MANUAL...

  • Page 3: Safety Summary

    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.

  • Page 4: Safety Guidelines

    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.
  • Page 5 This meter is for indoor use, altitude up to  2,000 m. The warnings and precautions should be  read well understood before instrument is used. When measuring in-circuit components, first  de-energize the circuits before connecting to the test leads. Discharge capacitor before testing.

  • Page 6: Compliance Statements

    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)
  • Page 7 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...

  • Page 8: Environmental Conditions

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

  • Page 9: Table Of Contents

    TABLE OF CONTENTS Safety Summary ............1 Safety Guidelines ............2 Compliance Statements ........... 4 INTRODUCTION ............10 PACKAGE CONTENTS ........... 11 FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW ........12 Front Panel Display Descriptions ........13 Front Panel Buttons ............15 LCD DISPLAY OVERVIEW ........17 LCD Display Descriptions ..........
  • Page 10 L/C/R/Z Select Mode ............ 30 D/Q/θ/ESR Select Mode ..........31 Test Frequency ............. 31 Relative Mode ............... 50 Tolerance ..............52 Utility Menu ..............56 Parallel and Series Measurement Mode ....... 67 Calibration ..............85 USB ................90 Automatic Fuse Detection ..........91 QUICK START GUIDE ..........
  • Page 11 SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ......118 Selecting Test Frequency ........... 118 Selecting Series or Parallel Mode ....... 120 Accuracy Discrepancies ..........121 Guard Terminal ............123 SPECIFICATIONS ..........125 General Specifications ..........126 Accuracy Specifications ..........127 MAINTENANCE ............133 Service ................ 133 Cleaning ..............

  • Page 12: Introduction

    INTRODUCTION B&K Precision’s 878B and 879B 40,000-count L/C/R hand-held meter is designed ideally for measuring inductance, capacitance and resistance components. Simple to operate, the instrument not only takes absolute parallel mode measurements, but also series mode measurement. The meter provides direct and...

  • Page 13: Package Contents

    (model 879B only) can be used to power the meter. This gives user flexibility for portable or bench- top use. PACKAGE CONTENTS Each 878B and 879B LCR meters are shipped with the following contents.  878B or 879B LCR meter ...

  • Page 14: Front Panel Overview

    FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW L C R M e t e r 8 7 9 B L C R R E L E S R d e g M A X A V G M IN ¦ È Q T O L A U T O k H z 1 % 5 % 1 0 % 2 0 %...

  • Page 15: Front Panel Display Descriptions

    Front Panel Display Descriptions 1. LCD Display 2. Power ON/OFF Button 3. USB Communication / *Back light button 4. Secondary Display mode (for dissipation factor(D), quality factor (Q), *phase angle (θ), *equivalent series resistance (ESR) measurement) selection button 5. Primary Display mode (for inductance, capacitance, resistance, and *impedance measurements) / Parallel or Series measurement method selection button...
  • Page 16 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...

  • Page 17: Front Panel Buttons

    13. Standard mini USB port (for remote controllability) For model 879B only. Not included on model 878B. Front Panel Buttons All front panel buttons have specific colored labels on them. They are all marked in white, blue, or yellow color.
  • Page 18 . These functions are exclusively for use when entering UTIL menu only. See “Utility Menu” section for details.

  • Page 19: Lcd Display Overview

    LCD DISPLAY OVERVIEW L C R R E L E S R d e g M A X A V G M IN ¦ È Q T O L A U T O k H z 1 % 5 % 1 0 % 2 0 % P A L O F F S E R...
  • Page 20 6. Θ – *Phase angle indicator for secondary display 7. Q – Quality factor indicator 8. ESR – *Equivalent series resistance indicator – Secondary display – Beeper tone indicator for tolerance mode 11. deg – *Phase angle degree indicator 12. Ω – *ESR(ohm) units indicator 13.

  • Page 21: Special Display Indicators

    29. MAX AVG MIN – Recording mode indicators For model 879B only. Not included on model 878B. Special Display Indicators Indicates short connectors Indicates open connectors Error indication Indicates calibration mode Indicates damaged or open fuse AD converter error AD converter error...

  • Page 22: Powering Instrument

    Battery and external source. Installing Battery The 878B and 879B LCR meters can use a battery to provide power to the instrument so that it can be portable. The meters use a standard 9V size battery (or NEDA 1604, JIS006P, IEC6F22 carbon-zinc or alkaline battery).
  • Page 23 Figure 3 - Back Cover 2. Insert 9V battery into compartment. Note the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals as indicated inside the battery compartment (See Figure 4). Be sure to insert the battery with matching polarity.

