[Nov.11,2023 Updated telnet information]Hello everybody,
I recently acquired a Siglent 3303X-E, hacked it to 1mV/mA resolution as per the known method.
The calibration on channel 1 was a bit off, so i tried the calibration in the service manual:
https://siglentna.com/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2019/08/SPD3303C-Service-Mannual.pdfHowever, it does not work as stated in the manual, the procedures in the manual are flawed. I always ended up with either the displayed voltage or the actual voltage about 5% off. After much trial and error, here are the correct procedures that ended up getting all values extremely accurate. I hope this saves some of you of going down that rabbit hole.
Some side notes:
- You
cannot use EasyPower to send the SCPI commands. It seems to (intentionally?) botch the calibration commands. The best way is to use a telnet client (like
https://putty.org/) to establish a telnet connection to port 5025. Or you can use NI VISA MAX instead. If you do, you must use "Write" in the NI VISAVisa Test Panel, not "Query".
- If the unit beeps, it did not accept the calibration command. Check your input. (Use a period, not a comma in the voltage value.)
- I got slightly more accurate results when doing the voltage calibration with a 100mA load rather than open load. It seems to me they are not tapping the sense lines close to the binding posts.
- Check the box at Configuration | I/O Settings | Enable termination character and select "Line Feed \n". Update: not necessary
- you need to restart communication after the power cycles
Follow the procedures closely.
Display voltage calibrationFirst, clear the voltage calibration values for the channel you want to calibrate:
Channel 1:
*CALCLS 0
*CALCLS 1Channel 2:
*CALCLS 4
*CALCLS 5Store with
*CALST...and
power cycle the unit. Edit: Some users report this is not necessary.
Now, hook up the unit to a good multimeter and set the voltage to 1V output.
Both displayed and output voltage should be wrong. Measure the output value with your multimeter.
Set the calibration point 1:
CALibration:VOLTage ch1,1,<measured voltage>or
ch2 if you are calibrating CH2
Next, set the unit to 25V output and set calibration point 2:
CALibration:VOLTage ch1,2,<measured voltage> or
ch2 if you are calibrating CH2
That completes the calibration, but: the displayed value will still be
wrong. Don't panic! You now need to change the output value to any other voltage, only then will it update the display using the new calibration value.
This had me chasing rabbits for 2 hours.
Save with
*CALST...and enjoy your calibrated PSU.
Current display:Clear old calibration first:
*CALCLS 3 for CH1
*CALCLS 7 for CH2
*CALSTPower cycle the unit Edit: Some users report this is not necessary.
Set PSU channel to 10V, 3A.
Connect to an electronic load and set it to 100mA constant current. Check actual current with multimeter and enter into the command below:
CALibration:CURRent ch1,1,<measured current value> or
ch2 for CH2
Change the electronic load to 2.5A constant current. Again, actual current with multimeter and enter into the command below:
CALibration:CURRent ch1,2,<measured current value> or
ch2 for CH2
Store calibration with
*CALSTMy unit had <0,5mA accuracy after this.
Current limit calibration:The calibration procedure in the manual is flawed and will screw up the CC badly.
Do this instead:
*CALCLS 2 for CH1
*CALCLS 6 for CH2
*CALSTPower cycle the unitSet the electronic load to 3A constant current.
Set the channel to 10V, 500mA (
NOT 100mA as written in the service manual!)
CALibration:CURRent ch1,3,<measured current value> or
ch2 for CH2
Not set the crrent limit of the channel tp 2.5A
CALibration:CURRent ch1,4,<measured current value> or
ch2 for CH2
Now set the current limit of the channel to 2.4A. This updates the CC and actual current should be very close to 2.4A.
Store calibration with
*CALSTThe CC should now be within 0,5mA accuracy.
Please post results if you did this.