Agilent Technologies U1231A User manual

Agilent Technologies
Agilent U1231A, U1232A,
and U1233A Handheld
Digital Multimeter
User’s Guide

II U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide
Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2011–2013
No part of this manual may be reproduced in
any form or by any means (including elec-
tronic storage and retrieval or translation
into a foreign language) without prior agree-
ment and written consent from Agilent
Technologies, Inc. as governed by United
States and international copyright laws.
Manual Part Number
U1231-90026
Edition
Seventh Edition, September 20, 2013
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
5301, Stevens Creek Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95051 USA
Warranty
The material contained in this document is
provided “as is,” and is subject to change,
without notice, in future editions. Further,
to the maximum extent permitted by the
applicable law, Agilent disclaims all war-
ranties, either express or implied, with
regard to this manual and any information
contained herein, including but not limited
to the implied warranties of merchantabil-
ity and fitness for a particular purpose.
Agilent shall not be liable for errors or for
incidental or consequential damages in
connection with the furnishing, use, or
performance of this document or of any
information contained herein. Should Agi-
lent and the user have a separate written
agreement with warranty terms covering
the material in this document that conflict
with these terms, the warranty terms in
the separate agreement shall control.
Technology Licenses
The hardware and or software described in
this document are furnished under a license
and may be used or copied only in accor-
dance with the terms of such license.
Restricted Rights Legend
U.S. Government Restricted Rights. Soft-
ware and technical data rights granted to
the federal government include only those
rights customarily provided to end user cus-
tomers. Agilent provides this customary
commercial license in Software and techni-
cal data pursuant to FAR 12.211 (Technical
Data) and 12.212 (Computer Software) and,
for the Department of Defense, DFARS
252.227-7015 (Technical Data - Commercial
Items) and DFARS 227.7202-3 (Rights in
Commercial Computer Software or Com-
puter Software Documentation).
Safety Notices
CAUTION
A CAUTION notice denotes a haz-
ard. It calls attention to an operat-
ing procedure, practice, or the likes
of that, if not correctly performed
or adhered to, could result in dam-
age to the product or loss of impor-
tant 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 likes of that, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could
result in personal injury or death.
Do not proceed beyond a WARN-
ING notice until the indicated
conditions are fully understood
and met.

U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide III
Safety Symbols
The following symbols on the instrument and in the documentation
indicate precautions which must be taken to maintain safe operation of
the instrument.
DC (Direct current or voltage)
AC (Alternating current or voltage)
Earth (ground) terminal
Caution, risk of danger (refer to this manual for specific Warning
or Caution information)
Equipment protected throughout by double insulation or
reinforced insulation
Category III 600 V overvoltage protection
CAT III
600 V

IV U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide
Safety Considerations
Read the information below before using this instrument.
The following general safety precautions must be observed during all
phases of operation, service, and repair of this instrument. Failure to
comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in this
manual violates safety standards for design, manufacture, and intended
use of the instrument. Agilent Technologies assumes no liability for the
customer’s failure to comply with these requirements.
CAUTION
•Disconnect circuit power and discharge all high-voltage capacitors
before testing resistance, continuity, diodes, or capacitance.
•Use the proper terminals, function, and range for your
measurements.
•This device is for use at altitudes of up to 2,000 m.
•Never measure voltage when current measurement is selected.
•Always use the specified battery type. The power for the meter is
supplied with four standard AAA 1.5 V batteries. Observe the
correct polarity markings before you insert the batteries to ensure
proper insertion of the batteries in the meter.
WARNING
• Do not use the meter if it is damaged. Before you use the meter,
inspect the case. Look for cracks or missing plastic. Pay
particular attention to the insulation surrounding the connectors.
• Inspect the test leads for damaged insulation or exposed metal.
Check the test leads for continuity. Replace damaged test leads
before you use the meter.
• Do not operate the meter around explosive gas, vapor, or wet
environments.
• Do not apply more than the rated voltage (as marked on the
meter) between terminals, or between terminal and earth ground.

U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide V
WARNING
• If the equipment is used in a manner not specified by the
manufacturer, the protection provided by the equipment may be
impaired.
• Never use the meter in wet conditions or when there is water on
the surface. If the meter is wet, ensure that the meter is dried only
by trained personnel.
• Before use, verify the meter's operation by measuring a known
source, for example, voltage.
• When measuring current, turn off the circuit power before
connecting the meter in the circuit. Remember to place the meter
in series with the circuit.
• When servicing the meter, use only the specified replacement
parts.
• Use caution when working above 60 V DC, 30 V AC rms, or 42.4 V
peak. Such voltages pose a shock hazard.
• Do not use the VZLOW (low input impedance) function to measure
voltages in circuits that could be damaged by this function’s low
input impedance of 3 kΩ.
• When using the probes, keep your fingers behind the finger
guards on the probes.
• Connect the common test lead before you connect the live test
lead. When you disconnect the leads, disconnect the live test lead
first.
• Remove the test leads from the meter before you open the battery
cover.
• Do not operate the meter with the battery cover or portions of the
cover removed or loosened.
• To avoid false readings, which may lead to possible electric shock
or personal injury, replace the battery as soon as the low battery
indicator appears and flashes.

