Keithley 3706 modification - install front panel terminals - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2018, 03:26:34 am
content: Since I've lacked of confidence in my craft, I've printed a fixture to help me drill holes in the front panel.Everything is perfect except that my wife can't find her IKEA chopping board.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2018, 03:28:29 am
content: two more pictures.

author: lowimpedance
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2018, 06:14:29 am
content: Nice job and equipment !. The effort of designing and printing the drill guide was worth it.Might want to hide what remains of the chopping board though !

author: Zucca
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2018, 01:21:47 pm
content: No friends with a drill press?Respect to you!I would have printed the on paper where to drill, sticked the paper on the panel with masking tape, punched the hole centers and let it go.OR (crazy mode)Use the 3D plastic part to design a little fixture for the terminal to installon topof the original panel.Those holes will remain behind the fixture so they could also be sloppy...I mean so much perfection and then you got the chinesium stickers on the panel. BooooYou should have those text (Sense +, Sense -, Current, V+ and GND) on the 3D part, exactely how you did with "K3706" text.Of course then masking tape again to spray paint the text properly.

author: Brad O
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2018, 02:05:24 pm
content: Impressive, almost looks like we put them there!How did you connect your front inputs to the board? Did you sacrifice all the switch card operation?

author: threephase
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2018, 02:24:08 pm
content: Nice job, well worth the effort.Kind regards

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2018, 08:07:27 pm
content: Quote from: Brad O on August 07, 2018, 02:05:24 pmThank you very much for the "official" reply.I didn't sacrifice any switching function, I just cut the wires (including the fuses) connected to the DB15 on the rear panel and moved them to the front panel.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2018, 08:08:06 pm
content: Thank you everyone!

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2023, 12:35:49 pm
content: I did a simple test on the noise performance of Keithley 3706. The 4 sets of data are the combination of 1NPLC and 12NPLC with 100V and 10V to test my DIY LTZ1000 voltage reference.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2023, 01:54:31 pm
content: I would have put the fuse holder on the front too lollSometime adding an ferrite on the cable could help killing some noise ??and finally you could draft an overlay on the front panel plug sections too, to push the realism bettergood work

author: dietert1
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2023, 08:06:17 am
content: Another "modification" of a Keithley 3706:I have a 3706 here with Firmware 1.01h. Got the upgrade downloads for 1.32A, 1.40 and 1.41c. I followed the upgrade instructions and prepared a thumb drive with the two upgrade files (nb0 and cab). On power-on it starts using the thumb drive but doesn't enter into the upgrade sequence. In the upgrade instructions they say one should do nothing but wait some minutes. But the instrument just boots and still shows 1.01h.Anybody here knows the trick for firmware upgrade? Need to unpack the cab file? Need to use the upgrade command? Some jumper?Regards, Dieter

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2023, 10:24:07 am
content: Did you try "Menu -> Upgrade" ?

author: ekoloski
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2023, 03:01:17 pm
content: Awesome job, it looks great and adds to the ease of use of the instrument.Well worth the effort!

author: dietert1
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2023, 09:32:05 pm
content: Quote from: gamalot on March 31, 2023, 10:24:07 amBetter ask before taking any risk. Yet today i used print(localnode.info()) and saw that the instrument already had the OS version that comes with 1.41c.So i just used the Menu -> Upgrade command as recommended for upgrades from more recent versions. Seems it worked. The instrument boots and takes measurements.Yes, the current input fuse should go to the front panel next to the current input, in order to reduce cable length.Regards, Dieter