The HP/Agilent 4268A is a benchtop capacitance meter designed for precision measurement of capacitance and equivalent circuit parameters at 120 Hz and 1 kHz. The instrument delivers measurement speeds as fast as 25 ms and supports both parallel and series equivalent circuit models, making it ideal for component characterization in quality control and research environments.
Technical Specifications
Measurement Parameters
• Parallel model: Cp, D, Q, G, Rp
• Series model: Cs, Rs
Test Frequencies & Signal
• 120 Hz ±1% and 1 kHz ±0.05%
• Test signal: 0.1 V to 1.0 V, resolution 0.01 V, accuracy ±10%
• Measurement ranges at 120 Hz: 10 nF through 1 mF
• Measurement ranges at 1 kHz: 1 nF through 100 µF
Measurement Modes
• Output: Continuous or Synchronous
• Source delay and trigger delay: 0 to 1.000 s, resolution 1 ms
• Measurement time: Short, Medium, Long
• Averaging: 1 to 256 times
• Trigger modes: Internal, Manual, External, Bus
• Range selection: Auto or Manual
Display & Performance
• 40-digit, 2-line LCD
• Constant test level supports IEC 384-10 compliance: 70 µF at 1 Vrms (1 kHz) and 600 µF at 1 Vrms (120 Hz)
• Quick contact check function included
Comparator Function
• Bin sorting: 9 primary bins plus Out of Bins and Aux Bin
• Secondary parameters: High, In, Low sorting
• Limit modes: Absolute, Absolute Tolerance, Percent Tolerance
• Bin counting: 0 to 999,999
– Key Features
• Non-volatile memory stores up to ten setting conditions
• Automatic settings save on power-off
• Front panel key disable option for security
• Measurement cable support: 0 m, 1 m, or 2 m (cable resistance ≤0.3 Ω per conductor)
• Displays measured values, comparator results, deviation from reference, and percent deviation
– Typical Applications
• Multi-layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) testing and bin sorting
• High-throughput production quality control
• Component characterization and material research
• Frequency-dependent capacitance analysis
– Compatibility & Integration
Handler interface connections with negative-logic input/output signals support automated test system integration.
