Component Tester

A component tester s used to test f components are workng correcty n crcut.

Ths s very nce f you do eectronc repars. You can test components drecty on a
sodered PCB.
You can see f components work correcty by comparng them wth the same
component on a workng PCB, or the more dffcut way- by anayzng the
characterstcs.
Ths document descrbes how you can make your own component tester, f your
oscoscope does not have one.
The necessary ingredients
Oscoscope wth 2 channes, X-Y functon, Channe Invert functon
1k resstor
12 to 15 vot transformer
Oscoscope channe Y
Oscoscope ground GND
Component tester probe (Y back)
Component tester probe (X red)
Oscoscope channe X
Connect the dagram above, set your oscoscope to use X-Y functon and nvert
channe Y. You can now use 'Component tester probe'-connectons to test your
components. On the foowng pages you can fnd some theory that can hep you
understand, the pages are from the Hameg HM504 user manua.
Last updated: |une 13
th
2009 - ng. Barry de Graaff B. Eng (Eectronc Engneerng)
Ths s a re-reease of the document Componententester DEFINITIEF-Mode.dwg (rev. may 2002)
110 /
230 VAC 13,5 VAC
33
Subjecttochangewithoutnotice
reality,otherdeviationssuchasunavoidableoffsetvoltagesmust
betakenintoaccount,whichmaycauseadisplaydeviatingfrom
0Voltwithoutsignalappliedattheinput.
The display shows the arithmetic (linear) mean value. The DC
contentisdisplayedifDCorACsuperimposedDCvoltagesare
applied.Incaseofsquarewavevoltages,themeanvaluedepends
onthepulsedutyfactor.
ComponentTester
General
Theinstrumentspecificinformationregardingthecontrol
andterminalsarepartofitem[37]insectionControlsand
Readout.
TheinstrumenthasabuiltinelectronicComponentTester,which
isusedforinstantdisplayofatestpatterntoindicatewhetheror
not components are faulty. It can be used for quick checks of
semiconductors(e.g.diodesandtransistors),resistors,capacitors,
and inductors. Certain tests can also be made to integrated
circuits.Allthesecomponentscanbetestedindividually,orin
circuitprovidedthatitisunpowered.
The test principle is fascinatingly simple. A built in generator
providesasinevoltage,whichisappliedacrossthecomponent
undertestandabuiltinfixedresistor.Thesinevoltageacrossthe
testobjectisusedforthehorizontaldeflection,andthevoltage
dropacrosstheresistor(i.e.currentthroughtestobject)isused
forYdeflectionoftheoscilloscope.Thetestpatternshowsthe
current/voltagecharacteristicofthetestobject.
Themeasurementrangeofthecomponenttesterislimitedand
dependsonthemaximumtestvoltageandcurrent(pleasenote
data sheet). The impedance of the component under test is
limitedtoarangefromapprox.20Ohmto4.7kOhm.Belowand
abovethesevalues,thetestpatternshowsonlyshortcircuitor
opencircuit.Fortheinterpretationofthedisplayedtestpattern,
these limits should always be born in mind. However, most
electronic components can normally be tested without any
restriction.
UsingtheComponentTester
Afterthecomponenttesterisswitchedon,theYamplifierand
thetimebasegeneratorareinoperative.Ashortenedhorizontal
tracewillbeobserved.Itisnotnecessarytodisconnectscope
inputcablesunlessincircuitmeasurementsaretobecarriedout.
Forthecomponentconnection,twosimpletestleadswith4 mm
bananaplugs,andtestprods,alligatorclipsorsprunghooks,
arerequired.Thetestleadsareconnectedasdescribedinsection
ControlsandReadout.
TestProcedure
Caution!
Do not test any component in live circuitry, remove all
grounds,powerandsignalsconnectedtothecomponent
undertest.SetupComponentTesterasstated.Connecttest
leadsacrosscomponenttobetested.Observeoscilloscope
display.Onlydischargedcapacitorsshouldbetested!
TestPatternDisplays
ThefollowingTestpatternsshowtypicalpatternsdisplayedby
thevariouscomponentsundertest.
Opencircuitisindicatedbyastraighthorizontalline.
Shortcircuitisshownbyastraightverticalline.
TestingResistors
Ifthetestobjecthasalinearohmicresistance,bothdeflecting
voltagesareinthesamephase.Thetestpatternexpectedfrom
aresistoristhereforeaslopingstraightline.Theangleofslopeis
determined by the value of the resistor under test. With high
valuesofresistance,theslopewilltendtowardsthehorizontal
axis,andwithlowvalues,theslopewillmovetowardsthevertical
axis. Values of resistance from 20 Ohm to 4.7 kOhm can be
approximatelyevaluated.Thedeterminationofactualvalueswill
comewithexperience,orbydirectcomparisonwithacomponent
ofknownvalue.
TestingCapacitorsandInductors
Capacitors and inductors cause a phase difference between
currentandvoltage,andthereforebetweentheXandYdeflection,
givinganellipseshapeddisplay.Thepositionandopeningwidth
oftheellipsewillvaryaccordingtotheimpedancevalue(at50Hz)
ofthecomponentundertest.
