Siglent Bench DMMs SDM3065X, SDM3055 and SDM3045X

[tautech]

I found some time to run my three DMM from the same source (9V battery).
After settling down (approx. 2h) I do not have the need to fiddle with internals of my 3065.

Seems that all 3 DMM are in spec (or all are wrong??)

An indication of each of their ages and any Cal info please ?
Pretty good result IMHO otherwise fear becoming a voltnut !   

The SDM3065 is now 4y old, the other about 25y+ and havn't seen a cal lab for decades.

Some years ago, after overcoming the strong demand to become a time nut I got the heavy desire to find a 7...8 digit DMM but I avoid this rabbit hole too.

Can I ask, with that stack of 3 bench meters, how often would you use them all at the same time on a project ?
Is it useful them being all different to keep track of which one you are probing with ?

I have an idea....    for meters with color displays to be able to assign different colors to bench meter readout digits to assist when using different measurement types and/or multiple meters.
Eg, users could use a probe color band identification like we do on scopes to color mark meter leads and have the readout color to match.

IMO this could be useful when a stack of the same brand/model meters are used.
Comments welcomed.

[BillyO]

Rob is pretending he's immune from TEA.

Yeah, right.  That's obviously not why he runs a test equipment dealership.

So, how do you turn TEA into a self sustaining lifestyle?

 

[KungFuJosh]

Sorry Bill, you have to be willing to sell some of the gear for that to happen. 

[tautech]

Rob is pretending he's immune from TEA.

Yeah, right.  That's obviously not why he runs a test equipment dealership.

So, how do you turn TEA into a self sustaining lifestyle?

 

For decades all I had was junk TE and never enuf time to pursue my lifelong hobby. 
Family, work and other hobbies drew attention away for electronics for far too long but now in my later years TE is my focal point every waking day.

I first used a scope at 13 and 30yrs later was given a busted one to fix and when I got my head around CRO's, fixed and flogged many more until I witnessed DSO's gaining hold in the market where one thing led to another and I teamed up with Siglent, first visiting them briefly in 2014 while doing a 4 day stopover in Hong Kong and a further 2 day business trip in 2024 to match all the emails with faces.

It was for me lucky timing plus a love for TE after the decades of only owning rubbish compared to the incredible gear you can get today for just a few 100 bucks.....many spend more on grog. 

Sorry Bill, you have to be willing to sell some of the gear for that to happen. 

Yup.
First get rid of the old stuff to have a few $ in the kitty for new stock and the sale profits start funding all desires for new toys......that also double as demo models owned by your company and also available for income tax reductions. (capital expenditure and depreciation)

I'm not immune to TEA but all my acquisitions in the last decade are of brand spanking new stuff to soothe that itch....and with a warranty !

[Bad_Driver]

I found some time to run my three DMM from the same source (9V battery).
After settling down (approx. 2h) I do not have the need to fiddle with internals of my 3065.

Seems that all 3 DMM are in spec (or all are wrong??)

An indication of each of their ages and any Cal info please ?
Pretty good result IMHO otherwise fear becoming a voltnut !   

The SDM3065 is now 4y old, the other about 25y+ and havn't seen a cal lab for decades.

Some years ago, after overcoming the strong demand to become a time nut I got the heavy desire to find a 7...8 digit DMM but I avoid this rabbit hole too.

Can I ask, with that stack of 3 bench meters, how often would you use them all at the same time on a project ?
Is it useful them being all different to keep track of which one you are probing with ?

I have an idea....    for meters with color displays to be able to assign different colors to bench meter readout digits to assist when using different measurement types and/or multiple meters.
Eg, users could use a probe color band identification like we do on scopes to color mark meter leads and have the readout color to match.

IMO this could be useful when a stack of the same brand/model meters are used.
Comments welcomed.

