What are the practical uses of expensive, feature rich DMMs?

[coinmaster]

I'm upgrading my lab to something more suitable and I'm checking all my bases including DMMs.
I have a couple of basic $50 DMMs but I noticed people praise stuff like this http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDM3058E.html?v=67159
I don't understand why someone would want to buy a $500 multimeter. What can you do with something like this that you can't do with a multimeter from walmart?

[kalel]

I'm upgrading my lab to something more suitable and I'm checking all my bases including DMMs.
I have a couple of basic $50 DMMs but I noticed people praise stuff like this http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDM3058E.html?v=67159
I don't understand why someone would want to buy a $500 multimeter. What can you do with something like this that you can't do with a multimeter from walmart?

I've never used such a meter of course, but I would assume those are more accurate than most cheap meters. They better be for the price.

[Fungus]

I've never used such a meter of course, but I would assume those are more accurate than most cheap meters. They better be for the price.

The $15 AN8008 didn't kick Dave's bench meter's butt?

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DC Voltage: 200 mV ~ 1000 V
DC Current: 200 ?A ~ 10 A
AC Voltage: True-RMS, 200 mV ~ 750 V
AC Current: True-RMS, 20 mA ~ 10 A
2-Wire, 4-Wire Resistance: 200 ? ~ 100 M?
Capacitance Measurement: 2 nF ~ 10000 ?F
Continuity Test: Range is fixed at 2 k?
Diode Test: Range is fixed at 2.0 V
Frequency Measurement: 20 Hz ~ 1 MHz
Period Measurement: 1 ?s ~ 0.05 s
It also kicks the butt of that Rigol bench meter in terms of range.

OTOH it doesn't have LXI control, USB, dual display, internal temperature stabilization, etc.

It's not all about measurement.

[MosherIV]

I don't understand why someone would want to buy a $500 multimeter. What can you do with something like this that you can't do with a multimeter from walmart? 

It depends on the type of work that is being done.

The work may need the precision. Most bench meters will be 5 digit or higher, the best hand helds only go up to 4 digit.

The work may need logging or automation. Most decent bench meters will have interfaces to connect to comouters for logging and control.

It stops people walking off and not returning equioment. If it is of significant valve, most empolyees would not risk their job stealing it.

By the way some bench dmm go for $1000s.

I do not know of any company that would buy Rigol dmms of any kind.
I have heard that Siglent is starting to make in roads in being trusted.

[coinmaster]

I could understand the benefit of data logging. Logging the startup conditions of a circuit can be useful. But not when the $500 multimeter has only 1 channel.  I wouldn't consider that much money unless it had at least 4 channels.

[JPortici]

i don't think there is anything really wrong in a rigol bench multimeter, if it's in spec, if the software doesn't have ridiculous bugs... if you don't need traceable calibration or something like that, then why not? At home i use an older GWinstek which is absolutely in spec, can do 4 wire measurements and has all the logging and stuff
it can't do graphs, hystograms and some of the cooler features and automations you can in better instruments but for the price/feature/accuracy i'd surely suggest to use them for work

[G0MJW]

Its the difference between measuring something and knowing that measurement is right and measuring something and thinking its probably right.

Mike

[technogeeky]

There is one area where expensive bench DMMs have features which cheap ones don't have: they can sample at extremely high rates, while still maintaining good resolution.

For instance, for one of the best multimeters in the world the DMM7510:

[TiN]

Expensive meter is 500$ Rigol? 
I better hide.

coinmaster since you asking, it's unlikely  that you need higher price bench meters. Usually they excel in high-accuracy/sensitivity, if to say in plain word.  Try to measure voltage to 0.0005%? Or resistance to 0.001%? Or measure 0.1 ohm shunt to 1%? Or accurate AC voltage measurement in kHz-1MHz? Why you may need it, is different story, but there are some areas where you have these requirements.

[Fungus]

There is one area where expensive bench DMMs have features which cheap ones don't have: they can sample at extremely high rates, while still maintaining good resolution.

They also have things like temperature stabilized voltage references (ie. heated) so they give the same readings in summer and winter.

