The Keysight (formerly Agilent) E4980A Precision LCR Meter is an industry-standard benchtop instrument for component and material evaluation. It provides superior accuracy and repeatability from 20 Hz to 2 MHz, featuring a basic impedance accuracy of 0.05% and high-speed measurements down to 5.6 ms. Designed for both R&D and manufacturing environments, the E4980A supports comprehensive measurement parameters, a 201-point list sweep, and extensive PC connectivity. It is highly configurable, with options like Option 001 for 20 Vrms test signals and 40 V DC bias, as well as handler and scanner interfaces to integrate into automated test systems.

Specifications

General

ParameterValue
InterfacesLAN, USB, GPIB (Handler and Scanner interfaces optional)
DisplayColor LCD
Warm-up Time30 minutes
Recommended Calibration Cycle1 year

Physical

ParameterValue
Power Supply90 to 264 V AC, 47 to 63 Hz, 150 VA max
Operating Temperature0 to 55
Dimensions (W×H×D)374 × 105 × 390
Weight5.3

Measurement Functions

ParameterValue
Primary/Secondary Measurement Parameters|Z|, |Y|, Ls, Lp, Cs, Cp, Rs, Rp, X, G, B, D, Q, θz, θy, Rdc, Vdc, Idc
Equivalent Circuit ModesSeries, Parallel
Mathematical FunctionsDeviation (Δ), Percentage Deviation (Δ%)
Deviation MeasurementsΔ (absolute difference) and Δ% (percentage difference)

Test Signal Characteristics

ParameterValue
Test Frequency Range20 Hz to 2 MHz
Test Frequency Resolution4 digits in any range
Signal Voltage Range (Vrms)0 to 2 Vrms (Standard) / Up to 20 Vrms (with Option 001)
Signal Current Range (Irms)0 to 20 mArms (Standard) / Up to 100 mArms (with Option 001)
Source Impedance100 Ω

Measurement Range & Accuracy

ParameterValue
Basic Impedance Accuracy0.05%
Capacitance (C) Measurement Range±1.000000 aF to 999.9999 EF
Impedance/Resistance (R, Rs, Rp, X, Z, Rdc) Range±1.000000 aΩ to 999.9999 EΩ
Measurement Time (Fast)5.6 ms
Averaging1 to 256

Calibration & Error Correction

ParameterValue
Correction FunctionsOpen, Short, Load
Cable Length Compensation0 m, 1 m, 2 m, 4 m

DC Bias Characteristics

ParameterValue
Internal DC Bias Voltage Range0 V, 1.5 V, 2 V (Standard) / -40 V to +40 V (with Option 001)
Internal DC Bias Current-100 mA to +100 mA (with Option 001)
External DC Bias SupportUp to 40 A DC with Agilent 42841A Bias Current Source

Sweep & Trigger Functions

ParameterValue
Trigger SourcesInternal, Manual, External, Bus
Sweep ParametersTest Frequency, Test Signal Voltage/Current, DC Bias Voltage/Current
Number of Sweep Points201 points list sweep

Display & User Interface

ParameterValue
Measurement Display Digits7 digits
Comparator / Bin Sorting9 Bins (BIN 1-9), OUT OF BINS, AUX BIN (with Option 201 Handler Interface)

Interfaces & Connectivity

ParameterValue
Handler InterfaceAvailable (Option 201)
Scanner InterfaceAvailable (Option 301)

Environmental & Compliance

ParameterValue
Storage Temperature Range-20 °C to 70 °C

Test Signal

ParameterValue
Test Signal Voltage Resolution100 μV (0 V to 2 Vrms range)

Connectivity

ParameterValue
Measurement Terminals4-terminal pair (BNC connectors)

Power

ParameterValue
Power Consumption150 VA max

Storage

ParameterValue
Instrument State Storage10 states in internal memory or direct to USB flash drive

Environmental

ParameterValue
Operating Humidity15% to 85% RH (non-condensing)
Operating AltitudeUp to 2000 meters

Compliance

ParameterValue
Safety ComplianceIEC 61010-1, EN 61010-1
EMC ComplianceIEC 61326-1, EN 61326-1, CISPR 11 Group 1 Class A
LXI ComplianceLXI Class C

Measurement Display Ranges

ParameterValue
Inductance (L) Display Range±1.000000 aH to 9.999999 EH
Dissipation Factor (D) Display Range±0.000001 to 9.999999
Quality Factor (Q) Display Range±0.01 to 99999.99
Phase Angle (θ) Display Range±180.0000°

Performance

ParameterValue
Measurement Time (Medium)88 ms (@ 1 MHz)
Measurement Time (Slow)220 ms (@ 1 MHz)

Options & Configuration

ParameterValue
Option 001 FunctionalityAdds Rdc measurement, Vdc/Idc monitor, and ±40 V / ±100 mA DC bias source capabilities
Option 002 FunctionalityBias current interface (enables control of Keysight 42841A bias current source up to 40 A)

Software & Control

ParameterValue
Programming Command SetSCPI

Technology

Precision LCR Measurement / Auto-Balancing Bridge

Applications

Component evaluation, materials testing, impedance measurement, semiconductor C-V testing