Keysight U1211A, U1213A, U1212A Quick Start Manual

Keysight U1211A,
U1212A, and U1213A
Clamp Meter

Quick Start
Guide

Contacting Keysight

www.keysight.com/find/assist

(worldwide contact information for
repair and service)

Safety and EMC Information

The U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A
is safety-certified in compliance
with EN/IEC 61010-1, ANSI/UL
61010-1, and CAN/CSA-C22.2
No.61010-1-04.

EMC is designed in compliance
with IEC61326-1/EN61326-1,
CISPR 11/EN 55011 Group 1 class
A, ICES-001, AS/NZS CISPR11.

Safety Notices

CAUTION

A CAUTION notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or
the like that, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could
result in damage to the product or
loss of important data. Do not
proceed beyond a CAUTION notice
until the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.

WARNING

A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or
the like that, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could
result in personal injury or
death. Do not proceed beyond a
WARNING notice until the
indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.

Safety symbols

Direct current (DC)

Alternating current (AC)

Earth (ground) terminal

Application around and
removal from HAZARDOUS
LIVE conductors is
permitted

Equipment protected
throughout by double
insulation or reinforced
insulation

Caution, risk of electric
shock

Caution, risk of danger
(refer to this manual for
specific Warning or Caution
information)

Category III 1000 V
overvoltage protection

Category IV 600 V
overvoltage protection

CAT III

1000 V

CAT IV

600 V

2 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

For further safety information details, refer to the

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Clamp Meter User’s Guide.

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 3

Table of Contents

Knowing Your Clamp Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Functions and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Rotary switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Annunciator Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Input Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Performing Current Measurement . . . . . . . . . 13

Performing Voltage Measurement . . . . . . . . . 16

Performing Resistance Measurement and

Continuity Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Performing Diode Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Performing Capacitance Measurement . . . . . 22

Performing Temperature Measurement . . . . . 24

Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Regulatory Markings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

4 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 5

The following items are included with your clamp
meter:

4 Standard test leads with 4 mm probes

4 Soft carrying case
4 Quick Start Guide
4 Certificate of Calibration

If any item is missing or damaged, contact your
nearest Keysight Sales Office.

For more detailed information, please refer to the

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Clamp
Meter User’s and Service Guide on Keysight

Website: www.keysight.com/find/handheld-tools

U1211A U1212A U1213A

6 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

Knowing Your Clamp Meter

Clamp jaw

Handle

Hand guard

Annunciator

Jaw
markings

Rotary
switch

Function
buttons

Hold/
Max Min
button

Red input
terminal

Black input
terminal

Front
panel

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 7

Functions and Features

Rotary switch

Function buttons

Measurements
and power off
functions

Actions Steps

Freeze measured value Press Hold/Max Min

– Record maximum, minimum, and

calculate true average

– Toggle between maximum, average,

and minimum

–Press Hold/Max Min > 1 second
–Press Hold/Max Min again

Toggle measurement type Press Shift/Peak

Toggle peak hold test Press Shift/Peak > 1 second

Enable frequency or duty cycle

[a]

on

secondary display

Press Hz/

8 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

[a] Duty cycle % function is only available for U1213A.

Turn on backlight

Press Hz/ > 1 second

Offset measured value Press ΔNull

Change measuring range manually Press Range/Auto

Turn on auto range Press Range/Auto > 1 second

Actions Steps

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 9

Annunciator Display

No. Annunciator Status

1 AUTO Indicates auto ranging

2Zeroing mode

3 DH Data hold

4 MAX AVG MIN Dynamic recording mode on present reading.

MAX: maximum reading, MIN: minimum reading,
AVG: average reading

5 Direct current or voltage

6 Alternating current or voltage

7 Capacitor measurement unit

8 Audible continuity indicator

9 A Current measurement unit

10 Low battery indicator when battery voltage drops

below 6.0 V

11 V Voltage measurement unit

10 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

12 M k Ω Resistance measurement unit and range

13 Diode measurement indicator

14 % Duty cycle (for U1213A only)

15 kHz Frequency measurement unit

16 Secondary display (for frequency and duty cycle

measurement and temperature unit)

17 Analog bar-graph with scale indicator

18 Auto power off enabled

19 Negative polarity

20 Primary display

No. Annunciator Status

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 11

Input Terminals

WARNING

Ensure the terminal connections are correct for a
particular measurement before making any
measurement. To avoid damage to the device, do not
exceed the input limit.

