Author Topic: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.  (Read 29437 times)

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Offline ErikTheNorwegianTopic starter

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Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter

http://midwestdevices.com/

Capacitor Wizard® Operating Manual
http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Capmanual9.pdf

ESR: Methods of Measurement
http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf








Missing som strain relef here?

After some testing of capacitor tester with the tester i will come back with a test report..
« Last Edit: March 11, 2014, 09:30:26 pm by ErikTheNorwegian »
/Erik
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Offline JoeO

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2014, 09:27:39 pm »
A black and a red wire both going to the same place on the meter?
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Offline edpalmer42

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2014, 09:39:38 pm »
A black and a red wire both going to the same place on the meter?

Note that there's a second yellow sticker with no wire.  Looks like the original meter's studs poked through where the yellow stickers are and the current meter has a smaller movement.

Ed
 

Offline Shock

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2014, 04:20:37 pm »
Pretty horrible soldering job. 
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Offline BravoV

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2014, 04:26:06 pm »
Don't mean to rain your parade, but at $230 a pop its just way too much imho.  :palm:

Offline zaoka

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2014, 05:08:19 pm »
This meter had advantage that goes up to 50ohm and scale between 0-1 is almost 25% of the scale.

Its way expensive...
 

Offline mos6502

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2014, 05:20:15 pm »
This meter had advantage that goes up to 50ohm and scale between 0-1 is almost 25% of the scale.

Its way expensive...

Yeah, you can get a real LCR meter that will actually measure ESR accurately with milliohm accuracy for half the price.

Not to mention L and C  :)
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Offline free_electron

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2014, 06:22:35 pm »
that is not soldered. it looks more like someone had a big ball of liquid solder , farted over it and the spray landed on the board ...
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Online tom66

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2014, 06:54:51 pm »
An ATLAS PEAK ESR meter with a digital readout costs £70, are they having a laugh with $230??
 

Offline Hydrawerk

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2014, 07:08:50 pm »
This capacitor wizard is IMHO obsolete and overpriced. Moreover it is a 1995's technology.
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Offline Axtman

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2014, 07:25:49 pm »
What do you guys think of the CapAnalyzer 88A Series II?

http://www.eds-inc.com/cap.html

 

Offline ErikTheNorwegianTopic starter

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2014, 07:34:01 pm »
What do you guys think of the CapAnalyzer 88A Series II?

http://www.eds-inc.com/cap.html


I actually have one of those to... so i will make a comparison of them.  :)


« Last Edit: March 12, 2014, 07:39:20 pm by ErikTheNorwegian »
/Erik
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Offline mos6502

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2014, 07:37:07 pm »
What do you guys think of the CapAnalyzer 88A Series II?

http://www.eds-inc.com/cap.html

For $50? Worth considering if you're doing a lot of repairs.

For $229 (which is what they're asking for)? YGTBSM.
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Offline PA0PBZ

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2014, 07:42:23 pm »
Nice, but... what's on the component side of the pcb?
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Offline ErikTheNorwegianTopic starter

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2014, 07:44:00 pm »
This capacitor wizard is IMHO obsolete and overpriced. Moreover it is a 1995's technology.

You dont use speakers then, they are som 1920`s technology, and has not developed much from the original concept.  :P
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Offline Hydrawerk

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #15 on: March 12, 2014, 08:40:20 pm »
Is this Capacitor wizard someway different from these well-known schematics of ESR meters?
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/5-transistor-esr-meter-design/
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Online tom66

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2014, 08:59:29 pm »
Ah, but this one has a low battery detect.  ;D
 

Offline kc9qvl

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2014, 10:00:31 pm »
How about a look at the component side.  :)
 

Offline The Electrician

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2014, 11:18:52 pm »
It is claimed that the Capacitor Wizard applies a sine wave to the DUT:

http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf

Erik, would you connect a capacitor that's not too big, say a 10 uF electrolytic, to the capacitor wizard and look at the waveform across the cap with a scope to verify if it's really a sine wave?
 

Offline ErikTheNorwegianTopic starter

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #19 on: March 13, 2014, 12:21:35 am »
It is claimed that the Capacitor Wizard applies a sine wave to the DUT:

http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf

Erik, would you connect a capacitor that's not too big, say a 10 uF electrolytic, to the capacitor wizard and look at the waveform across the cap with a scope to verify if it's really a sine wave?

