Mini review: Fluke 8846A - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Tooms
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 11:32:03 am
content: Here is an mini review of my new Fluke 8846A multimeterhttp://www.tooms.dk/Tblog/Showblog1.asp?BlogID=201204291218291139Tooms

author: bingo600
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 02:47:36 pm
content: Quote from: Tooms on April 29, 2012, 11:32:03 amFSCK.... Lucky youHvad sagde tolden ?Eller kom det via en DK distributør ?/Bingo

author: Tooms
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 03:30:53 pm
content: Hi Bingo600yes thanks it was an nice supprise.The packages come from Fluke marketing in Holland, so there is no extra tax/told payments.Tooms

author: M. András
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 06:06:53 pm
content: wow, congrats, i would like such a present too

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 02:18:05 pm
content: Very nice. Thanks for making the pics and write up. Enjoy!

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 02:51:49 pm
content: I don't think this meter gets enough credit. I feel it is better than the Agilent equivalent in many ways. (that's why I bought it) Trend plot and stats are your friend. Makes it easy to see when your meter is warmed up, how stable the meter is, and when measurements have settled, etc. I recently checked mine for stability with a short bar on DC V. 152 hour long test (312685 readings) with temperature at the meter varying from 28.8 to 31.2 throughout the test. Used stat mode and got min. max. span of 1.0382uV Average of 161.3142nV and a SD of 72.3278nV. That is simply amazing. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 03:12:43 pm
content: the only annoying thing with that meter is the long boot-up time from cold start. It takes almost 20 seconds...the reason ? that meter has two cyclone FPGA's in it. one runs the meter logic and the multislope integrator. it talks over an optical link to the FPGA that does the display , the usb hostport ethernet and all the other stuff... there is a NIOS cpu in there running ... linux .... which has to boot...

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 03:23:12 pm
content: Whats 20 seconds when it has a 1 hour warm up to achieve stated specs? From trend plot on shorted dc input it is actually stable in about 35 minutes.

author: Tooms
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 04:54:03 pm
content: HiI dont see the boot time as an big issue, i just turn it on when i know i need it.and i must say that it is an verry cool meter and the only thing that i am abit disapointed about is the 2nd measerrment function, it is very limit in what it can.Anyone there is having the rebranded "Tektronix DMM 4050 or 4040" ? if you have can you please tell me what the output of the *IDN? command is.ThanksThomas

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 05:51:14 pm
content: Quote from: Tooms on May 07, 2012, 04:54:03 pmFrom the 8846A programmers manual *IDN? = Retrieve meter’s identification stringrobrenz

author: Tooms
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 05:58:15 pm
content: Quote from: robrenz on May 07, 2012, 05:51:14 pmyes i know... as shown in my blog, but i was hoping to see what the Tektronix 4050 is sayingThomas

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 06:06:22 pm
content: Sorry I did look at your review but I didnt pay attention to the communication part. I guess you are wondering if it says Tek, 4050,ser# instead of fluke?

author: chrome
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 07:10:20 pm
content: Quote from: Tooms on May 07, 2012, 04:54:03 pmI have the 4040 (better then the 8845A but I guess less then the 8846A (only missing temperature and capacitance)).The command returns this :TEKTRONIX,DMM4040,<my meters serial number>,08/02/10-11:53Here's a video of the device in use:http://youtu.be/uwi_I086DvwWhat do you want to know about the 2nd measurement feature? I can answer that for you.

author: Tooms
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 07:42:44 pm
content: Thanks, that was just the output i needed.I have just done the very first test to make an app there talk with the 8846A and i am uploading an small video clip of it.Thomas

author: Tooms
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 08:23:38 pm
content: Here is the video clip of the first demo app there is talking to the Fluke 8846AThe funny thing is that the remote reading get one digi more then the display on the meter.Thomas

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2012, 08:46:36 pm
content: Tooms, Try setting 100NPLC 6.5 digit mode and put a shorting bar on the meter input and DCV. If it is giving you the full internal meter resolution you should get 0.2nV resolution which is the same as the meter readouts in stat mode.