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    Elector Electronics June 2007

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    24 views88 pages

    Elector Electronics. June (2007)

    Uploaded by

    Gary Tan
    Elector Electronics June 2007

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 88
    STS) phil) Reese Minin Seoy9 eta cid ite eenne Mesa i 9 AVRiFlashieroggerjeomponent Werticallspeed|indicatorgymett ‘ecratly maior aud Signals to prevent signal {lpping and ensure opimam recording levels: TH “itt vory responsive and ure two 1e-egmert ‘argraphs to pay signal levels and transients peaks rea ime. There ate number of play Sptlons to selec, and Both the signal threshold and ‘gna level ealration for each sepment ae Slstable Ge supplied with PCBs LCD snd ‘curacy within 0 for Signals above A048. "Gare not ncaded ure He-eoe2 e205 KE5827" £29.00 = por & packing “hist attacks comion cause of failure in wet lead aid call batteries suphation. The creat prosces shore burt of high level energy to Fevers the damaging sulphation effect. Ts new Improved unit features a batery hesith checker wun LED indicator, new crt protection spat badly sphsted batteries, test pints for 8 OMIM, {nd Connection fora battery charger. Kit includes {Ge with srecn printed bd PCB, ‘ompanents and dear Engh inericions Suitable for 6 12 and 26V batteries “aware by the battery z Frequency Meter MKII £2080 pait packing This compact low cout SOMIE Frequency Meters Invalable fr servicing and diagnosis. This “paraded version has 9 prescaer switch which ‘anges te uns from Phe to. GH, KE 3 DMs and He to Ks ad has 0k rounding to enable RC modeller to ‘meaure more accurately. Nitincudes PCB wit vera, enclosure, LcD| Sed allslecronie ‘ter toatres include + Preseler switch * Aioranging Ha, kM or Mz 1 resolution modes including TOkHs rounding, 1H upto 150M, THe up to TOMH snd OH ‘po tants Jacobs Ladder High Voltage Display Kit KE-sa4s E1175 + port & packing ‘Wit tis it and the purchase of 12 Tgnition col velable form auto stores and parts recjeles), exeate am ivesome ing Lldder of maty spare hot cme the diet smell of ozone. This improved cre sued to modem high power triton cls and wil Sliver a spectacular visual ply. Ki Includes PCB, pre-cut wire/iadier anda "BV cor battery, TAH, SUA batery or SArmp DC power supply required powresninaceay charger Conor See ote ang Se ree ener eee ee, Se ae a ey sips canes essere peere core ee ay = ae Oe BEES eS —— Ignition System Kese42 <2825 + post & pacing This euanced tel vorate ten stor an be used on both two & four stroke fengines. The sjstem canbe used to mocly the factory ignition ining or asthe Bais for a stand-alone Ignition system with ‘aiablelgnition ming, electron cal ‘Control and ani-knodk sensing, * Timing retard & advance over a wide range * Sltable for single cll systems {Dwell actustent 1 Single or dal mapping ranges {x & min RPM asjstment + Optional neck sensing * Optional eal driver ‘Ke supplied with PCD, dicart azo, bd a sctronie components www jayearélectronics.co.uk/elektor ‘ ee Lei Ere eL aE ‘Order Value Cost ooo ceshee £30 Order Value fo-cseo os feo: Fis899 20 Max weight 12 (Ska) Heavier Parcels POA. Minimum order £20, ote rou a rare om Runa SSIS Sa a ay ait cnoasycrloctronscouk DC Relay Switch Kc-5434 £450 + post & packing dn extremely useful and versa it firent = alow ae 400pA at 120 to snitch up to 308 at SOVDC. hasan olted inp and is utable for varity of tagering options. The Kit includes PCB with everay and all electronic companents with dear Engh instructions Voltage Regulator Kit KES448 £450 + post & packing “This handy voltage regulator ean provide up to 4000ma, from 13 to 22VDC. eal for apermentl procs or ae 8 mint bench power suply ete. Ki supplied wth PED and al electron components: ‘Energy Ignition System Hand Controller Kese6 425.95 + post & packing ‘This LC hand controller intial seringup procedure Fons ted whe te weg tithe runing o topped. Using this Hand Contre, you can set a the nil parameters and Bio program the Ignition dvanceltetard conve: Supplied with sie fervened and machined fase, PCB, LCD, and all eran components Coil Driver £19.00 + post & Kesaas packing ‘Rl this gntion col driver to the KC-5442 Prosranmatie Ignition System and you have Tantion system that wal frgger from a range of Sources tncluding pot, Hal Eee eoncory opteal Sensors orthe's vot gna from the cars ECU. Ki Includes PCB with overiay ‘supplied with PCB, and ‘electronic components Electronics: Dp +c J TOCO! oh PC Oscilloscopes & Analyzers DSO Test Instrument Software for BitScope Mixed Signal Oscilloscopes 4 Channel BitScope EBA bus 2 Channel BitScope Pocket Analyzer BitScope DSO Software for Windows and Linux BitScope DSO is fast and intuitive mult-channeltst and measurement