Measurement

functions

Input terminals Input limits

AC current

Clamp jaw

1000 A

rms

DC current

[a]

AC voltage

VCOM

CAT III 1000 V

rms

CAT IV 600 V

rmsDC voltage

Resistance

COM

1000 V

rms

for

short circuit <

0.3 A

Capacitance

Diode

Temperature

[b]

12 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

[a] DC current measurement is only available for U1212A and U1213A.

[b] Temperature function is only available for U1212A and U1213A.

Common terminal for
all measurements

Voltage, resistance, diode,
capacitance, and

temperature

[b]

measurements

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 13

Performing Current Measurement

1 Set the rotary switch to ~A.
2 Press Shift to switch between AC current, DC

current (for U1212A and U1213A only), and
AC+DC current (for U1213A only)
measurements.

3 Press the handle to open the clamp jaw.
4 Clamp around a conductor and ensure that

the conductor fits the markings on the jaw.

5 Read the display. Press Hz to view the

frequency indication on the secondary
display.

WARNING

Ensure the test leads are disconnected from the input
terminals when measuring current with the clamp
meter.

14 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

Conductor

Press

Read

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 15

CAUTION

Ensure that the clamp meter measures only one
conductor at a time. Measuring multiple
conductors may cause inaccuracy in measurement
reading due to vector sum of currents flowing in the
conductors.

Correct

Incorrect

Current
flow

Current
flow

16 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

Performing Voltage Measurement

1 Set the rotary switch to ~V.
2 Connect the red and black test leads to input

terminals V (red) and COM (black)
respectively.

3 Press Shift to switch between AC voltage, DC

voltage, and AC+DC voltage (for U1213A
only) measurements.

4 Probe the test points and read the display.

Press Hz to view the frequency indication on
the secondary display.

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 17

Press

Connect

Probe

and read

18 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

Performing Resistance Measurement and
Continuity Test

1 Set the rotary switch to Ω.
2 Connect the red and black test leads to input

terminals Ω (red) and COM (black)
respectively.

3 Probe the test points (by shunting the resistor)

and read the display.

4 To perform continuity test, press Shift once.

The buzzer will sound when the resistance is
below 10.0 Ω.

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 19

Connect

Probe

and read

Audible

continuity

20 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

Performing Diode Measurement

1 Set the rotary switch to .
2 Connect the red and black test leads to input

terminals (red) and COM (black)
respectively.

3 Probe the test points and read the display.

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 21

Connect

Probe

and read

22 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

Performing Capacitance Measurement

1 Set the rotary switch to .
2 Press Shift to select capacitance

measurement.

3 Connect the red and black test leads to input

terminals (red) and COM (black)
respectively.

4 Probe the test points and read the display.

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 23

Probe

and read

Press

Connect

CAUTION

Discharge the capacitors before performing the
measurements.

24 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

Performing Temperature Measurement

For U1212A and U1213A only
1 Set the rotary switch to Ω.
2 Press Shift twice to select temperature

measurement.

3 Connect the thermocouple adapter (with the

thermocouple probe connected to it) into
input terminals (red) and COM (black).

4 Touch the measurement surface (device under

test) with the thermocouple probe and read
the display.

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 25

Connect

Press
twice

Probe

and read

26 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

Replacing the Battery

1 Set the rotary switch to OFF.
2 Disconnect test leads from the input terminal.
3 Loosen the screw on the battery cover.
4 Lift the battery cover slightly, then pull the

battery cover upwards.

5 Replace the specified battery (9 V).
6 Reverse the procedures above to close the cover.

Lift battery
cover

Loosen
screw

Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide 27

Battery

Pull upwards

28 Keysight U1211A, U1212A, and U1213A Quick Start Guide

Regulatory Markings

The CE mark is a registered trademark of the European
Community. This CE mark shows that the product complies with
all the relevant European Legal Directives.

The CSA mark is a registered trademark of the Canadian
Standards Association.

ICES/NMB-001 indicates that this ISM device complies with the
Canadian ICES-001.

Cet appareil ISM est conforme a la norme NMB-001 du Canada.

The RCM mark is a registered trademark of the Spectrum
Management Agency of Australia. This signifies compliance with
the Australia EMC Framework regulations under the terms of the
Radio Communication Act of 1992.

Product contains restricted substance(s) above the maximum
value, with 40 yr Environmental Protection Use Period.

This instrument complies with the WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC)
marking requirement. This affixed product label indicates that
you must not discard this electrical or electronic product in
domestic household waste.

This information is subject to change
without notice. Always refer to the
Keysight website for the latest revision.

© Keysight Technologies 2009-2017
Edition 5, June 1, 2017

Printed in Malaysia

*U1211-90011*

U1211-90011

www.keysight.com