You can leave them on all day long without worrying about the battery.

Nicer display. More buttons to press.

Lot's of little things, really.

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What are the practical uses of expensive, feature rich DMMs?
They're much more, ummmm, practical for people who sit at an electronics bench all day long.

[nidlaX]

I think it's useful to own one bench meter with accuracy and resolution that exceeds that of the meters you most commonly use.

For example, if you use 4.5 digit handheld meters for most of your work, then owning a 5.5 digit class meter is useful for spot checking the calibration and function of your handheld meters.

[nctnico]

I'm upgrading my lab to something more suitable and I'm checking all my bases including DMMs.
I have a couple of basic $50 DMMs but I noticed people praise stuff like this http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDM3058E.html?v=67159
I don't understand why someone would want to buy a $500 multimeter. What can you do with something like this that you can't do with a multimeter from walmart?

The biggest difference is accuracy.

Also don't make the mistake a bench DMM is by definition more accurate than a handheld DMM. The differences between a handheld and a bench DMM are that the latter has a mains plug so it doesn't run out of batteries and you can stack other equipment on top.

[Kleinstein]

The higher grade bench meters also usually offer high impedance voltage ranges ( like > 1 GOhms) for voltages up to something like 10 or 20 V. Simple / portable meters usually have a 10 M input impedance on all ranges. This gets important if accurate measurements are needed with higher impedance sources.

Another thing usually found with good bench meters and not with portable ones is a 4 wire ohms measurement.

[Muxr]

Some applications call for resolution beyond what your handheld meter can provide. Think scales, sensors, component or circuit characterisations, to name a few. Think test jigs with automated and orchestrated power supplies, DC loads, and these DMMs.

Metrology is a vicious circle. Once you increase resolution your DMM turns into a thermometer. You immediately notice temperature induced drifts (humidity, barometric pressure as well), how do you know if your meter is drifting or your circuit? This is why these bench meters typically have low drift heater/ovenized references. Something not practical for a hand held DMM. As you chase resolution the costs increase exponentially.

Add the need for ultra stable (aged) internal references, linear high performance ADCs and automation interfaces, it's easy to see why they cost so much.

Expensive meter is 500$ Rigol? 
I better hide.

Hehe.

[schmitt trigger]

Also, don't forget long term reliability, achieved by using good engineering and properly derated components.

I mean, Dave has hundreds of teardown videos. Even on a youtube video, one can easily view the superb engineering and workmanship that go into the better instruments.
They will last a lifetime.

[joeqsmith]

I'm upgrading my lab to something more suitable and I'm checking all my bases including DMMs.
I have a couple of basic $50 DMMs but I noticed people praise stuff like this http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDM3058E.html?v=67159
I don't understand why someone would want to buy a $500 multimeter. What can you do with something like this that you can't do with a multimeter from walmart?

I was needing to check some parts and needed to measure low resistance.  Connecting to the parts was critical.  I started out with a about a $1000 meter which was not good enough and had to use the $10,000 HP3458A to pull it off.   It's rare I have needed a meter in this class but they are very nice to have when you need them. 

You are the one who knows what your requirements are.  If you don't need more than a Walmart meter, don't waste your money on something better.   I would not try to think up cases where I may need a higher class meter based on other peoples requirements to help justify a purchase.   My take anyway.

[coinmaster]

Due to the stackability and the lack of battery I would love to have a bench top multimeter. But only if it was multichannel. The ability to log data would also be very nice.

I've found two meters not to be enough, and I have run into issues measuring high impedance circuits using handheld DMMs so a 1Gohm input impedance meter would be nice as well.
However it doesn't seem benchtop meters are marketed toward multichannel unfortunately. I really don't need ultra precise measurements and the costs associated.

Is there an existing product that might suit my needs?

[xrunner]

I don't understand why someone would want to buy a $500 multimeter. What can you do with something like this that you can't do with a multimeter from walmart?

The DM3058E can also be configured for many other types of sensors, by entering data for the response of the sensor you wish to use. Does the average person need this? No, but that's why it costs more than $50 ... 