  • Page 24: Connecting External Power Source

    2 seconds to turn on the instrument. Connecting External Power Source The 878B and 879B can also be powered using an external AC adapter. The model 879B comes with this adapter included in the package, while it is...
  • Page 25 For external power, use AC adapter rated for output 12VDC, 150mA, with a standard 4mm connector only. WARNING: Use of incorrect adapters may damage the instrument. Please use B&K Precision’s adapter only. To connect the adapter, do the following: 1. If a battery is installed, please check the battery compartment again that the polarity of the battery matches the polarity as indicated by the labels inside the compartment.

  • Page 26: Low Battery Indication

    3. Now, connect the AC Adapter socket into an electrical outlet. 4. Push and hold down the button for 2 seconds to turn on the instrument. 12VDC Input AC Adapter Figure 5 - Connecting AC Adapter to Meter Note: The meter can be operated with a battery installed while an AC adapter is plugged in at the same time (As long as the battery is inserted properly with correct polarity).

  • Page 27: Backlit Display (Model 879B Only)

    starts flashing the indicator, the battery voltage is below normal working voltage. In this case, accuracy of the meter will also decrease. It is recommended that the battery be replaced as soon as possible before continuing operation. See “Installing Battery” for instructions. Backlit Display (model 879B only) Model 879B LCR meter has a backlit display that allows you to see the LCD display in dark conditions.
  • Page 28 brightness for 15 seconds. After another 15 seconds (30 seconds total from the time of turning on), the back light will automatically turn off to conserve battery power. When Using External Power When the meter is powered using an external AC adapter, the back light display will turn on upon holding down the button for 2 seconds.

  • Page 29: Operation Instructions

    OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS Data Hold The data hold function allows the user to freeze the display when pressed, holding the measured value until data hold is turned off. Turn On Data Hold To use data hold, press the button once. The “DH” indicator will display on the screen when data hold is active.
  • Page 30 Enable Static Recording Press and hold down the button for two seconds to enter the static recording mode. The display should indicate “MAX AVG MIN” simultaneously. This indicates the meter is in static recording mode and recording is performed immediately. Using Static Recording There are four different modes that can be selected in static recording.
  • Page 31 the input sockets or terminals. As recording is performed, maximum, minimum, and average values will be stored after a brief moment. A beep tone will sound once a recording has been stored. Note: Subsequent beep tones may occur in this mode if there are new values that are recorded.

  • Page 32: L/C/R/Z Select Mode

    L/C/R/Z Select Mode The primary display of the LCR meter is used to indicate measured values under four different modes (three modes for model 878B, which excludes Z (impedance) measurements). These modes are: L (inductance), C (capacitance), R (resistance), and Z (impedance).

