Recommendation for modern benchtop multimeter? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 04:40:27 pm
content: I am looking for a modern benchtop multimeter, nothing very fancy, but with the following requirements:High input impedance (10 GOhm) on 10 V rangeCan display trend chart"Professional" settings, like measurement speed set in NPLC instead of "Fast" and "Slow"Free PC softwareIt seems that A-brands Keysight and Textronix don't have free software, while the other brands don't have some of the other features. But there is probably a middle ground.

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 06:25:22 pm
content: You're probably better off looking at the total package and the total cost rather than insisting that the software portion be 'free'.The Keithley DMM6500 had a free promotion for a while with free PC software (Kickstart) but I think that is long gone.The Fluke 8845A/8846A do everything you ask for and can be purchased as a package with the Flukeview Forms and cable upgrade included. Flukeview Forms basic may be free--I don't know offhand--and the connection is just USB. Whether they can rightly be considered 'modern' is debatable.

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 06:47:46 pm
content: Thanks. I just don't want to deal with any software licenses for something that doesn't do much more than a bunch of freely available programs.I think SDM3065X might satisfy all the requirements.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 06:59:33 pm
content: Quote from: maxwell3e10 on January 26, 2021, 04:40:27 pmIn my experience free PC software which comes with test equipment sucks really bad. Paid software is slightly better but don't expect a lot of useability in that either. If you want to automate tests then programming / scripting is the way to go.

author: Hydron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 07:01:09 pm
content: I'm personally looking at the DMM6500, certainly does the first two, but I'm not counting on getting the software for free (and the Tek rep didn't promote it or anything when I talked to him). As for the software, what does it need to do? If you're just after a bit of datalogging at a few readings/second then the forum member HKJ has put together his own tool which may do the job here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/program-that-can-log-from-many-multimeters/Shouldn't be hard to whip up something custom in Python or similar if you have a specific job to do with it (obviously a lot more work to put together a tool that takes advantage of the full feature set of a modern meter, especially the Keithley I mentioned).

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 08:37:33 pm
content: Quote from: maxwell3e10 on January 26, 2021, 06:47:46 pmIf you wanted to spring for the SDM3065X 16ch scanner card option (must be factory fitted) and add a little ingenuity.....More about it here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-new-bench-dmm-sdm3055/msg3070270/#msg3070270

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 10:05:46 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on January 26, 2021, 08:37:33 pmNo probably not, its already bad enough if I buy an SDM3065 just because my SDM3055 failed...

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 10:33:03 pm
content: Quote from: maxwell3e10 on January 26, 2021, 10:05:46 pmHow ?We can easily recover these if it's a boot freeze.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2021, 05:01:03 am
content: Quote from: maxwell3e10 on January 26, 2021, 10:05:46 pmIf hardware failures are an issue for you, that is you are in business, select a meter from a local provider that provides good service. That might be a sales office from the big three or a smaller distributor of electronics. Working locally is really smart for business. It is a different story if you are in this at some sort of hobby level or shoe string startup, then cost is everything. For business service is everything, as anything can fail and often that is where your costs are.Look at it this way if a meter goes down and puts you out of business for a day then that meter just cost you 8 - 12 man hours. Suddenly an $800 meter looks to be pretty inexpensive.

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2021, 05:25:44 am
content: Well, this is for a system that not only I will use. Otherwise I would just use an old HP meter and one of the hobby-made data logging programs. Local sales office doesn't really matter, if something breaks that requires a person, it would take days anyway.

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2021, 06:09:24 am
content: Other options that would work are the original low-cost brands:BK Precision 5492CGW Instek GDM-9060Has anyone used one of those?

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2021, 06:45:09 am
content: The 5492C is new. I had a 5492B, it was decent enough, quick and easy to use. The 'C' has the specific features you are after, the software on the 5492B was OK but I don't know if it is the same for the 'C'. BK Precision has decent support, great if you are in SoCal where they are.

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2021, 11:11:14 am
content: Ended up using a 34401A and the free Agilent DMM connectivity utilityhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/looking-for-agilent-dmm-connectivity-utility-software/It seems one can make it work even with 34461A

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2021, 11:20:10 am
content: Quote from: maxwell3e10 on January 28, 2021, 11:11:14 amAlso here and works well on the34401a and 461ahttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/help-need-keysight-34461a-dmm-data-logging-to-xl/

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2021, 04:46:50 pm
content: Maybe Keysight would actually make more sales if they made some version of software free.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2021, 06:57:02 pm
content: Quote from: maxwell3e10 on January 28, 2021, 04:46:50 pmBut they do:https://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&lc=eng&ckey=3046463&nid=-32133.0.00&id=3046463

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2021, 07:34:42 pm
content: Quote from: J-R on January 28, 2021, 06:57:02 pmI haven't really tried to install one. All I see here are messages from people having trouble installing or moving the licenses. Nor do I recall when some of my instruments were ordered and which ones came from e-bay. Its not worth the hassle in my opinion to deal with licenses for a fairly basic program.

author: HKJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2021, 08:45:37 am
content: Quote from: maxwell3e10 on January 28, 2021, 11:11:14 amYou could also use TestController:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/program-that-can-log-from-many-multimeters/It supports a lot of devices, including the Keysight meters. For some Agilent it may be necessary to change a text string in the definition for that meter (Post the change and I will include it in the next release).

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2021, 02:04:50 pm
content: I've played with TestController and its very nice, particularly for use with multiple instruments. But for this setup that will be used mostly by other people I wanted something even simpler that will do just one thing.

author: Elasia
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2021, 03:08:54 pm
content: Quote from: wizard69 on January 27, 2021, 05:01:03 am+1 we switched a lot of stuff to siglent just for this with the lower cost... their HQ is only an hour away, not to mention affordable enough to just keep spares on hand even if you are notAlso shameless plug for the SDM3065-SC

author: HKJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2021, 04:04:35 pm
content: Quote from: maxwell3e10 on January 29, 2021, 02:04:50 pmYou can do partly customized user interfaces in TestController, but you cannot get rid of the main window (except minimize it).

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2021, 04:22:48 pm
content: Neat! Is it possible to calculate average between two cursors?

author: HKJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2021, 04:37:27 pm
content: Quote from: maxwell3e10 on January 29, 2021, 04:22:48 pmPartially. The chart in the GridPanel do not support cursors. The main chart support one cursor and by coping points to the first/last boxes and then select "To Range" you can get average, min/max, range, slope.In addition to a single cursor, it is possible to add a zero line and get relative values for the cursor position.The cursor and zero mark can be manually placed or you can search for min/max/zero/other specific value/max change rate.For more advanced uses it is possible to the above from scripting.