software for your PC or notebook. Whether it's @ cigital scope, spectrum ansljzey, mixed signal scope, logle analyzer, waveform generator or data recorder, BtScope DSO supports them al Capture deep buffer one-shots or display wavetorms lve just thke-an analog scope, Comprehensive test instrument integration means you ean view the same data ia ditforent ways simultaneously at tho cick ofa button. DSO may even be used sland-alone to share data with coleagues, students or customers. Wavetorms may be exported as portabie image es cr Ive captures replayed con other PCs asi BitScope was locally connected BitScope DSO supports all curent BitScope model, auto-configures whan it connects ‘and.ean manage multiple BiScopes concurrent. No marl ealup is normally required Daia expor is avalable for use wih tra party software tools and BitScope's networked data aoquistion capabilites ae uly supported. lam from a century when you could sofely say thot a steering wheel, wheels, on engine, seats and o chassis are cmong the main parts that constitute a car. Alihough | also remember lots of tinkering, | always felt ‘owner of the vehicle’ | choorful : | ly adjusted the eight valves to match / == my very own preferences and never imomcwes iWeters with tuning expert Chris Vossen of the Ele: roa eoen ktor design lab, my concept of a car A multimeter is the standard measurement tool for every is antiquated. The car, or should that electronics hobbyist. You can use them to measure voltages, Sears eal uci ke currents and resistances. Many modern multimeters can ‘tigine. also measure capacitance and frequency. A few of them The OBD-2 Analyser described in this issue will inform you in plain language what's happening under the bonnet. Taking that a bit further, OBD-2 supplies only o subset of the mossive amount of information your car is process: ing (and recording?) and your car deoler will not spill he beans either when asked for the full set of dato. So, along this line of thinking, what if car computers get smarter still and start to record rovie information and vehicle speed? This begs the ques- tion of who owns the information You / the car dealer / the hacker / the car manufacturer / the computer manufacturer / MOT? * The digital multimeter is o trusty test instrument owned by olmost any electronics enthusiast. lt comas in ‘many shapes and sizes, buuvatsion ‘with @'serial interface are “a lar interest, We tested a number of these instruments, spotted differences ‘and collected the results j . This handy analyser {available as a kit) makes a simple job ‘of rummaging through the information stored by the client-accessible part of your car's compuier. li works with all current OBD-2 protocols and can read and erase trouble codes stored in the Just in case you have no interes! in OBD-2 or a new ster, may | suggest a fine class-A vehicle ond reset the Mil display. All this without the help of aPC oF a visit o « service station valve omplifier? A'salid design vsing wollestablished technology and cOmponenis, the amp is sure to take you back to the previous century in more than one way. Wisse Hettinga International Editor * cross out what's not applicable even have the facility of a PC connection for data logging. In this article we give an overview of (almost) all devices that are currently available with this feature. This project employs o Cypress 2.4 GHz digital radio chip to make a simple spectrum analyser. This can give you a picture of which parts of the 2.4 GHz WiFi spectrum are being used in your immediate Vicinity and even be used as ‘an aid in optimising chan: nel use and detection of interfering devices. It is remarkable that triode output stages sill occupy an imporiant place in high-end audio amplifiers. Triode amplifiers are often very expensive. The design presented here is based on a combination of optimal quality ‘and reasonable construction cost. Keywords: OAS7 power tiedes ond a mocked output transformer. oo 76 77 Volume 33 June 2007 no. 366 2.4 GHz Spectrum Analyser Whistles from High Up Tube Sound Stand-Alone OBD-2 Analyser Linux Oscilloscope Coil Clinic Flowcourse: Alarm System Simple DIY Programming Reliable Fingerprints Design Tip: SDR Soundcard Tester Colophon Mailbox News & New Products Meters with a Tail OBD - between ecology, markeiplace and Big Brother Elektor SHOP Sneak Preview Hexadoku Type 1650-4 Impedance Bridge (1960) lectronics Volume 33, Number 366, June 2007 ISSN 0268/4519 ete Ceevene ens ning eel tamer eee ny per Svea nd wlomacon wanolge + Diagnose any ear with EOBD + 9600 or 38400 baud + Based on the ELMI27 IC» Supported by more software than * Suppers all EOBD and ©BD-I_ anyother OBD interface protocols + leexpensive ISOIST6S-4 (CAN) + FulSpeed USB 1.1 °15014220-4(Keyvord 2000) + Aucomatie protocol