Q Meter
Presented by
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Ashish Kumar Mishra
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Electronics & Instrumentation
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Principle of working of a Q meter
3. Circuit Diagram of Q meter
4. Error Calculation
5. Measurements using Q meter
6. Problems
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Introduction
➢ Q meter stands for quality factor meter. The principle
of operation behind the working of the Q meter is
series resonance.
➢ The voltage magnification property exhibited by a
series RLC circuit at resonance is used in the design
of Q meter.
➢ Q meter is used for measurement of various electrical
properties of a given test coil like-
True or Actual Q of coil (𝑄𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 )
Self inductance of coil (𝐿)
Self capacitance or distributive capacitance of coil (𝐶𝑑 )
Resistance of coil(𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 )
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Set f & vary C to tune the circuit into resonance.
Condition for resonance:
𝑋𝐿 = 𝑋𝑐
𝜔𝐿 = 1ൗ𝜔𝑐
2𝜋𝑓𝐿 = 1ൗ2𝜋𝑓𝐶
𝑓𝑟 = 1Τ2𝜋 𝐿𝐶
𝑓𝑟 = 1Τ2𝜋 𝐿𝐶
𝑍min = 𝑅
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Impedance at resonance is minimum & is resistive
Voltage across capacitor:
𝑉𝑖𝑛 𝑋𝑐
𝑉𝑐 = 𝐼 × 𝑋𝑐 = × 𝑋𝑐 = × 𝑉𝑖𝑛
𝑍 𝑍
𝑋𝑐 𝑋𝐿
𝑉𝑐(maxሻ = × 𝑉𝑖𝑛 = × 𝑉𝑖𝑛
𝑅 𝑅
(At Resonance)
A series RLC circuit acts as a voltage magnifier at a resonance.
Voltage across capacitor becomes maximum which is equal to Q
times of 𝑉𝑖𝑛
Where
𝜔𝐿 1
𝑄= =
𝑅 𝜔𝐶𝑅
𝑉𝑐(maxሻ
𝑄=
𝑉𝑖𝑛
Note:
1 𝜔𝐿
𝑄𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 = 𝜔𝐶𝑅 =
𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 5
1
𝜔𝐶𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙
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➢ Insert the given test coil into socket of Q meter.
➢ Set the voltage 𝑉𝑖𝑛 at some frequency f.
➢ Adjust C till capacitor voltmeter indicates maximum
voltage then once resonance is achieved (as indicated by
capacitor voltmeter).
➢ Take readings from Q meter circuit.
Q can be computed as:
Q= capacitor voltmeter reading/supply voltmeter reading
𝑉𝑐(maxሻ
𝑉𝑖𝑛
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➢ To avoid such calculation of Q the designer of Q meter
provides a scale calibrated in terms of Q.
➢ Voltage scale of capacitor voltmeter will be calibrated to
provide Q reading.
➢ The indicated Q is not the true Q of the coil due to
the existance of insertion resistance (r) and
distributed capacitance of the coil.
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Q meter Theoretical series RLC
ciruit
Rcoil+r , L, C+Cd Rcoil, L, C
𝜔𝐿 𝜔𝐿
Qmeas = Qtrue= 𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙
𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 + 𝑟
1
1
Q meas =
𝜔(𝐶 + 𝐶𝑑 ሻ(𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 + 𝑟ሻ
Qtrue= 𝜔𝐶𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙
𝑄𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠 〈𝑄𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒
Error = 𝑄𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠 -𝑄𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒
• This error is due to r & Cd
• Qtrue or Qactual or Qcoil
• Qmeas or Qeffective or Qckt or Qindicating 9
• Correction factor = Qtrue / Qmeas
Error Calculation
1. Error in Q measurement due to r :
−𝑟
% error due to r = × 100
𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙 + 𝑟
• This error due to r will be very low since r is very very
less than Rcoil. As such this error can be neglected.
• Correction factor can be calculated. Qtrue= Qmeas (1 + 𝑟 ሻ
𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑙
2. Error in Q measurement due to Cd :
−𝐶𝑑
% error due to r = × 100
𝐶 + 𝐶𝑑
𝐶𝑑
• Correction factor can be calculated. Qtrue= Qmeas (1 + ሻ 10
𝐶
• Always measure Cd first before applying the correction factor.
1. Measurement of Cd of the coil
• Introduce the given test coil into socket of Q meter. Under
resonance Q meter circuit twice at f1, f2 wher n= f2/f1
Step 1 : 𝑓1 , 𝐶1 , 𝑉𝑖𝑛 , 𝑄1 , 𝑉𝑐1
Step2 : 𝑓2 , 𝐶2 , 𝑉𝑖𝑛 , 𝑄2 , 𝑉𝑐2
1 1
f1 = .......(1) f2 = .......(2)
2 L(C1 + Cd ) 2 L(C2 + Cd )
Eq. (1) / Eq.(2)
f1 L(C2 + Cd ) f1 (C2 + Cd )
= =
f2 L(C1 + Cd ) nf1 (C1 + Cd )
Squaring on both sides 11
C1 − n C2
2
Cd =
n2 − 1
2. Measurement of L of a coil :
1
f =
2 L (C + C d )
1
f 2
=
(2 ) 2 L (C + Cd )
1
L=
(2 f ) 2 (C + Cd )
1
L=
2 (C + Cd )
First measure Cd of coil
Then measure L of coil using above equation.
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3. Measurement of Qtrue of a coil :
We Know
Cd
Qtrue = Qmeas (1 + )
C
First measure 𝐶𝑑 of a coil and then measure Qtrue of a coil using
above equation.
4. Measurement of Rcoil :
L 1
Qtrue = =
Rcoil CRcoil
L 1
Qtrue = =
Rcoil + r (C + Cd )( Rcoil + r )
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Problems
1. A Q meter is applied with an oscillator having 500mV output
voltage while testing an unknown coil the reading of Q voltmeter
is 10 V, then Q factor of the coil is…………
2. A coil is tested with a Q meter and the self capacitance of the
coil is found to be 820pF. Resonance has occurred at a frequency
of 10^6 rad/sec with a capacitance of 9.18 nF, then the self
inductance of the coil is………………………
3. The true value of Q of a coil is 245 and the measured value is
244.5. Then the ratio of resonating capacitance in a Q meter
circuit to distributed capacitance of the coil is…………………..
4. A coil is tuned to resonate at 500 KHz with a resonating
capacitance of 360pF. When the frequency is rised to 1 MHz the
resonance is obtained at 72pF. Find distributed capacitance of
coil and self inductance of a coil.
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