Agilent U1733C LCR Meter - flashing error - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: mikgntl-2013
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2014, 03:02:23 am
content: I tried to upgrade the firmware to the latest revision (00.27) available on the Agilent site, but just after pressing the Upload Firmware button, the flashing program returned an error and I did reset the meter.No progress was shown on the bar. Now, every time I power it up, a "Prog" message is shown on the display and nothing happens. Any idea?

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2014, 03:39:02 am
content: Quote from: mikgntl-2013 on January 03, 2014, 03:02:23 amI flashed mine to .27 and a previous version without problem. I guess "Prog" indicates the firmware is corrupt and it is stuck in a bootloader. Have you tried the update tool with it in that state? If it doesn't work I guess it is bricked.The update tool is pretty crap so I wouldn't be surprised. I would have gone back to 00.25 except the tool won't let you downgrade.Although 00.27 was supposed to fix some open/short calibration problem it didn't or made it worse. If I measure a 470uF capacitor at 100Hz I get a stable 512uF. I turn off auto range, do an open/short calibration and now that capacitor just reads noise between 220uF and 550uF. Same thing at 1kHz although it reads a fairly table 49uF.I don't think (but don't know because I can't go back to try) that 00.25 did the same.One of the reasons for upgrading to 00.27 was the hope that it might fix the stupidity of it switching into auto range and loosing one off calibration when you change between ZLCR modes. ZLCR mode just changes how the same measurement is displayed there is no need to auto range or loose calibration.Cheap and Chinese with an Agilent badge is no longer cheap but sadly just as Chinese.

author: mikgntl-2013
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2014, 04:14:07 pm
content: I've been using this meter for a few months and I similarly found it to be a bit unstable/inconsistent on some ranges or modes.The lost of calibration when changing among ZLCR modes is probably the most annoying "feature" and one of the reasons for which I decided to try the new firmware.Coming back to the flashing issue, I've tried to force the firmware upload with the meter set in the "Prog" state, but it doesn't even answer to the *IDN? command sent by the flashing program.The Renesas 78F0485 microcontroller can be in-circuit programmed thanks to the service header at the top of the PCB, but the main issue is that the firmware provided by Agilent is not in a known format, so I cannot flash it directly.Two files (setting.AG and setting1.AG) are provided but both of them seem to be in a proprietary format and so they can only be used for self-programming which in turn requires a working firmware loaded into the meter. Interestingly the 78F0485 microcontroller provides a boot swap function which could have been used to avoid bricking the meter in case of flashing errors. Wondering why they decided to ignore it... Maybe Rufus is right. "Cheap and Chinese with an Agilent badge is no longer cheap but sadly just as Chinese".Hope Agilent will honor at least the RTA warranty policy, but I'm not very confident as I sent a technical request a few days ago and there has been no answer so far...

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 04, 2014, 05:12:49 pm
content: Quote from: mikgntl-2013 on January 04, 2014, 04:14:07 pmIt could be that it thinks it is booting correctly as the machine powers up and displays a message. Maybe there is a non broken firmware in the uc, you may just need to get it out.....Quote from: mikgntl-2013 on January 04, 2014, 04:14:07 pmOr that!

author: mikgntl-2013
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 04, 2014, 05:31:51 pm
content: Quote from: Lurch on January 04, 2014, 05:12:49 pmI don't know... The progress bar of the Agilent flushing software made no progress at all. It returned an error just after pressing the button.For sure the controller is not monitoring the IR input as it doesn't answer to any command. And the only way to flash the firmware is by self-programming with the IR UART interface. Hopeless!

author: mos6502
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 06:06:24 am
content: Send it back for a refund, then get a DE-5000 for 1/3rd the price

author: mikgntl-2013
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 04:42:27 pm
content: Still no answer from Agilent, despite various messages and a RMA request.I was expecting a far better service from Agilent...Any experience with that?

author: mos6502
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2014, 10:54:17 pm
content: Any news?

author: mikgntl-2013
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2014, 10:58:03 am
content: Sorry for the late reply. I've been very busy.Despite the initial difficulties to get in touch with the customer service, I sent the meter back to Agilent and in less than ten days I got a new unit with the latest firmware and a full calibration report.Now the meter is much more stable with no drifts or other strange behaviors.So, I'll give five stars to Agilent, at least for their service.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2014, 11:33:14 am
content: Quote from: mikgntl-2013 on March 10, 2014, 10:58:03 amWhat firmware version?

author: mikgntl-2013
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2014, 11:54:34 am
content: Quote from: Rufus on March 10, 2014, 11:33:14 am00.27

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2014, 08:22:22 pm
content: Quote from: mikgntl-2013 on March 10, 2014, 11:54:34 amSo measuring say a 470uF cap at 100Hz doesn't produce stupid results after an open/short calibration - mine with 0.27 does.

author: The Electrician
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2014, 05:23:40 am
content: Quote from: Rufus on January 03, 2014, 03:39:02 amThe spec sheet for the 1733:http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5990-7778EN.pdfsays that the max capacitance range at 100 kHz is 20 uF, and at 10 kHz it's 200 uF. You probably shouldn't expect it to work properly with a 470 uF cap.My DE-5000 just says OL if I try to measure a cap over 20 uF at 100 kHz. I wonder why the 1733 even tries.

author: lowimpedance
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2014, 05:52:38 am
content: To be fair the frequency is 100Hz not 100KHz!!.

author: The Electrician
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2014, 06:13:42 am
content: Quote from: lowimpedance on March 11, 2014, 05:52:38 amHow could I have missed that? Never mind!

author: mkdslr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 11, 2015, 08:11:07 pm
content: I also experienced the same behaviour. Stopped during update only "pro" is shown on screen.Any other idea besides sending it back to agilent?

author: salviador
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 11:06:11 am
content: Ohhhh No!!!!I just buy the U1733C , just 2 hours of operation, and I updated the firmware 00.28 !!!the procedure by mistake and now the instrument is completely blocked !!!when I turn on the instrument he sends these bytes to the serial:6B0AEF09

author: mkdslr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 06, 2015, 07:19:11 am
content: MY device did the same thing. I had to return it for a replacement unit.I think it is a piece of crap, when it comes to update reliability. Don't try to update it!But why do they offer software update, if 80% of the update attempts fail, and device becomes unusable after that??

author: electronic_eel
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2015, 07:19:34 pm
content: Seems like Keysight pulled the update: I can't find any firmware files or an updater program on their support website anymore.I guess they had too many returns because of failed firmware updates. Hopefully they are currently reworking the update program to be more robust.

author: salviador
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2020, 10:26:45 am
content: WTF Keysight?I destroyed U1733C for the second tim!!!!!!! after simply updating the firmware !!! how disgusting!!!!!

author: giacomo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2021, 04:16:56 pm
content: I saw recently one unit with this failure on ebay, but in the end i did not feel to take the riskI wanted to try, desolder the eeprom that should be a soc-8 ic, copy the content, empty it and put it backIf something change it may allow you to flash a new firmware, then compare the two content for trying to save the calibration dataIf something change but it does not work (as before but with a different symptom) try with the content from another unit if someone would provide that