detection ¥1509141-2 + Package inclodes cables, software 1850 vEW CD. and Quick tare Guide aso ewes + Buy rom your lel UK darters! www.ElmScan5.com/elektor Se on Bcd A er ec pre Pee net urea eee listener - pooling with more options a stile) ~up to 8 layers = from 1 to 1000 pieces + from 3 working days onwards SCM te Recaro ce Ser Tite Chie or) osama {yeti Er) pore en eee et RCA} Bec eae eed VISIT US AT NEPCON| BOOTH 350 SrCries Suen cS www.eurocircuits.com eeu eR on era lor dei - 6/2007 DEVELOPMENT TOOLS | COMPILERS | BOOKS EasyPIC4 Development Board 3.Bevelopment Board LV24-3: EasydsPIC4 Development Board mikroElektronika Compilers Easy8 051 httpuwwmikroe.comvleni distributors! SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE SOLUTIONS FOR EMBEDDED WoRLD (007 do decors 7 a Ce MIDI to DMX Hi there —I hove bit your MIDE DMX project September 2001, Ed) using 0 PCB purchased from yourselves. Ihave checked everthing and the project does not seem fo function. 4 meg ond 24 meg clocks ore present, there is activity on the dota and address busses but no output from the UART. Ist possible there were eny er rola inthe documentation etc? Any ideas welcome. Phill Macdonald (by email) One of our prototypes was co: pricious when staring, giving eroneous UART operation. The only solution to get it 10 work properly wos to add a push-but fon in parallel with copacitor Cl t0 we ware able to reset the bosrd manually, if necessary. Since fiting this button, the pro lotype has always worked cor zectly, Even if this phenomenon ‘appeared on justone of our pro- ‘olypes, we should mention this workaround. In the end ve dis covered that the BAUDOUT pin OF ICE wos suck at 66 He, wher itshould go to 4 MHz. It is not clear from your mes soge whether the supplied test program dmx_tesienexe works, nor if you programmed the EPROM yourself or purchased our ready-pregrammed device 01000321, AVR drives USB A number of readers have ex pressed their curiosity about the sourceafthe USB firma: ‘employed by the author for the project (Merch 2007), freeware license. The company fond the product may be found (on the internet ot inder wwmebdevat/products/ covrusb index.html ‘The freeware license is also the reoson fer tho |=|=[e/e]@|m|s/ =| felt malo|sJole|a|=]=|>/o/|=|]s][o) ole|=|>|a|~|m[ol@la)o[alo|=[ele SSSI SGI ml CGS Ices olaloln n[ele|=la[e[=[o|/m/olele|n|~|>]0) >[o/o/e]o|mlola|/~[o|s|o]=|=[e. a]mle|=|>|e|=lalo|=[olololala|s =lole/alals|sfole|=[@[>|e|e|>|m a[alm|olo|=[olo|>[o/sJa}w|o|@|— als[alo|m|=[e|s]oltlelelol>[ol= alel=lolo|>|o| SSRIS SOOM CCG EEGInIc @le|s|=|s[ole|=|a/@[>|m|=lo|o/7 =[elola|e|>[e[>|=|s[o|~|e|mlola sie [>Telsle[alolela|=[o|elolmo e[>lolm|=[o]o|s[e|a[alolala|=|5 ' Corrections & Updates 6 batiory must be the discretion of Freescale only, not Eletor or Farnell. The supply was s2t up as @ spacial arrange meat in support of the Elektor ac: MailBox Terms -Punicaton ofrecer ereeooncenes is alte sicreon ol Ester comeapondens are rt necessiy those ofthe Esto Pubinet *Coneepondence may be rant retod tr lrg caty sostye shen ephng to aloo arch 2007, p. 84-81, rel 050402-1 connected from the prototyping board igure 10) ifthe circuit is powered by @ mains adapler. celerometer and Spider projects ‘ond may have bean stopped when this edition is published une 2007) cevespocees, ease quate nanbe Pen enc your Mor leltor Bacvoncs, The Eto, 000 Grant west Ross, “Brenord Te GH, England TORTIE NGG" NEWS & NEW PRODUCTS Single-chip ZigBee® Platform in Package™ solution Freescale Semiconductor has in- reduced @ single-chip platform solution based on the ZigBee specification that is designed to deliver the industry's lowes! power consumption ond highest perfor mance. The MC1322 platform is engineered to support battery life ‘of up to 20 years, dovbling the ‘expectations for curent ZigBea solutions Frooscole's MC1322x is available in a Platform in Package™ (PP) ‘olution that integrates the exten: tial components of o ZigBee ap- plication wihin a single pockoge, thereby reducing component count cond systom cost, The MC1322x plotform contains @ 32. micro < Pace eee CA Cac ena Cae ey ant ods) ee cere) SERIAL MULTIMETERS [COMA] Com connect usB connect IF ocnDow Stic 5 teas 3] fie [iew —_focae [vue lu (aso) =I} S| 20) Zn a Ha seem pe some 2a 1606550 wt 226) 12088500 pave ed ts 1 Bo DE be Harry Baggen A multimeter is the standard measurement tool for every electronics hobbyist. You can use them to measure voltages, currents and resistances. Many modern multimeters can also measure capacitance and frequency. A few of them even have the facility of a PC connection for data logging. In this article we give an overview of (almost) all devices that are currently available with this feature. ‘Muhimeters ore the standard tools for every electronics _Fyou only need to check an occasional fuse at home or ‘engineer. Vollage, current and resistonee can be eo: measure a botiery voliage then o cheap version will su ily measured with such an instrument. These devices ore fice. When vollages have to be measured at a higher ac ‘ovoilable in widely different price ranges, om afew curacy, you'll need a totaly different type of meter, prefer pounds at some DIY stores up to hundreds of pounds for ably one that is calibrated, And for heavy duty service professional inskuments. The type of multimeter chosen _work ye! another set of requirements applies. depends moslly on the application you want to use it fer. In this article we won't look at mulimeters within a cer 14 leans - 007 many years ond they offer the failiy to send the Pf measured data via 0 cable to a PC where it can be viewed on screen or stored in a file. This is particu. larly useful for making automatic measurements over longer periods of fime (data logging). The meosured 'volues can be shown in a graph fo show the change ‘over lime, or processed further in, for example, on Ex- cel spreadsheet. Adiv In this article we'll give you an overview ofthe serial mu fimeters thot ere currenily available, with @ short descrip- tion of their typical specifications os well as « description ofthe features offered by the eccompanying sofware, bacause this information is often hard to find ‘Alter extensive research we ended up witha list of about 20 maters that have a serial connection, of which some vailable in Europe or very difficult to get hold 1d we manoged fo obtain 15 meters Fer this overview in he Elektor Electronics lab, where we evalu- ated each one, along with the associated softwar The muliimeters in this group ore quite diverse. There are wide variations in price and specications. The prices tange from a few tens up to several hundred pounds, ‘which makes it dificult compare them all, so thats something we certainly won’ atiemp her se crowd Connecting to a PC ‘The connection between the mullimeter and PC is usually implemented using o cable with a DB or USB plug on ‘ono end and o customised connector on the other end with one or two optical components (a transmitter LED ‘ond a receiver diode]. This ereates @ good galvanic iso- lation between the muliimeter end computer. With some dovieos thare can be a connector where it isn't clear if «@ galvanic isolation is implemented. With the Digitek T8000 for exomple, the meter cid have a galvanicolly isolated conneciion even though the meter had a stand- «rd DB9 connector. Most of the cheaper multimeters don't really have true communications capabilies, just @ simple one-way link lo the PC. The measurements are sent to the PC ot regulor in- tervals, bu is not possible for the PC to issue commands, Portable multimeters with a serial interface to the meter, for example to change a setting. With some meters this can be easily seen because the optical inir- face of the meter consists of only an LED. I's less obvious for other models, but you may find thatthe optical con- nector ofthe cable has just a receiver diode. For simple legging applications this isn't really a problem. The more expensive models always seem to offer rue twonvay com ‘munications and such a meter can be fuly controlled the PC software, which also gives cccess to setup menus where they exist ‘Most ofthe meters come with on RS232 cable, but o number of them have @ USB interface instead. Some of the models offer a choice of both versions. For hobbyists cand firms with modern computers USB is a good choice, but for indusiriol applications RS232 is preferable. The communications speed isn't relevant here because the ‘amount of data being sent is very smell (at mos! few ‘measurements per second). The Metrix MTX3283 is a super deluxe model that even includes a wireless capability vi Bluetooth The software Here too can we see clear differences between the cheop- er and more expensive models. The software supplied by Digitek, Sinometer, Volteraf, UNI and Velleman is fairly limited x far os the features are concerned. They're fine if you just want to follow the discharge curve of a lead- ‘acid battery, for example. In any case, you'll aways be able fo see the measured value ino large font on the screen, which can be very useful under certain circum- Stonce.Furermos the PC ira Feature which the manufacturers exploit by showing on appealing simulated analogue scale onthe screen 2 There are a few notable features os wel though. The software supplied withthe Volteraf VC-920 and the UNI UT7OB (they look very similar) oHers «few more feo- tures thon he es onl con also sore the mecsurements conto dise in several different forms. This is useful when you want fo process the data ata loter date in an Excel preadshee! or 