agilent 3458A multimeter value

[eurofox]

Hi nV freaks,

What is the value for a second hand Agilent 3458A for a unit that was not used very much, look like new and still have a valid calibration?
I have a proposition for such a unit but it is hard to check the real value.

eurofox

[saturation]

Working to factory spec with a valid calibration?  ~$5000 in the USA.

[EEVblog]

They have gone for as little as $2500 in the past I believe, and I think this is close to what Martin Lorton paid for his. But most go for a lot more than that, probably double if you wait long enough and have a good ad.

[eurofox]

Thanks for input

eurofox

[saturation]

Sample ranges for units sold on US eBay ~ 3-4 months ago for USA:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&_nkw=3458a&_sop=3

[orin]

Hi nV freaks,

What is the value for a second hand Agilent 3458A for a unit that was not used very much, look like new and still have a valid calibration?
I have a proposition for such a unit but it is hard to check the real value.

eurofox

Bear in mind that Agilent charges $2660 flat rate to fix them.  Any error and I mean any error in self tests or on any range reduces the value by $2660.  Once you've paid the $2660 though, a maintenance contract is relatively cheap at $180 per year (so add that to the budget).

Given that 'working' units have been going for $4000 to $5000 on ebay, I'd pay no more than $4000 for a working calibrated unit.  $1500 for a 'parts' unit.  Yes, the 'parts' units go for more than that, but too much of a risk IMO.

Calibration will cost $650 minimum at Agilent - you don't want to get one of these calibrated at Joe's Discount Cal Lab!

 

[eurofox]

Hi guy's,

And what about  the KEITHLEY 2002 - 8,5 Digits compared to the agilent 3458A, it is a more modern version and not so big.
Someone  got experience with this one?

eurofox

[quarks]

Hello eurofox,

have a look at

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/8-5-digit-dmm/msg258880/#msg258880

I also have somewhere downloaded a comparison document between 3458A and 2002.  If you cannot find it, I can send it.

Bye
quarks

Edit: here is a link to the document
http://www.bnl.gov/cad/sns/test_report/Comparison%20of%20Keithley2002%20and%20HP3458A%20DMM.doc

[eurofox]

Hello eurofox,

have a look at

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/8-5-digit-dmm/msg258880/#msg258880

I also have somewhere downloaded a comparison document between 3458A and 2002.  If you cannot find it, I can send it.

Bye
quarks

Edit: here is a link to the document
http://www.bnl.gov/cad/sns/test_report/Comparison%20of%20Keithley2002%20and%20HP3458A%20DMM.doc

Thanks

[ben_r_]

Wow, that is one pricy meter! But 8.5 digits?! Crazy!

[mos6502]

What would you need that kind of precision for, apart from experimental physics?

Once you go to that level, you pretty much have to control all the environmental variables, temperature, humidity ... and everything would have to be super clean.

[Dave]

What would you need that kind of precision for, apart from experimental physics?

Once you go to that level, you pretty much have to control all the environmental variables, temperature, humidity ... and everything would have to be super clean.

Calibration.

[ben_r_]

Yep, thats the only thing I could think of, calibration.

[staxquad]

Wow, that is one pricy meter! But 8.5 digits?! Crazy!

$3 with free shipping is not pricy   

Unit is Calibrated and Guaranteed Working

Certificate of Calibration Provided With Instrument

(calibration expires 9/17/14)

including option 002

[quarks]

$3 with free shipping is not pricy   

Unit is Calibrated and Guaranteed Working

Certificate of Calibration Provided With Instrument

(calibration expires 9/17/14)

including option 002

that looks really strange, but when you look at the description there is a 3500$ price tag
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Agilent-HP-3458A-Digital-Multimeter-8-Digit-w-001-002-700-ID-25159-/190907939747?hash=item2c72fffba3

[eurofox]

Hi Guy's,

Any idea how much I should propose to pay for a 3458A with bad NVRAM?
Where can I get the latest firmware?

Is there any application to read the data from the NVRAM over the GPIB and store it to a file in HEX format?
I have now the USB-GPIB interface.

Thanks 

eurofox

[ManateeMafia]

If you don't already know, the calibration constants are stored in one of the three NVRAM modules inside the meter. You should replace all three at a time.
Once they are replaced, you will lose your calibration unless you can salvage the contents of U132 with a programmer.
Also, the NVRAM are not socketed, but should have them added using high quality mill-max style sockets.

