Vichy VC8145A User Manual

DUAL DISPLAY MULTIMETER

USER’S MANUAL

CAUTION

THIS IS AN IEC SAFETY CLASS 1 PRODUCT. THE GROUND WIRE IN THE LINE CORD MUST BE

CONNECTED FOR SAFETY.

WARRANTY

Our company warrants to the original purchaser that each product it manufactures will be free from defects in

material and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one year from date of purchase. Our

company’s warranty does not apply to fuses, test leads or any product which, in our company’s opinion, has been

misused, altered, or damaged by accident or abnormal conditions of operation or handling.

To obtain warranty service, contact the nearest Service Center or send the product, with a description of the

difficulty, and postage prepaid, to the nearest Service Center. We assume no risk for the damage in transit. We will,

at its option, repair or replace the defective product free of charge or refund your purchase price. However, if we

determine that the failure was caused by misuse, alterations, accident or abnormal condition of operation or

handing, you will be billed for the repair and the repaired product will be returned to you transportation prepaid.

SHIPPING TO MANUFACTURER FOR REPAIR OR ADJUSTMENT

All shipment of our company’s instruments should be made via United Parcel Service or “Best Way” prepaid. The

instrument should be shipped in the original carton; or if it is not available, use any suitable container that is rigid

and of adequate size. If a substitute container is used, the instrument should be wrapped in paper and surrounded

with at least four inches of excelsior or similar shock-absorbing material.

CLAIM FOR DAMAGE IN SHIPMENT TO ORIGINAL PURCHASER

The instrument should be thoroughly inspected immediately upon original delivery to purchaser. All material in the

container should be checked against the enclosed packing list. The manufacturer will not be responsible for

shortages against the packing sheet unless notified immediately. If the instrument is damaged in any way, a claim

should be filed with the carrier immediately. (To obtain a quotation to repair shipment damage, contact the nearest

Service Center.) Final claim and negotiations with the carrier must be completed by the customer.

Section 1

Introduction

INTRODUCING THE DUAL DISPLAY MULTIMETER

In this manual, “WARNING” is reserved for conditions and actions that pose hazard(s) to the user;

“CAUTION” is reserved for conditions and actions that may damage your meter.

NOTE

This manual contains information and warnings that must be followed to ensure safe operation and

retain the meter in safe condition.

WARNING

READ THE “MULTIMETER SAFETY” SHEET BEFORE USING THE METER.

The Dual Display Multimeter is a 5-digit high resolution mode. The meter is designed for bench-top.

The features provided by the meter are:



A dual, Liquid Crystal, Display that allows two properties of an input signal to be displayed at

the same time



True rms AC.



30 MHz in frequency measurement



10µV sensitivity in volts DC



Decibels with variable reference impedance measurement capability.



A compare mode to determine if a measurement is within, above, or below a designated range.



Slow and Fast selectable count resolution, with reading speeds of 3 and 6 reading per second,

respectively.



Built-in self-tests with closed-case calibration (no internal calibration adjustment).



Isolation of Universal Serial Bus(USB) Port



Remote Control, display, record, Data Analysis, print with computer.

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

This manual has been organized to assist you in getting started quickly. It is not necessary for you to

read the entire manual before using the meter effectively. However, we recommend that you do so

in order to use your meter to its full advantage.

Begin by scanning the Table of Contents to familiarize yourself with the organization of the manual.

Then, read Section 2, “GETTING STARTED”. Refer to the appropriate section of the manual as

needed. The contents of each section are summarized below.

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION

Introduces the Dual Display Multimeter, describing its features and users manual.

SECTION 2. GETTING STARTED

Explains how to prepare the meter for operation and get started quickly taking basic measurements

from the front panel.

SECTION 3. OPERATING THE METER FROM THE FRONT PANEL

Provides a complete description of each operation that can be performed using the pushbuttons on

the front panel. Section 3 is organized so that related operations and functions are grouped

together.

SECTION 4. MAINTENANCE

Describes how to perform basic maintenance and how to replacing fuses as order

SECTION 5. CALIBRATION

Introduces the required equipment, ambient environment station for calibration and the process of

calibration.

SECTION 6. SPECIFICATIONS

MULTIMETER SAFETY

The Dual Display Multimeter has been designed and tested according to IEC Publication 1010

Safety Requirements for Electronic Measuring Apparatus. This manual contains information and

warnings which must be followed to ensure safe operation and retain the meter in safe condition.

