Agilent U1273AX Dead Display

[TRa757]

Hello ladies and Germaniums,

I may have removed my Agilent U1273AX from of my truck after it being in there for a few months.  It is likely that I live in Austin, Texas, which allegedly gets hot in the summertime.  Upon powering it on, the annoying boot sound is there but the display is darker than the inside of a cow.  New batteries, no go.  Number 2 hammer, no go.  Cursing and swearing, no go.

The display appears to have no power as there is not as much as a faint glow.  It's a pretty wizbang meter and would love to make it to work.

Before stepping up to a number 3 hammer, I thought I would leverage the EEVblog forum and tap into the genius.

Thank you for any suggestions.  Tim


UPDATE:

I found a dave video with same issue.....Standby

[TRa757]

I've spent way too much time on this meter display thing.  There must be 42 attobytes on the web about just this one thing.  Good job hp.

I finally ordered the display below because it is a drop-in and says it has the 160 degree viewing thing, which the X model has.  I talked to hp about it but they wanted me to have an "account" before they would even say boo and then. ghosted me.  The last email from me has a PS that says, "Dave and Bill would be so disappointed in you".

Clearly one could get into the 1273 display business and make 10 or 20 bucks each year, so I thought I would let the pros handle it and get the drop-in.  I think Dave did a drop in but that display would come up backwards or upside down or something until he cycled the power and it would come up normai.  I am curious if anyone has used a drop-in specifically advertised for the U1273AX or A with the note saying "160 degree view".  Of course I could just wait until the 16th, but I might have been on of those kids that snuck down to see what was under the tree.  Anyway, thanks for any info.  Tim

https://www.ebay.com/itm/314676985391?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230811123856%26meid%3D1dd7311e2fc44716947b9b569df08ca3%26pid%3D101770%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D314676985391%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2%26brand%3DKeysight&_trksid=p4375194.c101770.m146925&_trkparms=parentrq%3A880826dc18b0ab4c03f1b62effff43c6%7Cpageci%3Ad205c782-7843-11ee-935a-ce969de0ab7a%7Ciid%3A1%7Cvlpname%3Avlp_homepage

[donlisms]

Maybe I can't help much, but I was just going to say... I doubt if your display reached anywhere near 160 degrees, even in your beloved Texas Truck.

(One (one) of your jokes made me laugh.  Thank you, sir.)

[CapLeaker]

Here is my venture with my Agilent 1253B over at Badcaps.
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=101839

[onesystem]

With joint efforts from fellow eevblog members, there is a relatively simple solution for screen replacement with 100% functionality for U1273AX:

1. Buy an OLED screen with 31 pins (make sure it is 31 pins), and driver SSD1309
I bought it on eBay here in the USA (https://www.ebay.com/itm/364637366020), but also they are available on AliExpress (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805110683974.html)

INSTALLATION:

2. Remove the dead OLED screen from PCB. I used long blade to cut through the foam with extra care not to scratch the circuit board, then scraped off leftover foam with plastic tools. Applied double stick foam in layers until matched thickness of the foam that I destroyed which is 2.5 mm as far as I remember

3. Desolder the dead OLED contact pads from PCB, clean them up, apply thin layer of solder to them and prime it with non corrosive flux.

3. Color the foam edges with black marker if you see foam behind new OLED screen (do this before applying the screen to sticky foam pad)

4. Align the OLED screen to PCB according to little white markers oulining the corners of the screen edges, press it against foam pad you built and colored.

5. Solder the contact pads of OLED screen to PCB

6. Assemble the meter

FIRMWARE:

7. Download firmware update 3.01 from www.keysight.com:
https://www.keysight.com/us/en/assets/ndx/9018-33296/miscellaneous/U1273AX-Firmware-Update-Software-Version-3-01.zip
and install it.

8. Take this patched firmware 3.03 that will work with SSD1309 OLED screen:
https://drive.proton.me/urls/3RS0DT5M4C#BfzycVVQZKQy
Here is a full thread on research and development of the said patch:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/microcontrollers/8-bit-78k0-d78f0547-help-with-firmware-modification/
There you will see the patch details. DavidAlfa (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/profile/?u=555408) was most instrumental in helping me all the way on this.

9. Rename the downloaded firmware to "u1273ax_v301.ag" and replace existing file with same name in the directory of firmware updater:
[C:\Program Files (x86)\Keysight Technologies\Keysight U1273AX Firmware Update Software (Version 3.01)]

10. Connect U1273AX to the PC with installed firmware updater using cable U1173
(since mine was the obsolete U1173A, I had to replace the chip on it so it works with Windows 11)
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/u1173-connectivity-cable/
You should have no problems using U1173B

11. Turn on the meter and start the updater, load the firmware and enjoy the bright OLED screen on your meter!

[DavidAlfa]

Any reason you used 3.01 updater instead 3.03?

[onesystem]

The 3.01 uploader allows uploading of any firmware to the meter, it does not check the "current" version on the meter itself. The 3.03 uploader will check the current version on the meter, and if it is equal to or is newer then the firmware you are trying to upload, it will greet you with a message saying that your meter has the most current firmware and will not do the upload process.

Firmware uploader 3.01 only cares if two things are in place: firmware is there and is named "u1273ax_v301.ag" regardless of what actual version it is, and if the file is exactly 128KB.

[bson]

I need to make a similar tweaked firmware for my U1273A since I assume it's not compatible with the AX.  Just swapped out the SSD1306 display for an SSD1309 one, and get the expected mirroring and shift.

Ordered a U1173B IR-USB cable for it so I can use the Keysight update utility... will take a stab at the firmware when it arrives and post here.
Current version is 1.92    So I think I'll start by updating it to a stock 3.03, then see if I can modify it.