Mooshimeter - Wireless SmartPhone Multimetre

[psycho0815]

The Name: 
Now I know 13 words in German.   

I wouldn't worry about it. No matter what name you choose, it will always mean something nasty in one language or another.

[con-f-use]

Than thank you very much for your quick reply, Eric. Sounds good so far. There is an ongoing discussion on an Open Source Multimeter in this forum. Dave did a as well. You might draw inspiration from there...

We've gotten great questions and suggestions from you, and there are actually two new features we'll be announcing soon that started as an email to hello@moosh.im.  We want to use the combined wisdom of the 377 (and rising!) backers to set the course moving forward:

What do you want to see for stretch goals and add-ons?

Is there a particular demo you’d like to see?  If you have an idea for a demo that would help us reach a target audience, we’ll try to make it happen.

Tell us by posting a video response to our launch video or by emailing hello@moosh.im

And now, a preview of coming attractions:

 - More Demo Videos

 - Accuracy characterization and improvements

 - Compatibility with your favorite multimeter add-ons

I swear I don't work for them 

[Jon86]

The name still makes me cringe a little every time I say it in my head, they'd probably sell quite a few more if they gave it a more professional name (and look).
Seems promising though, If I haven't put my own one together in a few weeks I might consider buying myself one!

[con-f-use]

[...] sell quite a few more if they gave it a more professional name (and look).

The importance of names is overrated, see Keysight Technology. Just marketing dicks dicking around, don't pay attention. As to the look, I suspect when Mooshis (*German chuckle*) go into production they'll be more efficient than 3D-printing a case for (500+) meters. Btw. what will your's be called? In the present spirit, I'd suggest "Fleshimeter" "Falshy-Meter".

Btw. what is it with the Moo-Names lately?

[Galenbo]

The things I like:

-Distance between measurement and display. Measurement in the engine compartiment of a car, at the cold roof, in a noisy room, visualisation somewhere nearby.

-It has a graphic time-display, and I like that they still call it multimeter. Twitteristic dreamerfabricants would have called it a Scope.

The things I don't like/ don't know/ want on it:

-Magnet sticked to it, so I can fix it in the engine bay.
-Clamp or hook, so I can attach it.
-2 Holes in it, or at the side, so I can screw it onto something.
-µUSB port for charging/continuous measuring.
-multiple devices on 1 smartphone, one device to multiple smartphones.

 

[ConKbot]

The things I like:

-Distance between measurement and display. Measurement in the engine compartiment of a car, at the cold roof, in a noisy room, visualisation somewhere nearby.

-It has a graphic time-display, and I like that they still call it multimeter. Twitteristic dreamerfabricants would have called it a Scope.

The things I don't like/ don't know/ want on it:

-Magnet sticked to it, so I can fix it in the engine bay.
-Clamp or hook, so I can attach it.
-2 Holes in it, or at the side, so I can screw it onto something.
-µUSB port for charging/continuous measuring.
-multiple devices on 1 smartphone, one device to multiple smartphones.

Wired charger would be a big isolation/safety issue, especially on microusb.  See the kinds of connectors that fluke scopemeters use for charging, and the big expensive high-isolation power brick.

However... If you could do a Qi charger, then isolation can be taken care of.  Perhaps an upgrade? so it can run off of 2 AA's or a li-poly/Qi charger module which fits in the AA size battery compartment.

[EricVanWyk]

Galenbo -

We are still finalizing the enclosure, but we are currently thinking that the back will have a nut embedded at the center to make it easier to attach to things.

An earlier case rev had two magnets permanently embedded in it, but half our testers wanted it and the other half didn't.

The protocol can handle multiple meters per host device.  The app does not currently support it, mostly from a user experience / user interaction point of view.  The GATT profile and API will be open source so that users can support additional interactions (like this).

ConKbot hit the nail on the head w.r.t. charging.  We are rating to CATIII 600V, so any exposed connectors need to be protected and tested.

