LC Meter DIY Kit LC Meter DIY Kit LC Meter DIY Kit LC Meter DIY Kit

by Phil Rice VK3BHR by Phil Rice VK3BHR by Phil Rice VK3BHR by Phil Rice VK3BHR
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Copo!e!ts List: Copo!e!ts List: Copo!e!ts List: Copo!e!ts List:
Resistors: Resistors: Resistors: Resistors:
R" # $% Carbo! &il Resistor 3K 'ora!(e) blac*) red) (old+
R,) R3) R- # $% Carbo! &il Resistor "..K 'bro/!) blac*) yello/) (old+
R$ # $% Carbo! &il Resistor ,.K 'red) blac*) ora!(e) (old+
R0 # $% Carbo! &il Resistor -1K 'yello/) 2iolet) ora!(e) (old+
R1) R3 # $% Carbo! &il Resistor -.1K 'yello/) 2iolet) red) (old+
R4) R".) R"") R", # $% Carbo! &il Resistor "K 'bro/!) blac*) red) (old+
R"3 # $% Carbo! &il Resistor 30R 'ora!(e) bl5e) blac*) (old+
P" # ".K Pote!tioeter 6rier '".3+
Capacitors: Capacitors: Capacitors: Capacitors:
C") C1) C"") C", # "..!& M5ltilayer Ceraic Capacitor '".-+
C, # ,,.5& 7lectrolytic Capacitor "0V
C- # "..5& or ,,.5& 7lectrolytic Capacitor ".V
C3) C0 # "!& $% Polyester &il Bo8 Capacitor '".,+
C$) C3 # ".5& 6a!tal5 Capacitor
C"3) C"- # 3.p& M5ltilayer Ceraic Capacitor '3..+
I!d5ctors: I!d5ctors: I!d5ctors: I!d5ctors:
L" # "..5H Radial I!d5ctor
9eico!d5ctors: 9eico!d5ctors: 9eico!d5ctors: 9eico!d5ctors:
6" # ,:34.0 P:P 6ra!sistor
PIC"0&0,3; Micro<co!troller =lashed /ith he8
LM13.$ $V Positi2e Volta(e Re(5lator
D" # ":-..1 Diode
D, # ":-"-3 Diode
L7D # 3 Red
>ther: >ther: >ther: >ther:
LCD "08, HD--13. Copatible
$V Relay
-.... MH? Crystal
9" # 9lide 9/itch B5tto! >!/>==
9, # 6act P5sh B5tto! @AeroB
93 # DPD6 P5sh B5tto! C/L
"3 Pi! IC 9oc*et
", Pi!s Male Header ," '0C0+
, Pi!s Male Header
, Pi!s 9i!(le Male Header Ri(ht ;!(le
3 Pi!s Do5ble Male Header Ri(ht ;!(le
0 Pi!s &eale Header DIP 9IP ;dapter
,.$- D5per C5p
,8 "$ M,.$ 9ta!do==
-8 M,.$ 9cre/
-8 M3 9cre/
-8 M3 9ta!do==
6ech!ical 9peci=icatio!s: 6ech!ical 9peci=icatio!s: 6ech!ical 9peci=icatio!s: 6ech!ical 9peci=icatio!s:
Capacitors Meas5ri!( Ra!(e: .."p& to .."5&
I!d5cta!ce Meas5ri!( Ra!(e: ..."5H to ,.H
;cc5racy: "%
95pply Volta(e: 4V re(5lated DC
95pply C5rre!t: 03;
9o=t/are Calibratio! /ith a (ood e8ter!al capacitor.
Copact PCB Desi(!
