Very Accurate LC Meter based on

PIC16F84A IC
This is one of the most accurate and simplest LC inductance / capacitance Meters that one can
find, yet one that you can easily build yourself. This LC Meter allows to measure incredibly
small inductances starting from 10 nH to 1000 nH, 1 uH to 1000 uH, 1 mH to 100 mH and
capacitance from 0.1 p up to !00 n. LC Meter"s circuit uses an auto ranging system so that
way you do not need to spend time selecting ranges manually. #nother neat function is the $%ero
&ut$ switch that will reset the initial inductance / capacitance, ma'ing sure that the final readings
of the LC Meter are as accurate as possible.
LC Meter Part's List:
() 1 *
() +., *
1) -. *
/) 100 *
1) 10 * 0&T
() 10 p
1) 100 p
() 1 n
() 10 u
1) LM.,01
1) 1+ ) 1 LC2
2isplay
1) 03C1+,-#
3C
1) LM/11 3C
1) - MH4 Crystal
1) ,( uH
3nductor
1) / 5 6eed
6elay
LC Meter's Technical !eci"ications:
5oltage 7upply8 ..1 9 11 5
#ccuracy8 1:
%ero &ut 7witch
#utomatic 6anging
LC Meter"s 3nductance Measurement
6anges8
9 10 nH 9 1000 nH
9 1 uH 9 1000 uH
9 1 mH 9 100 mH
LC Meter"s Capacitance Measurement
6anges8
9 0.1 p 9 1000 p
9 1 n 9 !00 n
How does LC Meter Work?
To be able to determine the value of an unknown inductor / capacitor we can use the frequency
formula iven below!
"ote that there are three variables that we can work with# f$ L and C %f represents a frequency$ L
inductance and C capacitance&! 'f we know the values of the two variables we may calculate the
value of the third variable!
Lets say we want to determine the value of an unknown inductor with ( inductance! We plu (
inductance into the formula and we also use value of a known capacitor! )sin this data we can
calculate the frequency! *nce we know the frequency we can use the power of the alebra and
rewrite the above formula to solve for L %inductance&! This time we will use the calculated
frequency and a value of a known capacitor to calculate the inductance!
'sn+t this ama,in? We -ust calculated the value of unknown inductor$ and we may use the same
technique to solve for the unknown capacitance and even frequency!
.pplyin the Theory to LC Meter+s Hardware
"ow let+s use the above theory and apply it to electronics! The LC Meter uses a popular LM/00
'C that that functions as a frequency enerator and this is e1actly what we need! 'f we want to
calculate the value of an unknown inductor we use a know Ccal 0222 p3 capacitor and the
value of an unknown inductor! LM/00 will enerate a frequency that we can measure with a
frequency meter! *nce we have this information we can use the frequency formula to calculate
the inductance!
The same thin can be done for calculatin the value of a unknown capacitor! This time we
don+t know the value a capacitor so instead we use the value of a known inductor to calculate
the frequency! *nce we have that information we apply the formula to determine the
capacitance!
.ll this sounds reat$ however if we want to determine the value of a lot of inductors / capacitors
then this may become a very time consumin process! 4ure$ we can write a computer proram
to do all these calculations$ but what if we don+t have an access to a computer or a frequency
meter?
That+s were 5'C06378. microchip comes handy! 5'C06378. is like a small computer that can
e1ecute H9( prorams that are written usin an assembly lanuae! 5'C06378. is a very
fle1ible microchip because it has 5'"s which can be confiured as inputs and outputs! :esides
that$ 5'C06378. 'C requires very minimal number of e1ternal components like 8 MH, crystal /
resonator and few resistors dependin on what pro-ect we are buildin! :efore we can use
5'C06378. microchip we have to proram it with a H9( code which has to be sent from the
computer!
'n the ne1t step we use the frequency enerated by LM/00 'C and pass it on to 5'C06378.+s
5'" 0;! We desinate this 5'" as an input$ as well as all other 5'"s that are directly connected
to switches and -umpers! )ser can use these inputs to tell the microchip to e1ecute specified set
of instructions or perform calculations!
*nce the microchip will calculate the unknown inductance or capacitance it will use 5'"s that
are desinated as outputs and pass the results on to the 06 character LC< display!
LC Meter+s 4witches = >umpers
4W0 ? @ero out the readins!
4WA ? Capacitance / 'nductance switch!
>/ ? turns on the backliht on LC< displays that have L9< backliht!
>0 ? used by 061A two line character LC< displays!
>A ? displays the initial frequency of the LM/00 oscillator which should be around BB2 CH,!
Character LC< <isplay Connections
Most of the character LC< displays have 08 or 06 5'"s! The displays that do have a backliht
have 06 5'"s and displays that do not have a backliht have 08 5'"s! The 5'"s that are
hihlihted in reen in the table below are the ones that 5'C06378. uses to pass the output
information represented in bits %2/0&!