Rigol DP832 - Firmware list and bugs

[IAmBack]

Ok.
That's what I will try to do.

EDIT
Seems to be O'k now, so Thank You.

[IAmBack]

I've just measured speed of OCP reaction. Not scientific test, but I wanted to see how it works.

I've set output voltage to 2V,output current to 500mA and OCP to 300mA. Output was loaded with 1k resistor. Then the 1,5Ohm resistor was added in paralel as a "shortcut". This allows to see when OCP turns off the output.

For given settings I have measured about 200ms (!) for channel 1 and 2, and about 300ms (!!) for channel three.

Changing the current limit to 2A for channel 1 slowed-down reaction to 400ms (!!!).

With higher output voltage (15V) reaction time shortened to 200ms. I did not checked other channels/settings.

Do You like those results? I expected to see the reaction times 4-5x shorter.

With the values given above I'd say its a bug. Maybe someone can check it with other fw?

[nctnico]

How much capacitance is at the output and what do the waveforms look like? Most power supplies (say 99.9%) have a large capacitor at the output and it's charge is dumped into the load before the short circuit protection kicks in.

[IAmBack]

Rather not the result of capacitance.
See the plot.
Current was set to 2A, so the output voltage drops to 3V.
This time, for 15V OCP reaction time  is 400ms!

[TurboTom]

Has anybody got a Python calibration script for the DP832 (F/W 01.14) in combination with a DM3068 (F/W 01.10) that really works? I experimented with what I found here in this thread (I really appreciate what the contributors provided here even though it won't work for me) and I found out that my DM3068 won't reply to the "uptime:" inquiry so I simply commented the corresponding lines out . Moreover, my DM3068 requires more time for the self test than the timeout setting in LxiInstr.py, so I increased the setting to 25 seconds which did the trick.

Now the voltage calibration tests (Ch1 of the DP832 so far only) appear to be running okay, yet when I'm supposed to change the wiring for current measurement and confirm this, the calibration procedure terminates with the following message:

Code: [Select]

.
.
* DM3068 <<< '[30.0002061]'
* DP832 >>> 'CALibration:MEAS CH1,V,9,30.0002V,0'
* DP832 >>> 'SYST:ERR?'
* DP832 <<< '0,"No error"'
ADC-V  9 :  Point:   +30V - DMM:  +30.000206V - Err:0.000687%
* DP832 >>> 'CALibration:Set CH1,V,10,32V,0'
* DP832 >>> 'SYST:ERR?'
* DP832 <<< '0,"No error"'
* DM3068 >>> 'READ?'
* DM3068 <<< '[32.0024431]'
* DP832 >>> 'CALibration:MEAS CH1,V,10,32.0024V,0'
* DP832 >>> 'SYST:ERR?'
* DP832 <<< '0,"No error"'
ADC-V 10 :  Point:   +32V - DMM:  +32.002443V - Err:0.00763469%
* DP832 >>> 'OUTPUT CH1,OFF'
* DP832 >>> 'SYST:ERR?'
* DP832 <<< '0,"No error"'

Connect the DM3068 10A CURRENT inputs to DP832 channel 1
Press enter to continue
* DM3068 >>> 'CONF:CURR:DC 10A'
* DM3068 >>> 'SYST:ERR?'
* DM3068 <<< '0,"No error"'
* DM3068 >>> 'VOLT:DC:NPLC 100'
* DM3068 >>> 'SYST:ERR?'
* DM3068 <<< '0,"No error"'
* DP832 >>> 'OUTPUT CH1,ON'
* DP832 >>> 'SYST:ERR?'
* DP832 <<< '0,"No error"'
Shutting off PSU outputs
* DP832 >>> 'OUTPUT CH1,OFF'
* DP832 >>> 'OUTPUT CH2,OFF'
* DP832 >>> 'OUTPUT CH3,OFF'
ERROR: global name 'calib_single' is not defined
Calibration failed. Terminating.

d:\Incoming\Drivers\Rigol\DP800\DP832_Cal>

Since I'm really not into (Python...) programming, has anybody got the calibration running with a similar configuration or could point me to the right direction so I can get it to run through all modes / channels without errors?

Thanks,
Thomas

[2N3055]

I took one from the forums by[ Stupid Beard on the EEVBlog forums ], which in turn was based on a [bson on the EEVBlog forums] and changed it to run on my DP831.
It runs perfect..

Which one are you using? .. I can take a look at it if you like..

[TurboTom]

Thanks 2N3055 -

I used "bson's" script with minor modifications (timeout and later DMM reset disabled). Upon your hint, I switched to "Stupid Beard's" script which showed similar difficulties, yet, as it seemed only regarding the DMM. After that I compared the relevant python files with the ones you patched for your DP831 and found the modifications I made to more or less match yours (some function-wise irrelevant parameters were different). I found out that as soon as I disable the DMM reset, the script works (actually the calibration runs and improves my DP832's accuracy, it's almost spot-on now).

