Low frequency capacitance meter adapter

May 21, 2015

Contents
0.1
0.2

0.3
0.4

0.1

How to use . . . . . . . . . . . .
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . .
0.2.1 Low or no voltage output
0.2.2 High voltage output . . .
0.2.3 Fluctuating output . . . .
How does it work . . . . . . . . .
appendices . . . . . . . . . . . .

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1
1
1
2
2
2
3

How to use

Turn on capacitance meter using switch.

Attach banana plugs to the red and black connectors at the end of the box.
Use red for positive and black for negative. Attach the capacitor to the green
connectors at the top. This can be done using banana-to-crocodile cables or by
using the screw holes on the connector.
Ensure the voltmeter has a full scale deflection of 200mV. Adjust the sensitivity
dial to give a so that a readable value is shown on the voltmeter.
The sensitivities are shown as the maximum possible readable values Use the
table below to convert the voltage to capacitance.
Sensitivity
20uF
2uF
200nF
20nF
2nF
200pF

0.2
0.2.1

Capacitance per millivolt

100nF
10nF
1nF
100pF
10pF
1pF

Troubleshooting
Low or no voltage output

potential Causes:
-device may be off
-battery may be flat
-sensitivity may be too low
1

Solutions:
-ensure device is switched on
-ensure sensitivity is high enough
-replace battery

0.2.2

High voltage output

Potential causes:
-sensitivity too high
-if at lowest sensitivity then capacitor may be above measurable range
Solutions:
-reduce sensitivity

0.2.3

Fluctuating output

Potential causes:
-bad connection
Solutions:
-ensure all connections are secure

0.3

How does it work

This circuit contains a Schmitt trigger/integrator oscillator that is used to output a stable triangle wave. This output is then passed into a differentiator
that gives an output that is proportional to both the capacitor being measured
and the resistance vout = RC dVdtin , which can be changed by modifying the
sensitivity. Differentiating a triangle wave gives a square wave output with an
amplitude between 0 and 200mV. By passing this through a precision rectifier, a
constant DC output can be obtained. The device is powered using a 9V battery
which, by use of a buffer amplifier, creates 3 voltage rails of 4.5V, -4.5V and 0V.

0.4

appendices

Circuit diagram
3

Component
R1, R2
R3
R4, R5, R7, R8, R9, R10
R6
SELA
SELB
SELC
SELD
SELE
SELF
C1
D1, D2
LED1, LED2
op-amps

Value
1M
1.8M
10K
20K
100
1K
10K
100K
1M
10M
20nF
1N0041
Yellow(voltage drop 1.8V)
2x tl074

Component values table