  • Page 33: D/Q/Θ/Esr Select Mode

    (model 879B only) will be displayed to indicate which secondary mode the meter is in. Test Frequency The 879B and 878B LCR meters use an AC signal to test and measure components at the input sockets or terminals. With this measurement method, a test frequency must be selected.
  • Page 34 For details on selecting the optimal test frequency for measurement, refer to the “...
  • Page 35 REMOTE COMMUNICATION The meter has the capability to communicate with a PC over the mini USB interface. Upon installation of a USB driver, the PC can control the instrument over virtual COM (RS-232). The mini USB communication interface of the meter is designed in full duplex and has a 64-byte input and output buffer, making it reliable and efficient for data transmission.
  • Page 36 meaning it will be detected as a serial COM port. Windows will automatically assign a COM port to the instrument. Please verify which COM port Windows has assigned by going into “Device Manager”. Figure 14 - USB Connection...
  • Page 37 The USB will be recognized as a virtual COM on the PC, thus serial port settings must be configured properly for remote communication to be successful. Below are the settings used by the 878B and 879B meters.  Baudrate: 9600 Data bits: 8 ...
  • Page 38 878B) button. To exit remote mode and go back to local mode, press the for model 878B) button once. The indicator will disappear on the LCD display. Pushing the same button once more will put the meter into auto fetching mode, which is described in the next section.
  • Page 39 To re-enabled auto fetching again in this state, first press the for model 878B) button once to exit out of remote mode and return to local mode. Then, press the button once more to have it set to auto fetching mode again.
  • Page 40 commands and Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI). Some commands are device-specific to the meter. They are not included in the version 1999.0 of the SCPI standard. However, these commands are designed with the SCPI format in mind and they follow the syntax rules of the standard.
  • Page 41 function is a root level keyword with the second level keyword, impa, and L is the command parameter. The query command ends with a question mark “?”. Note: SCPI stems from IEEE488.1 and IEEE 488.2. Although the IEEE 488.2 standard addressed some instrument measurements, it principally dealt with common commands and syntax or data formats.
  • Page 42 measurement cycle is completed. The format of the printed data will be shown as the following: <Primary measured data, Secondly measured data, Tolerance Result > + <CR> <LF> Data Types Returned message is an ASCII string from the meter responding to a query. A query is a command accompanied a “?”...
  • Page 43 query command A string is used as command <Literal> HOLD parameters with short literal form SCPI Commands This section described all the SCPI commands supported by the meter. The meter can accept both upper case and lower case commands. Table 5 - SCPI Symbol Conventions Text Symbol Meaning Option;...
  • Page 44 *IDN? Description: Queries the instrument ID. Response: <instrument model>, <firmware version>, <serial number> *LLO Local Lockout. This means that all front panel buttons, including the "USB" key is not available. *GTL Puts the meter into the local state, Go to local. clearing the remote state and front panel lockout.
  • Page 45 FUNCtion subsystem FUNCtion:impa < L | C | R | Z > (Z for model 879B only) Description: Select primary parameter Example: FUNCtion:impa L Selects L as primary parameter FUNCtion:impa? Description: Query primary parameter Response: Return L, C, R, Z (879B only),NULL FUNCtion:impb <...
  • Page 46 FUNCtion:EQUivalent < SERies | parallel | PAL > Description: Set equivalent mode Parameters: SERies — serial mode Parallel — parallel mode Pal — parallel mode Example: FUNCtion:EQUivalent SERies Set series mode FUNCtion:EQUivalent? Description: Query the equivalent mode Response: Return “SER” or “PAL” format string CALCulate subsystem CALCulate:RELative:STATe <...
  • Page 47 CALCulate:RELative:VALUe? Description: Query the relative value Response: Return <NR3> or “-----” format string CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe < ON | OFF > Description: Enable or disable tolerance function Example: CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe ON CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe? Description: Query the tolerance state Response: Return ON or OFF CALCulate:TOLerance:NOMinal? Description: Query the nominal value of tolerance Response: Return <NR3>...
  • Page 48 CALCulate:TOLerance:RANGe? Description: Query the tolerance range Response: Return “BIN1”, “BIN2”, “BIN3”, “BIN4” or “----” format string CALCulate:RECording:STATe < ON | OFF > Description: Enable or disable recording function Example: CALCulate:RECording:STATe CALCulate:RECording:STATe? Description: Query the recording state Response: Return ON or OFF CALCulate:RECording:MAXimum? Description: Query the maximum value of recording function...
  • Page 49 CALCulate:RECording:AVERage? Description: Query the average value of recording function Response: Return <NR3, NR3> or “-----” format string CALCulate:RECording:PRESent? Description: Query the present value of recording function Response: Return <NR3, NR3> or “-----” format string FETCh Subsystem FETCh? Description: Returns the primary, secondary display value and tolerance compared result of device’s output buffer.
  • Page 50 Summary of Supported SCPI Commands Table 6 - Summary of SCPI Commands Command Parameter Explanation FREQuency <Value> Set Test Frequency FREQuency? Query Test Frequency FUNCtion :impa <Literal> Select primary display parameter :impa? Query primary display parameter :impb <Literal> Select secondary display parameter :impb? Query secondary display...
  • Page 51 :STATe <Boolean> Enable/disable recording function :STATe? Query recording state :MAXimum? Query max. value of recording :MINimum? Query min. value of recording :AVERage? Query average value of recording :PRESent? Query present value of recording FETCh? Return data any time last reading is valid Error Codes In certain situations, errors may occur, and an error code will be displayed on the meter.

  • Page 52: Relative Mode

    The selectable test frequencies for 879B meter are: 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 1 kHz, and 10 kHz. The selectable test frequencies for 878B meter are: 120 Hz and 1 kHz. Relative Mode Relative mode is used when the user wants to “zero”...
  • Page 53 Setup Relative Mode To setup the relative mode, simply press the button once. The value that is on the display will immediately be stored as the “reference” value. This reference value will be used for all measurements so as long as the meter is in relative mode, which is indicated by the “REL”...

  • Page 54: Tolerance

    (for model 879B) Selectable tolerance range is: 1%, 5%, 10%, and 20%. (for model 878B) Selectable tolerance range is: 1%, 5%, and 10%.
  • Page 55 1. Select the primary measurement mode based on the type of components to be measured. This is done by pressing the for model 878B) button to configure the desired measurement mode. Note: Be sure to select the correct measurement mode, as tolerance mode cannot be activated unless the correct mode is selected.
  • Page 56 WARNING: If the component to be measured is a capacitor, be sure that the capacitor is fully discharged BEFORE inserting it into the input sockets or terminals. For large capacitors, it may take longer periods of time for a full discharge. Inserting a charged or partially charged capacitor into the meter’s input sockets or terminals may produce an electric hazard and may also damage the...
  • Page 57 3. Once the desired measured reading is displayed, press the button once to store the reading as the “standard” value or test reference value. At this point, the “TOL” will be displayed on the screen, indicating that the tolerance mode is activated. Note: Any value which appears on the LCD display, such as DH (data hold) or MAX/MIN/AVG, can also be used as the...