0 database program. When 0 program Uses the CSV formet (comma separated values), you'll find that most other programs can impor this forma you're after some extra features you can also use a seporate software package thal can be used wilh o few cof he mulimeters. in particular, DMM Profilab and Re- ‘view, both made by Abacom. You should of course first check that your type of meter is supporied by these programs With the more expensive meters (Fluke, Agilent, Metrix, Gossen, Sanwa) itis clear thot the manufacturers have paid more attention to the software and it is also bet ter adopied to the available functions of the respectiva muliimeters. With these versions you can set logging period in advance, set the scole, whether the dota should be cveroged ovr cei ime, ony sort logging when «threshold value is reached, ele. Perhaps you will never need some of these funciions, but for some {industrial} ‘applications they come in very uselul. There is more in telligence in the conirol of the meter via the PC and in some cases the meler can‘be completely controlled via the screen. This functionality comes ot a price, but for profes sional use the higher cost will rarely be @ problem. The meters The quality ofthe meter tends lo determine the accuracy with which you can measure the voliages, currents, ale This is usually refleced in the price. And do you need a calibroted instrument? S900! certified companies have to use calibrated multimeters, so keep that in mindl Once you've acquired o calibrated meter you shouldn't assume that it will keep its accuracy forever. Ii will be necessary to have it recalibrated ot regular intervals. ‘A multimeter isn’ only used for measurements vio o PC, but will often be used os a handheld device to make a few quick measuremenis. For this a sturdy device is the most suitable, and il should cope with a few knocks with: ‘out affecting its accuracy. We musin' forge the safety ‘spect either. The more expensive meters comply with Cat 1/1000 V and Cot IV/600 V sefety standards, whereas some of the cheaper madels only comply with loss stin- gent colegories. The choice here is cleer: if you use 0 muliimeter occasion- aly but don wont to mis he spail monsromon fre tions such os capacitance and frequency (plus of course tho FC conch) youl ind het he looper wets from our overview li he bill perfec. We periculoly liked the Volteraft VC-920 and UNI UT70B, which also came wih good quelily FC software. ‘At the more expensive end ofthe scale the choice be comes more dificult. All melers have their own unique specifications and advanioges. In most cases the PC software hos to be acquired separately, so keep thal in mind when you work out the total cos! The Fluke 189, the Agilent U1252A, both the Senwas, the Metrixes and the Gossens ore all sturdy, eccurote meters wih extensive software. An honourable mention hos to go fo the Metrix 'MTX3283 becouse of is unique design, which we have never seen before in the multimeter world, Time wil tll whether itis elso prectical in use, bul at leas! the design ers at Chauvin Amoux (ihe manufacturer of the Metrix) ceriainly don't lack in ereatviy and covragel In the following pages we give an overview of the meters ‘along withthe associated PC software. Agilent U1252A comes with @ builtin squarewave generator with on adjustable duty T yeh RMS measurements up to 100 kHz and frequency measure- ments up fo 100 MHz are possible. ‘Standalone dota logging is possible, with room inthe internal memory for 200 measurements. There ore many ceccessories available for this moter A number of special setings ore ovailable via 6 setup mode. Software: The Basic Ediion of the Agilon! GUI Datologger shows « clear display with on the lef the meter settings ond We know Agilent primarily for the larger measuring equipment, but they ‘also have several handy multimeters their range. The U1252A hos 0 ro- bus look and feel. The dual display [5 digits) has a bargroph and hos clear backlight has many measure- tment functions (such es eopacitance, frequency, temperature), and clso dole on fon the right @ number of labs. These can be selected fo show a table of measurements, graphs, the contents ofthe internal memory ofthe meter cond finally another tab for configue ing the internal squerewave genero- for. For the logging you can seta ime period, along with the interval and cther settings. All meas- urements ore stored in a CSV file with cn automatically generated file name. The program stood out due to the mony functions it had te conirel the meter lee seis - 2007 Digtiak DT-4000ZC Meter: This is @ simple but handy mulimeter ina removable rubber holster. The display has © resolution of 3 3/, dig its, This meter also has the fcilily to meosure frequency ond capacitance Thete ore separate