Ahorizontalellipseindicatesahighimpedanceorarelatively
smallcapacitanceorarelativelyhighinductance.
A vertical ellipse indicates a low impedance or a relatively
largecapacitanceorarelativelysmallinductance.
Aslopingellipsemeansthatthecomponenthasaconsiderable
ohmicresistanceinadditiontoitsreactance.
The values of capacitance of normal or electrolytic capacitors
from0.1Fto1000Fcanbedisplayedandapproximatevalues
obtained. More precise measurement can be obtained in a
smaller range by comparing the capacitor under test with a
capacitor of known value. Inductive components (coils,
transformers)canalsobetested.Thedeterminationofthevalue
ofinductanceneedssomeexperience,becauseinductorshave
usuallyahigherohmicseriesresistance.However,theimpedance
value (at 50 Hz) of an inductor in the range from 20 Ohm to
4.7kOhmcaneasilybeobtainedorcompared.
TestingSemiconductors
Mostsemiconductordevices,suchasdiodes,Z-diodes,transistors
andFETscanbetested.Thetestpatterndisplaysvaryaccording
tothecomponenttypeasshowninthefiguresbelow.Themain
characteristic displayed during semiconductor testing is the
voltagedependentkneecausedbythejunctionchangingfrom
theconductingstatetothenonconductingstate.Itshouldbe
notedthatboththeforwardandreversecharacteristicaredisplayed
simultaneously.Thisisatwoterminaltest,thereforetestingof
transistor amplification is not possible, but testing of a single
junction is easily and quickly possible. Since the test voltage
appliedisonlyverylow,allsectionsofmostsemiconductorscan
betestedwithoutdamage.However,checkingthebreakdownor
reversevoltageofhighvoltagesemiconductorsisnotpossible.
Moreimportantistestingcomponentsforopenorshortcircuit,
whichfromexperienceismostfrequentlyneeded.
ComponentTester
Subjecttochangewithoutnotice
34
TestingDiodes
Diodes normally show at least their knee in the forward
characteristic.Thisisnotvalidforsomehighvoltagediodetypes,
because they contain a series connection of several diodes.
Possiblyonlyasmallportionofthekneeisvisible.Zenerdiodes
always show their forward knee and, depending on the test
voltage, their zener breakdown forms a second knee in the
oppositedirection.Ifthebreakdownvoltageishigherthanthe
positiveornegativevoltagepeakofthetestvoltage,itcannotbe
displayed.
Thepolarityofanunknowndiodecanbeidentifiedbycomparison
withaknowndiode.
TestingTransistors
Threedifferenttestscanbemadetotransistors:base-emitter,
base-collectorandemitter-collector.Theresultingtestpatterns
areshownbelow.Thebasicequivalentcircuitofatransistorisa
Z-diode between base and emitter and a normal diode with
reversepolaritybetweenbaseandcollectorinseriesconnection.
Therearethreedifferenttestpatterns:
Foratransistorthefiguresb-eandb-careimportant.Thefigure
e-ccanvary;butaverticallineonlyshowsshortcircuitcondition.
Thesetransistortestpatternsarevalidinmostcases,butthere
are exceptions to the rule (e.g. Darlington, FETs). With the
COMPONENTTESTER,thedistinctionbetweenaP-N-PtoanN-
P-Ntransistorisdiscernible.Incaseofdoubt,comparisonwitha
knowntypeishelpful.Itshouldbenotedthatthesamesocket
connection(CTorground)forthesameterminalisthenabsolutely
necessary.Aconnectioninversioneffectsarotationofthetest
pattern by 180 degrees about the centre point of the scope
graticule.
Pay attention to the usual caution with single MOS
components relating to static discharge or frictional
electricity!
In-CircuitTests
Caution!
Duringincircuittestsmakesurethecircuitisdead.Nopower
frommains/lineorbatteryandnosignalinputsarepermitted.
RemoveallgroundconnectionsincludingSafetyEarth(pull
outpowerplugfromoutlet).Removeallmeasuringcables
including probes between oscilloscope and circuit under
test. Otherwise both COMPONENT TESTER leads are not
isolatedagainstthecircuitundertest.
In-Circuittestsarepossibleinmanycases.However,theyare
notwelldefined.Complexdisplaysmaybecausedbyashunt
connection of real or complex impedance, especially if they
are of relatively low impedance at 50Hz, to the component
under test, often results differ greatly when compared with
singlecomponents.Incaseofdoubt,onecomponentterminal
should be unsoldered. This terminal should then not be
connectedtothegroundsocketavoidinghumdistortionofthe
testpattern.
Anotherwayisatestpatterncomparisontoanidenticalcircuit
whichisknowntobeoperational(likewisewithoutpowerandany
externalconnections).Usingthetestprods,identicaltestpoints
ineachcircuitcanbechecked,andadefectcanbedetermined
quickly and easily. Possibly the device under test itself may
containareferencecircuit(e.g.asecondstereochannel,push-
pullamplifier,symmetricalbridgecircuit),whichisnotdefective
andcanthereforebeusedforcomparison.
AUTOSET