And after all that hassle, the coin dropped...  : I connected the instruments to the PC via USB and not via ethernet (was short of patch cables...)! This probably caused all the difficulties and strange behavior. Anyway, this may be valuable information to others, the calibration with the DM3068 via USB works with "Stupid Beard's" script as long as the DMM reset is disabled in the file "calibrate.py". It would probably work with the reset enabled as well if the SCPI timeout was changed to several seconds, but I had no idea how to do that.

Whatsoever, I was able to calibrate my power supply and I guess I learned a lot on my way there... Thanks to all those who have made this possible!

Cheers,
Thomas

[jopl]

Dear TurboTom,
would you be so kind and could you share your final python code?
Thanks, jopl.

[TurboTom]

@jopl -

I basically used the calibration script provided by "Stupid Beard" with a few tiny modification applied to match the DM3068 capabilities. In order to get the script to work with the instruments connected via USB, I had to remove the reset instruction for the DM3068. See attached file for the script as I used it. It still terminates with an error message but the calibration of the DP832 works.

Considerable effort is required to provide the proper Python environment to run the script. I used a PC with Intel Core i7 CPU and Windows 7 64bit O/S.

On this system, I installed the "python-3.6.0-amd64.exe" package (have the path environment modified to include Python) and the following extensions (Google is your friend to find and download them):

numpy-1.12.0-cp36-none-win_amd64.whl (install with "pip install numpy-1.12.0-cp36-none-win_amd64.whl")
python-ivi-master.zip (extract and install with "python setup.py install")
python-vxi11-master.zip (extract and install with "python setup.py install")
PyVISA-1.8.tar.gz (extract and install with "python setup.py install")

Moreover, to have the required drivers running, I installed Rigol Ultra Sigma which in turn requires the NI IVI environment, all available for download from Rigol.

So altogether, it's not really straight-forward to get things going, and a different operating system may require some of the files to be replaced by the corresponding ones. If you succeed, it may be interesting for others as well if you post your findings and experiences.

Good luck,
Thomas

[Stupid Beard]

I'm glad the script was useful for someone 

It could be made a lot simpler to get the python environment setup. I just lost all enthusiasm for updating it once I calibrated my DP832. I suspect that's the problem with all the calibration scripts; you hack it up to get the job done and then you don't care until you have to do it again, at which point you hope everything still just works.

[firstcolle]

someone use the rigol ultra power app for use the power supply?

i tryed it via USB but i have some problems.. i can see the voltage and current levels but i can't modify the values. i can only switch the channels on or off.
also the graph on the right side is useless if i work with low voltage and low current because i cant modify the y axis maximum level that is always 33V..

is there another software for using DP832 on PC?

[_Wim_]

someone use the rigol ultra power app for use the power supply?

i tryed it via USB but i have some problems.. i can see the voltage and current levels but i can't modify the values. i can only switch the channels on or off.
also the graph on the right side is useless if i work with low voltage and low current because i cant modify the y axis maximum level that is always 33V..

is there another software for using DP832 on PC?

I think you have to change your regional settings (see https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/rigol-dp832-and-ultrapower-(ultra-sigma)/msg1147413/#msg1147413)

[firstcolle]

yes,
changed comma with dot for the decimal divisor.. now i can change the supply  parameters but i can't change the maximum Voltage for the Y axis on the graph.. any solution?

thaks!!

[_Wim_]

No, solulation for that, and it is very annoying. The software is full of these "features". You also cannot stop the recording to zoom in or things like that. Best way is to start "recording" (writes a CSV-file if I remember correctly), and then analyze the data in excel. But that is of course very cumbersome. I have been thinking of writing my own tool, but I do not need the functionality enough to warrant the invested time. Still hoping another software becomes available that utilites all of the logging features of the DP832...

[firstcolle]

i found a possible solution but is not elegant..

in the installer folder there is the DP832.ini file (C:\Program Files (x86)\RIGOL\Ultra Sigma\Instrument Tools\RIGOL_DP_Tools_S1402 Ultra Power\Data)
for each channel change the SET V Max and SET A Max value to the desired value. this change the settable limit value but also the max value on the graph. In particular the max value on the graph is the max value between the 3 channels values

[_Wim_]

Thanks for this. Will keep that in mind if I would ever be in need.

[mountainman]

Hi.
I've found a bug in the DP832A (00.01.14) VXI-11 stack . The DP832A will only accept the device name 'inst0' on the create_link call. Any other value will result in a device not accessible reply to create_link.

Regards Mountainman

[Teuobk]

Noticed a bug with my DP832 today (FW 01.14) while calibrating it. It's possible this has been covered elsewhere, but some searching didn't turn up anything, so I thought I'd share both the problem and the solution.

My output voltage on channel 2 had been about 8 mV low for a while, so I decided to calibrate it today using a modified version of bson's script and my DM3068. Everything was fine until I was checking various voltages after the calibration. That's when I noticed that the DP832 had lost its zero on channel 2, by which I mean it was putting out -86 mV instead of 0 V when it was off. All readings at 100 mV and higher were fine, but once the output setpoint was below about 50 mV, the actual output dropped below 0 V. That's a problem because DP832 channels that are "off" are really just set to "0 V" -- or in my case, -86 mV.

