Now Bill this would be a good project, build a curve tracer , plenty of circuits on the internet , called an Octopus, useful for every hobbyist, mine is really old and in use daily, I made mine as an apprentice in a tv repair shop back in the 70's. The first thing we learned and expected to do, was make your own basic test equipment for your bench.
With that cheapo component tester, did you put the zener diode in the zener testing slots? I have a very similar-looking version, and if I recall correctly it works up to 30 something volts.
At the time of recording (November '21) no I didn't, later I discovered that it would indeed test the zener using the A and K sockets, thanks to a comment on a previous video made by medelec35 , for which I am grateful!
Working on a cordless power tool battery charger, I think I ran into the same thing you did using an octopus curve tracer with my Techtronix 4635B. I haven't scoped the octopus, so not sure what its peak voltage is. After seeing your video, I now believe the zener I had was also higher than the peak of the octopus; so it read as a typical diode. Thx! I am now using mjlorton's method to test zeners and find their breakdown voltage if unknown. Video: "Tutorial: How to test / measure the value of a Zener / Avalanche Diode". Love how fast and easy it is. Also like your opamp circuit. Thx!
I think the Karl-Heinz Kübbeler / Markus Frejek / "Chinese" AVR component testers only swing to 5V.... but I'd have to dig into the documentation to be sure. I still have a great fondness for the 741! I had an electronics kit back in 1980 that had one of "these new IC thingies" in it.... the 741 :) Gotta go have a look at your yummy 'scope now.