  • Page 58: Utility Menu

    One single “beep” or tone means the component is within tolerance. Three “beeps” or tone means the component is out of tolerance. Disable Tolerance Mode To disable or exit out of tolerance mode, simply press and hold down the button for two seconds. The “TOL”...
  • Page 59 power-off timing, power-up state, and reset instrument to default settings. Entering Utility Menu Press and hold down the button for two seconds or until the primary display shows “bEEP”. This indicates the meter is currently in the utility menu. Configuration and Settings There are four different menu options and configurable settings under each option.
  • Page 60 The four menu options allow users to control the beep sound setting (bEEP), auto power off setting (AoFF), power-up state settings (PuP), and resetting instrument to default settings (dEF). By default, the first option after entering the utility menu is “bEEP”. The primary display indicates the menu option, and the secondary display indicates the current settings or parameters configured for the selected option.
  • Page 61 Beep Sound Setting (bEEP) The “bEEP” menu option allows the user to enable or disable the beep sound for every key press. Note: This option only disables the beep sound for each key press. It does not disable the beep sound for “Static Recording”...
  • Page 62 Note: When the timer has reached the configured time, the meter will make an audible “beep” sound continuously for 10 seconds before auto power-off. To stop the “beep” sound, simply press any button to resume operation and reset the timer count. The available timer settings are: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and off.
  • Page 63 When the auto power-off option is set to any of the configured settings in Table 2 (except for “OFF”), upon exiting the utility menu the LCD display will have a “@OFF” indicator. This means a timer has been set for auto power-off. Note: When an external 12VDC AC adapter is used to power the instrument, the auto power-off feature will automatically be disabled.
  • Page 64 In the utility menu, when the primary display shows “PuP”, there are two settings selectable and shown on the secondary display. “PrE” and “SEt”. Default Setting: PrE Storable Settings  Primary function mode (i.e. L/C/R)  Test frequency  Secondary function mode (i.e. D/Q) ...
  • Page 65 settings for recalling at power-up. (see “Exit Utility Menu” for details) 2. Once settings are configured, enter/re-enter the utility menu by holding down the button for 2 seconds. 3. Traverse through the utility menu until you see “PuP” on the primary display. The secondary display should also show “PrE”.
  • Page 66 procedure is used to overwrite previously stored settings into memory. Prevent Overwrite of Stored Settings In the utility menu, the “PuP” option default setting is always “PrE”. This represents “previous settings”. Keeping this setting will prevent the meter from overwriting previously stored settings for power-up state.
  • Page 67 display shows “dEF”, either press button to change the setting so that the secondary display shows “yES”. Upon saving and exiting the utility menu, the instrument will automatically reset back to its original settings. Below is a table of all the settings that will be restored.
  • Page 68 Exit Utility Menu There are two methods for exiting the utility menu. One saves all the changed settings before exiting, and the other exits the menu without saving any changes. Saving and Exiting To save all utility menu option settings and to exit the menu, press and hold down the button for 2 seconds.