push butions for ‘elotive measurements, « hold fune- tion ond for switching between fre quency ond dutycycle. The connec- tion fo the PC is somewhat unusual, since it uses @ 3.5 mm socket on the front of the meter. An eplically iso- lated RS232 lead is supplied with the meier. An auto poweroft funclion is built in, which con be disabled when lengthy measurements are made via the PC. Software: The supplied DMM program is a bit different compared to most others The main window shows the present measurement in large digits, with on ‘onclogue scale with pointer under neath. A few butions open up new windows with toble of recent meas urements and a graph of the meas urements over time. Unfortunately it is not possible to resize the windows. 9 itek DTSO000 Meter: The big brother of the DT4000 offers ‘a beter resolution (5 digits), « more comprehensive display fineluding the simultaneous display of two values 0 « klar for some ranges) ond a few functions that aren’ found in every meter. For example, it has a buil in squarewave generator with a frequency up to 5 kHz ond a programmable dutyey- cle. Apart from butions for Max/Min cand Rel. there is elso 6 timer button to give an olarm afer 0 userdetined Time. Itis possible to set thresholds ot which the meter gives an indication when the measurement goes over cr under them. Despite the use of a standard DB9 connector on this me tet, itis galvanically isolated from the PC via an internal optical coupling. Software: The supplied program is completely diffrent fo thot supplied with the T4000. The main window shows the two values that are also shown con the [CD of the meter. Underneath thot is on analogue pointer and to the let you can see the measure: mens overtime. There ore many The total logging time ond somple interval are programmable. Ther cere a few other settings, but hey’ rather limited, Data can be slored in ‘file using a comma separated text format setings that can be changed in the program and most of he function but tons and setings of the meter are du- plicated in he PC program (Wwo way communications). When a prev ously stored table with measurements is opened it oppears ino separate window with « graphical represent. tion underneath W pacitance are also covered. The AC ranges have a true RMS measure ment up to 100 kHz. There are separ rate butions for MIN/MAX/AVG, Hold, Relative and for selecting the tising or falling edge ofthe signal. Standalone logging is possible using the internal memory. There is © selup menu for the various sotings. Software: The FlukeView Forms software hos to bbe bough seporately and is @ com- prehensive program that warks with user definable forms’. The program has a large number of setings (e.g. This is versatile multimeter in a forthe slart and slop times for log: sturdy, reliable housing. Ithas a very — ging, and for the percentage change high standard accuracy of 0.025%. of the signal that has lo occur before There is.a clear 4 1/-digit (5000) an action is taken). I! is clso possible display with a separate bargraph. 4 show the measurements from Nwo. ‘Apart from the standard ranges the or three meters at the same fi meter also has the facility to measure The complete forms can be stored, dBm/ABY, Siemens, degrees Celsius but itis also possible to export just ‘and Fahrenheit. Frequency and ca- the data in CSV format. The internal ry has @ capacity of 15,400 meas urements. It conforms to P52 for protection against dust and water. Autoranging current measurements from 100 mA to 10 A can be made via a single connector. A unique ‘Automatic Blocking Systom allows Motiv cccess to only the relevan! connector elena) fort v J Softwar ti\ba v The associated software, Metrawin 10, is suitable for use with o maxi mum of 10 muliimeters atthe some time, The user con choose between ‘a numerical display of the measure- ‘ment (with borgroph}, an analogue scale or as 6 graph fincluding @ table with the values). There is only «limited number of combinations possible. Apart from a Ys recorder itis also possible to display an XY recorder on the screen lo genarata Lissojous figures. There is a sepa ‘ale function for an FFT analysis of the measured signal. The measured dota can be stored in several dif ent formais. Many of the setings of Meter: This is a sturdy looking meter in o thick protective rubber holster. It has a 4 '/>digit display wih large digits and a bargraph. There are ‘many measurement ranges, includ: ing frequency, temperature ond capacitance. i offers rue RMS ‘measurements up to 20 kHz. There isa switchable low-pass file for use when lowrequency AC signals have to be measured. The internal memo- 3 Fluke 189 logging memory of the meter can be reod ond displayed. Many ofthe siondord setings ofthe meter can alo be accessed from within