User`s guide

Making Measurements 2
Measuring Capacitance
U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide 49
Measuring Capacitance
Set up your multimeter to measure capacitance as shown in
Figure 2- 17. Probe the test points and read the display.
Figure 2-16 Capacitance display
CAUTION
To avoid possible damage to the multimeter or to the equipment under
test, disconnect circuit power and discharge all high-voltage
capacitors before measuring capacitance. Use the DC voltage function
to confirm that the capacitor is fully discharged.
NOTE
• The multimeter measures capacitance by charging the capacitor with a
known current for a known period of time, measuring the resulting
voltage, and then calculating the capacitance.
• is shown on the left of the display when the capacitor is charging,
and is shown when the capacitor is discharging.
NOTE
• To improve measurement accuracy of small value capacitors, press
with the test leads open to subtract the residual capacitance of
the multimeter and leads.
• For measuring capacitance values greater than 1000 μF, discharge the
capacitor first, then select a suitable range for measurement. This will
speed up the measurement time and also ensures that the correct
capacitance value is obtained.
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