Agilent U1272A Bug

[hayatepilot]

Hello EEVblog Community (and Dear Agilent/Keysight)

There is a Bug in the U1272A DMM: If you're in continuity mode and then switch to mV, then the DMM beeps and the backlight turns on. 
I've made a video of the bug:

It happens not all the time (maybe every 3rd time), mostly it beeps without the backlight and sometimes it does nothing but change the modes (as it should be).
The DMM has the newest firmware (v2.04) and i could confirm the bug on another 1272a at work.

It is pretty annoying, as it clearly should not beep or turn the backlight on when you change modes.

Can any of you recreate this bug?

It would be really great if Agilent/Keysight could fix this. Apart from that it is a really great meter! 

Greetings

[Muttley Snickers]

Also running version 2.04 and with smoothing set to 0009E as default I was able to replicate consistently  what you found but personally don't find it a big issue as pressing the backlight button turns it off again, I set smoothing to 0005E and then 0001E and again it did the same thing by turning on the backlight and giving a single beep when the mode was changed to mVdc or further around to Vdc but did not occur when diode mode was selected.

When smoothing was disabled I found initially that it appeared to be resolved and possibly related and tried a dozen times or so without occurrence and then it happened once again so my findings are that it is not related to the smoothing feature, also then noticed that you had the feature disabled anyway after another view of the video.

I don't think that it is a big deal as some other meters have their own glitches, some worse than others.


Muttley

[hayatepilot]

Yes, it's not a big deal, I agree. But nonetheless it's there.   

If they were at it, they could make the audible continuity alarm as fast as the optical...
If that's even possible in firmware.
Then the meter would be perfect. 

Greetings

[LaurentR]

I have a U1273A with fw 01.95 (equivalent to the 2.04 for the U1272A).

Strangely, I did manage to get a weird behavior using that same combination. Obviously, no backlight flashing (OLED), but the DMM started beeping and didn't stop until I did something.
Only happened infrequently.

Laurent

[Sbampato12]

Same here. P 2.04, same behavior.

[ECEdesign]

How do you like the U1272A in general?  I was looking at getting one for all the features it has for the price seems like a good deal. Would like to have data logging but don't really want to step up to the Fluke 289.

[electr_peter]

I have also noticed similar behaviour on U1272A - if DMM is in continuity mode with probes shorted and the light on, switching it to any other mode keeps display lit. It is as if DMM is "locked" into lit screen.

I think U1272A is very great DMM - very capable, fast, many features, pretty accurate, small amount of quirks. Physical construction is good and robust as well.
One feature I really like - continuity mode with auto ranging. There is no need to flick between resistance and continuity modes when continuity mode is all you need.

[Muttley Snickers]

The same will apply if you are in continuity mode with the probes open and you invert the mode by pressing the up cursor and then changing selection to say dcV and returning to continuity mode, it stays inverted until you press the up cursor again to return to normal operation.

Not too sure whether I like this manner of operation as it seems a bit awkward on particular occasions by going nuts as soon as you hit the orange button and then realising or finding out that it's still inverted, ie : beep when open.

I was seriously looking at the 289s with great interest and already had a 187 and 189 for logging but we needed a couple more just about when Dave did his first fail review, shortly after Agilent promptly fixed the issue and that was good enough for us and we got two U1272A meters well under the price of one 289 and we have never looked back, not once.


Muttley

[hayatepilot]

@ECEdesign
 I really like the meter in general, that's why I want it to be as bugfree as possible. 

Dave did a good review of the U1272A a long time ago.

Greetings

[Sbampato12]

I really like this DMM, have a A1273 too, but I prefer the A1272.

The only thing I dislike is the last counter-clockwise isn't the off. But, hey, not a big deal.

[ECEdesign]

Sounds like its worth a shot!  For the price it seems pretty hard to beat.c