Signametrics 6.5 digit PCI DMM SM40CAL.DAT Calibration File Needed - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 31, 2024, 06:48:18 pm
content: Hi,I have a couple Signametrics SM2040 PCI DMM cards. I've got the drivers and software installed but unfortunately the application requires the SM40CAL.DAT file to run. This was apparently on a floppy provided with the meters when purchased new.They show an example of the SM40CAL.DAT file in the manual, but unfortunately it's not the whole thing. I tried recreating the file with that example and my units serial number but it just throws an error bad cal data. I think there's more to the file that they don't show, as they end it with ... ... ...Does anyone have a SM40CAL.DAT file?? I know it will not be accurate but its better than nothing! I'm just curious if these work really.

author: Gribo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 31, 2024, 07:28:37 pm
content: Did you try Keysight? Their smx2060 driver claims to generate the calibration file if it can't find one

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 31, 2024, 07:57:57 pm
content: I didn’t bother contacting them. This things been out of production for 20 years and they don’t give any technical support to hobbyists, so I wouldn’t expect any help.Yeah I saw that in the smx2060 manual - no mention of it in the sm2040 manual. It asks for the cal floppy during install. If you don’t install it, it tells you that you need to copy it to c:\ before it will load.I tried launching the app without the file there and it gives a similar error about needing it

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2025, 05:28:12 am
content: managed to find setup files for many signametrics cards if someone need them PM meEDIT i don't have the cal file ... i'm on NI cards

author: IlikeTech
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2025, 06:00:15 am
content: Hi,New to this forum and just spotted this topic as I have just acquired one of these cards and ran into the same issue of needing calibration data. Could you provide a SM40CAL.dat for an SM2040 card?Thanks!

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2025, 04:23:49 pm
content: Quote from: IlikeTech on January 01, 2025, 06:00:15 amNo luck yet but if you do find something please follow up.I've tried everything with the example in the manual. Using spaces instead of tabs, removing the comments, etc.... no luck at all.

author: IlikeTech
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2025, 10:34:22 pm
content: Yeah, I did the same thing with the provided file. I'm tempted to try disassembling the binary for the application to see if that provides any hints.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2025, 04:27:56 pm
content: link for thesmx2060 driver etc ...https://www.keysight.com/ca/en/lib/software-detail/driver/signametrics-instrument-drivers-for-sm2060-series-pci-dmms-and-smx2060-series-pxi-dmms-2139481.htmljust put anything in their boxes you'll be able to download it 7 megs v 1.7Supported Instruments SM2060, SM2064, SMX2055, SMX2060, SMX2064maybe it will help you guys ?

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2025, 05:47:50 pm
content: Unfortunately not. They still have the software/driver package on their site for the SM2040, that's what I downloaded and am using:https://www.keysight.com/us/en/lib/software-detail/driver/signametrics-pcidmm-instrument-drivers-for-sm2040-sm2042-sm2044-2136170.htmlStill need a cal file. I hoped it would build one on first launch but definitely not the case and the example in the manual doesn't work.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2025, 06:10:31 pm
content: dangKeysight does have some pxi dmm cards, not sure they work the same ?? or they are rebranded Signametrics cardM918xA series M9181A, M9182A, M9183Ahttps://www.keysight.com/ca/en/lib/software-detail/driver/m918x-pxi-digital-multimeter-instrument-drivers-2050245.htmldownload ....https://www.keysight.com/ca/en/lib/software-detail/driver/m918x-pxi-digital-multimeter-instrument-drivers-2050245.pv.htmlonce again not sure if it can help, i still can not believe a card is rendered useless because of a file .... wow the cal constant should be read and re-created if needed or missing ?

author: Gribo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2025, 08:35:12 pm
content: Page 120 of the user manual has a sample cal file.The manual is in the driver's zip file. Did you set the card Id to yours?

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 03:16:41 am
content: Quote from: Gribo on January 03, 2025, 08:35:12 pmYes, I did set the ID of the card (it gives a different error message if you don't) and built the file per that example as mentioned above. No good.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 05:10:30 pm
content: you dont have any missing drivers in windows device manager ?

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2025, 05:38:49 pm
content: No, the card and drivers are good. You can tell because the app does read the serial number of it and included in the error messages. You also hear the relays cycle on the card when the app opens and initializes the card.I’m guessing they realized this was a stupid idea and included the ability to auto generate the cal file on the later models like sm2060

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2025, 02:10:55 am
content: I was able to get the SM2040 working. I had suspected that there should have been a 4w-ohm section in the file (not shown or referenced in the example in the manual).Unfortunately with no example I have no idea what formatting it needed. Anyways, I just added a line with "4w-ohm" and the app now functions. It complains that the cal is out of date and the results will be off, but it works!I was pretty excited so installed the other card I have, a SM2044. Unfortunately we're back to bad calibration data. I suspect that the SM2044, with its more advanced features is missing additional sections from the sm40cal.dat file... so still on the lookout for someone's good SM40CAL.DAT file for both a SM2040 and SM2044.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2025, 02:16:36 am
content: can you retry with the sm2060 sw, would it work ?? and maybe replace or realign the file text / comments ?would you kindly post your partially working file ?yes the 2044 have capacitor tests and maybe more

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2025, 02:44:46 am
content: After reading the manual some more, I suspect that the sm40cal.dat file should have two additional sections for the sm2044 - frequency and capacitance (since they have a 'performance test' section for those additional functions defined in the manual) - question is what are those called for the file. I tried the commonly used variants of both but get bad cal data.as far as my working file for the sm2040, it's basically the example in the manual plus add one line below that just says "4w-ohm"I don't think the sm2060 software would work, they seem to be very particular about model numbers

