Making Measurements    2
Agilent U1251A/U1252A User’s and Service Guide 124
Measuring Capacitance
The meter measures capacitance by charging the capacitor 
with a known current for a period of time, measuring the 
voltage and then calculating the capacitance. The larger the 
capacitor, the longer is the charging time. 
Measuring tips: 
• For measuring capacitances greater than 10,000µF, 
discharge the capacitor first, then select a suitable 
range for the measurement. This will speed up 
measuring time in order to obtain the correct 
capacitance value.
• For measuring small capacitances, press   with the 
test leads open to subtract any residual capacitance 
from the meter or the leads. 
1 Set the rotary switch to         .
2 Connect the red and black test leads to the input 
terminals and COM respectively. 
3 Use the red probe lead on the positive terminal of the 
capacitor and use the black probe lead on the negative 
terminal. 
4 Read the display.
Disconnect the circuit power and discharge all the high-voltage capacitors 
before measuring the capacitance to prevent any possible damage to the 
meter or the device under test. To confirm that the capacitors have 
discharged, use the DC voltage function.
means the capacitor is charging.  means the capacitor is 
discharging.