LCR Meters
A component is not one number.
Measure the same capacitor at 100 Hz and at 1 MHz and you get two different answers, both of them correct. These eleven bridges differ in how much control they give you over the question: which frequency, at what drive, with what bias across the part. Filter by format, frequency, accuracy and what you need on the production side.
Find the right LCR meter
Select any combination of criteria. Choosing more than one option within a row widens the search rather than narrowing it.
| Model | Format | Test frequency | Basic accuracy | Internal DC bias | Sorting output | Link to product page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPS-132C | Handheld | 100 Hz to 100 kHz, six points | ±0.30% | — | — | View product |
| GPS-135A | Handheld | 100 Hz to 100 kHz, five points | ±0.2% | — | — | View product |
| GPS-3131C | Benchtop | 10 Hz to 20 kHz, continuous | ±0.2% | 0 to 1500 mV | Handler | View product |
| GPS-3135C | Benchtop | 50 Hz to 100 kHz, continuous | ±0.05% | ±2.5 V | Handler | View product |
| GPS-3138C | Benchtop | 50 Hz to 200 kHz, continuous | ±0.05% | ±2.5 V | Handler | View product |
| GPS-3139C | Benchtop | 10 Hz to 300 kHz, continuous | ±0.05% | ±2.5 V | Handler | View product |
| GPS-3201 | Benchtop | 10 Hz to 100 kHz, continuous | ±0.05% | ±2 V, ±20 mA | Handler | View product |
| GPS-3202 | Benchtop | 10 Hz to 200 kHz, continuous | ±0.05% | ±2 V, ±20 mA | Handler | View product |
| GPS-3203 | Benchtop | 10 Hz to 300 kHz, continuous | ±0.05% | ±2 V, ±20 mA | Handler | View product |
| GPS-3205 | Benchtop | 10 Hz to 500 kHz, continuous | ±0.05% | ±2 V, ±20 mA | Handler | View product |
| GPS-3210 | Benchtop | 10 Hz to 1 MHz, continuous | ±0.05% | ±2 V, ±20 mA | Handler | View product |
Five families, from pocket to production
They share a purpose and diverge on how much of the measurement you get to specify. The step from handheld to bench is the step from choosing a frequency off a key to naming one.
GPS-132C
Handheld LCR Meter
Six fixed frequencies to 100 kHz in something you can carry to the bench the part is on. L, C, R and Z with a second reading, an electrolytic mode, and sorting against a nominal with a tolerance band.
GPS-135A
Handheld LCR Meter
The same portability with a tighter figure and a touch screen. A held 100 Ω source impedance is what makes a reading comparable with one taken on a bench bridge, which the cheaper handhelds cannot promise.
GPS-3131C
Benchtop LCR Meter
The first step onto the bench. Frequency and level both become continuous rather than a list, a DC bias and a DC resistance mode arrive, and the comparator gains a Handler output for a line.
GPS-313XC series
Precision Benchtop LCR Meters
Four parameters read in one cycle on six digits, with the drive settable as a voltage or a current and the source impedance selectable. Three models at 100, 200 and 300 kHz.
GPS-3200 series
Precision Benchtop LCR Meters
The top of the range. Continuous frequency to 1 MHz in 1 mHz steps, a seven-inch display, nine bins with counting, and external bias to ±60 V for parts that need a working voltage across them.
Four things worth settling first
Fixed points, or any frequency you like?
The handhelds give you five or six frequencies chosen in advance. Every bench instrument here is continuously adjustable, down to 1 mHz steps on the GPS-3200. If a part has to be characterised at the frequency it will actually work at, rather than the nearest one on a key, that is the whole of the decision.
Buy headroom at the top of the range
Pick the model that covers your highest test frequency with a little to spare. One caveat worth knowing: the GPS-3135C and GPS-3138C start at 50 Hz, not 10 Hz. If you measure mains-frequency parts near the bottom of the range, look at the GPS-3139C, the GPS-3131C or the GPS-3200 series instead.
Does the part need a voltage across it?
Electrolytics, varactors and high-permeability cores behave differently with a working bias applied. Every bench model has one: 1500 mV on the GPS-3131C, ±2.5 V on the 313XC, ±2 V and ±20 mA internally on the 3200, which also takes an external supply to ±60 V. Neither handheld does.
Measuring, or deciding?
Sorting a reel is a different job from measuring a part. The bench models carry a comparator with a Handler interface, so the verdict goes to the machine rather than to a person reading a screen, and a list sweep checks the same part at several frequencies or drive levels in one trigger.