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2025, 03:04:34 am
content: Playing around with decompiling the sm204032.dll fileI found the section related to the cal file variables, no luck yet tho

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2025, 10:39:20 am
content: you're near the solution keep up the good worki dont know if a cal labs who repair or re-cert theses, generates theses files and simply trash them or get over written once calibrated ??you have the "Counter Caps Temp" few lines downso farAdVdcVacIdcIac2W Ohm4w Ohm2044 has inductor tests too and others special tests like characterizationeven adding theses may or would help to some extent but .... cal for sure is outi dont know if you can or could find a cal lab who would accept to give you this file if you send them one of your card, if they can share it ?a costly solution ?CounterTempCapsDacPktopkVdcSourceVacSourceDciSourceInductors-------------------------------------------------------------------here's my take on this file .... incomplete for surecard_id 10123 type 2044 calibration_date 01/01/2025ad ; A/D compensation72.0 20.0vdc ; VDC 330mV, 3.3V, 33V, 330V ranges, offset and gain parameters-386.0 0.99961-37.0 0.999991-83.0 0.999795-8.8 1.00015vac ; VAC 1st line - DC offset. Than offset, gain and freq each range 330mV to 250V5.3030.84 1.015461 230.0043 1.0256 230.0 1.02205 00.0 1.031386 0idc ; IDC 3.3mA to 2.5A ranges, offset and gain-1450.0 1.00103-176.0 1.00602-1450.0 1.00482-176.0 1.00001iac ; IAC 3.3mA to 2.5A ranges, offset and gain1.6 1.024020.0 1.033571.69 1.005130.0 1.01422w-ohm ; Ohms 33, 330, 3.3k, 33k, 330k, 3.3M, 33M, 330Meg ranges, offset and gain1.27e+4 1.0022591256.0 1.002307110.0 1.0026650.0 1.0063040.0 1.0030660.0 1.0018480.0 0.9956640.0 1.000304w-ohm ; Ohms 33, 330, 3.3k,33k,330k ranges, offset and gain1.27e+4 1.0022591256.0 1.002307110.0 1.0026650.0 1.0063040.0 1.003066caps ; Caps 10nf, 100nf, 1µ, 10µ, 100µ, 1mf, 10mf ranges, offset and gains pure guessing0.0 1.00.0 1.00.0 1.00.0 0.990.0 1.000.0 1.00.0 0.99inductors ; Inductors 33µH, 330µH, 3.3mH, 33mh, 330mh, 3.3H ranges, offset pure guessing0.0 1.00.0 1.00.0 1.00.0 0.990.0 1.000.0 1.0

author: pac1085
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2025, 01:43:16 am
content: Thanks! I posted to the hp-agilent-keysight groups.io page and someone was able to provide a file for a SM2042 - which fills in MOST of the blanks:# Driver version: 2.31# Temperature during calibration: 21.94Ccard_id xxxx type 2042 calibration_date 03-08-2016ad6.112974 346.9004vdc1 1.000140.65 1.00008217.95 1.0003793.2 1.000305vac3.830.5132481 1.016177 160 1.025135 160 1.021949 60 1.031008 5idc128.65 0.9838622127.15 1.005061125.05 0.999003125.8 1.01052iac0 1.0287810 1.0379150 1.0160640 1.0254962w-ohm19440.15 1.0080521957.45 1.004677193.3 1.00459618.55 1.0056632274822610 1.002778764343361-0.7 1.009254356555235-3.15 1.0002640 0.9894w-ohm86.3 1.0076963820397686.3 1.0046776.55 1.0045966.2 1.0056497741985476 1.00273844703696counter1.000019temp0.1342051caps0.99404630.99620260.98681361936626650.99770870.99399420.99357680.9924718dac0 10 1pktopk-7.019804E-03 0.9719804-0.1132582 0.9727532-1.109044 0.9729269-11.84882 0.9741098vdc_source0 1So, it looks like I'm missing "vac_source, dci_source, inductors" that are unique to the SM2044 (based on the clues from decompiling the dll). I did try adding them (with no data, and with some guesses) but no luck yet.Yea - could probably find somewhere to cal them but I'm mostly just curious if they mostly work for now. I don't really need them, but spent $50 on them a few years ago and want some closure...lol...

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2025, 03:37:47 pm
content: would this 2042 modded would work, added some functions and ranges, i dont think the 2042 was complete,i adjusted some functions with ranges quantities, because as per sm204x manual, some ranges where missing# Driver version: 2.31# Temperature during calibration: 21.94C#card_id xxxx type 2042 calibration_date 03-08-2016card_id 10123 type 2044 calibration_date 01/01/2025#ad6.112974 346.9004vdc1 1.000140.65 1.00008217.95 1.0003793.2 1.000305vac3.830.5132481 1.016177 160 1.025135 160 1.021949 6idc128.65 0.9838622127.15 1.005061125.05 0.999003125.8 1.01052iac0 1.0287810 1.0379150 1.0160640 1.0254962w-ohm19440.15 1.0080521957.45 1.004677193.3 1.00459618.55 1.0056632274822610 1.002778764343361-0.7 1.009254356555235-3.15 1.0002640 0.9894w-ohm86.3 1.0076963820397686.3 1.0046776.55 1.0045966.2 1.0056497741985476 1.002738447036966 1.002738447036966 1.002738447036966 1.00273844703696counter1.000019temp0.1342051caps0.99404630.99620260.98681361936626650.99770870.99399420.9935768dac0 10 1pktopk-7.019804E-03 0.9719804-0.1132582 0.9727532-1.109044 0.9729269-11.84882 0.9741098vdc_source0 1vac_source0 1dci_source0 10 10 10 10 1inductors0.0 1.00.0 1.00.0 1.00.0 0.990.0 1.000.0 1.0