Electrical Test & Measurement · LCR Meters
Four handheld LCR meters covering 100 Hz to 100 kHz, with 0.25% or 0.1% basic accuracy, a dual parameter backlit display, automatic range and Mini-USB control, for measuring inductors, capacitors and resistors away from the bench.
TH2822A (4 models) ·
A multimeter tells you that a component conducts. An LCR meter tells you what it looks like at a stated frequency, which is the question that decides whether a capacitor is still a capacitor and an inductor is still an inductor. This range puts that measurement in a hand-held case.
The four models share one body, one display and one test interface. What separates them is a short list: how far the test frequency goes, whether DC resistance is measured, and how tight the basic accuracy is. The first two decide what can be tested; the third decides whether the result is worth recording.
That ordering matters when a model is chosen. A buyer who starts from accuracy usually ends up paying for a frequency they never use, while a buyer who starts from the component list usually finds that the entry model answers every question except one.
The instrument applies an alternating test signal to the component and measures the voltage across it and the current through it. Their ratio gives impedance, and the phase difference between them separates the resistive part from the reactive part. From those two quantities the instrument derives inductance or capacitance, and the secondary parameters that describe how far the component is from ideal.
Because the measurement is made at a frequency, the result belongs to that frequency. A capacitor measured at one frequency and compared with a datasheet value taken at another is not a comparison at all, which is why the frequency set is the first column of any selection table and the reason two models in this range exist with an extended top frequency.
The five-terminal slot is the other part of the method. Two of the terminals carry the current and two sense the voltage across the component, with the fifth guarding the loop; the sense pair draws almost no current, so the resistance of the leads and of the contact is left outside the measurement. The three banana sockets do the same job through a lead, with the guard brought out separately.
Start with the components. A bench that checks electrolytic capacitors and chokes for a drive will spend its time at the lower frequencies and will not miss the extended range. A bench that checks switching inductors, ferrites or small film capacitors will need the higher frequency, because that is where those parts are specified.
Then decide whether DC resistance is part of the test. Winding resistance, track resistance and contact resistance are DC quantities, and a meter without that function cannot report them however good its impedance accuracy is. If the inspection sheet has a DCR line, the choice narrows immediately.
Then look at the accuracy step. The difference between the two accuracy grades is small in absolute terms and matters mainly where a reading is compared against a tight limit, or where the same component is measured repeatedly and the spread between readings has to be smaller than the tolerance being judged.
Finally, consider how the readings leave the instrument. The serial port and command set allow a bench PC to log results, which is what turns a hand-held check into a record. If that is not needed, the port costs nothing and changes nothing.
Send the component list, the frequency at which each part is specified and the tolerance bands in use, and a model and clip set can be quoted against them.
The instrument measures the component, not the circuit. A capacitor measured in place carries the impedance of everything connected around it, and a reading taken without removing or isolating the part is a reading of the board.
The test signal level is low, by design, so that the instrument does not disturb the component. That also means the measurement is made under small-signal conditions: a component whose value depends on bias, such as a ceramic capacitor with a strong voltage coefficient, will read differently in the instrument than in the circuit it is meant for.
The test frequency set is fixed rather than continuous. Where a datasheet specifies a part at a frequency the instrument does not provide, the nearest available frequency is a different measurement, and the difference should be established before a limit is set on it.
Contact matters more than it appears. At low impedance the residual of the leads is comparable with the value being measured, which is why open and short calibration exists and why the four-terminal clips are worth having for surface-mount parts. A reading taken through two hand-held probes is only as good as the contact pressure behind them.
Every value below is taken from source documentation. Where a parameter is not stated in the available material it is marked as information required rather than estimated.
