I see firmware V2.02 is available!
https://www.eevblog.com/product/121gw/
And a new manual update.
Looks like they added a check of the battery voltage before doing a firmware update in the latest release. Sounds like a good idea.
I'm still not thrilled with resistance mode. It is still somewhat slow, but putting the two leads together, it takes 2.5 seconds and then readings float between .018 to .103 ohms. The longer you hold the leads together the more the resistance reading goes up. V2.02, I believe is better than v2.00 in resistance. I've swapped leads and same thing. Perhaps the leads I have are not ideal, but resistance readings so sluggish make it hard to use for trouble-shooting. Its hard to know when to press the REL button as it takes a while for the readings to settle down when shorting the leads together.
On another subject, has anyone thought to do some customer firmware for working on older automobiles? I want to read RPM with a clamp-on probe (already have) and then drell angle (not real familiar with that). I am fixing-up (not down, but it is currently - lol) a 1974 Beetle as a hobby. I bought an automotive meter that is supposed to do this, but what a piece of fragile crap. RPM is basically reading frequency. I couldn't get that meter to read the RPM consistently. I have no idea what dwell angle is, but when I get to tuning the engine they say at a certain RPM set the timing for a dwell angle of xx. Anywho, I don't expect that, but did wonder if people have been doing customer firmware for this meter.
Dave
Since v2.0 the SD card logging stops working properly after a while. I haven't tried that in 2.02. The last time I recorded voltage for 19.5-20 hours with interval 2 seconds, fixed range. I monitored the display - the battery dropped gradually with cut off at about 10.8V. At about 19.5 hours the voltage was 11. At 19.0 hours - 11.8V. However since about 2h 40min (about 4800 recods) the value in csv is 12.529V +/- 3 LSD. The last digit keeps moving around like it's recording real data, but it has nothing to do with what's on the display.
I've reported this before, but I don't see it in firmware change log. Is this fixed? Does anyone else have similar problems?
Edit: Also since v2.0 the multimeter will occasionally freeze when I start logging - switching ranges, pressing buttons have no effect, until I turn it off.
P.S. Yes, I know that bluetooth exists. I don't want to rely on wireless for long term logging.
Since v2.0 the SD card logging stops working properly after a while. I haven't tried that in 2.02. The last time I recorded voltage for 19.5-20 hours with interval 2 seconds, fixed range. I monitored the display - the battery dropped gradually with cut off at about 10.8V. At about 19.5 hours the voltage was 11. At 19.0 hours - 11.8V. However since about 2h 40min (about 4800 recods) the value in csv is 12.529V +/- 3 LSD. The last digit keeps moving around like it's recording real data, but it has nothing to do with what's on the display.
I've reported this before, but I don't see it in firmware change log. Is this fixed? Does anyone else have similar problems?
Edit: Also since v2.0 the multimeter will occasionally freeze when I start logging - switching ranges, pressing buttons have no effect, until I turn it off.
P.S. Yes, I know that bluetooth exists. I don't want to rely on wireless for long term logging.
This sounds like a serious issue, however I am confused how to reproduce this...
The total battery voltage in the 121GW should be about 6 V, not 10.8 to 11.8 as you mention. There are 4 batteries, not 8.
What was the voltage source that you measured? Was it a constant voltage of 12.529 or did it change during the measurement? Did you check the voltage with a different meter during the test to confirm that the 121GW indeed measured/logged incorrect values?
Can anyone who has updated to v 2.2 say how long to expect the process to remain in the "douun" mode?
Can anyone who has updated to v 2.2 say how long to expect the process to remain in the "douun" mode?
I am assuming you mean firmware version 2.02?
First make sure the new firmware file on the SD card is named “EEVBlog.bin” with no spaces in the file name or the meter might hang and just display down. If the current installed firmware is old then you might want to make sure you have a fresh set of batteries installed before running the firmware update. I think I’ve read the newer firmware will check the battery level first.
1. Turn the meter off then hold down MEM and HOLD while turning on the meter. You will see IAP on the display.
2. Press the “SETUP” button and it will display “DOWN / DOUUN” and after 5 seconds the meter bar should start rising from the left to right.
3. Once the bar hits the end the meter will restart displaying the new version of firmware installed.
This whole process after it displays “DOWN / DOUUN” shouldn’t take more then 15 seconds.
Can anyone who has updated to v 2.2 say how long to expect the process to remain in the "douun" mode?
I am assuming you mean firmware version 2.02?
First make sure the new firmware file on the SD card is named “EEVBlog.bin” with no spaces in the file name or the meter might hang and just display down. If the current installed firmware is old then you might want to make sure you have a fresh set of batteries installed before running the firmware update. I think I’ve read the newer firmware will check the battery level first.
1. Turn the meter off then hold down MEM and HOLD while turning on the meter. You will see IAP on the display.
2. Press the “SETUP” button and it will display “DOWN / DOUUN” and after 5 seconds the meter bar should start rising from the left to right.
