LCR-Reader-MPa to be Shown at Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing show in September 2020

Siborg will be showing the LCR-Reader-MPA and their LCR-Reader multimeters to the Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show at booth #233 in San Diego, California, from September 16-17 2020.

The LCR-Reader line of multimeters offer fully automatic LCR, ESR, LED/diode measurements. The devices use a powerful multimeter combined with a set of gold-plated tweezers; when the tweezers old a component, the multimeter will automatically determine the type of component and best test parameters to use with no set-up required. All measurement values, including any secondary values, are automatically available on the OLED display. The ability to test without any set-up is especially useful for component sorting and time sensitive tasks such as production lines.

NASA TechBriefs Publishes LCR-Reader-MPA Whitepaper

Siborg published a white paper on TechBriefs about their newest device, the LCR-Reader-MPA. The paper gives insight to the devices’ capabilities and features.

The paper reviews how the device uses different measurement methods in order to produce high accuracy measurements, and the properties of operations. These operations include how the device is able to determine the type of component and test parameters to use. The paper also provides a short summary of the features and functions and an explanation how to use the Offset Removal feature.

The paper explains how LCR-Reader-MPA uses two methods of measuring capacitance using AC response method and DC charge/discharge methods. Using the AC response method allows the device to have a 0.1% basic accuracy for capacitances from 0.1 pf to 1 mF, the DC charge/discharge is more efficient in the range from 1 mF to 1 F.

The principle of operations is explained as “Voltage from the voltage source through a limiting 100 Ohm resistor is applied to the DUT connected at points A and B. The amplitude and frequency of the Test signal V are adjustable. The voltage drop on resistor Rj measured by DAj is proportional to the current flowing through the measured component. After digitizing the ADC signals the impedance is calculated according to the formula DUT impedance Z = Rj*Vau/Vaj.

For the Offset Elimination Technique is explained using the Capacitance Offset Calibration board; the dummy PCB uses holes to represent various sizes of components. Users place the tweezers’ tips in the corresponding hole to the component they are measuring and perform an open/closed calibration. The MPA will remove this value from the measured value, eliminating the value of any parasitics between the tweezers’ tips.

LCR-Reader Offset Calibration Board

“Initial values of the impedance (offsets) obtained during calibration with Open and Short probes are stored in the non-volatile memory of the device and are considered in the calculation in the impedance of the measured component thus eliminating the offset due to the device internal parasitics.”

LCR-Reader-MPA Task Kit

Siborg has released a new task kit that includes an LCR-Reader-MPA, accessories and an NIST traceable calibration certificate.

The LCR-Reader-MPA Professional task kit includes an MPA, NIST traceable calibration certificate, spare bent tweezer probes, LCR-Reader Kelvin Probe Connector kit, Offset Calibration Board, charging cable and manuals. An NIST traceable calibration certificate is a must for professional users that require their test equipment is routinely calibrated to ensure accuracy.

The Kelvin Probe Connector kit is a extension kit for all LCR-Reader and Smart Tweezer meters that replaces one of the gold probes with a wire lead. The kit comes with 5 different attachments for a wide range of tasks. When connected, the Kelvin Probe Connector Kit turns the MPA into a probe station, allowing to measure waveforms on various nodes on a PCB. This kit is exceptionally helpful when used with the Oscilloscope mode on MPA.

The LCR-Reader-MPA Professional is available for the grey or black display models and is available in the LCR-Reader Store and on Siborg’s North American sales channels.

LCR-Reader-MPA Well Received at Nepcon

Siborg debuted their LCR-Reader-MPA all-in-one multitester at Nepcon Korea in May. The audience showed great interest in the devices availabilities to test with efficiency and high 0.1% basic accuracy.

“This was the first presentation of the new LCR-Reader-MPA. EMK Nepcon has been proven to be a great place for us to debut devices in the past and this year was no different. We heard a lot of feedback from people, mostly interested in the wide range of applications and high accuracy of the MPA” says Michael Obrecht, the director of Siborg.

Electronics Manufacturing Korea (EMK) has become a globally renowned exhibition for domestic and foreign buyers and is Korea’s largest electronics manufacturing exhibition. Siborg has debuted both LCR-Reader and LCR-Reader-MP at Nepcon in 2014 and 2017 respectively.

LCR-Reader-MPA is a different from traditional multimeters that require set-up and have long wire leads. MPA’s compact design that combines a set of tweezers with a powerful multimeter. When in contact with a component, MPA will automatically determine the type of component and best test parameters to use for the highest accuracy measurements. All measurements are done with 0.1% basic accuracy and are instantly shown on the OLED display, including any secondary values (ESR, Q, D).

