A look at the Uni-T UT210E

[mauroh]

Thank you bitseeker!!

I agree on the counts and surely 6000 are plenty for my needs.
The hacks I really looking forward to perform is the serial output and now that I saw the joe smith videos I would like to add the High Bandwidth Oscilloscope output.

Now that I learned a bit more of this meter, I'm reconsidering the purchase, not for the meter itself that looks fine for my needs, but for the "ebay deal".
As always if it looks too good to be true...:
- The price is half of the lowest price of all the other sellers also on Banggood that usually is cheap
- The seller has just few feedbacks (less than 200)
- It looks like he normally sells action figures and not test gears
- The estimated delivery time is up to 2 months

I hope I'll enjoy some hacking and not a brick, will let you know.

Mauro

[bitseeker]

Mauro, see stj's notes in his post above. If the meter you receive has the new chip, you have more to look forward to (and don't have to worry about the 6000 counts on AC).

[mauroh]

Wow, thank you so much stj, great info 

Now I need this meter more and more
I need a test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group session

Mauro

[stj]

if you get the serial port working let us know, i think it didnt work on the 0660 chip.

btw, for safety, i think the most interesting way of connecting to the meter would be using a fiber-optic cable and a TOSLINK transmitter from an old CD or DVD player etc.
total isolation, no metal parts, and in the end the TOSLINK module is just an led. 

[bitseeker]

stj, TOSLINK sounds pretty cool.

Mauro, you don't need therapy. You just need to receive your meter. Then, you'll feel better.

[mauroh]

This is what I found for the RS232 output on the DTM0660 based meters, it looks promising:

http://www.kerrywong.com/2016/03/19/hacking-dtm0660l-based-multimeters/


He also use a simple  optoisolated solution.

Yes If I'll receive a the actual meter and not a brick I'll be better 

Mauro

[agaelema]

Very interesting stj.

I modified my ut201e to 6000 counts and now I noted that it use the DM1106. I will modify to 10k counts and do some tests with DC and AC.

A question, someone know how to calibrate the dmm using a voltage reference?

[stj]

you shouldnt have to calibrate it, because it's completely digital it wont drift.
only the clamp function has cal pots.

[danfran]

According to the manual, the UT210E has frequency units on the LCD display, but nowhere does it show that it will measure frequency. What are the Hz units for on the display? And if it does perform Hz measurements, how is it activated? Thanks

[stj]

some meters with that chipset can show the frequency and duty-cycle of an AC signal.
also they have a frequency counter mode.

i have no idea how to activate the first one, the aneng 8002 has it, but i cant see anything in the eeprom.
the second mode may need extra components and usually has it's own switch position.  - i'v not looked

[ceut]

According to the manual, the UT210E has frequency units on the LCD display, but nowhere does it show that it will measure frequency. What are the Hz units for on the display? And if it does perform Hz measurements, how is it activated? Thanks

some meters with that chipset can show the frequency and duty-cycle of an AC signal.
also they have a frequency counter mode.

i have no idea how to activate the first one, the aneng 8002 has it, but i cant see anything in the eeprom.
the second mode may need extra components and usually has it's own switch position.  - i'v not looked

I have tried to put the same hexa code of frequency(#12h) and T°(#13h) as my modded-AN8008, but when I test it at any encoder adress, the LCD doesn't show anything.

I tried to put the full dump of my modded AN8008: it works but LCD goes blank on these too (Hz and °C).

=>I think that it lacks of hardware parts for that.

Also, is anyone tried to mod the 100A limitation with changing the R49 value (actually at 200k) ?
I think it may be possible to acheive 200A (maybe more?) with swapping this R49 with a value for example of 470K + recalibrate the #54h and #55h  adress -- I will try that also

I have seen that there are many different UT210 from "A" to "E" , each one has its own fonctions(Hz+%, °C, 200A..)  but is it possible to mod our "E" to rule them all ? 


Edit: Has anyone have an UT210D and could share a good quality photo of the clamp components parts ? Thanks 

Here is a photo of mine:

[stj]

i dont think you will get 200A
infact with the 10,000 count mod it should be 1000A, but i think the 100A is hardcoded in software.

question:
why does it matter? the clamp is a bit small for putting over 200A+ cables anyway!!