  • Page 69: Parallel And Series Measurement Mode

    Parallel and Series Measurement Mode The LCR meter offers the option to select between parallel or series measurement mode. Depending on which mode is selected, the method to measure the component will be different. Additionally, one measurement mode may provide better accuracies over the other measurement mode depending on the type of component and the value of the component to be tested.
  • Page 70 REMOTE COMMUNICATION The meter has the capability to communicate with a PC over the mini USB interface. Upon installation of a USB driver, the PC can control the instrument over virtual COM (RS-232). The mini USB communication interface of the meter is designed in full duplex and has a 64-byte input and output buffer, making it reliable and efficient for data transmission.
  • Page 71 meaning it will be detected as a serial COM port. Windows will automatically assign a COM port to the instrument. Please verify which COM port Windows has assigned by going into “Device Manager”. Figure 14 - USB Connection...
  • Page 72 The USB will be recognized as a virtual COM on the PC, thus serial port settings must be configured properly for remote communication to be successful. Below are the settings used by the 878B and 879B meters.  Baudrate: 9600 Data bits: 8 ...
  • Page 73 878B) button. To exit remote mode and go back to local mode, press the for model 878B) button once. The indicator will disappear on the LCD display. Pushing the same button once more will put the meter into auto fetching mode, which is described in the next section.
  • Page 74 To re-enabled auto fetching again in this state, first press the for model 878B) button once to exit out of remote mode and return to local mode. Then, press the button once more to have it set to auto fetching mode again.
  • Page 75 commands and Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI). Some commands are device-specific to the meter. They are not included in the version 1999.0 of the SCPI standard. However, these commands are designed with the SCPI format in mind and they follow the syntax rules of the standard.
  • Page 76 function is a root level keyword with the second level keyword, impa, and L is the command parameter. The query command ends with a question mark “?”. Note: SCPI stems from IEEE488.1 and IEEE 488.2. Although the IEEE 488.2 standard addressed some instrument measurements, it principally dealt with common commands and syntax or data formats.
  • Page 77 measurement cycle is completed. The format of the printed data will be shown as the following: <Primary measured data, Secondly measured data, Tolerance Result > + <CR> <LF> Data Types Returned message is an ASCII string from the meter responding to a query. A query is a command accompanied a “?”...
  • Page 78 query command A string is used as command <Literal> HOLD parameters with short literal form SCPI Commands This section described all the SCPI commands supported by the meter. The meter can accept both upper case and lower case commands. Table 5 - SCPI Symbol Conventions Text Symbol Meaning Option;...
  • Page 79 *IDN? Description: Queries the instrument ID. Response: <instrument model>, <firmware version>, <serial number> *LLO Local Lockout. This means that all front panel buttons, including the "USB" key is not available. *GTL Puts the meter into the local state, Go to local. clearing the remote state and front panel lockout.
  • Page 80 FUNCtion subsystem FUNCtion:impa < L | C | R | Z > (Z for model 879B only) Description: Select primary parameter Example: FUNCtion:impa L Selects L as primary parameter FUNCtion:impa? Description: Query primary parameter Response: Return L, C, R, Z (879B only),NULL FUNCtion:impb <...
  • Page 81 FUNCtion:EQUivalent < SERies | parallel | PAL > Description: Set equivalent mode Parameters: SERies — serial mode Parallel — parallel mode Pal — parallel mode Example: FUNCtion:EQUivalent SERies Set series mode FUNCtion:EQUivalent? Description: Query the equivalent mode Response: Return “SER” or “PAL” format string CALCulate subsystem CALCulate:RELative:STATe <...
  • Page 82 CALCulate:RELative:VALUe? Description: Query the relative value Response: Return <NR3> or “-----” format string CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe < ON | OFF > Description: Enable or disable tolerance function Example: CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe ON CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe? Description: Query the tolerance state Response: Return ON or OFF CALCulate:TOLerance:NOMinal? Description: Query the nominal value of tolerance Response: Return <NR3>...
  • Page 83 CALCulate:TOLerance:RANGe? Description: Query the tolerance range Response: Return “BIN1”, “BIN2”, “BIN3”, “BIN4” or “----” format string CALCulate:RECording:STATe < ON | OFF > Description: Enable or disable recording function Example: CALCulate:RECording:STATe CALCulate:RECording:STATe? Description: Query the recording state Response: Return ON or OFF CALCulate:RECording:MAXimum? Description: Query the maximum value of recording function...
  • Page 84 CALCulate:RECording:AVERage? Description: Query the average value of recording function Response: Return <NR3, NR3> or “-----” format string CALCulate:RECording:PRESent? Description: Query the present value of recording function Response: Return <NR3, NR3> or “-----” format string FETCh Subsystem FETCh? Description: Returns the primary, secondary display value and tolerance compared result of device’s output buffer.
  • Page 85 Summary of Supported SCPI Commands Table 6 - Summary of SCPI Commands Command Parameter Explanation FREQuency <Value> Set Test Frequency FREQuency? Query Test Frequency FUNCtion :impa <Literal> Select primary display parameter :impa? Query primary display parameter :impb <Literal> Select secondary display parameter :impb? Query secondary display...
  • Page 86 :STATe <Boolean> Enable/disable recording function :STATe? Query recording state :MAXimum? Query max. value of recording :MINimum? Query min. value of recording :AVERage? Query average value of recording :PRESent? Query present value of recording FETCh? Return data any time last reading is valid Error Codes In certain situations, errors may occur, and an error code will be displayed on the meter.

  • Page 87: Calibration

    “SER” means meter is in series measurement mode. “PAR” means meter is in parallel measurement mode. To toggle between the two modes, press and hold down for model 878B) button for 2 seconds. The indicators on the display should toggle between “SER” and “PAR”. Calibration Calibration is available on all modes.
  • Page 88 calibration should be done before making any measurements. To enter calibration mode, simply press and hold down the button for 2 seconds. A calibration prompt will be displayed. There are two types of calibration available. One is the open circuit calibration.
  • Page 89 Figure 7 - Open Calibration Short Calibration Short calibration can be done when meter first enters into calibration mode. If the input sockets or terminals have nothing connected, the display will be like Figure 7. For short calibration, simply put a shorting bar or a short piece of conductive metal (i.e.
  • Page 90 be calibrated based on the test frequency and settings selected prior to entering the calibration mode. Figure 8 - Short Calibration Quick Procedure Below is an example of steps to follow to do both open and short calibration. 1. Select the primary function mode for measurement (i.e.
  • Page 91 6. Next, do short calibration. Follow instructions under “Short Calibration” section. 7. Now, the meter should go back to normal display and user may proceed to take measurements of components. Recommendations To achieve optimal measurement results, both open and short calibration should be done. It is highly recommended to calibrate extremely high or low values for L, C, R and Z before making precision measurements.