[DaJMasta]

At lot of the extra cost comes with higher precision, which is sort of a feature?  Then you get data logging and in some cases graphical displays - for me being able to plot a chart of the measurement over time has been incredibly useful, especially when trying to find intermittent faults or trying to monitor multiple instruments at once.

Then some of the price is extra protections, wider ranges, better environmental stability, or a bit of a brand name premium.  It can creep in from all over, but I'd say a lot of it is just raw accuracy and resolution - if you want 5.5+ digits, you need to have better designers, more custom designs, higher stability components, and more expensive references.

[helius]

However it doesn't seem benchtop meters are marketed toward multichannel unfortunately. I really don't need ultra precise measurements and the costs associated.

Consider that others may not accept your concept of what "multichannel" means. Multi, okay, but what is a "channel"? A high-impedance voltage measurement? A full DMM with all its measurements? How many complete DMMs do you expect to squeeze into a benchtop case, and why would you bother when you could just purchase them in separate cases? The results can be logged to a computer via LXI or GPIB and displayed or graphed however you want.

Yokogawa makes their ScopeCorders that accept many plugins simultaneously, each capable of specialized measurements. It can display and log each measurement onscreen as required. But unless you need these capabilities often, the cost isn't justified.
There is also the Fluke CNX series that can log several measurements simultaneously from multiple instruments. Pricing is very reasonable for the capability.

High-precision meters are designed with scanner accessories to sample several inputs in a sequence. When you don't need multiple measurements, you can just turn the scanner off.

[tautech]

Due to the stackability and the lack of battery I would love to have a bench top multimeter. But only if it was multichannel. The ability to log data would also be very nice.

I've found two meters not to be enough, and I have run into issues measuring high impedance circuits using handheld DMMs so a 1Gohm input impedance meter would be nice as well.
However it doesn't seem benchtop meters are marketed toward multichannel unfortunately. I really don't need ultra precise measurements and the costs associated.

Is there an existing product that might suit my needs?

There are most definatly products that fit your needs, multichannel and logging too:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/measuring-voltage-sequentially-across-numerous-individual-batteries/

[joeqsmith]

Due to the stackability and the lack of battery I would love to have a bench top multimeter. But only if it was multichannel. The ability to log data would also be very nice.

I've found two meters not to be enough, and I have run into issues measuring high impedance circuits using handheld DMMs so a 1Gohm input impedance meter would be nice as well.
However it doesn't seem benchtop meters are marketed toward multichannel unfortunately. I really don't need ultra precise measurements and the costs associated.

Is there an existing product that might suit my needs?

Even at home I run into wanting multiple channels as well with the bench meter.  I have not needed to synchronize channels so I just use a mux (programmable relay type) on the front end. 

SP

[popp3r]

I do not know of any company that would buy Rigol dmms of any kind.

I just got back from visiting a high-tech manufacturing company in San Jose, CA. with various engineering teams and their labs packed with plenty of Rigol DMM's, SA's, and O-scopes!  It's a relatively new company with mostly younger engineers -- which could be part of the reason.  They are definitely out there.

...

[coinmaster]

There are most definatly products that fit your needs, multichannel and logging too:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/measuring-voltage-sequentially-across-numerous-individual-batteries/

Those options are really expensive I'm just a guy, not a company. I can't afford multi-thousand dollar DMMs. I wouldn't be willing to spend much more than half a grand for one.
So if I understand it correctly, those are DMMs that scan lots of channels really quickly? Where are the inputs?
I only need at least 4 DMM channels.

[tautech]

There are most definatly products that fit your needs, multichannel and logging too:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/measuring-voltage-sequentially-across-numerous-individual-batteries/

Those options are really expensive I'm just a guy, not a company. I can't afford multi-thousand dollar DMMs. I wouldn't be willing to spend much more than that rigol for one.
So if I understand it correctly, it's a DMM that scans lots of channels really quickly? Where are the inputs?

Into the multi channel internal scanner card, usually from the rear of the unit.

Follow this link and into the Accessories listed to see the 16 ch unit.
http://siglentamerica.com/pdxx.aspx?id=176&T=2&tid=37
Then check the datasheet for the scanner card.