Agilent 34461A boot problem  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: derZockerMP
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2025, 10:16:56 am
content: Hello, I bought a non working Agilent 34461A Multimeter. It has the problem then turning it on, it boots very long and then the error message „Firmware update failed“ get on the screen. You can press it away and get to the normal screen. You can control the DMM but the response is very slow. Also the measurements didnˋt take place. I made a firmware update to eventually solve the problem but the same issue was present.Did anyone had this problem before. Can it be a hardware problem? I think not. I heard of a previous thread with a NAND corruptiin problem, but I think mine is another problem.Thanks in advance

author: testpoint1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2025, 05:24:09 pm
content: same as mine, NAND problem, nand standard just using the hard disk, if exists bad track, can release, ok, now, much more bad tracks, died. if there is no calibration data inside it, clone the chip is the only way.

author: testpoint1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 11, 2025, 07:52:27 pm
content: I try to replace a new Nand chip (with good fw inside), but failed, and a change a MCU, also failed, not sure what is happened.

author: voltsandjolts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2025, 07:12:54 pm
content: Hmm, no help here buthttps://docs.keysight.com/kkbopen/why-do-i-get-the-error-firmware-update-failed-in-digital-multimeter-34461a-614508757.html

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2025, 07:36:36 pm
content: derZockerMP, try updating to 2.17 firmware. It probably was updated from 1.xx firmware straight to 3.03 which will soft brick the meter.

author: derZockerMP
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2025, 06:34:24 pm
content: Line voltage shouldn‘t be an issue because it‘s connected to a AC source.I tried that but the failure remains with upgrading to 2.17.Thanks for the answers

author: lern01
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2025, 06:55:29 am
content: Any progress? I bought one and it has the same problem.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 27, 2025, 12:28:53 pm
content: Quote from: voltsandjolts on April 15, 2025, 07:12:54 pmI would check if voltage regulators supply correct voltages.

author: neverendingstudent
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2025, 04:05:26 am
content: I've seen this exact situation when I improperly upgraded the firmware in the first 34461A I bought - it was on 1.XX firmware and I tried updating straight to 3.03. That resulted in the firmware failed screen, exactly as those pictures show.As user wraper suggested, the fix for me was downgrading to firmware 2.17 (I did this with the front panel USB, not with PC software) - once I had downgraded to 2.17 I was then able to upgrade to 3.03 and the meter operated properly. Well, except for measurements being off by 400PPM - but it hadn't been cal'd in 11 years so....I do remember having a lot of try-and-try-again frustration in the process of eventually getting the correct firmware to downgrade and then upgrade, but I wasn't documenting the process step by step, my apologies.With all that said, if you've already done the 2.17 downgrade and are still experiencing this issue then you may well have a different situation than I experienced.

author: zfq119116609
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 17, 2025, 02:49:59 am
content: I think this problem is caused by the TM4C129 issue. You have two options: either replace it with a new TM4C129 or use TI LM Flash Programmer to clear the internal FLASH to solve the problem

author: derZockerMP
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 27, 2025, 08:00:28 am
content: Has anyone a answer to the problem?Didn't have the time yet to probe the issue out