Die!sio!s: $. 8 3$ 8 3$
Bac*(ro5!d: Bac*(ro5!d: Bac*(ro5!d: Bac*(ro5!d:
6he ori(i!al circ5it a!d he8 =ile /as de2eloped by Phil Rice VK3BHR. Yo5 ca! =i!d ore
i!=oratio! abo5t this ope! so5rce proEect at his /ebsite:
https://sites.(oo(le.co/site/2*3bhr/hoe
I /o5ld say a!y tha!*s to hi =or the LC Meter circ5it a!d he8 beca5se I 5se it at y hoe
lab ore tha! , years /ith a!y di==ere!t proEects. I desi(!ed y o/! PCB a!d prod5ced DIY
*its to help others haFs li*e e to b5ild this (ood LC Meter at hoe. 6he *it sho5ld be 5sed
/ith 4V ,..; re(5lated po/er s5pply a!d !ot /ith 4V batteryG It has hi(h po/er
co!s5ptio! 'abo5t 03;+ beca5se o= the relay type I 5sed a!d LCD bac*li(ht.
6he assebli!( process reH5ire solder s*ills. &5ll *it solderi!( /ith calibratio! ca! ta*e a
ho5r or t/o i= yo5 are be(i!!er i! electro!ics. 9o please ta*e yo5r tie) pri!t the circ5it pa(e
a!d p5t i! i! =ro!t o= yo5r eyes d5ri!( solderi!(. 6he PCB has sil*scree! /ith copo!e!ts
!5bers. It al/ays hard to 5!solder copo!e!ts i= yo5 ade a ista*e) thatFs /hy I ad2ise
do5ble chec* e2ery copo!e!t a!d itFs directio! be=ore yo5Fll solder it to the PCB. ;ll
copo!e!ts are thro5(h<hole a!d are easy to solder.
Calibratio! process is siple. It /ill be described later i! the a!5al. Yo5 /ill !eed soe
precisio! capacitor /ith "% acc5racy.
6he *it ca! be 5sed /itho5t e!clos5re) b5t yo5 ca! 5se a!y sall si?e plastic bo8 =or this
proEect. 6he PCB has , pi!s =or e8ter!al probes co!!ectio!. 9older yo5r probes teri!als /ith
short /ires to this pi!s.
6he LCD color o= the *it is ra!do. Is5ally IFll se!d yo5 Bl5e Color) depe!d o! stoc*. ;!y
HD--13. copatible "08" or "08, display /ill /or* =i!e.
;ssebli!( a!d 9olderi!(: ;ssebli!( a!d 9olderi!(: ;ssebli!( a!d 9olderi!(: ;ssebli!( a!d 9olderi!(:
Reeber do clea! solder /or* a!d i!stall ri(ht copo!e!ts i! the ri(ht place) beca5se it
al/ays hard to 5!solder the copo!e!ts =ro the PCB. Je ca!!ot be respo!sible i= yo5Fll
o2erheat yo5r PCB or /ill daa(e the *it copo!e!ts d5ri!( /ro!( solderi!( /ith a
ista*es. 9o please do5ble chec* yo5rsel= be=ore yo5 solder. Reeber to 5se a solder /ith
Rosi! Core &l58. 9oe i!d5strial =l58 has se2eral Me(a<ohs resista!ce a!d they reH5ire a
special clea!i!( that ca!!ot be per=ored at hoe.
Do !ot 5se too 5ch solder. ; (ood Eoi!t sho5ld loo* li*e:
78tra =l58 ca! be clea!ed a=ter /ith so=t br5sh a!d edical alcohol. Je ad2ice yo5 to 5se
..3 or "... thic*!ess solder /ire /ith lo/ elt poi!t:
0./-. # "30 Celsi5s '330 &ahre!heit+
03/31 # "33 Celsi5s '30" &ahre!heit+
I= yo5Fll !eed to reo2e e8cess solder =ro the pad) 5se desolderi!( tools 'braid /ic* or sall
p5p+.
9tart yo5r solderi!( /ith hori?o!tal copo!e!ts) i.e. resistors) diodes) IC soc*et) crystal etc.
&ill /ith a solder ". PCB li!*s pads 'there is , li!*s close to C- o! the photo yo5 ca! see a!d
their pads are =illed /ith solder+.
Reeber abo5t ta!tal5 a!d electrolytic caps polarityG

P5t special atte!tio! to PIC chip directio!G 6here is the =i!ished PCB be=ore LCD co!!ectio!:
Do5ble ro/ ri(ht a!(le pi!s sho5ld be i!stalled i! 5p<side do/! positio!. 6his pi!s are 5sed
=or calibratio! a!d i!ter!al oscillator =reH5e!cy co!trol.