Some common international electrical symbols used in this manual are shown below.

○ OFF(power)

SWITCH POSITION

DANGEROUS

VOLTAGE

ON(power)

SWITCH POSITION

EARTH GROUND

~ AC-ALTERNATING

CURRENT

WARNING INFORMATION

DC-DIRECT

CURRENT

Before using the meter, read the following safety information carefully.



Avoid working alone.



Follow all safety procedures for equipment being tested.



Inspect the test leads for damaged insulation or exposed metal. Check test lead continuity.

Damaged leads should be replaced.



Be sure the meter is in good operating condition.



Select the proper function for your measurement.



To avoid electrical shock, display “ ‘ when working above 30V dc or 30V ac RMS.



Disconnect the live test lead (VΩ ) before disconnecting the common test lead (COM).



Disconnect the power and discharge high-voltage capacitors before testing in Ω, and .



When making a current measurement, turn the circuit power off before connecting the meter in

the circuit.



Check meter fuses before measuring transformer secondary or motor winding current; (See

Section 4, “MAINTENANCE”) An open fuse may allow high voltage build-up, which is potentially

hazardous.

Section 2

Getting Started

INTRODUCTION

Section 2 explains how to prepare the meter for operation, discusses general operating features, and

walks you through the basics of taking some common measurements,

GETTING STARTED

Unpacking and Inspecting the Meter

Carefully remove the meter from its shipping container and inspect it for possible damage or missing

items. If the meter is damaged or something is missing, contact the place of purchase immediately.

Save the container and packing material in case you have to return the meter.

Front Panel and Rear Panel

The front panel (shown in Figure 2-1) has three main elements: the input terminals on the right, the

display and the pushbuttons. The pushbuttons are used to select major functions, ranging

operations, and function modifiers. These elements are described in detail in Section 3.

Figure 2- 1. Front Panel

DCV

ACV FREQ

DCA

ACA

AUTO

SHIFT

HOLD

COMP

POWER

OFF

ALL INPUTS

1KV MAX

FAST FUSE

500mA

250V

10A FUSED

750V

1000V

MAX

RANGE

dBm

REL

RATE

DUAL DISPLAY MULTIMETER

8145B

The rear panel (shown in Figure 2-2) contains the power-line cord connector, communication

interface, the Serial Number Label.

Figure 2-2. Rear Panel

ADJUSTING THE HANDLE

For bench-top use, the handle can be positioned to provide different viewing angles. To adjust its

position, pull the ends out to a hard stop and rotate it to a position. To remove the handle, adjust it to

the vertical stop position and pull the ends all the way out.

POWER

CAUTION

TO AVOID SHOCK HAZARD, CONNECT THE INSTRUMENT POWER CORD TO A POWER

RECEPTACLE WITH EARTH GROUND.

NOTE

Apply the rated voltage and frequency to the meter as marked on the rear panel of the meter.

TURING THE METER ON

To turn the meter on, press the POWER button located on the lower-left of the front panel. If you

turn the meter off, you must wait five seconds before turning the meter back on. If you do not, the

meter will not power-up.

When the meter is turned on, the full screen displays light while the instrument performs an internal

self-test of its digital circuitry. These tests check RAM, ROM, A/D, and the display. The meter has

passed all tests and is ready for normal operation if an error code is not displayed.

After the meter completes the power-up sequence, it assumes the power-up measurement

configuration stored in non-volatile memory. The power-up configuration set at the factory is shown

in Table 3-6. (To change the power-up configuration, refer to “CHANGING THE POWER-UP

CONFIGURATION” in Section 3.)

USING THE PUSHBUTTONS

The pushbuttons on the front panel select meter functions and operations. A summary of basic

pushbutton operations is shown in Figure2-3.

Figure 2-3. Summary of Basic Pushbutton Operations

Pushbuttons can be used in two ways. You can:



Press a single button to select a function or operation.

EXAMPLE: Press ACV to select volts ac function.



Press a combination of buttons, one after the other.

EXAMPLE: Press ACV to select volts ac function, and then press REL to select the decibels

modifier.

