Datron 1061A/1065 module swap/upgrade - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Sam__
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 10:24:50 am
content: I have had a Datron 1065 for a few years now, has options for ACV, Resistance and GPIB. Been working great and very happy with it. I just got my hands on a 1061A, which only has GPIB option, so it's just a DCV meter.I've cracked the 1065 open and found the modules for ACV and Resistance. Very naively I swapped the resistance module over to the 1061A and it seems to self test and PASS. However, the autoranging doesn't seem to be consistent. with a 10k resistor it sometimes ranges to the 1Ohm range, but displays the correct digits, just to the wrong scale. Other times it finds the correct range.The ACV module however did not PASS self test and gave ERROR 7 (failure: Test AC converter 1V range).I guess what I'm asking is, has anyone any experience in swapping modules/upgrading these meters and is there more to the process than swap a module and re-cal?Thanks in advance.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 10:26:40 am
content: If you're swapping a module to a meter without those options the cal values are at best 0, at worst garbage. If the cards themselves are calibrated alright the ranges still need to be calibrated if you swap them over. Even if you do a half assed cal I'd expect it to be much closer to the meter they came from. Just watch for any corrosion that might have built up on the pins and relays since the meter had 0 options.

author: Sam__
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 10:29:16 am
content: Quote from: maginnovision on December 07, 2019, 10:26:40 amSo you think the lack of calibration is causing the autoranging issue? That makes sense.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 10:33:56 am
content: That's what I suspect but of my 8 datron 106x/7x/8x meters none of them had 0 options installed so I'm just guessing.

author: Sam__
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 10:43:35 am
content: Okay, that's good to hear.Unfortunately I don't have a calibration key. Just tried shorting the two contacts on the back of the key barrel and that doesn't seem to put it into cal mode. Is there a workaround for not having a calibration key?

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 10:47:48 am
content: You need to set all of the gpib switches to 0, or all 1. Can't remember because it's 3am. Then you can short and it should go into Cal mode.

author: Sam__
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 10:57:02 am
content: Quote from: maginnovision on December 07, 2019, 10:47:48 amLike a dream! Thanks so much. Next thing is to have a go at calibrating it. That will have to wait for next week sadly.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 11:04:50 am
content: It might be worthwhile to at least ZERO(Cal function) all of the ohms(4 wire) and ac ranges. If you could even some 1% resistors and a function gen should get you in the right ballpark so you know nothing else is going on.

author: Sam__
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2019, 11:22:27 am
content: Quote from: maginnovision on December 07, 2019, 11:04:50 amI've got some 0.01% resistors, which should work quote nicely. I've also got a cheep func gen that I'll have a go with. This may just end up working!

author: Sam__
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2019, 09:12:48 pm
content: Interesting development.Went to calibrate the resistor ranges and it's been hit or miss.1k, 10k and 1M calibrate fine with some 0.01% vishay resistors I had laying around.100k range outputs no stim voltage so always reads 0.00010ohm range reads the correct digits for a resistor but not scaled correctly, so with a 10k resistor it will happily read 10.000ohms.the 100ohm range throws error 4 when calibration is attempted with a 100R reference. Error 4 is apparently is the cal source deviates too far from the calibration span of the instrument. FOrcing it to go into a hold state.not really sure where to go from here.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2019, 03:55:15 am
content: None of that is true for the other meter? Especially the 100k range; No current flowing sounds like an ohms board issue.