  • Page 92: Usb

    The USB button for model 878B) are used for remote communication. See “...

  • Page 93: Automatic Fuse Detection

    REMOTE COMMUNICATION” section for details. Automatic Fuse Detection The LCR meter has an internal fuse that protects the inputs from severely damaging the instrument. When the meter detects that the protective fuse is open, the “FUSE” indicator will appear on the primary display (see Figure 9) and an internal “beep”...
  • Page 94 pressing and holding down the button for 2 seconds. If this does not power off the meter, remove external AC adapter if that is used and/or remove the battery from the battery compartment. Refrain from further operation until fuse is replaced. Please contact B&K Precision for assistance.

  • Page 95: Quick Start Guide

    QUICK START GUIDE CAUTION  Do not measure a capacitor that is not fully discharged. Connecting a charged or partially charged capacitor to the input terminals will damage the instrument.  When measuring within a circuit, the circuit must be de-energized before connecting the test leads.

  • Page 96: Inductance Measurement

    1. Press down button for one second to turn on the meter. 2. Press for model 878B) button until “L” is displayed on the screen to select inductance measurement. 3. Insert an inductor into either the input sockets or connect alligator leads into the banana jack input terminals and connect the clips to the component leads as illustrated in Figure 10.
  • Page 97 ESR measurement for secondary display. (θ and ESR function for model 879B only) 6. Read display readings inductance measured values and selected measured values on secondary display. Figure 10 - Inductance Measurement Setup...

  • Page 98: Capacitance Measurement

    1. Press down button for one second to turn on the meter. 2. Press for model 878B) button until “C” is on the screen to select capacitance measurement. 3. CAUTION: BEFORE inserting a capacitor or capacitive component into the input sockets or terminals, be sure to fully discharge the component.
  • Page 99 6. Press for model 878B) button to select between D factor, Q factor, θ angle, or ESR measurement for secondary display. (θ and ESR function for model 879B only). 7. Read the display readings for capacitance measured values and selected measured values on secondary display.

  • Page 100: Resistance Measurement

    1. Press down button for one second to turn on the meter. 2. Press for model 878B) button until “R” is on the screen to select resistance measurement. 3. Insert resistor or resistive component into the input sockets or connect alligator leads into the banana jack input terminals and connect the clips to the component leads as illustrated in Figure 12.

  • Page 101: Impedance Measurement (Model 879B Only)

    Figure 12 - Resistance Measurement Setup Impedance Measurement (Model 879B only) 1. Press down button for one second to turn on the meter. 2. Press button until “Z” is on the screen to select impedance measurement.
  • Page 102 3. Insert component into the input sockets or connect alligator leads into the banana jack input terminals and connect the clips to the component leads as illustrated in Figure 13. 4. Press button until desired test frequency is displayed on screen. 5.

  • Page 103: Remote Communication

    REMOTE COMMUNICATION The meter has the capability to communicate with a PC over the mini USB interface. Upon installation of a USB driver, the PC can control the instrument over virtual COM (RS-232). The mini USB communication interface of the meter is designed in full duplex and has a 64-byte input and output buffer, making it reliable and efficient for data transmission.
  • Page 104 port. Windows will automatically assign a COM port to the instrument. Please verify which COM port Windows has assigned by going into “Device Manager”. Figure 14 - USB Connection...

  • Page 105: Usb (Virtual Com) Configuration

    The USB will be recognized as a virtual COM on the PC, thus serial port settings must be configured properly for remote communication to be successful. Below are the settings used by the 878B and 879B meters.  Baudrate: 9600 Data bits: 8 ...
  • Page 106 878B) button. To exit remote mode and go back to local mode, press the for model 878B) button once. The indicator will disappear on the LCD display. Pushing the same button once more will put the meter into auto fetching mode, which is described in the next section.

