TSP #248 - Zurich Instruments MFIA Impedance Analyzer (Z = 1mΩ - 1TΩ) Review, Teardown & Experiments

In this episode Shahriar reviews the Zurich Instruments MFIA Impedance analyzer. The unit is capable of measuring impedances from 1mΩ to 1TΩ and across a frequency range of 1mHz to 5MHz while providing a basic accuracy of 0.05%. However, this instrument is much more than just an Impedance Analyzer, it is build on a lock-in amplifier architecture with sophisticated capabilities and features:

https://www.zhinst.com/americas/en/products/mfia-impedance-analyzer

The review is organized as follows:

00:00:00 - Introductions 00:00:39 - Digital lock-in fundamental theory of operation 00:06:00 - Block diagrams, LCR capabilities, performance metrics 00:14:29 - MFIA I/O and interface overview 00:15:48 - Detailed teardown, circuit components, design architecture 00:21:57 - GUI introduction, software flow, API capabilities 00:24:51 - MFITF Impedance Fixture details 00:25:38 - Calibration & initial measurement setup, numeric display 00:30:41 - Frequency sweep, self-resonance, plotting functions 00:34:07 - High-Q filter measurements, phase & impedance analysis 00:36:07 - Varactor CV characteristic measurements, bias & signal sweep 00:39:32 - Trend sweeps, temperature measurements, statistical plots 00:43:52 - Threshold Unit, generating waveforms, AUX IOs, DAQ capabilities 00:49:18 - Lock-in amplifier overview & signal flow diagrams 00:51:23 - Ultra-sound radar, spectrum view, digitizer, AUX routing 01:00:48 - Zurich Instruments product ecosystem overview 01:01:48 - Concluding remarks

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