Recommendation for modern benchtop multimeter?

[maxwell3e10]

I am looking for a modern benchtop multimeter, nothing very fancy, but with the following requirements:

High input impedance (10 GOhm) on 10 V range
Can display trend chart
"Professional" settings, like measurement speed set in NPLC instead of "Fast" and "Slow"
Free PC software

It seems that A-brands Keysight and Textronix don't have free software, while the other brands don't have some of the other features. But there is probably a middle ground.

[bdunham7]

You're probably better off looking at the total package and the total cost rather than insisting that the software portion be 'free'.

The Keithley DMM6500 had a free promotion for a while with free PC software (Kickstart) but I think that is long gone. 

The Fluke 8845A/8846A do everything you ask for and can be purchased as a package with the Flukeview Forms and cable upgrade included.  Flukeview Forms basic may be free--I don't know offhand--and the connection is just USB.   Whether they can rightly be considered 'modern' is debatable. 

[maxwell3e10]

Thanks. I just don't want to deal with any software licenses for something that doesn't do much more than a bunch of freely available programs.
I think SDM3065X might satisfy all the requirements.

[nctnico]

It seems that A-brands Keysight and Textronix don't have free software, while the other brands don't have some of the other features. But there is probably a middle ground.

In my experience free PC software which comes with test equipment sucks really bad. Paid software is slightly better but don't expect a lot of useability in that either. If you want to automate tests then programming / scripting is the way to go.

[Hydron]

I'm personally looking at the DMM6500, certainly does the first two, but I'm not counting on getting the software for free (and the Tek rep didn't promote it or anything when I talked to him). As for the software, what does it need to do? If you're just after a bit of datalogging at a few readings/second then the forum member HKJ has put together his own tool which may do the job here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/program-that-can-log-from-many-multimeters/

Shouldn't be hard to whip up something custom in Python or similar if you have a specific job to do with it (obviously a lot more work to put together a tool that takes advantage of the full feature set of a modern meter, especially the Keithley I mentioned).

[tautech]

Thanks. I just don't want to deal with any software licenses for something that doesn't do much more than a bunch of freely available programs.
I think SDM3065X might satisfy all the requirements.

If you wanted to spring for the SDM3065X 16ch scanner card option (must be factory fitted) and add a little ingenuity.....



More about it here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-new-bench-dmm-sdm3055/msg3070270/#msg3070270

[maxwell3e10]

If you wanted to spring for the SDM3065X 16ch scanner card option (must be factory fitted) and add a little ingenuity.....

No probably not, its already bad enough if I buy an SDM3065 just because my SDM3055 failed...

[tautech]

If you wanted to spring for the SDM3065X 16ch scanner card option (must be factory fitted) and add a little ingenuity.....

No probably not, its already bad enough if I buy an SDM3065 just because my SDM3055 failed...

How ?
We can easily recover these if it's a boot freeze.

[wizard69]

If you wanted to spring for the SDM3065X 16ch scanner card option (must be factory fitted) and add a little ingenuity.....

No probably not, its already bad enough if I buy an SDM3065 just because my SDM3055 failed...

If hardware failures are an issue for you, that is you are in business, select a meter from a local provider that provides good service.   That might be a sales office from the big three or a smaller distributor of electronics.   Working locally is really smart for business.    It is a different story if you are in this at some sort of hobby level or shoe string startup, then cost is everything.   For business service is everything, as anything can fail and often that is where your costs are.

Look at it this way if a meter goes down and puts you out of business for a day then that meter just cost you 8 - 12 man hours.    Suddenly an $800 meter looks to be pretty inexpensive.

[maxwell3e10]

Well, this is for a system that not only I will use. Otherwise I would just use an old HP meter and one of the hobby-made data logging programs. Local sales office doesn't really matter, if something breaks that requires a person, it would take days anyway.

[maxwell3e10]

Other options that would work are the original low-cost brands:
BK Precision 5492C
GW Instek GDM-9060

Has anyone used one of those?