Will try that tommorow if i get outa bed.  ;)

 (Have no helpers tommorow, so may stay i bed all day if i dont get out mysellf. )
/Erik
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Offline Jay_Diddy_B

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #20 on: March 13, 2014, 09:21:02 am »
Hi,

This is interesting reading.



It tells you how to repair the Capacitor Wizard:

http://www.midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Sbullit8.pdf

Here is a picture showing part of the board, component side:

http://howardelectronics.com/ieinc/images/Capwizsavr%201.jpg

There is another picture here:

https://www.howardelectronics.com/ieinc/CapSVR%20Install%20Instructions.pdf

This patent describes the protection circuit:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22Capacitor+Wizard%22&OS="Capacitor+Wizard"&RS="Capacitor+Wizard"





If you want an ESR meter with really good protection, build the ESR meter adapter described in this thread:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/esr-meter-adapter-design-and-construction/msg341177/#msg341177

Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B
« Last Edit: March 13, 2014, 09:33:13 am by Jay_Diddy_B »
 

Offline The Electrician

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #21 on: March 13, 2014, 04:15:17 pm »
I wonder if the "CapSVR" add-on kit is just the transformer/diode arrangement described in the patent.
 

Offline ErikTheNorwegianTopic starter

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #22 on: March 13, 2014, 08:27:32 pm »
It is claimed that the Capacitor Wizard applies a sine wave to the DUT:

http://midwestdevices.com/_pdfs/Tnote3.pdf

Erik, would you connect a capacitor that's not too big, say a 10 uF electrolytic, to the capacitor wizard and look at the waveform across the cap with a scope to verify if it's really a sine wave?

The Capacitor Wizard model CAP-1B had a rather "bursty" sinus 102,8 KHz. 3,2 mV 
and the Electronic Design Specialist  EDS-88A CapAnalyzer II had the same "noisy" more triangle than sinus 124KHz  ant 3 mV.
Se if i can get some pictures taken if its of interest, but really nothing to see.

The reason i bought the CAP-1B from Capacitor wizard, is that the "wand" (Probes are way better to use on some cards than the tweeter with thin copper contacts) on the EDS-88A is way better. Lock at the pictures. The tweezers is ok on small boards where you have to/can use it with one hand. But if there is a lot of corrosion, lacquer etc. on the board, the sharp probes of the CAP-1B is the best, but i have to use both hands.  Fluke AC72 Alligator Clip Set fits right on, and makes it easy to connect onto a capacitor if necessary. I must say that both testers do what they claim, easy and very quick. I enjoy the different beeps of the EDS-88A when fast going over a ex mainboard on a computer, don’t need to look at the meter, if good or bad. But if in doubt, the table has to be searched and you have to read the table for info. That takes time. And the automatic discharging that the CAP-1B don’t have is a big plus on some jobs.  The CAP-1B, has a meter that is clearly marked BAD - COMPAERE - GOOD and is quicker to read. So i guess, both meters has its + and -. Some like the mother, some the daughter and nerds are hands on, as we say here in Norway!
There is a place for both on my bench. (Instruments that is!)







« Last Edit: March 13, 2014, 09:23:45 pm by ErikTheNorwegian »
/Erik
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Offline Jay_Diddy_B

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #23 on: March 13, 2014, 11:17:54 pm »
I wonder if the "CapSVR" add-on kit is just the transformer/diode arrangement described in the patent.

From the photographs I believe that it does. It is the circuit from the patent plus a coupling capacitor in series with the transformer primary. The idea is for large voltage the diodes conduct and the current in the two windings cancel. For small signals the diodes do not conduct and it behaves like a transformer.

I am not sure how well it works.

Jay_Diddy_B

 

Offline The Electrician

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Re: A quick teardown of Capasitor Wizard ESR Meter, a few pictures.
« Reply #24 on: March 14, 2014, 12:58:46 am »
I am not sure how well it works.

Jay_Diddy_B

The patent says the transformer has to resonate at the frequency which is applied to the DUT, and then it works well.
 


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