EEVblog #933 - Keysight U1272A EMC Issue

[bitseeker]

fresh from Keysight's oven

Yum!

[lowimpedance]

fresh from Keysight's oven

Yum!

Who doesn't like the aroma of a freshly cooked DMM.........

sorry couldn't resist.

Getting a little peckish myself , cant wait for the Key baker to drop off a freshly cooked one here too.

[Dwaine]

I wonder what has changed parts wise for the new meter.

[TheAmmoniacal]

I wonder what has changed parts wise for the new meter.

Yep, high-res photos of the filter section please!

[lowimpedance]

I'm sure there will be plenty of comparisons, and an eevblog episode Ill bet too.

[Zbig]

fresh from Keysight's oven

Yum!

Who doesn't like the aroma of a freshly cooked DMM.........

sorry couldn't resist.

Getting a little peckish myself , cant wait for the Key baker to drop off a freshly cooked one here too.

Guys, you really should get out more 

[bitseeker]

fresh from Keysight's oven

Yum!

Who doesn't like the aroma of a freshly cooked DMM.........

sorry couldn't resist.

Getting a little peckish myself , cant wait for the Key baker to drop off a freshly cooked one here too.

Guys, you really should get out more 

Then they'd miss their deliveries.

[Brumby]

fresh from Keysight's oven

Yum!

Who doesn't like the aroma of a freshly cooked DMM.........

sorry couldn't resist.

Getting a little peckish myself , cant wait for the Key baker to drop off a freshly cooked one here too.

Guys, you really should get out more 

But why?

Besides, it would be a royal pain to get my workbench in the car.

Then they'd miss their deliveries.

That too.

[Muttley Snickers]

Just a heads up for U1272A owners, I was out in the workshop earlier sorting out some tools and gadgets which I would generally take out to various larger sites and inside one of the large wheeled tool boxes was my other U1272A, anyhow I got it out and noticed that the serial number label is missing and I remembered quite a while back whilst working on a job finding a label at my feet but at the time didn't know what it had come off so it went in the bin.

Anyway, if people are going to discard the original box then they probably should record the serial number or take a photograph with the label intact either of the meter or the box which also displays the serial number.  It looks like I'm buggered on this one unless it's also labelled on the meters PCB which I haven't checked yet and I have no idea where the box for that one went, I spent most of the afternoon looking and found everything else I forgot I had except for the box       

[wraper]

Just a heads up for U1272A owners, I was out in the workshop earlier sorting out some tools and gadgets which I would generally take out to various larger sites and inside one of the large wheeled tool boxes was my other U1272A, anyhow I got it out and noticed that the serial number label is missing and I remembered quite a while back whilst working on a job finding a label at my feet but at the time didn't know what it had come off so it went in the bin.

Anyway, if people are going to discard the original box then they probably should record the serial number or take a photograph with the label intact either of the meter or the box which also displays the serial number.  It looks like I'm buggered on this one unless it's also labelled on the meters PCB which I haven't checked yet and I have no idea where the box for that one went, I spent most of the afternoon looking and found everything else I forgot I had except for the box       

If you have IR data cable, then you can check the serial number with FW update utility.

[Muttley Snickers]

Nice, I do have the cable and didn't even think of that, a brilliant suggestion.   

Many Thanks.   

[wraper]

It should be on factory cal certificate as well.

[Zbig]

Just a heads up for U1272A owners, I was out in the workshop earlier sorting out some tools and gadgets which I would generally take out to various larger sites and inside one of the large wheeled tool boxes was my other U1272A, anyhow I got it out and noticed that the serial number label is missing and I remembered quite a while back whilst working on a job finding a label at my feet but at the time didn't know what it had come off so it went in the bin.

Anyway, if people are going to discard the original box then they probably should record the serial number or take a photograph with the label intact either of the meter or the box which also displays the serial number.  It looks like I'm buggered on this one unless it's also labelled on the meters PCB which I haven't checked yet and I have no idea where the box for that one went, I spent most of the afternoon looking and found everything else I forgot I had except for the box       

If you have IR data cable, then you can check the serial number with FW update utility.

I have U1273A (the OLED version) and the serial number is displayed nicely on one of the setup pages. Perhaps it's hidden somewhere, under some obscure, broken English abbreviation on the LCD models as well?

[Berni]

I have U1273A (the OLED version) and the serial number is displayed nicely on one of the setup pages. Perhaps it's hidden somewhere, under some obscure, broken English abbreviation on the LCD models as well?

On the OLED U1273A you can hold the [Null/Scale] button while turning it on to display the firmware version and serial number.

[TheSteve]

@Keysight: What has been changed in 1.05 compared to 1.04?
Please update the download page and the Changelog at http://www.keysight.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/U1281_82_firmware_release_note.txt

Keysight has now updated the website to indicate 1.05 is the current version however you get a permission denied error if you try to download the update.

[Muttley Snickers]

I have found that some of the Keysight support and manuals pages are a bit strange, for instance the other day I was looking to see if there were any new updates on both the U1272A and the U1282A meters and noticed that the full manual for the U1272A requires signing in but the U1282A doesn't and can be directly downloaded.

Also I've also been keeping an eye out for the U1282A 1.05 change log to see what they modified and couldn't find or remember what dodgy alias I used at the time to access their site so I was about to register again when I found the version 1.05 change log, even though I bagged them above they are still probably the best around for keeping the manuals and firmware updates readily available so a big thumbs up to Keysight for their great support and efforts.

 

Keysight U1280 Series Firmware Page.
http://www.keysight.com/main/software.jspx?cc=US&lc=eng&nid=-33167.1144466&id=1765967&pageMode=CV


Firmware Revision Updates:- Keysight U1280 Series

Version 1.02
-   Initial release

Version 1.03 fixes several issues present in the previous release.
-   Change microcontroller sampling period from 25ms to 12.5ms.
-   Bug fix for CAP+NULL+AUTO wrong range.
-   Faster LED response for continuity.

Version 1.04 fixes several issues present in the previous release.
-   Change Ampere calibration limits from 70% to 80% to solve       
    production calibration fallout.
-   Improve Autozero limitation by recalculating Autozero and
    not loading Autozero default value when inputs are OL.
-   Reset OP1 & AD1 before reading Autozero.
-   Zero Timer change from 4.2 seconds to 6.2 seconds.

Version 1.05 includes the following fix.
-   Disables DC Filter during measurement at ACmV mode.

[Sbampato12]

Nice, I do have the cable and didn't even think of that, a brilliant suggestion.   

Many Thanks.   

One thing I always do is to put every new gear (from agilent or keysight) in their website. If you login on Keysight website, there is a 'my Keysight' page, where you could insert the model and serial number, and it help keep track of cal, warranty etc...

[Muttley Snickers]

One thing I always do is to put every new gear (from agilent or keysight) in their website. If you login on Keysight website, there is a 'my Keysight' page, where you could insert the model and serial number, and it help keep track of cal, warranty etc...

Yes it sounds like a good plan but as I mentioned above where I couldn't remember what logon or email was used for the Keysight page so in  that regard I probably would have been buggered anyway. We do keep a running and updated list on a printed page for all our login and password details for a variety of sites including banking and other stuff but for some reason the Keysight logon details were not recorded in the last edit, everything else is there on the list such a Tektronix, Thurlby Thander and a host of others.

I wouldn't like the idea of having all my eggs in the one pot anyway and who would have thought that two years after the warranty had expired I would be searching for the serial number on a multimeter that had already paid for itself many times over. Funny thing is I have a Fluke 289 with a problem and have both the original documentation and serial number but because I bought it locally online and cannot verify or prove which distributor it was originally purchased through under Flukes terms and conditions no warranty applies, from my experience it really is chalk and cheese when it comes to comparing warranties and customer support, no doubt about it Keysight wins hands down.

[WVL_KsZeN]

No luck here.. I don't know what's up with the replacement.

According to Keysight DHL cannot find my address (which is correct) and also is not able to call me (on the phone number which is correct). This has been the case for 1.5 months now. I can't trust this 1272 anymore and just ordered a Fluke. I'm fed up with all of it.

Should have done so from the start. Am really annoyed and ready to throw the old 1272 in the bin..

[voltsandjolts]

ready to throw the old 1272 in the bin..

I'll have it if you don't want it 

[bitseeker]

ready to throw the old 1272 in the bin..

I'll have it if you don't want it 

In other words, you have the perfect bin to throw it into. 

[Faith]

No luck here.. I don't know what's up with the replacement.

According to Keysight DHL cannot find my address (which is correct) and also is not able to call me (on the phone number which is correct). This has been the case for 1.5 months now. I can't trust this 1272 anymore and just ordered a Fluke. I'm fed up with all of it.

Should have done so from the start. Am really annoyed and ready to throw the old 1272 in the bin..

This sounds more like a DHL issue than a Keysight issue. Have Keysight given you a tracking number of sorts?

If not you should be demanding them for one so that you can ask DHL what's going on.

Also; are they sending it via DHL Express or regular DHL mail? Because the later is hopelessly unreliable.

[WVL_KsZeN]

I have a tracking number. But it's not to my address..

Asked keysight, but no reply..

[Faith]

Usually a tracking number is good enough to sort things out with DHL. Give them a call and ask what they can do for you.

Is your name and telephone number correct? Because either one is usually sufficient to convince them to reroute the package to an alternate location.

It's very rare that DHL will not allow you to do that. DHL actually has a lists of online merchants where they prohibit this so that it's harder for someone to make a fraudulent order and then change the delivery address. But this is really limited to big and popular merchants.

Alternatively if there's a DHL office nearby you can also offer to collect the parcel on your own.

Give that a try if Keysight is unresponsive.

Please also note that it's currently Chinese New Year. And while Keysight is based in Malaysia the state that they are located in (Penang) has a very heavy Chinese population. I've been there many times, love that place. It's to be expected that replies will be a little bit on the slow end for now.

So see what you can do on your own with DHL for the time being.

I'm sure it'll be worth it!~

[trevwhite]

Anyone had chance to compare the redesigned U1272A with the original? Very interested to know what they changed.