the program, Gossen Metrawatit Meitrahit X-TRA the connected multimeter(s} can be changed from within the program. The internal memory of the mull: eter con be read and displayed on the screen, tr detrei - 207 Meter: This model looks even sturdier thon the Metrahit Xtra. thas o tiple dis: play and a wide range of setings, accessed via four function keys. I Metrix MX26 Meter: This is 0 welkdesigned, compact muliimeter with @ 33/ edigit display ‘and bargroph, with o slighty unusual control method. Next to the back- Gossen Metrawatt Metrahit 29S has @ high-resolution display with 51/3 digits ond o standard occu- racy of 0.02%. Itcon clio be used to make power readings ond ana- lyse mains power disturbances. The inlernel data logger memory hos a copacity of 128 KB for storage of measurements. True RMS measure- ments can be made up to 100 kHz. ‘Apart from the usual functions (such 98 V/A/9/1/C/1} its also possi ble to measure W, VA, Var, Wh and ah. The meter therefore comes with three tes leads as standord! There is builtin frequency generator and ‘clock. This meter also includes the unique Auiomatic Blocking System of the input sockets Software: ‘The Metrawin software is also used with this meter. For connecting th 295 to 0 PC a separate adopter is supplied that slides ever the top of the meter. Justa few additional ob- light switch is @ memory button that siores the currently displayed value info memory. The Peok button is used to store the value of short current or voltage spikes. Capacitance and frequency ranges are also present in this meter. The meter hos a true RMS capability up to 100 kHz. It is noteworthy thatthe vollage input is on the lofthand side of the meter {on all other meters it ison the right). The battery compariment aso ofers ‘access fo the protection fuses for the current ranges. Software: The SKDMM software from Metrix is a welldesigned program with many functions. It dossn't show an ona legue scale, justo toble of ihe meos- Urements along withthe date and time they were taken. The measur ing range can be selected using the sofware ond the meter immediately ‘returns @ warning when the range is servations about the software: It has many different options for process: ing ond printing the data. Its also posible fo add your own commenis to the graphs, for example. With the help of a scienifc calculator you can apply different formulae tothe measured data. Trigger levels can be sel independenlly forall connected instruments se! incorrecly. There are many eal culations that can be carried out on the measurements (various functions are available) and itis also possi ble to ake several measurements al the some time {or edd two diferent measurements together, for example). ‘There is a separale option o export the dota in Excel format 1” RdededlasG SERIAL MULTIMETERS: Meter: This isthe most exrovagant moter thot we got hold of. It looks very futursic end has a hinged graphics display with severel display options ‘The sotings are controled via o menu and it has @ serial interface as well as Bluetooth. The meter hos © 5 1/rdigit display, and the measure. rmenis can be shown in a graphical Meter: This grey meter with a grey rubber protecive cover isn’ exacly eye- Caiching, but it sill has « lo! fo of fer. The calibrated instrument has @ play with large digits ‘end a separate bargroph that reacts 3°/4-digi very quickly (60x/s accordi ing to the manual). This olso has the usual ranges, including capacitance (up to 10'm, frequency and tempera 20 ‘or numeric formal, Up to four values plus the bargraph can be shown ot the some time. Ithas all he stondard ranges, including capacitance, fre ‘quency, temperaiute, and hold, peak ‘ond memory keys, and much more The connections ore at the back so thot the leads won't be in the way ‘when using the meter. Software: ‘Tho SKDMM soltware isthe same os thot supplied withthe Metrix MX26. ‘As we said earlier, his program of fers many options for processing and storing the measurements ond ifs even possible io apply a formula to the measurements during the acquis: fion process. All meter sefings ean be changed from within the pro- ‘gram. The program can also aet os ‘a.web server, which mckes it possi- ble to view the measured data using ‘ony compuler that is connected to the network ture, There are separate buttons for ‘Mox/Min, Rel, Hold, Peak Hold ond ‘another bution for zo0ming into the borgraph. True RMS measurements ‘can be mads up to 20 ki2. There ‘re seporote measurement ranges for 50. and 50 mV DC Softwar ‘Sanwa offers @ choice of two sof ‘worepackoges, PC Link ond PC Lin Plus, The later is capable of logging ‘measurements from 9 maximum of eight meters simultaneously. The pro- ‘grom doesn't drow much attention to itself, just like the meier. We're presented