Products > Test Equipment
Fluke 867B, good or obsolete?
parawizard:
Working on documenting the serial interface. Dosbox wasn't too kind with me on Linux and on Windows the IR189II adapter from my father's 289 wouldn't accept 5N1 mode. So I finally got an XP machine running in VirtualBox with the windows version of Flukeview 860. Checking out what is being sent with PortMon I have looked at all the app's functionality. I grabbed my Linux laptop and sent `QP 2\r` and saved the screenshot of the devices display. Trying to figure out the data structure in imhex which is a brilliant piece of software. Check out this picture. Turns out it's basically a 1-bit monochrome bitmap with some extra junk before each row of pixel data. Switching imhex to binary and adjusting the column size is a trip. When it lined up like the picture it all made sense.
Swake:
Very interesting. I did not expect they would do it this way, but it makes sense as adapting the fluke screen does not need any modification on the PC-side software. Might also explain why that Fluke feels so slow.
Thanks for the tip about imhex.
parawizard:
I was up until like 6am figuring out how program waveform and query waveform work. I noticed that if I query waveform in flukeview I get only a graph of it. If send that waveform back to the device it appears in screen memory as an entire screen. It definitely isnt a fullsize bitmap but it does contain all the information the meter needa to recreatw the screen!
So if I am so inclined I should be able to recreate the meter screens in software with the information sent by Query Waveform. At minimum have an alternate display in software without printing bitmaps. No freezing needed either.
Also interesting is that Query Measurement can return data much quicker than FlukeView refreshes Instrument Display. I am pretty sure it only is calling Query Measurement and not using Waveform data but the interval is much too slow if you wanted to use it live or for youtube.
kblue:
Got another 867B (with malfunctioning switch). Its repaired and fully operational, but the batterypack is kinda busted. Tried to use six whatnot-brand AA 1,2 V NiMh 2200 mAh (fully charged) but meter turns off after less than 1 hour. It does work fine with 1,5 V AA batteries.
Mayhaps i'll buy some 1,5 v li-ion AA batteries to have it running.
parawizard:
--- Quote from: kblue on October 30, 2024, 09:51:27 pm ---Got another 867B (with malfunctioning switch). Its repaired and fully operational, but the batterypack is kinda busted. Tried to use six whatnot-brand AA 1,2 V NiMh 2200 mAh (fully charged) but meter turns off after less than 1 hour. It does work fine with 1,5 V AA batteries.
Mayhaps i'll buy some 1,5 v li-ion AA batteries to have it running.
--- End quote ---
Mine runs for many hours on nimh AAs. Mine are Ikea LADDA 1900mAh and 2450mAh. 1.2V seems low for fully charged nimh. It should be about 8 hours. The nicd pack was 7.2V 1700mah I think. The service manual does show cut off voltages for the battery.
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