LCR-Reader-MPA Makes Debut at Nepcon 2019

Siborg Systems Inc. took their newest addition, the LCR-Reader-MPA to Nepcon Korea (may 15 to 17 2019) for its debut on the technology market.

“This is our first presentation of the newly competed LCR-Reader-MPA,” says the director of Siborg, Michael Obrecht, “We have shown devices in the past to welcoming audiences. Our multimeters are well received by consumers for their ease-of-use and high accuracy. We are excited to see what people have to say about the LCR-Reader-MPA at Nepcon Korea.”

Electronics Manufacturing Korea (EMK) has become the globally renowned exhibition for domestic and foreign buyers an is Korea’s largest electronics manufacturing exhibition. Since 2017, EMK has been co-hosted with ‘Autotronics Manufacturing Korea (AMK)’ and provides various seminars and events for visitors and exhibitors. Siborg is certain that LCR-Reader-MPA will be well received at this showing among the many other industry leaders.

LCR-Reader-MPA is the ultimate all-in-one multi tester with 0.1% basic accuracy and wide range of features including 100 kHz test frequency, current testing, LED/diode tests and automatic LCR/ESR measurements.

Next Generation of LCR-Reader: LCR-Reader-MPA

LCR-Reader-MPA with grey screen and black screen

Siborg is updating their LCR-Reader-MP after a year on the market. The new LCR-Reader-MPA is their most advanced multifunctional device yet. MPA offers a 0.1% basic accuracy and long list of features.

The main difference between the old MP and the new MPA is the design. The new model is more compact and nearly 1.5 times lighter than the MP. The tweezers stability was improved with more rigid tweezer handles. The screen is slightly smaller but is now available in grey or black, providing high contrast in all lighting conditions. The jog-dial navigation was replaced with a 4-way joystick which drastically changes the functionality; users can change basic test parameters, such as measurement mode, test frequency, etc., from the main display without entering menus. The device now offers 3 test signal levels: 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 Vrms; the latter is most important for accurately testing ceramic capacitors. The Slide switch for voltage measurements was removed and replaced with an automatic relay switch. LED test voltage was increased to 3.2 Volts. The signal source resistance is reduced to 100 Ohms allowing better accuracy while testing smaller resistances, inductances and larger capacitances.

Features on LCR-Reader-MPA:

  • Fully automatic and manual LCR, ESR, LED/Diode measurements
  • 0.1% Basic accuracy
  • AC/DC Voltage measurements up to 15 V
  • AC/DC Current measurements
  • Automatic and manual Test Frequency including 100, 120 Hz, 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75 and 100 kHz
  • Test signal levels 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 Vrms
  • Easy open/short calibration and offset removal
  • Oscilloscope transient voltage up to 100 kHz
  • Signal Generator with Sine wave up to 100 kHz
  • Handles components to a 0201 size (0.3 mm)
  • Automatic Test Signal Reduction to 0.1 V for in-circuit measurements
  • Displays active and reactive impedance components
  • Li-Ion battery and micro-USB charging port
  • 1 oz. weight
  • Backlit LCD display in grey or black
  • Gold-plated test leads

LCR-Reader-MPA offers the widest range of features and highest basic accuracy of all LCR-Reader and Smart Tweezers devices. The MPA is able to quickly determine the types of components and best test parameters before measuring with 0.1% basic accuracy. One of the main features on MPA is the ability to test using a 100 kHz test frequency, which allows for a 0.001 pF resolution for capacitance and 0.1 nH for inductance measurements.

MPA also offers an oscilloscope mode that shows voltage waveforms on active circuit boards on an analog graph. When used with the Kelvin Probe Connector kit, the device becomes a probe station allowing to test waveforms at various nodes on a PCB.

LCR-Reader-MPA is available in the LCR-Reader Store, and on Amazon sales channels in North America and Europe.

End of Year Sale

Siborg is hosting an end of year sale featuring LCR-Reader, LCR-Reader-MP, Smart Tweezers and other items from the LCR-Reader Store.

