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Forum: Analog Circuits Problems to compare impedance AD5933 and Agilent LCR meter E4980A


von Daphne (daphnepaag)


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Hello,

I´m currently working with the impedance converter AD5933. I´m having 
some problems to compare the data that I get from the AD5933 with a LRC 
meter.
I start my measurement by configurating my frequency start, the 
increment and number of increments. In my case I´m running frequency 
sweep with a range from 1kHz to 100kHz.

I started by calculating the gain factor with a know impedance, and then 
I start my measurement. I get the real and the imaginary data from the 
register specify at the datasheet, then I calculate the magnitude and 
the impedance also with the formulas that are in the datasheet.

However when I want to compare the impedance that I get with a LCR 
meter, the data is different and I don´t really know why. I have done 
some examples as explained in the datasheet but I don´t know if there is 
any detail that I´m missing.

To double check my data I also got the resistive and reactive from my 
impedance convertor and the phase (as specify in the datasheet) but I 
have not yet have any success.

Have someone had something similar?

Thanks
Daphne

: Moved by Moderator
von Hp M. (nachtmix)


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Daphne schrieb:
> However when I want to compare the impedance that I get with a LCR
> meter, the data is different and I don´t really know why.

Have you ever tested the readings with a pure ohmic resistor?

von Christoph M. (mchris)


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>However when I want to compare the impedance that I get with a LCR
>meter, the data is different and I don´t really know why.

Can you show a graph which compares the two impedance curves and phase 
curves? What device under test do you use?
It could be a could idea to use a well known circuit like a LCR 
resonance circuit to test the measurement setup and compare it to the 
reference LCR meter.

von Daphne (daphnepaag)


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Yes, I have try to read just ohmic resistance and I get the values 
right, I try with different resistances and I had no problem, however 
when I add a capacitor in parallel and then I run a frequency sweep and 
try the same with the LRC meter the results are not matching any more.

von Daphne (daphnepaag)



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so from the datasheet 
(https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/AD5933.pdf) 
I´m following the "measuring the phase across an impedance" section.

The first step says that I should add a know impedance between the Vin 
and Vout, in my case I´m using a 200K resistor. From this value I should 
get the impedance phase of the system, my result is the chart attach.
Once this step is done, it says in the datasheet that I should use an 
unknow impedance and also run a frequency sweep.

Once I have those values I need to get the Impedance phase from the 
"unknow impedance", and to do so rest the impedance from the unknow 
resistance - phase from the system.

I did this calculation and my results are the charts label "Unknow 
impedance phase". Once that part was done I compare with my LRC meter 
and the results were not that far from each other.

However!! I run the same measurement with a capacitor, in this case a 
4.3nF and did the same procedure and in the datasheet it says that the 
difference between capacitor to resistance should be -90. But I don´t 
get those results and the data that I obtain from the impedance 
converter AD5933 is not matching with the data from the LRC meter.

I have check my calculations and the data but I have not been success on 
finding the error.

Maybe if you see something that I´m not seeing you could please let me 
know :)

Thanks!
Daphne

von Christoph M. (mchris)


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>However!! I run the same measurement with a capacitor, in this case a
>4.3nF and did the same procedure and in the datasheet it says that the
>difference between capacitor to resistance should be -90

-90 .. what unit?

von Christoph M. (mchris)


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Do you understand what phase means? It is important to not confuse the 
phase angle given in degrees and the phase angle given in radiants.

von Daphne (daphnepaag)



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-90 degrees unit, sorry for not clarify it before.

So, I have been doing some measurements and I realize that the Gain 
resistor that I apply as my external feedback resistor is having a big 
impacts in my data and therefore I cannot compare the data.

In the annexed picture I have add the data I´m getting from my impedance 
analyzer, and the calculations that I have with the formulas of the 
datasheet. I´m using a 1K external resistor and I was measuring a 1nF 
capacitor.
I´m just comparing the points at 10kHz, 20kHz and 30kHz.

So, as I say I think the external resistor has a big incluence in my 
results, I´m a little out of ideas of what to do or If I´m missing 
something.

Thanks for the help :)
Daphne

von Hp M. (nachtmix)


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You should specify the test circuit somewhat more precise and what the 
meaning of the numbers is.
A photograph of your setup might help to identify problems regarding the 
cabling.

I guess that all numbers in your table are wrong.
If you have a DUT that contains an 1k resistor, then the real part of 
the impedance should always be 1000 Ohms!
Without any frequency dependency and regardless whether you have the 1nF 
capacitor in parallel or series connected.

von Christoph M. (mchris)


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I think the AD5933 is a quite interesting device, so I bought an 
evaluation board.
But the start is not so easy as expected, because the LCR-measurement 
part is greyed out in the GUI.
I would expect that the drivers are installed correctly. When I press 
the button "Internal Temperatur : Measure" the temperature of the chip 
is diplayed ( When I hold my finger on the chip, the temperature is 
rising).
Does anybody have an idea what's the problem?

von Hp M. (nachtmix)


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You have ticked "External clock".
Is the XO running and connected?
Perhaps you might try the "Internal oscillator" setting.

von Christoph M. (mchris)



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>Is the XO running and connected?
The Clock Jumper LK3 is connected as delivered.

