#Canada #Waterloo #LCR-Meter #Siborg Systems #Tweezer Technology

Siborg Systems Unveils Proprietary Calibration Boards

In recent years, tweezer-style LCR meters have become increasingly popular, particularly among professionals in the electronics industry. However, a widespread limitation shared among these devices is their inability to accurately measure very small inductances and capacitances due to the effects of parasitic inductance and capacitance present in their unshielded test leads. Siborg Systems has recognized this critical issue and has taken a major step forward by launching proprietary calibration boards that effectively mitigate these parasitic influences, thus enhancing the measurement accuracy and extending the range of these essential devices.

The inception of the Smart Tweezers LCR meter in 2005 marked an important milestone in electronic measurement technology. Over the years, various successors have been introduced, boasting higher test frequencies and improved functionalities, making devices like the LCR-Reader line, which includes the MPA, R2, and R3 models, stand out in the market. Nonetheless, despite the advancement in technology, tweezer meters still face challenges in achieving accuracy when measuring minuscule values due to the structural similarities that plague the existing models.

Siborg Systems made waves in the industry with a recent announcement detailing the introduction of patented Short and Open Calibration Boards designed to counter these inherent limitations. The parasitic effects that are introduced by the distance between test leads and the component size often lead to measurement inaccuracies, especially when dealing with values below 10 nH and 1 pF. For instance, without proper calibration, relative measurement errors can run over 100%, as highlighted in various IEEE publications including AutoTestCon 2022 and August's Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine.

To properly illustrate the impacts of these parasitic effects, the HPLCR meter was utilized, demonstrating a pressing need for improved calibration techniques particularly effective for tweezer-style meters. Notably, when data was presented at industry conferences such as Nepcon Tokyo in January 2024 and SMTA International in Minneapolis October 2024, the importance of accurate calibration was clear.

At the SMTA International Conference, Siborg Systems showcased their proprietary calibration fixtures and concluded with impressive results; using these boards virtually eliminated parasitic offsets, enabling accurate measurement of capacitance and inductance below 1 pF and 10 nH, respectively. The results were remarkable, proving that using these tools, traditional measurement barriers could be overcome swiftly, permitting measurements to be conducted in less than a minute at a fraction of the cost of benchtop models that typically dominate this performance range.

The newly introduced calibration boards are designed as specialized dummy PCBs, equipped with customizable holes that accommodate various components sizes. The calibration process is simple: users insert the tweezer meter leads into the holes corresponding to the component size—subsequently, the display shows the offset capacitance that now needs to be deducted from the measured value, ensuring better accuracy.

The calibration process maximizes efficiency, where pressing a joystick activates the calibration when connected to the calibration board. However, it’s important for users to maintain consistent pressure on the tweezer handles, as variations can introduce discrepancies ranging up to 0.005 pF for capacitance and 0.5 nH for inductance measurements.

Since the inception of the Smart Tweezers LCR-meter project, Siborg Systems has constantly pushed the boundaries, continuously innovating to serve the electronics industry. Their efforts have culminated in advancements in measurement accuracy reaching as precise as 0.1%, operating frequencies up to 250 kHz, and a vast measurement range from 0.1 pF to 1 F — undoubtedly solidifying the LCR-Reader product line as a leader in precision electronic measurements. With the introduction of their calibration fixtures, measuring extremely small capacitance and inductance values has now become more accessible and efficient for professionals in the field, a promising development that will likely resonate throughout the electronics community.

For further details and additional publications, check the LCR-Reader website.