Hard/are i!stallatio!: 5se -8 M3 sta!do==s =or PCB a!d ,8 M,.$ sta!do==s =or LCD board.
6ri the P" pote!tioeter as i! the photo be=ore yo5Fll co!!ect the LCD. P" co!trol LCD
co!trast. Yo5 ca! recalibrate it a little /ith a sall pliers /he! the LCD is i!stalled) b5t do it
care=5llyG
6he =i!ished LC Meter *it /ith LCD i!stalled:
Please do !ot solder the LCD i= yo5 still !ot chec*ed that the *it is po/er 5p /itho5t a!y
proble. Yo5 ca! (e!tle p5sh =or/ard the LCD board to pro2ide (ood co!tact bet/ee! LCD
board a!d 0C0 pi!s. 9older the LCD board later a=ter yo5 /ill e!d all calibratio! a!d testi!(
process.
Co!!ect 4V po/er s5pply. :e2er E5st /rap a siple /ires o2er the 2olta(e pi!s. Ise o!ly
,.$- red a!d blac* E5per /ires =or P9I co!!ectio!G

6he display /ill say @Calibrati!(B a!d CK...p& i= the de2ice i! capacita!ce ra!(e. Press 9,
?ero b5tto! be=ore eas5ri!(. Yo5 ca! to((le 93 DPD6 b5tto! a!y tie =or selecti!( bet/ee!
capacita!ce or i!d5cta!ce ra!(e.
Close L/C E5per /he! i! i!d5cta!ce ra!(e a!d press 9, ?ero b5tto!. Reo2e L/C E5per
be=ore eas5ri!( coils. 6he display /ill say @>2er Ra!(eB /he! !o coil is co!!ected.
>scillator &reH5e!cy: >scillator &reH5e!cy: >scillator &reH5e!cy: >scillator &reH5e!cy:
Co!!ect pi! 3 o= the PIC to the (ro5!d /ith DMP ,. Yo5 sho5ld see the oscillator =reH5e!cy o!
the display $.... C/< ".%
I= yo5Fll co!!ect pi! 4 o= the PIC to (ro5!d /ith DMP " yo5 sho5ld be !ear to 1"% C/< $% o=
yo5r $.... C/< ".% =reH5e!cy.
I= yo5 (ot siilar 2al5es displayed it ea! yo5r LC Meter is soldered a!d /or* properly. I= !ot)
please chec* yo5r solderi!(.
Calibratio!: Calibratio!: Calibratio!: Calibratio!:
Co!!ect a (ood "% capacitor a!d adE5st the readi!(s /ith DMP3 a!d DMP-. Jhe! yo5 p5t
E5per c5p o! DMP3 or DMP- co!tacts it /ill slo/ly lo/er or raise the capacita!ce readi!(. Yo5
ca! 5se a!y "% cap =ro "..p& to ".!&. Jhe! yo5 calibrate the capacita!ce) the i!d5cta!ce
/ill be calibrated by a5to. Yo5 ca! re<calibrate yo5r de2ice a(ai! i! a!y tie yo5Fll !eed.
95pport reH5est reH5iree!ts: 95pport reH5est reH5iree!ts: 95pport reH5est reH5iree!ts: 95pport reH5est reH5iree!ts:
9e!d yo5r reH5est to s5pportLradiohobbystore.co Please describe yo5r proble)
attach scree!shots or pict5res a!d tell /hat yo5 already tried to do =or resol2i!( the
proble.
;ttach t/o clear =oc5sed photos o= yo5r soldered *it) =ro both sides o= the PCB.
Please /ait 5p to ,- ho5rs =or the respo!se.
Please =ollo/ o5r s5pport i!str5ctio! beca5se /e ca! help yo5 o!ly i= yo5Fll /or* /ith
s5pport tea. I= yo5Fll !ot pro2ide a i!=oratio! =or s5pport tea /eFll !ot be able to
resol2e the proble.
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