Capacitance Measurement - Agilent Technologies U1701B User's And Service Manual

2 Features and Functions

Capacitance Measurement

Capacitance is the ability of a component to store an electrical charge.
The unit of capacitance is the farad (F). Most capacitors are within the
range for nanofarad (nF) to microfarad (µF). The meter measures
capacitance by charging the capacitor with a known current, measuring
the resulting time of charging period, and then calculating the capacitance.
The larger capacitors will take longer time to charge. The sign of C
flashing means that the meter is charging capacitor. To improve the
measurement accuracy of small value capacitance, press REL with the
alligator clip leads open to subtract the residual capacitance of the meter
and leads.
N O T E
1 Power- on the meter.
2 To test for capacitance, keep an open circuit on the test leads and press
3 Insert the legs of the capacitor into + and – input sockets respectively.
4 Remove your hands from capacitor to allows it to be tested.
5 Read the measurement on the display.
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To avoid possible damage to the meter or the equipment under
C A U T I O N
test, disconnect circuit power and discharge the capacitor before
measuring capacitance.
Measuring tip: For measuring capacitance >1000 µF, discharge capacitor
first and then select a suitable range to measure it. This will speed up the
measuring time to achive the correct value.
REL key to subtract the residual capacitance of the meter and leads.
Ensure that the polarity of the capacitor's leg are correct.
U1701B User's and Service Guide