-It has a graphic time-display, and I like that they still call it multimeter. Twitteristic dreamerfabricants would have called it a Scope.

I love that phrase.

[Lightages]

If you are going to rate it CATIII 600V, are you going to get it third party tested/certified?

[EricVanWyk]

Lightages -

Yes.  We've done our own testing in house, but we are working with a local test house to get the official stamp of approval.

[arkayy]

Maybe its been a long day but who would actually call this a scope? It seems to be missing some key features and logging/display does not make a scope.

Also not sure what a dreamerfabricant is but I feel like I should hit it with a stick. A very heavy, sharp stick.

Separate question too. What is Dragon Innovation as a crowdfunding platform? I'm familiar with some of the others but this one is new to me.

[fake-name]

Maybe its been a long day but who would actually call this a scope? It seems to be missing some key features and logging/display does not make a scope.

I suspect most marketing departments would disagree.

[magiccow]

The iPhone 3GS doesn't have Bluetooth 4/BLE, so I wonder how their video demos work.

[scientist]

still finalizing the enclosure

I've heard that before...

*cough* MooOptics *cough*

[Gallymimus]

They show it hooked up to a 400VDC source in the video, and measuring mains current in a few places.  Of course, accidentally connecting current mode across mains is another matter and I'd love to see that tested.

In the studio shot of the board it also looks like two rather large diodes are missing in the input protection area.  Maybe final version has more?

Every time Dave cracks opens a decent multimeter, you see several MOVs, a large PTC, HRC fuses, etc. Do you see any of this in this flimsy meter? That case also doesn't look like it would offer much protection if something suddenly decided to explode.

Well youre college could use it with his own phone.

Look at it this way: You need to make a quick measurement of something. Would you be willing to go to Google Play/iTunes App Store/whatever Windows phones have, find the correct app, download it, install it, open the app, pair your phone to the multimeter and then start taking measurements? It's a slap to the face of productivity.

Another thing I don't like:

Voltage
Up to 600V, DC or peak AC
Up to 420VAC RMS sinusoidal
Better than 0.5% accuracy DC
Better than 1.0% accuracy AC for harmonic content below 1kHz
>10 Megaohm input impedance

High Precision Voltage:
Up to 100mV with <15nV per count resolution
Up to 1.2V with <200nV per count resolution
>10 Megaohm input impedance

Current, Internal
Up to 10 Amps
20 µV / mA burden voltage (using factory fuse)
Less than 5 µA per count in 10 Amp scale
Better than 1% accuracy

Resistance
Better than 1% accuracy over 20 Ohms –  20 Megaohms

Frequency
Better than 1% accuracy up to 1kHz

Seriously, 1%? A shitty analog meter can do 0.5%. If they brag about 24-bits, it should be at least two orders of magnitude better.

Note on Provided Accuracies:

The accuracies and tolerances listed here are preliminary and conservative.  They do not include temperature compensation or factory calibration.

Expect these numbers to improve as we develop our calibration procedures.

Not convincing. Not convincing at all.

Yeah I'm also not so sure about the accuracy and bit depth.  Does anyone know if they are using a PGA or doing any other form of gain switching?  If it only has one or two scales and they are quoting 1% of full scale accuracy then even more than 12 bits doesn't do much for you.

[EricVanWyk]

We have a PGA on all channels, and some of the channels have 2 or 3 "major ranges" as well.  For example, the "V" input had major ranges of 600V and  60V, each further divided by the PGA.  Now we've added a third major range of 1.2V, again further divided by the PGA.

[rr100]

I suspect most marketing departments would disagree.

I agree on that one, the marketing guys from the defunct Kodak who came with "tested up to 300 years" (look it up if you don't believe me) must still work somewhere.

[mrflibble]

still finalizing the enclosure

I've heard that before...

*cough* MooOptics *cough*

*grin*

When I read that part about the enclosure I also experienced a bit of MooooOptics deja vu.