DCV

ACV FREQ

DCA

ACA

AUTO

SHIFT

HOLD

COMP

POWER

OFF

RANGE

dBm

REL

RATE

FUNCTION BUTTONS

FUNCTION MODIFIER BUTTONS

RANGE BUTTONS

BACK LIGHT

Press in to Power-up

Press to Step Through Measurement Rate(Slow,Fast)

Press to Select a Function

Press to Select a Modifier Mode

Press to Select a Range

AC220V 50Hz

THERE ARE NO PARTS TO DISASSEMBLE, NO MECHANICAL ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE, IT IS DISALLOWED TO OPEN THE CASE.

TO AVOID SHOCK HAZARD, CONNECT THE INSTRUMENT POWER CORD TO A POWER RECEPTACLE WITH EARTH GROUND.

USB

For more details on the uses of each button, refer to Section 3, “OPERATION THE METER FROM

THE FRONT PANEL.”

SELECTING A MEASUREMENT RANGE

Measurement ranges can be selected automatically by the meter in “autorange” or manually by the user.

In the autorange mode, the meter selects the appropriate range for the measurement reading.

To manually select a range, press AUTO to toggle in (and out) of the manual ranging mode, or press

or . In the manual range mode, press or to up range or down range to the desired range. For

more details on ranging, refer to “RANGING” in Section 3.

TAKING SOME BASIC MEASUREMENTS

WARNING

READ “MULTIMETER SAFETY” BEFORE OPERATING THIS METER.

The following procedures describe the basics of taking common measurements from the front panel.

These procedures are provided for the user who needs to get started quickly, but dose not want to

read the rest of the manual at this time. However, in order to take full advantage of your meter, you

should read the remainder of this manual carefully and completely.

WARNING

TO AVOID ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR DAMAGE TO THE METER, DO NOT APPLY MORE THAN

1000V (PEAK) BETWEEN ANY TERMINAL AND EARTH GROUND. THE METER IS PROTECTED

AGAINST OVERLOADS UP TO THE LIMITS SHOWN IN TABLE 3-1. EXCEEDING THESE LIMITS

POSES A HAZARD TO THE METER AND OPERATOR.

Measuring Voltage, Resistance, or Frequency

To measure voltage, resistance, or frequency, press the desired function button and connect the test

leads as shown in Figure 2-4. The meter will select the appropriate range in the autorange mode.

Measuring Current

To measure current, insert the red test lead in the mA

input terminal for currents up to 330mA or in the 10A input

terminal for higher current, and insert the black test lead in the

COM terminal.

Connect the test leads as shown in Figure 2-5.

NOTE

After measuring high current using the 10A input, thermal

voltages are generated that may create errors when making low-

level dc measurements of volts, current, or ohms. To make the

most accurate measurements, allow up to ten minutes for the

thermals to settle out.

Figure2-5. Measuring Current

Diode/Continuity Testing

The continuity test determines whether a circuit is intact (i.e., has a resistance less than about

150Ω). To perform a continuity test, press , and connect the

test leads as shown in Figure 2-6. The beeper emits a continuous

beep when the input drops below 150Ω (Beep condition can be

changed, refer to “Changing the Power-UP Configuration” later in

Section 3), and the readings for the test circuit are displayed.

The diode test measures the forward voltage of a semiconductor junction

MAX

750V

1000V

10A FUSED

250V

ALL INPUTS 1KV MAX

FAST FUSE

500mA

TEST

CIRCUIT

Figure 2-6. Continuity Testing

MAX

750V

1000V

10A FUSED

250V

ALL INPUTS 1KV MAX

FAST FUSE

500mA

DC Voltage,Pesistance

or AC Voltage

Figure 2-4. Measuring DC Voltag e, Resistance, AC Voltage

MAX

750V

1000V

10A FUSED

250V

ALL INPUTS

1KV MAX

FAST FUSE

500mA

CURRENT

SOURCE

at approximately 0.8mA. Readings are displayed in the 3V range at the fast measurement rates. “OL” is

displayed for voltages above 2.0V. Under normal measurement condition, the positive pole of diode is

connected with the black test lead.

To perform a diode or transistor junction test, press to

select the diode function. Then connect the test leads across

the diode as shown in Figure 2-7.

Notice how the test leads are placed. Reversing the polarity will

reverse-bias the diode.

dBm (Decibels) measure

The decibels modifier takes an ac voltage measurement, converts it to dBm (measure of decibels

relative to one milliwatt), and displays the result on the primary display. Connect the test leads as

shown in Figure 2-4.