I started the beautiful hobby of electronics in East Germany at the age of 14. My first oscilloscope was a Russian 5 MHz scope. I spent a lot of time building measuring devices myself, for example frequency counters or tone generators. Most of the time it was about audio amplifier construction. Then I worked a lot at the university with digital electronics and microprocessor technology (Z80).
After the "fall of the Berlin Wall" in 1990, the hobby unfortunately fell asleep for many years due to the completely new life situation for me as an East German - I'm in a different business now.
In the last 6 years I have unpacked the old boxes again and set up a new hobby workplace. Since I now also have the financial means, a lot of TE accumulates that I would have always liked to have, sometimes without a concrete project. For example, now 7 devices from Siglent alone. Just like you, I am also a collector and hunter.
In anticipation of my imminent retirement, I also got my radio amateur license this year. I still have far too little time for the hobby, but that will certainly change.
I have never used all three 6.5 Digit DMMs together, because I also own two very good handheld DMMs (and 4 or 5 not so good). But I'm happy to own it.

[Cyclotron]

I found some time to run my three DMM from the same source (9V battery).
After settling down (approx. 2h) I do not have the need to fiddle with internals of my 3065.

Seems that all 3 DMM are in spec (or all are wrong??)

An indication of each of their ages and any Cal info please ?
Pretty good result IMHO otherwise fear becoming a voltnut !   

The SDM3065 is now 4y old, the other about 25y+ and havn't seen a cal lab for decades.

Some years ago, after overcoming the strong demand to become a time nut I got the heavy desire to find a 7...8 digit DMM but I avoid this rabbit hole too.

Can I ask, with that stack of 3 bench meters, how often would you use them all at the same time on a project ?
Is it useful them being all different to keep track of which one you are probing with ?

I have an idea....    for meters with color displays to be able to assign different colors to bench meter readout digits to assist when using different measurement types and/or multiple meters.
Eg, users could use a probe color band identification like we do on scopes to color mark meter leads and have the readout color to match.

IMO this could be useful when a stack of the same brand/model meters are used.
Comments welcomed.

I use multiple bench DMMs all the time doing repairs. I also use mulple power supplies. The current project to dianose and repair an SRS DG535 is a good example.
I need to figure out where the current draw is across two boards.  The system has +15, -15, +8, -8, 5, 0, and a 10 volt rails in various places. The current draw I'm looking for is in the -8 rail but that subs into a -2volt and a -5volt on the second board.  This is the most meters I've ever used similtaneiously while testing.

2 are watching the current on the -2 and -5 sub-rails. 3 are watching voltages, and I'm using a handheld to do spot checks.

I have three power supplies going and its a mess of red and black leads everywhere. I spend a lot of time double checking the probe for where it connects to a meter or supply. If I understand your idea, I could use a matched color display with leads; if so, TAKE MY MONEY!! I've fried a couple of parts due to mistakes caused by confusion on which probe goes where.

[exe]

Seems that all 3 DMM are in spec (or all are wrong??)

Interesting, my K2000 also measures -40uV.

[KungFuJosh]

For a quick measurement, I'm more likely to use 3 or 4 bench DMMs vs setting up the channels on my DAQ. If it's something I might do frequently that I can save presets in the DAQ for, I might use that alone instead.

Besides the 3 6.5 digit DMMs, I like using my SDM3055X-E often when more accuracy isn't needed; and I appreciate the lack of fan noise. And, if I'm being honest, more accuracy is usually not needed. lol

It's nice to have options.

[MathWizard]

So my SDM3065X is around 4yo, and only has the original factory calibration. That's ok for what I do, but how much might it have drifted since then ?

I'm in no rush to pay for a re-cal, and I'd like to get some old Electrometer, or an old old calibrator (but I bet they still cost too much for my hobby uses).

I should buy or make some reference circuits next year, and see how they, and my DMM's change over time.

[tautech]

So my SDM3065X is around 4yo, and only has the original factory calibration. That's ok for what I do, but how much might it have drifted since then ?

I'm in no rush to pay for a re-cal, and I'd like to get some old Electrometer, or an old old calibrator (but I bet they still cost too much for my hobby uses).

I should buy or make some reference circuits next year, and see how they, and my DMM's change over time.

1 yr drift specs are in the datasheet.....by that time the reference should be aged enough to have little future drift.
https://int.siglent.com/u_file/download/23_04_12/SDM3065X_DataSheet_E03A.pdf

Just check with whatever Cal lab you might use that they can/will adjust if necessary as not all know these units allow for User adjustment to get all ranges exactly on spec.
See the OP in this thread for the video by Defpom about User adjustment.......remembering you can always recall the Factory Cal should something go wrong.

