My "new" old Schlumberger SI 7063 DMM

[kultakala]

Hi Guys,

I was looking for a vintage bench multimeter for a while and was lucky to find a Schlumberger SI 7063 Multimeter at a used equipment store.
It arrived today and here it is




It works and calibration seems to be intact...




Its a 6.5 digit multimeter with DC and AC Volts and Current, Ohms range (2 and 4 wire), Continuity, Diode Testing, Temperature and Frequency.
Display is 16 segment blue VFD and the whole device is in an excellent condition.

Unfortunately i have no user manual (although everything is self explaining) and could not find anything in the internet but a sales brochure.
The brochure states that it has an accuracy of 50 ppm +5 for one year (20 V Range).

Also i was lucky to get one of the last DMMCheck Plus references 5 weeks ago.
The value for the 5V DC is 5.0000 according to the cal sheet:




Just hooked it up and... Bang on i would say 




Does anyone know from when to when these multimeters were produced ?

I dont know when this one was produced...  i will open it up the next days and hope to find some date codes.

Cheers,
Olaf

[carl_lab]

Sehr schönes Gerät! 

Where did you buy it?

[bitwelder]

Calibration date: 2-5-2017. Does it comes from the States or from the future?

[Gertjan]

American date code: five February 2017 

Nice meter!

regards, Gertjan.

[kultakala]

Calibration date: 2-5-2017. Does it comes from the States or from the future?

Yep, 5th of February
But from the future would be cool

[kultakala]

Removed

[carl_lab]

Calibration date: 2-5-2017. Does it comes from the States or from the future?

Yep, 5th of February
But from the future would be cool

Wait until 2nd may and coolness has gone... 

[Wytnucls]

Sehr schon!
Best accuracy is 0.004%+8 (2V range 1year).

https://archive.org/details/solartron_Solartron_SI7063

[kultakala]

Sehr schon!
Best accuracy is 0.004%+8 (2V range 1year).

https://archive.org/details/solartron_Solartron_SI7063

Yep, thats the brochure i mentioned which is available in the net.
It says "Solartron Instruments" but there is no logo or the word Solartron anywhere on my device, only Schlumberger.
Probably means its one of the later build ones ?

[Wytnucls]

Solartron was acquired by Schlumberger in 1961.
There was a reorganization in 1977, when the UK company used only Schlumberger as their branding, until 1993, when Solartron was sold again.
Perhaps your meter dates from that period, but I can't say for sure.

[mimmus78]

Wow that a nice one!!!
Unfortunately the 8.5 digits is not so nice.

[kultakala]

Wow that a nice one!!!
Unfortunately the 8.5 digits is not so nice.

You mean the 7081 ?
I would like to have one and it looks also quite good
The style of the keys is different and it has no 4mm jacks, but...

[kultakala]

Solartron was acquired by Schlumberger in 1961.
There was a reorganization in 1977, when the UK company used only Schlumberger as their branding, until 1993, when Solartron was sold again.
Perhaps your meter dates from that period, but I can't say for sure.

1961, this early ? Okay...
I just looked into the user manual of the 7081.
Its from 1993 and is issued by Solartron Instruments Ltd.
And it states:
"Solartron Instruments Ltd is a division of the Solartron Group Ltd. Any reference to Schlumberger or Schlumberger Instruments (the name of the company until November 1993) implies no liability on the part of Schlumberger."

All pictures of a 7081 show a Solartron/Schlumberger Logo in the upper left of the front. So they were produced after 11.1993 ?
And my 7063 shows only Schlumberger so it was produced before 11.1993 ?
Or vice versa ?

I am confused 

[tggzzz]

Unfortunately the 8.5 digits is not so nice.

In what way?

[mimmus78]

Unfortunately the 8.5 digits is not so nice.

In what way?

I don't know. I just like it. It resembles the new black Keysight equipment, bit this is more coloured. Than this blue VFD ... it's just aesthetics.

Inviato dal mio Nexus 6P utilizzando Tapatalk

[tggzzz]

Unfortunately the 8.5 digits is not so nice.

In what way?

I don't know. I just like it. It resembles the new black Keysight equipment, bit this is more coloured. Than this blue VFD ... it's just aesthetics.

Phew! I thought you had a serious reason to dislike the 7081.

But I do realise that an Italian may have a differing view of the importance of aesthetics

[mimmus78]

Unfortunately the 8.5 digits is not so nice.

In what way?

I don't know. I just like it. It resembles the new black Keysight equipment, bit this is more coloured. Than this blue VFD ... it's just aesthetics.

Phew! I thought you had a serious reason to dislike the 7081.

But I do realise that an Italian may have a differing view of the importance of aesthetics

You don't show your equipment to friends? [emoji23]

[Wytnucls]

Some are labelled as Solartron Analytical (from 1994):



Yours should be from the period 1977 to 1993, although it looks like it was made yesterday. 

[tggzzz]

Unfortunately the 8.5 digits is not so nice.

In what way?

I don't know. I just like it. It resembles the new black Keysight equipment, bit this is more coloured. Than this blue VFD ... it's just aesthetics.

Phew! I thought you had a serious reason to dislike the 7081.

But I do realise that an Italian may have a differing view of the importance of aesthetics

You don't show your equipment to friends? [emoji23]

I have two types of friend:

• techies, who don't care what colour it is so long as there are a large number of zeros or nines displayed
• non-techies, who are more likely to be impressed by things like "steampunk" horned resistors

But yes, the 7063 probably is a little prettier.

[kultakala]

Some are labelled as Solartron Analytical (from 1994):

Yours should be from the period 1977 to 1993, although it looks like it was made yesterday. 

I plan to have a look inside on the weekend, maybe the date codes on some components will tell me more.
And you are right, looks almost like new
Except some minor scratches around the "Cal" opening.

[cvanc]

...although it looks like it was made yesterday. 

Ain't that the truth!  Really good looking bit of kit - enjoy.

[kultakala]

Okay...  i tore it down yesterday...  and found date codes between 18th week 1987 and 22nd week 1992.
So probably it was built in the second half of 1992, 25 years old.
And from the inside it also looks really good.

Unfortunately there is a problem uploading pictures to photobucket so i will post them directly here soon.

I am not very well versed in electronics, in general i am only a user
So i am not able to analyze the circuits or something.
Please correct me if i am wrong!

There are 2 large Boards inside the 7063, one with the digital section (?) and power supply in the bottom and one with the analogue and A/D section on the upper side (mounted upside down).
Then there is the display board in the front and a smaller board onto the upper A/D board.
The big blue cap on the power input is not readable on the photo, its a BHC 10.000 ?F 16V, made in UK.

On the digital board i could identify a Hitachi 8 bit processor HD63B03XF running at 2 MHz plus two Atmel AT28C16 16k EEPROMs.
GPI Adapter is a Motorola MC68488 plus MC3447P Transceivers.

On the D/A board is another 8 bit Hitachi proc HD63A03RP running at 1,5 MHz (according to datasheet) and a CD1552RI A/D converter.
And...  a lot of other stuff

All signals go directly through the cables to the upper board, there are also some relays but i have no idea what is doing what...  and where the voltage reference is !?

Would be great if someone who knows all that stuff could add something.

Regards,
Olaf

At first, the backside, forgot that one in the beginning, and opened up...

[kultakala]

Lower board and GPIA

[kultakala]

Cap and display board

[kultakala]

Upper board and detail