  • Page 107: Command Protocols

    To re-enabled auto fetching again in this state, first press the for model 878B) button once to exit out of remote mode and return to local mode. Then, press the button once more to have it set to auto fetching mode again.
  • Page 108 commands and Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI). Some commands are device-specific to the meter. They are not included in the version 1999.0 of the SCPI standard. However, these commands are designed with the SCPI format in mind and they follow the syntax rules of the standard.
  • Page 109 function is a root level keyword with the second level keyword, impa, and L is the command parameter. The query command ends with a question mark “?”. Note: SCPI stems from IEEE488.1 and IEEE 488.2. Although the IEEE 488.2 standard addressed some instrument measurements, it principally dealt with common commands and syntax or data formats.
  • Page 110 measurement cycle is completed. The format of the printed data will be shown as the following: <Primary measured data, Secondly measured data, Tolerance Result > + <CR> <LF> Data Types Returned message is an ASCII string from the meter responding to a query. A query is a command accompanied a “?”...
  • Page 111 query command A string is used as command <Literal> HOLD parameters with short literal form SCPI Commands This section described all the SCPI commands supported by the meter. The meter can accept both upper case and lower case commands. Table 5 - SCPI Symbol Conventions Text Symbol Meaning Option;...
  • Page 112 *IDN? Description: Queries the instrument ID. Response: <instrument model>, <firmware version>, <serial number> *LLO Local Lockout. This means that all front panel buttons, including the "USB" key is not available. *GTL Puts the meter into the local state, Go to local. clearing the remote state and front panel lockout.
  • Page 113 FUNCtion subsystem FUNCtion:impa < L | C | R | Z > (Z for model 879B only) Description: Select primary parameter Example: FUNCtion:impa L Selects L as primary parameter FUNCtion:impa? Description: Query primary parameter Response: Return L, C, R, Z (879B only),NULL FUNCtion:impb <...
  • Page 114 FUNCtion:EQUivalent < SERies | parallel | PAL > Description: Set equivalent mode Parameters: SERies — serial mode Parallel — parallel mode Pal — parallel mode Example: FUNCtion:EQUivalent SERies Set series mode FUNCtion:EQUivalent? Description: Query the equivalent mode Response: Return “SER” or “PAL” format string CALCulate subsystem CALCulate:RELative:STATe <...
  • Page 115 CALCulate:RELative:VALUe? Description: Query the relative value Response: Return <NR3> or “-----” format string CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe < ON | OFF > Description: Enable or disable tolerance function Example: CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe ON CALCulate:TOLerance:STATe? Description: Query the tolerance state Response: Return ON or OFF CALCulate:TOLerance:NOMinal? Description: Query the nominal value of tolerance Response: Return <NR3>...
  • Page 116 CALCulate:TOLerance:RANGe? Description: Query the tolerance range Response: Return “BIN1”, “BIN2”, “BIN3”, “BIN4” or “----” format string CALCulate:RECording:STATe < ON | OFF > Description: Enable or disable recording function Example: CALCulate:RECording:STATe CALCulate:RECording:STATe? Description: Query the recording state Response: Return ON or OFF CALCulate:RECording:MAXimum? Description: Query the maximum value of recording function...
  • Page 117 CALCulate:RECording:AVERage? Description: Query the average value of recording function Response: Return <NR3, NR3> or “-----” format string CALCulate:RECording:PRESent? Description: Query the present value of recording function Response: Return <NR3, NR3> or “-----” format string FETCh Subsystem FETCh? Description: Returns the primary, secondary display value and tolerance compared result of device’s output buffer.
  • Page 118 Summary of Supported SCPI Commands Table 6 - Summary of SCPI Commands Command Parameter Explanation FREQuency <Value> Set Test Frequency FREQuency? Query Test Frequency FUNCtion :impa <Literal> Select primary display parameter :impa? Query primary display parameter :impb <Literal> Select secondary display parameter :impb? Query secondary display...
  • Page 119 :STATe <Boolean> Enable/disable recording function :STATe? Query recording state :MAXimum? Query max. value of recording :MINimum? Query min. value of recording :AVERage? Query average value of recording :PRESent? Query present value of recording FETCh? Return data any time last reading is valid Error Codes In certain situations, errors may occur, and an error code will be displayed on the meter.

  • Page 120: Supplemental Information

    SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION This section provides supplemental information for user consideration when operating the LCR meters. Some recommendations and explanations are provided to help aid in the use of some functions and features, in which can help the user gain optimal and accurate measurement results.
  • Page 121 example, if the capacitance of the component is to be in the mF range, than selecting 100 Hz or 120 Hz for test frequency would give much better results. The results will also be obvious because if the same component was tested with 1 kHz or 10 kHz, the measured readings may look erroneous on the display.

  • Page 122: Selecting Series Or Parallel Mode

    In all cases, it is best to check with the manufacturer’s data sheet in order to determine the best test frequency to use for measurement. Selecting Series or Parallel Mode Just as test frequency can greatly affect measurement results, selecting between series or parallel measurement mode can also affect the accuracy of the meter, especially for capacitive and inductive components.

  • Page 123: Accuracy Discrepancies

    out of accuracy or erroneous. Series mode is use because large capacitors often have higher dissipation factor and lower internal resistance. Inductance For most inductance measurement, selecting series mode is the best. Hence, the meter defaults to this mode when selecting inductance mode. This is because in this mode, accurate Q (quality factor) reading can be obtained from reading low Q inductors and ohmic losses are significant.
  • Page 124 Inductance Some inductors are intended to operate at a certain DC bias to achieve a certain inductance value. However, the 878B and 879B LCR meters cannot produce such biasing scheme and external biasing should not be attempted because external power would be applied to the instrument and cause serious damage to the meter.