3. Once the bar hits the end the meter will restart displaying the new version of firmware installed.
This whole process after it displays “DOWN / DOUUN” shouldn’t take more then 15 seconds.
Thanks, Scottjd, yes, I followed the instructions to a Tee, but it stayed in DOUUN mode for at least 6 hours. It started at 9 PM, but I couldn't sleep well, so up at 3 am to check. No change, still DOUUN, except the display contrast was changing as the batteries dropped from ~ 1.54 v at the start, to 1.47.
With much trepidation I turned the meter off, then back on and it was still v. 1.57. I repeated the process with a different microSD using the same downloaded 2.02 .bin file, but this time it worked, and it was very quick. It immediately showed % progress and the analog bar incremented, too. 5 seconds, maybe, and it was done! A new set of batteries, and it's ready to go!
Thanks again!
Are all the functions reliable now? Anything crash?
Thank you,
Sparky
Just received my 121GW with firmware version 2.04. No issues discovered so far during first day of use.
Are you sure it's V2.04? On the website is V2.02?
Dave provided v2.04 a few weeks ago:
HERE
Just received my 121GW with firmware version 2.04. No issues discovered so far during first day of use.
Hello,
How fast is it in voltage mesurement with this new firmware for example with a lab power supply ?
Is there some lag when changing range ?
Thanks !
These results were obtained with a recently delivered 121GW running upgraded 2.04 firmware** and an Agilent U8001A power supply. I was pressing the "Output On/Off" button with the voltage set to 20 Volts (1 Amp current limit). When pressing "On" the meter's digital readout blanks in most cases and just after 1 second displays 19.992 volts. The indicator bar goes fully to the right then drops back to the correct position in probably 1/3 second. Once in a while a voltage in the 8 to 9 volt range pops up momentarily before showing the correct voltage. Pretty well the same thing happens in reverse when I press the "Off" button, but it is more likely to show a lower voltage momentarily and the bar indicator drops to zero more or less immediately. The ambient temperature was around 17C .
** Somewhat worryingly the meter was delivered with 2.01 firmware which is listed in the manual as "do no use".
Plus I would guesstimate a similar 1 second delay while the digital readout was blank when pressing the Range button on the 121GW. One range indicated overflow (the press after showing "20.0"). The bar indication moved promptly.
These results were obtained with a recently delivered 121GW running upgraded 2.04 firmware** and an Agilent U8001A power supply. I was pressing the "Output On/Off" button with the voltage set to 20 Volts (1 Amp current limit). When pressing "On" the meter's digital readout blanks in most cases and just after 1 second displays 19.992 volts. The indicator bar goes fully to the right then drops back to the correct position in probably 1/3 second. Once in a while a voltage in the 8 to 9 volt range pops up momentarily before showing the correct voltage. Pretty well the same thing happens in reverse when I press the "Off" button, but it is more likely to show a lower voltage momentarily and the bar indicator drops to zero more or less immediately. The ambient temperature was around 17C .
** Somewhat worryingly the meter was delivered with 2.01 firmware which is listed in the manual as "do no use".
Plus I would guesstimate a similar 1 second delay while the digital readout was blank when pressing the Range button on the 121GW. One range indicated overflow (the press after showing "20.0"). The bar indication moved promptly.
Thank you !!
So as I have seen in many youtube reviews(I think I saw all
) , the meter is really slow to change its ranges, even in DC Volt mode.
So I will check for future FW update before buying it, and I may buy the U1272A which I find really fantastic but very expensive (I have one which not mine for testing purpose).
I have a good BM257 too, very good but too low in diode&capacitance mode.
Hi,
I ask myself this question, why the firmware version 2.04 is not included on Dave's EEVBlog site?
The latest firmware on EEVBlog being 2.02?
Regards
It's on his "To Do" list.
Has been for a while ....
The manual on the site doesn't seem to mention 2.04. Has it been updated (if only to tell us what's new in 2.04), and if so can it be made available please?
I ask myself this question, why the firmware version 2.04 is not included on Dave's EEVBlog site?
The latest firmware on EEVBlog being 2.02?
I'm a slack arse.
It's now updated.
The manual on the site doesn't seem to mention 2.04. Has it been updated (if only to tell us what's new in 2.04), and if so can it be made available please?
ow, c'mon
Well, I can confirm that on
https://www.eevblog.com/product/121gw/, the documentation is NOT updated. The firmware 2.04 is there, however.
In addition, the "Report an issue" link is bad. Dave @EEVblog should look at this when he has a chance!
Martin
The message above is still actual. And now 2.05 firmware is not presented on the site.
Also, can someone present actual stage of further firmware features development? Because I little bit frustrated with my new device and waiting for a new firmware revision which makes this multimeter truly the best one!
Just got a new 121GW and it is displaying 2.05 - not sure if its a beta release?