Do you have the eval board yourself or some experience with this chip?

von Christoph M. (mchris)


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I have attached a logic analyser to the I2C bus and recorded the data 
transmission when I startup the GUI and when I press the "read 
temperature" button.
That might help to find the error.

: Edited by User
von Hp M. (nachtmix)


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Christoph M. wrote:
> Do you have the eval board yourself or some experience with this chip?

I dont have the eval board but an early sample of the AD5933 since 2005.
At that time I studied the datasheet but when the NanoVNA came along I 
stopped that project.

I suspected the chip having no clock, because in your screenshot there 
are no DDS-frequency related measurement values at all. The reading of 
the temperature might be clocked by the i2c bus alone.

von Robert M. (r0bm)


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Christoph M. wrote:
> Does anybody have an idea what's the problem?

Did you click on "Program Device Registers"?

von Christoph M. (mchris)


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>Did you click on "Program Device Registers"?

Yes I did, but "Start Sweep" is still greyed out.
Meanwhile I started to rework the board. I cut the I2C lines and 
connected it to a ESP32 with this Arduino-Example and modified it a 
little bit:
https://github.com/mjmeli/arduino-ad5933
I can read the temperature and I get also some measurements.
They are wrong but stable when place a 100k resistor in the RFB pins and 
some DUT resistor. Now I have to find out how to setup the resistors on 
the board.

von Christoph M. (mchris)



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Without digging deep into the datasheet I connected 10k as RFB and 10K 
as "device under test" (schematic: 
https://embdev.net/attachment/642119/AD5933_EvalSchematic1.png ) .
The measurement is done with the Code above.
The result looks strange. Someone has an idea?

: Edited by User
von Daphne (daphnepaag)


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Hi again,

So I have been trying to compare my data with the LCRmeter, now I have 
the behavior of the attach chart. I have almost the same but the first 
points are not really matching.

To try it I´m using a capacitor of 4.3nF as my DUT, a gain resistor of 
1K on my AD5933.

Thanks!
Daphne

von Christoph M. (mchris)



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What measurement setup of the AD5933 are you using?
My setup is a AD5933 eval board on which I had to place a gain resistor 
RFB of 10k.
In the attachment you can see the measurement of a 10k resistor. The 
calibration was done with a 100k resistor.
At lower frequencies (<2000Hz) there seem to be accuracy problems with 
the eval board amplifier.
If you want to know the phase calculation, take a look in the python 
code attached.

von Christoph M. (mchris)



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Here is the measurement of a 4.7nF capacitor as DUT with the same setup 
as above (RFB=10k, Rref=100k).

von Christoph M. (mchris)



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I had to correct my phase calculation. The arctan2 requires the 
imaginary part first.
Anyway: for a pure capacitor the phase should be fixed at -90 degrees. 
The measurements with the eval board show only for low frequencies -90 
degrees.
1
phase=np.arctan2(imag,real)/np.pi*180
2
phasec=np.arctan2(imagc,realc)/np.pi*180 #callibration
3
magnitudec=np.sqrt(realc*realc+imagc*imagc)
4
magnitude=np.sqrt(real*real+imag*imag)
5
gain=1/(Rref*magnitudec)
6
impedance=1/(gain*magnitude)

: Edited by User
von Daphne (daphnepaag)



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So, I wanted to try my board and I use the same values that you use, Rfb 
10K, calibration of 100k resistor.

And I realize I have the signals flipped, I attach the picture of my 
obtained data, I am not using the evaluation board but the chip and I 
created a small PCB like the connection diagram that I attach too.

I don´t have any clue of why my data is flipped, I am reading for the 
real data the register x94,x95 and for the imaginary data register x96 
and x97. I also attach a picture of how I´m transforming the data.

Thanks
Daphne

von Daphne (daphnepaag)


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Hi again, I´m really confuse now I did try to check if I was messing up 
the obtained data, that maybe somehow I was flipping the sign or so. 
Therefore I check one example to obtained the gain factor.

Just to clarify I have been calibrating my system, this was just to 
check if the data I was getting was having the right sign. And It looks 
like I do, also I did the next one with the 510k impedance and I also 
got the real and imaginary data really similar to the datasheet so I´m 
more confuse now.

Also here I´m using as mentioned in the picture a 200k impedance 
calibration, 200k RFB, PGA gain x1.

: Edited by User
von Christoph M. (mchris)


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Your PCB uses the AD5933 without any external amplifier. In its basic 
form it has a relative high output resistance which I would think it 
adds to the impedance of the DUT.

The output resistance when the output voltage is set to its maximum with 
the configuration register is regarding the datasheet 200Ohm. This would 
explain 200Ohm of the 500Ohm of your measurement at higher frequencies 
here:
https://embdev.net/attachment/642492/Measurement_with_capacitor_4.3nF.PNG

There is an application note CN0217 on the accuracy of the AD5933:
https://www.analog.com/en/resources/reference-designs/circuits-from-the-lab/cn0217.html#rd-evaluationNtest

Probably you can post a picture of your hardware and the DUT, to see if 
it is probably also

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