| Primary parameters, TH2822A and TH2822C | L, C, R and ZStandard |
|---|---|
| Secondary parameters, TH2822A and TH2822C | D, Q, phase angle and ESRStandard |
| Primary parameters, TH2822D and TH2822E | L, C, R, Z and DC resistanceStandard |
| Secondary parameters, TH2822D and TH2822E | D, Q, R, phase angle and ESRStandard |
| Equivalent circuit | Series or parallel, selected manually or automaticallyStandard |
| Range selection | Automatic on all four modelsStandard |
| Terminal configuration | Three-terminal and five-terminalStandard |
| Calibration | Open circuit and short circuitStandard |
| Tolerance comparison | 1%, 5%, 10% and 20% bands, with percentage displayStandard |
| DC resistance, TH2822D and TH2822E | 0.0000 Ω to 20.000 MΩ in the display range tableStandard |
| DC resistance, TH2822A and TH2822C | Shown as not provided in the display range table; the model table lists no DC resistance parameterStandard |
| DC resistance, per-model cells | The general parameter table leaves the cells for TH2822C, TH2822D and TH2822E unread; the display range table gives the two D models a range and the two A and C models noneInformation required |
| Signal frequency | 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 1 kHz and 10 kHz; 100 kHz added on TH2822C and TH2822EStandard |
|---|---|
| Test signal level, parameter table | 0.6 Vrms on TH2822A and TH2822C; 0.3 Vrms, 0.6 Vrms or 1 Vrms on TH2822D and TH2822EStandard |
| Test signal level, model cards | 0.3 Vrms, 0.6 Vrms and 1 Vrms stated for all four modelsStandard |
| Source output impedance | 100 ΩStandard |
| Input fuse | 0.1 A / 250 VStandard |
| Inductance | 0.00 µH to 1000.0 HStandard |
|---|---|
| Capacitance | 0.00 pF to 20.000 mFStandard |
| Impedance and resistance | 0.0000 Ω to 10.000 MΩStandard |
| ESR | 0.0000 Ω to 999.9 ΩStandard |
| Dissipation factor | 0.0000 to 9.999Standard |
| Quality factor | 0.0000 to 9999Standard |
| Phase angle | 0.00° to ±180.0°Standard |
| Display | LCD with primary and secondary parameters shown together, backlitStandard |
| Battery, TH2822A | Non-rechargeableStandard |
|---|---|
| Battery, TH2822C, TH2822D and TH2822E | RechargeableStandard |
| AC adapter | Input 220 V / 50 Hz, output 12 V to 15 VStandard |
| Standby current | 2 µA on TH2822A and TH2822C; 11 µA on TH2822D and TH2822EStandard |
| Automatic switch-off | 5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes, or off; factory setting 5 minutesStandard |
| Low battery indication | Displayed when the battery voltage falls below 6.8 VStandard |
| Communication | Mini-USB virtual serial port, SCPI command setStandard |
| Dimensions | 90 mm wide × 190 mm high × 40 mm deepStandard |
|---|---|
| Weight | 350 gStandard |
| Housing | Two-colour moulded case, hand-heldStandard |
| Supplied lead | TH26027AS test lead, listed for the TH2822 seriesStandard |
| Optional clips | TH26009C and TH26029C four-terminal Kelvin clips for surface-mount devicesOptional |
| Model | Configuration | Key ranges | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| TH2822A | Non-rechargeable battery, 90 × 190 × 40 mm, 350 g | L, C, R and Z with D, Q, phase angle and ESR; frequencies to 10 kHz; basic accuracy 0.25% | The entry model, with the four lower test frequencies |
| TH2822C | Rechargeable battery, 90 × 190 × 40 mm, 350 g | Same parameter set as TH2822A, with 100 kHz added; basic accuracy 0.25% | For components whose behaviour has to be checked at the higher frequency |
| TH2822D | Rechargeable battery, 90 × 190 × 40 mm, 350 g | Adds DC resistance; frequencies to 10 kHz; basic accuracy 0.1% | For a bench that needs the higher accuracy and a DC resistance reading |
| TH2822E | Rechargeable battery, 90 × 190 × 40 mm, 350 g | Adds DC resistance and 100 kHz; basic accuracy 0.1% | The fullest model in the range |
Certifications are only published once a certificate copy can be produced, so this section is deliberately empty rather than populated with assumed approvals. Tell us which approvals your application requires and we will confirm what is available for this instrument.
The following are required for a complete specification but are not stated in the documentation supplied to us. They are listed rather than estimated:
DC resistance is listed as a primary parameter on TH2822D and TH2822E and is absent from the parameter set of TH2822A and TH2822C, so if the test includes a winding or a track resistance, the choice is between the two D models. The two D models differ only in whether the highest test frequency is fitted.
The higher frequency matters when the component behaves differently at it: a small inductor whose core loss rises with frequency, or a low-value capacitor whose parasitic inductance begins to dominate. If the incoming inspection is drawn up against a datasheet measured at a lower frequency, the extra frequency adds nothing to the decision and the lower model is the honest choice.
The component types and the frequency at which they are specified, whether DC resistance is part of the test, the tolerance bands the inspection uses, and whether readings have to be logged over USB. Those four answers fix the model; the clips and leads follow from the package style being handled.
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