The sale stars December 17th, 2018 and will end on January 1st, 2019 and includes the LCR-Reader Store and Siborg’s Amazon sales channels in USA, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

LCR-Reader Store – One Stop Shop for LCR/ESR Meters

The LCR-Reader Store from Siborg Systems Inc. offers a wide selection of handheld digital LCR/ESR meters, accessories and parts. The devices available are as follows:

  • LCR-Reader-MP: This is the newest model available from Siborg. The LCR-Reader-MP or Multipurpose has the highest basic accuracy of 0.1% and the widest selection of test features and functions over all LCR-Reader and Smart Tweezers devices. These features include:
    • Automatic LCR, Equivalent Series Resistance and Diode/LED measurement
    • Basic accuracy better than 0.1%
    • AC/DC voltage measurement up to 15 V
    • Oscilloscope Transient Voltage display for up to 100 kHz
    • Measurement of supercaps up to 680 mF
    • Measurement of Frequency, Pulse period, Duty Cycle up to 400 kHz
    • Signal Generator: Sine, Rectangle, Triangle pulse shapes up to 100 kHz
    • Diode and Continuity test}
    • Two Test Signal levels, Automatic Test Signal Reduction to 0.1 V for in-circuit measurement
    • Easy Short/Open Calibration, Offset Removal
    • Handling of components as small as 0201 size (about 0.3 mm)
    • Display of active and reactive impedance components
    • Adjustable test signal frequencies of 50, 100, 120 Hz, 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75 and 100 kHz
    • Jog-wheel navigation
    • 2 oz. weight, ergonomic design
    • Backlit LCD display
    • NIST traceable calibration certificate

 

  • LCR-Reader: The LCR-Reader is Siborg’s best selling device, which features a 0.5% basic accuracy with minimal features. This device was created as a lower cost alternative to other tweezer-based devices. LCR-Reader is able to automatically determine the type of component and select the best test range for that component. The one-button navigation allows users to select the test mode they desire. Features include:
    • 0.5% Basic Accuracy
    • Fully automatic L, C, R and ESR measurements
    • Manual mode selection
    • Instantly displayed results
    • 1 oz. weight
    • One-button navigation
    • NIST Traceable Calibration Certificate
    • OLED display
      • LCR-Reader Pro and LCR-Reader Pro Plus: These are LCR-Reader Task Kits that include an LCR-Reader device with calibration certificate and accessories (battery, Kelvin Probe Connector Kit, spare tips, charger. Note: accessories depending on task kit selected).

 

  • Smart Tweezers and Smart Tweezers with Bluetooth: Smart Tweezers are the original tweezer-based LCR meter with a 0.2% basic accuracy and multiple test features, including;
    • 0.2% basic accuracy
    • Manual and Automatic L, C, R, ESR, and Z test mode
    • Component sorting with 1%, 5%, 10% and 20% variable tolerances
    • Adjustable test signal levels
    • Diode/Continuity/Short testing
    • Parasitic offset subtraction
    • 1 oz. weight
    • NIST Traceable Calibration Certificate
    • 4-way joystick navigation
    • OLED display
      • Smart Tweezers with Bluetooth is able to connect to PC (ie: NI Labview, Tera Term, etc), Android and iOS to send and receive measurement data over a real-time connection. When connected, users are sent a comma separated string of values representing the outcomes, including the type of component, main and secondary values, and test parameters used. The ability to record all measurement data is invaluable for incoming quality control. The newest update to the device allows users to send information to the Smart Tweezers device and the ability to set parameters that components must meet. This is done by the user creating a profile in the receiving software. When testing, the component must meet this criteria before being granted a pass or fail by the software.
      • Note: the Bluetooth receiver stick is required to connect with PC and LabView 
  • LCR-Reader/Smart Tweezers Kelvin Probe Connector:   The LCR-Reader Kelvin Probe Connector is a shielded two-wire device that can be used as a full probe station. When connected, the LCR-Reader or Smart Tweezers can measure components that are larger than the tweezers’ gap. It is easy to connect to the device, simply remove one of the gold-plated tweezer tips and replace with the flat connector. All extension accessories screw into the other end. The two-wire connection eliminates additional offsets.
    Note: can be used with LCR-Reader, LCR-Reader-MP, Smart Tweezers and LCR-Reader Colibri.
  • Siborg also offers Task Kits that combine a device with accessories; when purchased, the task kits give a greater discount than buying a device and each accessory separately.

See everything Siborg has to offer at the LCR-Reader Store

Siborg Meets New Manufacturers and Creates Sales Office in Southeast China

Siborg visited China in May to make local connections for manufacturing parts of their future LCR-Reader models. During the trip, Siborg established a new sales office that will cover all of China and Southeast Asia.