[ceut]

i dont think you will get 200A
infact with the 10,000 count mod it should be 1000A, but i think the 100A is hardcoded in software.

question:
why does it matter? the clamp is a bit small for putting over 200A+ cables anyway!!

I check sometimes the starting Amps of my car and with my other (big) clamp-meter(EX830), I read about 150A , so I try to use this little one to replace it 

[Circlotron]

hardcoded in software.

[ceut]

hardcoded in software.

 

But he's right, it seems that it's harcoded on the OTP Rom of the DM1106EN.

I've done some tests with changing R48 value: the limitation is at 99.99A before "OL" on the 20A DC.
On my 4WD RC car with a lipo 2S 2200mAh battery, with the wheels not on the floor, I have mesured more than 30A on this 20A mode(the motor controller is rated to 80A) - Yes I can't run as fast as my RC car to hold the clamp meter near 

Then, I have changed the R49 and saw this hardcoding limitation of 099.9A on the 100A before "OL"=>it's the same limitation as the modded 20A but with less precision.

=>So my new test is that I've activated the 1000A mode on the 100A to test: I have a maximum of 9999A possible reading with the clamp and a R49 small value  
(functions #1Ch DCA & #1Dh ACA + Calibration #56h & #57h)
(I'm not interested in having such A, I only need 200A)

I will post later if I find other interesting thing, but it seems that with the unlocked 9999 points , the 100A mode is useless as the 20A mode can go up to 99.99A (in theory) and with more precision.

[ceut]

Reply to myself   
I have found where the 100A limitation is in the EEPROM => I have unlocked it so now I have the 999.9A on the 100A mode and not 099.9A, and no problem with Zero-ing.
I can't find where the 2500 limitation of 2A mode is, even if I have done the same thing I've done to find the 100A limitation (put FF everywhere where the EEPROM is undocumented and try many times).
So I keep the double mode for 2A (with and without dot).

I'm happier than my previous post now with my UT210E, I don't need any other mod for now.

Thanks for all informations in this topic and the russian one !
(https://translate.google.fr/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=fr&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fmysku.ru%2Fblog%2Fchina-stores%2F48659.html&edit-text=&act=url)

[stj]

so what exactly do we change for 99.99A mode?
 

[ceut]

so what exactly do we change for 99.99A mode?
 

It was easy to find in fact: it's in adress #07h&#08h which was specified to #0308h which is 1000 in dec.
So I have changed it to #2710h and bingo, 10000 in limitation (same as the LCD count).
I have checked it by first putting #0001h and I was limited to 0.1A before "OL" on 100A mode
Then, with R49 modification, I have simulated the 999.9A limitation without any problem, even with zeroing 

You can add my find to your great previous post (I have added my thanks too)

Only the 2500 limitation is really not in EEPROM, I think it's because it may have to do something with the Zero Button which is completly undocumented -- Maybe one day when the 1106 datasheet will be available..

[stj]

hmm.
i wonder how many amps it can actually read before you overload the opamp or the main input?
probably not important as the clamp is small. 

[stj]

o.k. i updated my notes on the last page. 

[plazma]

Did anyone get the TX pin activated?

[stj]

dont think so.

[stj]

@ceut
did you check in both AC and DC modes?
i just noticed the value you changed also exists in the next 2 bytes (09,0A)
 

[ceut]

@ceut
did you check in both AC and DC modes?
i just noticed the value you changed also exists in the next 2 bytes (09,0A)
 

I have not checked any AC Amp mode at all, as I don't use a lot, except for checking 240V devices.

I have also seen the 1000dec value on 09&0A, and I have changed it to 2710 too already, but don't know if it's a limitation or other parameter so I have not talked about on my previous post.

I will try with the R49 modification on AC mode too and will post.

[ceut]

So the limitation for AC is the adress #07h&#08h too.
I have made the same tests as before.
But I have no AC source at all, so I have checked the Amp coming into my Focal Hifi "column" speaker (rated up to 220W) with a high volume, and I have seen more than 800A on the LCD (it's fake value of course  because I have reduced the R49 to a very low value - about 100ohms to check).

I have let the mod on #09h&#0Ah even if I don't know what it is.

Great UT210E for me!
Great to use and great to mod 


Edit: I have just  finished to mod the second one I will give my brother. The longer thing I have done on both is the adding of my "special" flashing 5 pins connector I have made to quickly plug/unplugged on my CH341A without removing batteries.