1603-A

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The General Radio 1603-A is a Z-Y impedance bridge introduced in Catalog O (1956) that remained available through Catalog T (1968).

General Radio 1603-A
z-y impedance bridge
General Radio 1603-A Z-Y Bridge

Available from 1956 to 1968

Manuals
Catalog History
 Document Year Page
Catalog O 1956 34
Catalog P 1959 28
Catalog Q 1961 24
Catalog R 1963 31
Catalog S 1965 45
Catalog T 1968 69
(All manuals in PDF format unless noted otherwise)

Known as the bridge that always has an answer, its claim to fame is that it can be balanced for any impedance connected to its terminals. The 1603-A is accurate at audio frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. It requires an audio oscillator and detector for operation.

The 1603-A directly measures the quadrature components of a complex impedance Z = R + jX, or a complex admittance Y = G + jB. The unknown Z or Y may lie in any of the four quadrants of the complex plane, since this bridge can measure both positive and negative values of R and G as well as X and B.

Specifications

  • Frequency Range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
  • Impedance and Admittance: -infinity to +infinity
  • Accuracy (with unknown grounded): 1% (see manual)

Links

Photos