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Cap testing


(Argggh.  I seem to have ASSed.)

	I think i shall have a chance to recheck that reference.

>From: "SROYS"  <SROYS-at-radiology.ab.umd.edu>

>If you were using current through the cap to drive X and voltage across 
>the cap to drive Y, wouldn't a "perfect" capacitor (i.e. - no inductance) 
>give a circular trace since current leads voltage by 90 degrees?
	After staring at it, i think so.  (I did check & think before posting,
	but seem to have assed anyway... )

	This makes the technique less useful, since it requires finicky set up
	to get the circle "circular".  Still some utility.  Gain mismatches
	would leade to squish, either vertical or horizontal.  Internal
	losses would lead to "leaning" ellipses.

>Stray inductance would change the phase and distort the circle into an oval 
>shape.
	Squished oval, i think, so masquerading as a gain error: effectively
	the inductance "cancels" some portion of the capacitance.

	The other stray, and where i think this would be most uself, anyway, is
	stray resistance, be it "Real" (lead) or "effective" (loss in
	dielctric).  A "good" cap (salvaged) could be told from a lossy
	(bypass only) cap.

>Only at resonance (or with a pure resistance) would the trace be a straight
>line.
	Good point.  The display SHOULD indicate an internal-to-cap resonance,
	if the applied voltage were swept.

Richard/Chip:
	I think that was what i waas trying to say about the wire size, tho i
	may not have used the right (coil builders terminology).  Its not
	obvious but there IS/should be/better be more current in the tank
	than in the supply leads...

	regards
	dwp