Luckily it's 2 months later now. So the enclosure is finalized and it breezed through CAT III certification at that local test house as mentioned 2 months ago? Oh oh oh, or did you guys get a new enclosure, and then the certification results were invalidated, and then you had to redo the certification, and then <fill_in/>? Just kidding. maybe

Anyways, I do hope it succeeds because it does look like a cute idea.

[Orpheus]

I've met the MooshiMeter guys, have held the prototypes, belong to the same Makerspace (better local nagging) and will gladly buy a pre-order off an EEVblogger who is getting cold feet.

Why? I foolishly weighed only *my* needs vs the wait time, without allowing for "pre-swipage" (i.e. long delay = high probability that a CuteChick would wheedle me into "lending" mine to her longer-term-than-she-admits project before I even got it!) Rookie Engineering mistake!

I'll gladly buy off your buyers remorse (less headache for you *and* them), but respond soon. Though I didn't cross paths with them in February, I'll probably run into them soon, and will be shameless about sending CuteChick to cajol Just One More(tm) out of them directly. Why should I go without when she can wheedle them directly? (Ans: because that's just her way)

The preceding is a commentary on CuteChick personally and not Chicks in general -- that would be sexist.

[Bored@Work]

I've met the MooshiMeter guys, have held the prototypes, belong to the same Makerspace (better local nagging) and will gladly buy a pre-order off an EEVblogger who is getting cold feet.

Why? I foolishly weighed only *my* needs vs the wait time, without allowing for "pre-swipage" (i.e. long delay = high probability that a CuteChick would wheedle me into "lending" mine to her longer-term-than-she-admits project before I even got it!) Rookie Engineering mistake!

I'll gladly buy off your buyers remorse (less headache for you *and* them), but respond soon. Though I didn't cross paths with them in February, I'll probably run into them soon, and will be shameless about sending CuteChick to cajol Just One More(tm) out of them directly. Why should I go without when she can wheedle them directly? (Ans: because that's just her way)

The preceding is a commentary on CuteChick personally and not Chicks in general -- that would be sexist.

Orpheus, eh? You should cut a little bit short on the weed.

[Orpheus]

Was it just my goofy mood when I posted that, or am I missing something substantive?

[Galenbo]

Wouldn't it be easyer/better to take an existing multimeter (40 euro) and connect a bluetooth module to the display pins and eventually the range selector?

The laptop/smartphone gets a number and a unit every 0.5 seconds. Done.

[rr100]

- usually size DOES matter (see the interest for Dave's USB power supply)
- you don't need to connect to display pins, many (even cheap) millimeters would have optical output over some kind of opto-coupled serial - you don't even need a level converter as the serial device would be powered over serial so the level is controlled by the voltage you feed
- however I don't know about any cheap multimeter that measures V and A at the same time.

[con-f-use]

Additionally the battery consumption would suffer much.

[suicidaleggroll]

Problems with that "solution":

1) DMMs typically auto power-off after some time.  Sometimes you can disable it, but if you do your battery is going to die fast, probably within a couple of days.  The Mooshimeter is designed to run continuously for months.

2) It only provides communication in one direction.  You could stream data to the bluetooth device, but you couldn't control the DMM with it.

3) You would lose the ability to log data unless you left your phone/laptop within 10 feet of the DMM at all times.

4) You couldn't monitor voltage and current simultaneously.

5) You would lose the 20uV/mA burden voltage and jump up to the high burden voltage of your cheap DMM.


In other words, it would be a completely different, and significantly less capable device.  If ALL you wanted was a DMM that can stream data to a bluetooth device, then yes that would accomplish it, but if that's all you think the mooshimeter does then maybe you should re-read the description of it.

[Galenbo]

- you don't need to connect to display pins, many (even cheap) millimeters would have optical output over some kind of opto-coupled serial -

So connect this serial signal to bluetooth. Done

It's nice that it can datalog and measure amplitude and phase of 2 signal, but I have other equipment to do that. These functions don't have to be wireless (for me)