[bdunham7]

The 5492C is new.  I had a 5492B, it was decent enough, quick and easy to use.  The 'C' has the specific features you are after, the software on the 5492B was OK but I don't know if it is the same for the 'C'.  BK Precision has decent support, great if you are in SoCal where they are.

[maxwell3e10]

Ended up using a 34401A and the free Agilent DMM connectivity utility https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/looking-for-agilent-dmm-connectivity-utility-software/
It seems one can make it work even with 34461A

[beanflying]

Ended up using a 34401A and the free Agilent DMM connectivity utility https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/looking-for-agilent-dmm-connectivity-utility-software/
It seems one can make it work even with 34461A

Also here and works well on the34401a and 461a https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/help-need-keysight-34461a-dmm-data-logging-to-xl/

[maxwell3e10]

Maybe Keysight would actually make more sales if they made some version of software free.

[J-R]

Maybe Keysight would actually make more sales if they made some version of software free.

But they do:

https://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&lc=eng&ckey=3046463&nid=-32133.0.00&id=3046463

[maxwell3e10]

Maybe Keysight would actually make more sales if they made some version of software free.

But they do:

https://www.keysight.com/main/editorial.jspx?cc=US&lc=eng&ckey=3046463&nid=-32133.0.00&id=3046463

I haven't really tried to install one. All I see here are messages from people having trouble installing or moving the licenses. Nor do I recall when some of my instruments were ordered and which ones came from e-bay. Its not worth the hassle in my opinion to deal with licenses for a fairly basic program.

[HKJ]

Ended up using a 34401A and the free Agilent DMM connectivity utility https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/looking-for-agilent-dmm-connectivity-utility-software/
It seems one can make it work even with 34461A

You could also use TestController: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/program-that-can-log-from-many-multimeters/
It supports a lot of devices, including the Keysight meters. For some Agilent it may be necessary to change a text string in the definition for that meter (Post the change and I will include it in the next release).

[maxwell3e10]

I've played with TestController and its very nice, particularly for use with multiple instruments. But for this setup that will be used mostly by other people I wanted something even simpler that will do just one thing.

[Elasia]

If you wanted to spring for the SDM3065X 16ch scanner card option (must be factory fitted) and add a little ingenuity.....

No probably not, its already bad enough if I buy an SDM3065 just because my SDM3055 failed...

If hardware failures are an issue for you, that is you are in business, select a meter from a local provider that provides good service.   That might be a sales office from the big three or a smaller distributor of electronics.   Working locally is really smart for business.    It is a different story if you are in this at some sort of hobby level or shoe string startup, then cost is everything.   For business service is everything, as anything can fail and often that is where your costs are.

Look at it this way if a meter goes down and puts you out of business for a day then that meter just cost you 8 - 12 man hours.    Suddenly an $800 meter looks to be pretty inexpensive.

+1 we switched a lot of stuff to siglent just for this with the lower cost... their HQ is only an hour away, not to mention affordable enough to just keep spares on hand even if you are not

Also shameless plug for the SDM3065-SC

[HKJ]

I've played with TestController and its very nice, particularly for use with multiple instruments. But for this setup that will be used mostly by other people I wanted something even simpler that will do just one thing.

You can do partly customized user interfaces in TestController, but you cannot get rid of the main window (except minimize it).

[maxwell3e10]

Neat! Is it possible to calculate average between two cursors?

[HKJ]

Neat! Is it possible to calculate average between two cursors?

Partially. The chart in the GridPanel do not support cursors. The main chart support one cursor and by coping points to the first/last boxes and then select "To Range" you can get average, min/max, range, slope.
In addition to a single cursor, it is possible to add a zero line and get relative values for the cursor position.
The cursor and zero mark can be manually placed or you can search for min/max/zero/other specific value/max change rate.

For more advanced uses it is possible to the above from scripting.