Press dBm to toggle in and out of the decibels mode. When the decibels mode is selected, “dBm” is

shown on the primary display, AC voltage value is shown on the secondary display.

Decibels can be selected only when ac voltage function is selected. Decibels are always displayed

in a single, fixed range with 0.01 dB resolution. Press the AUTO toggle in and out autorange, you

can also press the . and change range manually.

A voltage measurement is converted to dBm using the following formula:

dBm = 10*lg (1000*value2/reference impedance)

where “value” is the measurement value, and displayed on the secondary display. The reference impedance

can be changed. (Refer to “Changing the Power-UP Configuration” later in Section 3).

Communication Interface

The real time measured value can be transmitted to the computer by the devote USB cable and the

VICTORVIEW_8145B software (refer to “using the communication function”in section 3).

SECTION 3

Operating the Meter from the Front Panel

INTRODUCTION

Section 3 explains how to operate the meter from the front panel.

FRONT PANEL OPERATIONS

The following operations can be performed from the front panel:



Select a measurement function ( DCV, ACV, DCA, ACA, Ω, FREQ, dBm

and )



Select function modifiers that cause the meter to display relative readings (REL), minimum

,maximum or average values (MN MX)



Enter the Touch Hold mode (HOLD) to hold a reading on the display



Set Measurement Rate (RATE), change the rate as “F”(Fast) or “S”(Slow)



Take a measurement and compare (COMP) it to a setting value



Select the manual or autorange mode (AUTO), up range or down range manually to

desired range



Turn on or turn off the back light (when arrive the setting time the back light can automatically off)



Power-on or off the power supply (POWER)

MAX

750V

1000V

10A FUSED

250V

ALL INPUTS 1KV MAX

FAST FUSE

500mA

Figure 2-7. Diode Testing

These operations are described in remainder of Section 3.

DISPLAY

The meter has a 5-digit, Liquid Crystal Display (Primary Display) and a 4-digit, Liquid Crystal Display

(Secondary Display). The display shows measurement readings, measurement units and

messages. As shown in Figure 3-1.

INPUT TERMINALS

The input terminals, as shown in Figure 3-2, are

located on the right of the front panel

The meter is protected against overloads up to the

limits shown in Table 3-1. Exceeding these limits

poses a hazard to both the meter and operator.

Figure 3-2. Input Terminals

Table 3-1. Input Limits

FUNCTION INPUT TERMINALS MAXIMUM INPUT

V VΩ and COM 1000V dc on all ranges

V ~, FREQ and dBm VΩ and COM 750V ac rms,1000V peak on all ranges

mA and mA ~ mA and COM 500mA dc or ac rms

A ~ and A ~ 10A and COM 10A dc or ac rms

Ω VΩ and COM 250V dc or ac rms on all ranges

VΩ and COM 250V dc or ac rms on all ranges

All Functions Any terminal to earth 1000V dc or ac peak

SELECTING A MEASUREMENT FUNCTION

Press a function button, as shown in Figure 3-3, to select a measurement function. When you select

a function, annunciators turn on to indicate the function selected. Rang and full scale values are

summarized in Table 3-2 for voltage, current, ohms and frequency

Figure 3-3. Function Select Buttons

Reading Rate

High Voltage

Relative Modifier

Primary Display

Diode Test

Continuity Test

Save

Function and Unit Annunciators

Secondary Display

Time

Hold

MIN MAX Modifier

AutorangeCalibration state

Figure 3-1. Display Annunciators

DCV

ACV FREQ

DCA

ACA

AUTO

SHIFTMXHOLD

COMP

POWER

OFF

RANGE

dBm

REL

RATE

reading rate

ACA FREQ

DCA

ACV

DCV

Volts DC

Amps DC

Resistance

Volts AC

Amps AC

Diode

Continuity

Frequency

dBm

8145A

MAX

750V

1000V

10A FUSED

250V

ALL INPUTS

1KV MAX

FAST FUSE

500mA

Volts, Ohms, Diode Test input Terminal

Common Terminal. Retern Terminal

for all Measurements

Amperes Input Terminal. For Current Measurements up to 10A continuous

Milliamperes Input Terminal. For Current Measurements up to 500mA

+ 15 hidden pages

Vichy VC8145A User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual