34461A Problem after updating to Firmware A_02_09 behavior in continuity test

[sotos]

34461A Problem after updating to Firmware  A_02_09 changing behavior in continuity test, a crazy beeper.

The continuity is sounding like morse signals. Having a good contact the beeper is not stable and sometimes it gets crazy.
Please hear it.

Firmware  A_02_09

[HighVoltage]

Like we discussed in the other thread, this is a problem with the 34461A/34460A but not with the 34465A/34470A
All my 34461A's are showing the same way but my 34470A does not have this problem.

You probably have to wait for the next FW update.
Keysight is aware of this problem.




 

[H.O]

My god, the mighty Keysight company can't even get a continuity buzzer working correctly, I wonder what else they've messed up in there and how the hell that thing ever got passed QC.... But I'm sure, being Keysight, they get some slack from what whould otherwise be another online slaughter....

Sorry, couldn't resist, it's of course written tongue in cheek but it does, again, goes to show not ONLY the Chinese "piece of crap manufacturers" makes mistakes.

[sotos]

I think without our knowledge, we are beta testers, finding-correcting the bugs.

[6thimage]

Like we discussed in the other thread, this is a problem with the 34461A/34460A but not with the 34465A/34470A
All my 34461A's are showing the same way but my 34470A does not have this problem.

I have just tried this on both my 34461A and my 34470A, and the same thing happens - the sound is broken, although not as bad as in the youtube video. If keysight is aware they will be fixing it, hopefully it will come high up on their priorities (and not like the histogram bug which took over a year from reporting to the fix being released).

[edit] my bad - I've just checked with some clip probes and the 70A is fine, but the 61A has a broken sound. I'm guessing my frequently used probes are not in the cleanest possible state.

[HighVoltage]

[edit] my bad - I've just checked with some clip probes and the 70A is fine, but the 61A has a broken sound. I'm guessing my frequently used probes are not in the cleanest possible state.

I was just worried, when I read the first part of your reply.
My 34470A is really working great in this aspect.
But I have three of the 34461A's and they are all showing this very same bug, one of them even worse than in the video clip above.
Yes, hopefully they will fix this one together with the other problems.

[Dr. Frank]

I was just worried, when I read the first part of your reply.
My 34470A is really working great in this aspect.
But I have three of the 34461A's and they are all showing this very same bug, one of them even worse than in the video clip above.
Yes, hopefully they will fix this one together with the other problems.

The  beep on my  34465A  is also not perfectly continuous, there is a very short, periodical interruption audible.

I assume, 34465A and 470A should behave exactly the same, as the FW & HW are identical, they only run in different modes (6,5 vs. 7,5 digits)


Anyhow, Keysight told me that a new FW will be available soon, within a few days or weeks, addressing the +3ppm shift in 100V/1kV range, depending on impedance selection.

Frank

PS: My 34465A has FW 2.09!

[sotos]

If and when, they will fix this bug. What we will find next.

[sotos]

Firmware 1.09 didn’t have the bug it came up in A_02_09.

 Now I’m just thinking, If they correct this maybe they will mess something else and so on.

They can pay us to be beta testers.

[AndyC_772]

The  beep on my  34465A  is also not perfectly continuous, there is a very short, periodical interruption audible.

I checked my 34465A when this bug was first mentioned. I'm sure it too had a very short, barely perceptible discontinuity in the beep.

Now I'm not so sure, though, as it's working fine. The beep is absolutely continuous. F/w version A.02.08.

[sotos]

The  beep on my  34465A  is also not perfectly continuous, there is a very short, periodical interruption audible.

I checked my 34465A when this bug was first mentioned. I'm sure it too had a very short, barely perceptible discontinuity in the beep.

Now I'm not so sure, though, as it's working fine. The beep is absolutely continuous. F/w version A.02.08.

Although a 34461A problem. Try to update to A_02_09 and see.

[LA7SJA]

I just finished testing different firmware, 1.10  dosn't have this error but 2.08 and 2.09 do on my 34461A. So it's good I have 10 or more instruments who has a working continuity tester. Do anyone take bets on when the 2.10 FW will be released and what new and exiting errors it brings?   

Johan-Fredrik

[sotos]

Maybe on Christmas like a gift. 

[sotos]

OMG in the forum underneath this topic, is the Siglent DMM SDM3055 with software problems too. 