with a large graph of the measured values with o table of the ‘measurements above it ond a side- bar for the settings tothe right. ‘Apart from the sompling interval you can olso specify a date ond start cond end lime for taking meosure- ‘menis, you con apply a linearisation toble fo the signel, upper and lower limits can be set and you can take Metri: relative measurements. Date can be exported in CSV format. The data can also be transferred directly into Excel. steer dora - 672001 Meter: From the outside this device looks exactly the same as the PC510, with the some grey housing, the some ons ond the same rubber cover. Meter: This is @ large meter with @ dark green rubber holsier. Ther isa gis display wit lage dig is, and a bargraph above it. The Sinometer MS8218 PC5000 The specifications are very much batter though. Next to the identical bargraph we find 5 3/,digit dis play, which can be switched dowa to 43/4 digits vio a bution, which gives faster readings ot DC volt ‘ages and frequency (5 x/s instead of 1.25 x/s). Here too we have tue RMS measurements up fo 20 kHz, copacitance and frequency, os well as exica sensiive ranges for resist tance end BC voliages. Other func- fions are the measurement of current loops as used in serial connections, dBm measurements and dutyeycle measuremenis Software: This model can be used with PC Link (08 well. The functions are identical to those described for he PC510. It was noticeable that the software reacted immediately when the meter ‘was switched to @ different func lion or resolution. Even when it was stondard accuracy is 0.03% and true RMS measurements con be taken up fo 20 kHz. Apart from the standard functions there are also settings for capacitance and frequency (and dutycycle) measurements. There is also a separate seting for dBm meas ‘urements. There ore large butions for Max/Min, Rel and Hold. thas 0 15- minute auto power-off [which can be disabled) and « separate Woke but fon to turn the device back on again. Tho power supply is rather"unusual in thar it uses six AAA cell Software: Mest ofthe manufacturers implement the software in the same way. This is also the case here: an analogue cond digital scale, o graph and o toble with the measurements are oll shown in one window. A nice touch is that the analogue display has a slight delay builtin, simulating 0 real Pointer. There ore only a few settings switched from 43/, to 5 2/4 digi the next measurement was always displayed in the correc format. Tho software can also be set upto for word the measured data once or at regular intervals to « previously con- figured address, orto send an email when @ certain threshold value has been reached. 0.5 or 5 seconds. This does make the software easy fo use. The data is stored in CSV format. After opening ile, « new window appears with a clear overview of the measurements ‘and a graph overtime, Moving the ceursor across the graph displays the ‘ecval valve of the measurement at thot point a UNI-T UT70B cre found back here: opart from the siandard functions there is also copacitance, frequeney/RPM and separate ranges for degrees Celsius ‘ond Fohrenheit. There are separate buttons for Hold, Min/Max, Rel. and selecting the RS232 connection. the display reacts slighly sluggishly, bu ‘part from that the meter is easy to Use in practice Software: The supplied software is almost identical to that forthe Volleraft VC- 920 cand thos the some functional This isa large, sturdy meter witha ily. Four windows are shown: the protective rubber holster. The 33/, measured value in digits, an onc- digit display is fairly large ond eas- logue meter scale, o column with the ily readable, wilh a bargroph os ™eosured valves and a graph. The ‘well. The backlight can be independ. umber of measurements is config. enlly tuned on or off. The auto pow. vrable, as isthe sample interval terofffunciion turns off the device Data can be stored in several differ: fier 30 minutes. All the measure. ent formats. This meter comes com: ‘ment capabilities of the other meters Plete with an oplical 8S232 inter- face, although the supplied CD also hhas USB drivers Velleman DVM 345DI of transistors (via 0 small socket) There aro two separate capacitance ranges ond o temporature tating thai uses the supplied temperature sensor. Tharsis no auto powar-ft There is on unusual RS232 connec: for with five long pins, and no men lion is mad of galvanie isolation Software: The MASView program displays four windows: the DC/AC seting ‘ond next io it the measured value in numerical form, « bargraph with o percentage indication, o table with the measured values, ond a graph of the meosurements. Each windove con Meter: be resized individually, the sompling This is; standard 3 °/

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