If you cannot save the cal data, you should add in the cost of a full calibration as a minimum. Plus, add a new DS1220Y, two DS1235Y, sockets, labor to replace.

Have you performed a self-test and ACAL ALL on this unit? A passing self-test does not guarantee a passing ACAL ALL.
One of my units failed ACAL due to a bad capacitor, but passed self-test all day long.

A passing ACAL does not mean it will pass full calibration, but a failing test probably means a full repair cost. Agilent's repair price also includes a calibration afterward.

[quarks]

Hi Guy's,

Any idea how much I should propose to pay for a 3458A with bad NVRAM?
Where can I get the latest firmware?

Is there any application to read the data from the NVRAM over the GPIB and store it to a file in HEX format?
I have now the USB-GPIB interface.

Thanks 

eurofox

I guess it is an old unit, because the batteries in the NVRAMs are usually good for min. 10 years. If  battery in the DS1220 is already dead then the unit has lost the cal data and you need new calbration. If the data is still there you can either carefully unsolder the chips and make a copy with a programmer or you can try MREAD via GPIB (look for details in voltnuts).

[casinada]

There is no way that the unit went for $3 and free shipping considering what the other things from the seller go for. That would be like the deal of the millennium

[PaulAm]

The seller probably cancelled the deal claiming the meter was previously sold, or disappeared from his stock.

That's happened to me a couple of times.

[eurofox]

I guess it is an old unit, because the batteries in the NVRAMs are usually good for min. 10 years. If  battery in the DS1220 is already dead then the unit has lost the cal data and you need new calbration. If the data is still there you can either carefully unsolder the chips and make a copy with a programmer or you can try MREAD via GPIB (look for details in voltnuts).
[/quote]

I just wonder if data is still there with the error message and if it make sense to develop an application to read the data over GPIB because I don't think that MREAD command will create a file in Hex able to load in a new NVRAM, this mean that some code should be written in VB or C using the Agilent library.
Correct me please if I'm wrong.

Thanks for input 

eurofox

[staxquad]

The seller probably cancelled the deal claiming the meter was previously sold, or disappeared from his stock.

That's happened to me a couple of times.

looking at his completed listings, he re-listed the unit and took a best offer (so you all didn't miss the deal of the millennium)

[quarks]

I just wonder if data is still there with the error message and if it make sense to develop an application to read the data over GPIB because I don't think that MREAD command will create a file in Hex able to load in a new NVRAM, this mean that some code should be written in VB or C using the Agilent library.
Correct me please if I'm wrong.

Thanks for input 

eurofox

Do you know the exact error message?
If I remember right the MREAD and my direct Eprom chip read out was identical.

[eurofox]

Do you know the exact error message?
If I remember right the MREAD and my direct Eprom chip read out was identical.


The error message is "RAM TEST 2 HIGH", I suppose it is the high part of the NVRAM since memory is mapped into low/high with 2 NVRAM's.
The instrument in completely locked.

With respect to use undocumented MREAD, I found some information (From POUL HENNING):

The 3458A has a number of undocumented commands, amongst these:

   XYZZY      (try it :-)

   MREAD
   MWRITE
   JSR

MREAD allows you to read one 16bit memory word, for instance:

   MREAD   4
   MREAD   6

will get you the two halfwords of the RESET vector.

The Calibration NVRAM is located in the top byte of the memory at
address 0x60000...0x60fff, so by issuing 2048 GPIB commands:

   MREAD 393216
   MREAD 393218
   ...
   MREAD 397308
   MREAD 397310

I think the only way is to write code that open a file code.hex, loop from the beginning till the end of the NVRAM, use MREAD, apply eventually conversion to it in Intel Hex format, write into the file.
This file could be used in theory to write into a new NVAM.


eurofox

[Dr. Frank]

if the calram is ok, you may buy the instrument, that's where the money is in.
Forget the working ram, 32k*8. Its content can be restored easily.
You need GPIB, a program to read out, desoldering tools & skills and a programmer to transfer the CALMEM to a new one. (Which you may buy easily also)

I did it successfully, Quarks and others also.

Frank