Signametrics 6.5 digit PCI DMM SM40CAL.DAT Calibration File Needed

[pac1085]

Hi,
I have a couple Signametrics SM2040 PCI DMM cards.  I've got the drivers and software installed but unfortunately the application requires the SM40CAL.DAT file to run.  This was apparently on a floppy provided with the meters when purchased new.

They show an example of the SM40CAL.DAT file in the manual, but unfortunately it's not the whole thing.  I tried recreating the file with that example and my units serial number but it just throws an error bad cal data.  I think there's more to the file that they don't show, as they end it with ... ... ...

Does anyone have a SM40CAL.DAT file??  I know it will not be accurate but its better than nothing! I'm just curious if these work really.

[Gribo]

Did you try Keysight? Their smx2060 driver claims to generate the calibration file if it can't find one

[pac1085]

I didn’t bother contacting them.  This things been out of production for 20 years and they don’t give any technical support to hobbyists, so I wouldn’t expect any help.

Yeah I saw that in the smx2060 manual - no mention of it in the sm2040 manual.  It asks for the cal floppy during install.  If you don’t install it, it tells you that you need to copy it to c:\ before it will load.

I tried launching the app without the file there and it gives a similar error about needing it

[coromonadalix]

managed to find  setup files for many signametrics cards   if someone need them  PM  me 

EDIT  i don't have the cal file ... i'm on NI cards

[IlikeTech]

Hi,

New to this forum and just spotted this topic as I have just acquired one of these cards and ran into the same issue of needing calibration data.  Could you provide a SM40CAL.dat for an SM2040 card?

Thanks!

[pac1085]

Hi,

New to this forum and just spotted this topic as I have just acquired one of these cards and ran into the same issue of needing calibration data.  Could you provide a SM40CAL.dat for an SM2040 card?

Thanks!

No luck yet but if you do find something please follow up.

I've tried everything with the example in the manual.  Using spaces instead of tabs, removing the comments, etc.... no luck at all.

[IlikeTech]

Yeah, I did the same thing with the provided file.  I'm tempted to try disassembling the binary for the application to see if that provides any hints.

[coromonadalix]

link for the

smx2060 driver etc ...

https://www.keysight.com/ca/en/lib/software-detail/driver/signametrics-instrument-drivers-for-sm2060-series-pci-dmms-and-smx2060-series-pxi-dmms-2139481.html

just put anything in their boxes  you'll be able to download it  7 megs   v 1.7     


Supported Instruments    SM2060, SM2064, SMX2055, SMX2060, SMX2064



maybe it will help you guys ?

[pac1085]

Unfortunately not.  They still have the software/driver package on their site for the SM2040, that's what I downloaded and am using:
https://www.keysight.com/us/en/lib/software-detail/driver/signametrics-pcidmm-instrument-drivers-for-sm2040-sm2042-sm2044-2136170.html

Still need a cal file.  I hoped it would build one on first launch but definitely not the case and the example in the manual doesn't work.

[coromonadalix]

dang

Keysight does have some  pxi dmm cards,  not sure they work the same ??  or they are rebranded Signametrics card

M918xA  series   M9181A, M9182A, M9183A

https://www.keysight.com/ca/en/lib/software-detail/driver/m918x-pxi-digital-multimeter-instrument-drivers-2050245.html   download .... 
https://www.keysight.com/ca/en/lib/software-detail/driver/m918x-pxi-digital-multimeter-instrument-drivers-2050245.pv.html

once again not sure if it can help,   i still can not believe a card is rendered useless because of a file  .... wow    the cal constant should be read and re-created if needed or missing ?

[Gribo]

Page 120 of the user manual has a sample cal file.
The manual is in the driver's zip file. Did you set the card Id to yours?

[pac1085]

Page 120 of the user manual has a sample cal file.
The manual is in the driver's zip file. Did you set the card Id to yours?

Yes, I did set the ID of the card (it gives a different error message if you don't) and built the file per that example as mentioned above.  No good.

[coromonadalix]

you dont have any missing drivers in windows device manager ?

[pac1085]

No, the card and drivers are good.  You can tell because the app does read the serial number of it and included in the error messages.  You also hear the relays cycle on the card when the app opens and initializes the card.

I’m guessing they realized this was a stupid idea and included the ability to auto generate the cal file on the later models like sm2060