  • Page 125: Guard Terminal

    provide an option for DC resistance measurements. Therefore, when measuring a resistive component that is designed to be measured with DC, readings will be incorrect or inaccurate. Before using the meter to measure resistance, please verify whether the DUT (device under test) requires DC or AC resistance measurement method.
  • Page 126 Guard terminal is also used to minimize noise and to help minimize parasitic effects coming from the component to be measured, thus allowing high precision results.

  • Page 127: Specifications

    SPECIFICATIONS Below are some remarks in regards to all specifications pertaining to both 878B and 879B LCR meters. *Specifications are subject to change without notice. Notes: 1. Measurement performed at the test socket. 2. Measurements performed after correct open and short calibration.

  • Page 128: General Specifications

    General Specifications Items 879B 878B Measurement L/C/R/Z/D/Q/θ/ESR L/C/R/D/Q Parameters Test Frequency 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 120 Hz, 1 KHz Accuracy is 0.02% 1 kHz, 10 kHz (test setting) of actual frequency (test setting) 100Hz, 120.048Hz, 120.048 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz...

  • Page 129: Accuracy Specifications

    Power ≈ 28 mA (under full power battery) for Consumption operation/ 2 µA after Power-off. Power 1) DC 9V Battery Requirements 2)Ext. AC Adapter: DC 12 Vmin –15 Vmax. (Load 50 mA Min.) Dimensions 7.5 x 3.5 x 1.6” (L/W/H) (190 ×...
  • Page 130 Frequency = 1 kHz DF(Dx Measurement Range Display Accuracy <0.5) Mode 1.5% + 3 1.5% + 100 H 100.00 H digits 50 digits Parallel 0.7% + 2 0.7% + 40 H 39.999 H digits 50 digits Parallel 0.7% + 2 0.7% + 4000 mH 3999.9 mH...
  • Page 131 0.9% + 2 0.9% + 400 μH 399.99 μH digits 50 digits Series 2.8% + 3 2.8% + 40 μH 39.99 μH digits 50 digits Series Capacitance Frequency = 100 Hz*/120 Hz DF(Dx Measurement Range Display Accuracy <0.5) Mode 8% + 3 8% + 50 20 mF 20.000 mF...
  • Page 132 Frequency = 1 kHz DF(Dx Measurement Range Display Accuracy <0.5) Mode 3.7% + 3 3.7% + 1000 μF 1000.0 μF digits 50 digits Series 2% + 2 2% + 50 400 μF 399.99 μF digits digits Series 0.7% + 2 0.7% + 40 μF 39.999 μF...
  • Page 133 0.5% + 2 0.5% + 400 nF 399.99 nF digits 50 digits Series 0.5% + 1 0.5% + 40 nF 39.999 nF digit 50 digit 0.5% + 2 0.5% + 4000 pF 3999.9 nF digits 50 digits 0.7% + 2 0.7% + 400 pF 399.99 pF...
  • Page 134 ESR* Frequency = 100 Hz*/120 Hz/ 1 kHz/10 kHz* Measurement Range Display Accuracy Mode 0.5% + 2 1000 Ω 999.9 Ω digits Series 0.5% + 2 100 Ω 99.99 Ω digits Series 0.7% + 2 10 Ω 9.999 Ω digits Series 2.0% + 2 1 Ω...

  • Page 135: Maintenance

    MAINTENANCE WARNING: Do not perform any service by yourself. Service should only be done by qualified personnel and trained technicians. Service If the instrument fails to operate, check battery and test leads. Replace them as necessary. If the instrument still cannot work, verify with the operating instructions to make sure correct procedures are followed.
  • Page 136 immediately. Doing so will immediately damage the instrument and void it’s warranty. Before cleaning this meter, make sure the power is OFF and remove external AC adapter if one is used. To clean the meter, wipe the dirty parts with a soft cloth soaked with diluted neutral detergent.

  • Page 137: Service Information

    SERVICE INFORMATION Warranty Service: Please go the support and service section on our website www.bkprecision.com to obtain a RMA #. Return the product in the original packaging with proof of purchase to the address below. Clearly state on the RMA the performance problem and return any leads, probes, connectors and accessories that you are using with the device.

  • Page 138: Limited Warranty

    LIMITED WARRANTY B&K Precision Corp. warrants to the original purchaser that its products and the component parts thereof, will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of three years from date of purchase. B&K Precision Corp. will, without charge, repair or replace, at its option, defective product or component parts.
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  • Page 142 22820 Savi Ranch Parkway Yorba Linda, CA 92887 www.bkprecision.com © 2015 B&K Precision Corp. Printed in China v020415...

This manual is also suitable for:

879b

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