[KungFuJosh]

I don't know if this is intentional or not, but the *RST SCPI command disables user calibration.

If you're using TestController, you should remove the *RST from the #finalCmd so that your user calibration isn't disabled when you close TC.

Thanks,
Josh

[Martin72]

Oops, one of our four SDM3045X failed for calibration this time.
The report is not yet available, but regardless of that, I think it's a little too early for that to happen when the oldest device is only three years old.

[KungFuJosh]

Oops, one of our four SDM3045X failed for calibration this time.
The report is not yet available, but regardless of that, I think it's a little too early for that to happen when the oldest device is only three years old.

Can't the lab do adjustments? The User Adjustment settings are simple enough.

[Martin72]

First and foremost, such a laboratory only determines what should be and what is.
If the meter deviates from its basic specifications, it is simply out of spec and not in spec.
Then it can either be corrected or the device must be sent to the manufacturer.
Personally, I consider this “user calibration” function to be a temporary crutch; it does not correspond to the factory settings, it is a cosmetic measure that can be used temporarily before the device is actually and professionally adjusted.

[KungFuJosh]

First and foremost, such a laboratory only determines what should be and what is.
If the meter deviates from its basic specifications, it is simply out of spec and not in spec.
Then it can either be corrected or the device must be sent to the manufacturer.
Personally, I consider this “user calibration” function to be a temporary crutch; it does not correspond to the factory settings, it is a cosmetic measure that can be used temporarily before the device is actually and professionally adjusted.

I guess that depends on the lab. It seems not a lot of labs know how to adjust them otherwise.

[KungFuJosh]

Ha, I guess I'm a little spoiled. I was going to sell my SDM3055X-E because it didn't fit on my workbench anymore with the 6.5 digit meters.

It occurred to me that a silent bench meter on my computer desk would be nice. Now I can follow a circuit on my computer and test with the meter on my desk, rather than being stuck with paper on my bench (or sliding in my office chair back and forth between the desk and bench lol).

[kmoonwalker]

I guess that depends on the lab. It seems not a lot of labs know how to adjust them otherwise.

only some labs can make factory level adjustment and usually they have agreements for servicing certain brands equipments on some area

service training, kits and documentations are usually expensive to get

[KungFuJosh]

I guess that depends on the lab. It seems not a lot of labs know how to adjust them otherwise.

only some labs can make factory level adjustment and usually they have agreements for servicing certain brands equipments on some area

service training, kits and documentations are usually expensive to get

I was kinda referencing one of the official labs Siglent uses telling another member to throw out their meters because they can't be adjusted. 

[Kleinstein]

There may not be that much difference between the user calibration and the factory calibration procedure. One obvious point is that the factory adjustment is not directly readable and can be used as an easy fall back. This may already be the main difference.

There could still be a few more extra points, that usually don't need a re-adadjustment, except maybe after some repairs in critical areas. The AC part gain would be such a possibly tricky aread.  However this is not different from other meters. These may also have a factory adjustment procedure that is no available at most cal labs.

[MathWizard]

Does Siglent have any plans for a 7.5D DMM ? I was tempted to get an old one, but I went with a digital Keithley 616 electrometer instead. IDK what to expect with that, but I'll learn about it over time.

[bateau020]

See

New one is already released SDM4075A  7 1/2 digits with 50000 rdgs/s.

https://www.siglent.com/products-overview/sdm4075a/

Not sure when/if it will be available.

[Algoma]

On their page,
  "Parameters: storage
       Maximum 2 million degrees"

What? ... Well there goes the warranty.. and half the city.

[KungFuJosh]

This is a little weird. The attached firmware has been on the Chinese support site since October, but the international site hasn't been updated yet?

I haven't tried it since mine is an SDM3055X-E...except for the sticker.

[hammy]

This is a little weird. The attached firmware has been on the Chinese support site since October, but the international site hasn't been updated yet?

This is an old firmware version. You can find the latest versions here: https://int.siglent.com/upload_file/zip/firmware/A_multimeter/

[KungFuJosh]

This is an old firmware version.

Ah, you're right! I just checked again, and it was a glitch. The SDM3045X didn't show up at all this time (only the SDM3055X-E version). Fun!