[AndyC_772]

Although a 34461A problem. Try to update to A_02_09 and see.

I hope you'll forgive me for not "upgrading" my working meter with firmware that may introduce a problem... sorry!

[LaurentR]

I have a 34461A and a 34465A (I know, I know...).
They are both on 2.09

The 34461A has the described issue (irregular pulsing continuity beep) while the 34465A has a continuous beep.
I did also notice that while the beep is going, there is an irregular tic-tic-tic going on the 34461A and the same tic-tic-tic on the 34465A, but regular. Not sure if it's related to the issue. It sounds like a faint relay click, but it probably isn't. Probably just the buzzer being pulsed, gapless on the 34465A and with gaps on the 34461A.

Note that while both my DMMs are on 2.09, they actually show slightly different firmware versions on the About screen:
34461A: A.02.09-02.37-02.09-00.49-01-01
34465A: A.02.09-02.37-02.09-00.49-02-01

Not sure if it is a firmware difference. I am not sure if I updated both with the same file.

[crispy_tofu]

OMG in the forum underneath this topic, is the Siglent DMM SDM3055 with software problems too. 

Fantastic! 
Aren't there people who check for problems like this? Especially when an often-used feature like continuity is involved...

[LA7SJA]

For me, using a 34461A to check for continuty becomes a little bit like using the crown jewels in a kindergarten party. But that's just me! 
I use my homemade latched audio ohm to pitch meter for almost all continuty testing (I can hear if the bus is equaly terminated whitout looking up from the PCB). And sweeping up an down a power-rail and hearing rising/lowering pitch as I get nearer and pass the short (It has had a display but I never look at it since a few segments are missing).

Johan-Fredrik

[AndyC_772]

I shouldn't lose any sleep over it. I use my 34465A for checking if batteries are fresh or used. I've spent the whole week using my 1GHz scope to decode RS232 and to look at audio signals.

I didn't buy those tools just to do those things, of course, but they are the instruments that have a permanent space on my desk. They're just "there". Why use something else?

[6thimage]

Note that while both my DMMs are on 2.09, they actually show slightly different firmware versions on the About screen:
34461A: A.02.09-02.37-02.09-00.49-01-01
34465A: A.02.09-02.37-02.09-00.49-02-01

Not sure if it is a firmware difference. I am not sure if I updated both with the same file.

No the firmware is the same, that number represents the measurement board revision - the version number is explained in the section about the *idn? command (page 270 of the current (rev 3) manual). Just for completeness, the version format is

h.ff.ff-pp.pp-mm.mm-gg.gg-bb-fp

where,
h - Hardware revision
ff.ff - Main firmware revision
pp.pp - Front panel firmware revision
mm.mm - Measurement board firmware revision
gg.gg - Measurement board FPGA revision
bb - Measurement board revision
fp - Front panel board revision

and it is your bb value that is different


I suspect that the difference is due to the measurement board changing, with the newer firmware using a lower threshold value, which doesn't work as well for the older revision boards. You can guarantee that they develop the firmware on the highest model (i.e. the 34470A) and just change the model number to cap the features - I doubt they have got all their firmware engineers with 4 multimeters stacked on their desk.

[Dr. Frank]

Do anyone take bets on when the 2.10 FW will be released and what new and exiting errors it brings?   

Johan-Fredrik

I'll take the bet.

Last night, Jim Durr has sent me the preliminary 2.10.

I'll test it later this day. Maybe this regular ticking in the continuity is gone, also.

Frank

[HighVoltage]

Last night, Jim Durr has sent me the preliminary 2.10.
I'll test it later this day. Maybe this regular ticking in the continuity is gone, also.
Frank

It will indeed be interesting what was fixed.
Did you get a preliminary fix-list with the FW v2.10?

[Dr. Frank]

Hi HighVoltage,

nope, it was just the FW file, nothing else.
It fixed the +3ppm bug.
Continuity on 34465A still has that faint "tic tic tic..."  superposition on an otherwise continuous beep.


Frank

[rosbuitre]

More than 6 months and still they not fixed the problem of the continuity test in the 34461A

 

[TheSteve]

Indeed. We know they have addressed and supposedly fixed the problem in the latest release but it didn't come out when predicted so something in testing failed. Of course one has to wonder just what kind of testing they do when they didn't even notice the continuity issue to begin with.