Channels 1 and 3 were -0.5 mV and 0.6 mV, respectively, when they were "off".

I confirmed the problem by wiring my 34401A in parallel with my DM3068. The two meters agreed about all of the readings.

I calibrated again, calibrated a third time, power cycled the DP832, manually calibrated from the front panel, and so on. Nothing helped. The 0 V point remained stubbornly below zero, roughly -60 mV to -100 mV depending on the calibration run.

At that point, I looked through the offsets between the DAC calibration point voltages and the actual voltages. On my DP832, all of the DAC cal points below 5.2 V were off by about 430 mV; said differently, the actual voltages were about 430 mV lower than the nominal cal voltages. The only exception was the 0.2 V cal point, which was only 286 mV low. That made me think: what if I just ignore the actual reading during the 0.2 V cal point measurement and instead tell the DP832 that the measured value was 430 mV low, i.e., -230 mV? So, I patched the cal script to do that, and completed another calibration cycle.

That worked! My channel 2 voltages were accurate to with a mV or two almost everywhere, even with output voltages down in the low tens of mV. Zero was only slightly off: about 4 mV. Close enough!

To recap: I fixed my non-zero output problem on my DP832 by giving the instrument a fake value for the 0.2 V DAC cal point.

[vertual]

Very long time error not appear. Just catch it. when tool lost connection with computer and off outputs.
probability of this error depend from fetch frequency. 0.1sec - almost stable along 24 hours. 2 sec error not appear 2 mounts.
:syst:err?
data3 (-113,"Undefined head...) er keyword cannot be found
:syst:err?
data2 (-113,"Undefined head...) er keyword cannot be found

I not know it about computer trying connect to DP832A after fail or it is fail reason

About each 5 minutes request address from DHCP, it problem of 1.14 firmware. 1.09 much more stable.
for fix this problem, i according mac address on the tools assign IP at the router, on the tool set same address but manually.

About prevent off network adapter i will try, but why tool disable outputs if it ethernet problem?

for example if simply cut off ethernet cable and over few minutes put again, measurement session will continue without errors.
computer will wait response from tool. even if instead correct data come error message handle it and resend data request again.
when this problem appear destroyed visa object.

[victorb]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to say that I received a DP832 today and the FW is version 1.14 and the trigger option works fine using the code generator input using the GUI in the utility menu. Can someone please confirm this and perhaps remove this from the list of problems in the original post?

4. Trigger option disabled in firmware 01.08 and 01.09
For DP832, the Trigger option is lost when upgrading to 01.08 or 01.09.  This appears to be a firmware bug as the trial for evaluating Trigger is not active on new units.  All options can be enabled in firmwares prior to 01.08.
[00.01.03.00.02] [00.01.06.00.00] [00.01.08.00.02] [00.01.09.00.01]

[extide]

Yes, that is normal. I recently purchased a DP832 that was shipped with v 1.14 and was able to unlock all options using the post v1.09 codes. I also seem to have newer rev analog boards than I have seen so far on here, 03.02.04.03.02.04, it seems the first set of 3 digits is one of the boards and the second set of 3 is the second board so each board in this case is 03.02.04 -- and the first digit in each set of three refers to the hardware version - and the second two the software version. I haven't seen the first digit ever change on other peoples PSU's when they update firmware but the second two do. it seems like 0x.02.04 is the latest f/w for the analog boards. I bet this is simply referring to the f/w in a little micro controller on the boards that houses the DAC's and ADC's for each board. Guess I will have to pop it open at some point and see what they changed.

[firstcolle]

haw can i see this menu?? i can only see the first 3 values (model, sn and digital version..)

thanks

[LA7SJA]

Press the following keys in quick succession 1, 3 and 2 from the System-Info menu.

Johan-Fredrik

[firstcolle]

thanks!

[dsperlich]

I received my DP832 today and noticed something strange. When i have the outputs disabled, but connected to my unfused 10A range of my multimeter, there is a significant current flow, different from channel to channel.
Channel 1: 98mA
Channel 2: fluctuating between -10 and -36mA (see scope shot for waveform on multimeter input, the other two channels are stable)
Channel 3: -17mA

When i select 1mA current limit on all channels and i enable them one by one, only channel 1 drops to 0mA (or i guess 1mA, is in the uncertainty of my multimeter :-) For the other channels i have to set a least 10mV (i don't have the high res option enabled yet) and 1mA to get the expected reading of 0 to 2 mA.

The voltages of the disabled channels are of not so much concern (especially given the cheap nature of my multimeter):
Channel 1: 4mV (off)  3mV (on @ 0V)
Channel 2: -5mV (off)  -5mV (on @ 0V)
Channel 3: -1mV (off) -1mV (on @ 0V)

Did anyone observe the same effect, i couldn't find anything mentioned so far but i might have missed it.
My DP832 came with firmware version: 00.01.14.00.03 and analog boards: 03.02.04.03.02.04