CeteAnD Application Note 346 A Guideline tor Designing External DC Bias Circuits = Por the HP 4192A, HP M1QUA, HP U27HA, HP 4275A, HP W?Y6A, HP 42Y(A ~ A. External pe Bias Circuit If you need to apply up to approximately 10A UC biag to device (ex. inductors) and measure impedance = D¢ bias characteristics, thie can be done by inserting an external DC bias circuit between the LCR meter and the cample device. This A/W describes how to design the circuit. 2. Specific paraneters for the circuit Before designing the cireuit, you should decide on the following parameters before determining the circult's elements. De current bias which will be applied: (1) [8 ) 2) minim measurement frequency (Hz, 3) Inductance of the sample device ic &) Oscillator output level vac (¥} ‘The external DC bias circuit deagram is shovn in Figure 1. 3. Chokes (Ia, Le) Li and L2 in Figure 1 should satisfy the following conditions © |anfta| el2afla} z]9FLx| . l2nfta] 2 Rr (Rr: Range Resistance [a] See Table 1.) © ‘When the maximum DC current is applied, the cores of Li and L2 mst not be"saturated. © Prax 2 1?-Rde pmax: Max. allowabl of by and 1: Ti Maw. DC currenty * kde: De series resistance of La and Le You should select chokes for Uy and Lz which have a large Pmax and small Rdc. Rdc will influence the selection of the Rener diodes (see section 5). 4. Blocking Capacitors (C1, C2, Ca, Cy) @ The capacitance of Cj, Cy and Cy in Figure 1 should be 1 C2 Tor In case of the HP 42768, * The capacitance of C2 should be as follows. Because of the high impedance of the Hp terminal, a small capacitance nay be used 1 2 ORF4 ¥ithstendjne voltage, Vde, of Cy and C2 depends an, DC resistance of Lay the output voltage of DC power supply, and the DC bias current. Tt should be determined as follows. Vée > V~ 1 + Rdca va Withstaning voltage of C1, G2 Vi Qutput voltage af DC power supply i: De bias current: pews Récq: DC resistance of by However the following equation is recomended for a safty margin. Vac > v © Withstanding voltage of C3 and Cy should be determined as follows. vdeo > I + Race Vac: Withstanding voltage of C3, Cy T: De bias current Rdcz: DC resistance of Le 5. Diodes (Riz, CRy2) ORy3) CRy 4) If the circuit, ie opened whan a bias current ic applied, a large counter slecttonotive force will be generated by tne choking Tnductor Gnd’ could: damage fhe Lek meter and the operator, The circuit shown in Figure 1 includes a rotection eireuit to block this counter electromotive force, The diodes used Ivthes protection cireuit, CRii, CRi2, CRi3, and CRIs, should be determined as oLlows. © Diodes must be able to withstand the following power for t (sec]. P= /2e(ta + Ladeltt/e EH] «oat eowar Inductance of Li, Lz Dc bias current Zener impedance Rdex, Rdca: DC resistance of Ls, Le @ fener voltage of CRi; and CRi2 should be determined as follows. Ve >W-T x Rdey + 2 Vac ¥: Output voltage of DC power eupply t: pe Bias current. Rdei! DC resistance of Li Vad: Oscillator level Tener voltage of CRy3, CRs should be determined as follows, Vz > 1+ Rader 1: DC biag current Ric, OC reeistance of La Considering operator safety, the zener voltage should be determined as: ve ¢ 40 (V] (Safe voltage is leas than 42 (V)p-p according to TRC-348/UL-1244,) 26. Diodes (CR,, CR2, CRy, ORs) Are divides to protect the LCR meter from high DC voltages. © Zener voltage of CRy, CRz, URy and CRs should be determined as follous. HP Wi97A: Ve = 2 [VI HP WI9WA: V2 2 2 LV: HP W27UA: Va 2 10 [v' wp v2 2 2 (Vv) ap ve; 2 fv) uP wet 2 (vy Vz: Zener Voltage ‘These values depend on the maxim input voltage of the LOR meters and Thevmextmam oaclitator, ievele. "the rating songe, voltae should be greater thao" the"wwximim ogetiiaer,cipus Tevel, fess” than the maxim, inpul voltages and should not distort the test signal. ‘Therefore, the zener Voltage should be approximately twice the maximin Osciliator output level. 7. Diode (CRs, CRe) CR3 and CRs are to cancel the parasitic capacitance of senor aiades cR¥ and CRs. ithetanding voltage and waximum forward current of CR3 and CRé are the meas or greater than CRs and CRs- Diodes (CR7, CR, CRs, CRi0) © CR7, CRO, CRs and CR10 are the same as CRS and CR. One additional diode in series with CR7, CRe, CR? and CRio will decrease ‘the total parasitic capacitance. 9. Stray Impedance and Circuit Parasitii hon g peamorenent. ip pecforned using this circuit, an aMditions? ecror wilt be couse e circuit. "when you declen the circuit, keep the stand Lines as short agi possible to iininize stray. ingedancs. (Refer £6 Figure.t.} Before’making a teasurenent, you should determine the etray impedance as olin” 1) Measure a test device (inductor) using a direct~coupled test fixture such as the HP 160%7A/C/D. 2) Connect the external p¢ bias circuit to a LCR meter, and measure the test device without DC bias 3) Compare the results of both 1) and 2]. (Refer to Pigure 2.) 4) If the difference between 1) and 2) is small, the LCR meter's zero Adjugemnnt Function wil. be able, bo sonponante the el reutets ecra Inpoantce: “Postorm a tore" adjustnonts EC" aenautenent Carattads' the eleeuit, 5) If the stray impedance {s too great. to compensate for vith the zero adjustment function, it will necessary to use the three point. compensation method’ (Cohm/Os/Standard calibration), For the WP u29\A, rm Oohn/OS/Standard calibration at measurement terminals of the iE.” [For other LCR meters, perforn,a three point. compensation ising aa external computer. (Refer to Instrument News/iuly, 1968")