Michael Obrecht met with Andy Leman, an entrepreneur in Baoan, Shenzhen, and had a series of meetings and discussions. Together they also met with Shenzhen Polytechnic and Southern University of Science and Technology where Andy was appointed as Siborg’s representative in China. He will be the primary distributor of Siborg’s test equipment and educational software MicroTec Semiconductor Process and Device Simulation Software.

Michael met with Shenzhen HTX Precision Hardware Co. about manufacturing parts for a new model of LCR-Reader-MP. He also met with a few PCB companies, includng ChinaPCBOne.

ChinaPCBOne is a full cycle PCB manufacturer and assembly provider. Other companies included Shenzhen Eastwin Ltd., Wanfeng Circuit Co., and Shenzhen Sunsoar Circuit Co. Each of these companies showed great efficiency as proven with their 5-7 week lead time. Though the latter 3 subcontract their PCB manufacturing to other companies.

Siborg also visited with plastic mold manufacturers all of which provide a highly flexible arrangments for plastic part manufacturing for a new MP model. These companies included Alpine Mold, Dongguan Hensim Rubber & Plastic Technology Co. and Shenzhen Lafer Technology Co. Each company has their strengths, but Dongguan Hensim showed the most advanced manufacturing capabilities. The initial decision between companies will be decided on cost, which in the end, will benefit the customer.

For more information about the companies Siborg spoke with:

Shenzhen HTX Precision Hardware Co., LTD
Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong,China
Lisa Zhu, International Sales Manager

Wanfeng Circuit(HK) CO.,LTD, POE Precision Electronics CO.,LTD
Futian District, Shenzhen, China
Rae, International Sales Director

Shenzhen Sunsoar Circuit Co.,Ltd, Sunsoar Precision Electronic(HK) Limited
Baoan District,Shenzhen,Guangdong,China.
Apple Gu, Sales Manager

Shenzhen Eastwin Ltd.
Longhua, Shenzhen, China
Zoe, Sales Manager

ChinaPCBone
Bao’an District, ShenZhen
Gary Xiao, CEO

Alpine Mold
Gongming Town, Shenzhen, China
Kerry Wei, Sales Manager

Shenzhen Lafer Technology CO.,LTD.
Baoan, ShenZhen, Guangdong, China
Kevin Jiang, Sales Manager

Dongguan Hensim Rubber & Plastic Technology Co., Ltd.
Dongguan, Guangdong, China
Alex Ouyang, Sales Manager

Andy Leman, Entrepreneur, Baoan, Shenzhen, China

Siborg Systems Inc. Inteview with Manufacturing Today

Manufacturing Today held and interview with Michael Obrecht, the director of Siborg Systems Inc. about the future of LCR-Reader and Siborg’s software division. The interview will be published in Volume 18, Issue 3.

Obrecht spoke of a new model of LCR-Reader that will launch in the summer of 2018. This new model is a refined version; “It will be a much more powerful multimeter, less bulky and more fine tuned. We have improved on the LCR-Reader’s appearance, performance and functionality.” The new model will have a higher price than the LCR-Reader-MP, but will have better functionality, including a three-volt LED test, one-volt signal component testing for ceramic capacitors. Obrecht also mentions that the new device will have a lower signal-to-noise ratio, this is helpful for improving accuracy while testing lower value capacitances and inductances.

Siborg is beginning to refocus on the software side of things, including fresh ideas for very fast software tools for thermal design and updating their semiconductor process simulator MicroTec. “We want to enhance the functionality of MicroTec including the thermal analysis built into the semiconductor device simulator. It’s sold to a lot of educational markets and to semiconductor manufacturers.”

Used in over 100 universities and 35 companies worldwide, MicroTec is a robust process simulator that is computationally extensive for simulations for power semiconductor devices with large dimensions or solar cells. It includes 3 main software tools: SiDif for 2-D simulation of implantation, diffusion and oxidation; SemSim for steady-state 2-D simulation and SibGraf for 1-D and 2-D graphics.  The product’s staying power is that it can perform with very little RAM and is more robust and faster than similar programs.

“One of the main features is that it can be quickly customized, this is great selling feature for smaller companies. Maybe our software can do 90% of what they want. Well, we can quickly do a modification to the software and that’s very important to them. Plus, we offer 24/7 support, which is much higher than competitors. We can serve pretty much anybody that does work on electronic circuit boards, it’s a very wide community.”

Siborg is currently offering a sale on all LCR-Reader, LCR-Reader-MP and Smart Tweezers devices in the LCR-Reader Store.