FNIRSI LCR-P1 Transistor Tester, Mosfet Transistor Capacitor Tester,…

Good tester but not great
This transistor tester from Fnirsi is handy to have if you work on electronic projects, and it does more than just test transistors. It can also provide info on resistors, capacitors, zener diodes and batteries.The instructions are pretty bare, but they give you a decent start.There are two testing modules included. One to clamp inserted pins, and one where you can set the transistors or components onto pads. The included test hooks also work well to securely connect to pins.The unit itself runs off an internal rechargeable battery that can be charged via USB-C.Unfortunately, I’m unable to confirm the accuracy of the test results as this is the only tester I have besides a multimeter. The results do appear to be in the ballpark but tend to change slightly each time I press the test button.The firmware can be updated which is nice, but the instructions were lacking on how to do this. Here are steps that I used to update the firmware: 1. Download the latest firmware (for LCR-P1) from the website listed in the manual. 2. Before running for the first time, install the .NET 6.0 Desktop Runtime. This will be found in the extracted download file from above (windowsdesktop-runtime-6.0.31-win-x64) 3. Connect the tester to your computer and verify what COM port it is using by looking in Device Manager 4. On the tester, while holding the Zener button, press the Test button to enter Update Mode. 5. On your computer, run BootTool (also included in the download), select the firmware bin file and the COM port used by the tester, then press Update. 6. You should receive a “Update Successful” message on the BootTool window.Overall, this is a decent, versatile little tester, but I’m sure there are better ones out there.

A few odd omissions, but every bench should have one of these
At this price point, it doesn’t make any sense NOT to have one of these on hand for component testing. This unit will automatically identify and characterize a wide variety of components. It’s not always completely on target – it identified a 0.1-ohm power resistor as a 0-microHenry inductor – but in general you’ll have SOME idea of what you’re expecting to see, and this unit will give you a display that’s easy to interpret.That said, I have several quibbles.1) This is USB-rechargeable, but it doesn’t have any battery level indicator, and doesn’t even have a charging indicator as far as I can see. Every other rechargeable device I can think of has at least one or the other.2) Switching out the ZIF module for the SMD module is awkward and takes a good bit of force. There’s also no easy way to grip the SMD module to pull it out once it’s seated. I expect the four two-pin connectors at the module corners will be a point of early failure.3) There’s no way to “hint” at what type of device you’ll be testing, so it can take a while to figure out device type. Resistors and capacitors seem to take four to six seconds. An SOT23 NPN transistor took close to fifteen seconds. This unit is NOT ideal for quickly sorting or testing a bunch of parts.It seems like each of these could be improved, although it might add to the unit’s cost. I’d gladly pay a bit more for a unit with a battery indicator, a better module-swapping approach (why not an SMD module that mates into the ZIF?), and some controls and/or modes to streamline repeated testing.On balance, though, I’ll give this a “Recommended” rating.

Cute little tester
What this is is an inexpensive way to identify and test, as per the manual:Transistors, diodes, voltage regulator diodes, FETs, thyristors, capacitors, resistors, inductors, batteries, and, oddly enough, infrared codes. I’m not sure why that last one is here, but hey, if it’s included might as well have it.The default socket is for leaded components, just insert them in the respective slots (check manual) , close the lever, and press test. There are included grabbers that can be used instead if the component can’t be easily inserted. Alternatively, you can remove the socket and use the SMD socket instead, where the SMD part is placed on it for testing. It does take a bit of time to figure out what it is it’s testing, but the result is close enough for hobbyist purposes.Uses a built in rechargeable battery, and can be charged with the included A to C cable, or an optional C to C cable as it does have the needed resistors to support them.There is a firmware update available, but I found the download and flashing process to be a bit questionable as it was not direct from the manufacturer website, and was not a signed application. But it’s nice to know that the manufacturer has will continue to support this device with updates.Recommended.