VI U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide
Environmental Conditions
This instrument is designed for indoor use and in an area with low
condensation. The table below shows the general environmental
requirements for this instrument.
Environmental condition Requirement
Operating temperature Full accuracy from –10 °C to 55 °C
Operating humidity
Full accuracy up to 80% RH (relative
humidity) for temperature up to 30 °C,
decreasing linearly to 50% RH at 55 °C
Storage temperature –40 °C to 60 °C
Altitude Up to 2000 meters
Pollution degree 2
NOTE
The U1231A/U1232A/U1233A Handheld Digital Multimeter complies with the
following safety and EMC requirements:
•IEC 61010-1:2010/EN 61010-1:2010
•USA: UL 61010-1 (3rd Edition)
•Canada: CSA C22.2 No. 61010-1:2012

U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide VII
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 C-tick 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.
ICES/NMB-001 indicates that this ISM
device complies with the Canadian
ICES-001.
Cet appareil ISM est confomre a la
norme NMB-001 du Canada.
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.
The CSA mark is a registered
trademark of the Canadian Standards
Association.
This symbol indicates the time period
during which no hazardous or toxic
substance elements are expected to
leak or deteriorate during normal use.
Forty years is the expected useful life
of the product.

VIII U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC
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.
Product Category:
With reference to the equipment types in the WEEE directive Annex 1, this
instrument is classified as a “Monitoring and Control Instrument” product.
The affixed product label is as shown below.
Do not dispose in domestic household waste.
To return this unwanted instrument, contact your nearest Agilent Service
Center, or visit
www.agilent.com/environment/product
for more information.

U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide IX
Declaration of Conformity (DoC)
The Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for this instrument is available on the
Agilent website. You can search the DoC by its product model or
description at the web address below.
http://regulations.corporate.agilent.com/DoC/search.htm
NOTE
If you are unable to search for the respective DoC, please contact your
local Agilent representative.

X U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide
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U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide XI
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
About This Manual 2
Documentation map 2
Safety notes 2
Preparing Your Multimeter 3
Checking the shipment 3
Installing the batteries 3
Turning on your multimeter 6
Automatic Power-Off (APO) 6
Enabling the backlight 7
Enabling the flashlight 7
Selecting the range 9
Alerts and warnings during measurement 10
Adjusting the tilt stand 11
Connecting the IR-USB cable 11
Power-on options 13
Your Multimeter in Brief 15
Dimensions 15
Overview 17
Rotary switch 19
Keypad 22
Display screen 24
Input terminals 28
Cleaning Your Multimeter 30
2 Making Measurements
Measuring AC Voltage 32
Measuring DC Voltage 34

XII U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide
Measuring AC/DC mV 34
Using VZLOW for Voltage Measurements 36
Measuring Resistance 39
Testing for Continuity 41
Testing Diodes 45
Measuring Capacitance 49
Measuring Temperature 51
Measuring AC or DC Current 56
Measuring Frequency 61
3 Multimeter Features
Detecting AC Voltage Presence (Vsense) 66
Making Relative Measurements (Null) 68
Capturing Maximum and Minimum Values (MaxMin) 70
Freezing the Display (Trig Hold-Log and Auto Hold-Log) 72
Trig Hold-Log operation 72
Auto Hold-Log operation 72
Recalling Previously Recorded Readings (Recall) 74
Making Scale Transfers (Scale) 76
4 Multimeter Setup Options
Using the Setup Menu 80
Editing numerical values 81
Setup Menu Summary 82
Setup Menu Items 84
Changing the variation count 84
Enabling and changing the Smooth refresh rate 85

U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide XIII
Enabling and changing the voltage alert level 86
Changing the beep frequency 87
Changing the auto power-off (APO) timeout 88
Changing the LCD backlight timeout 89
Adjusting the LCD backlight intensity 90
Enabling the LED flashlight timeout 91
Adjusting the LED flashlight intensity 92
Changing the minimum measurable frequency 93
Changing the continuity test alerts 93
Changing the power-on greeting tone 95
Resetting the Setup items 96
Changing the scale conversion value 96
Enable the AC/DC mV measurement 98
Enable open continuity test by default 99
Changing the temperature unit 99
5 Characteristics and Specifications
Product Characteristics 102
Specification Assumptions 103
Measurement Category 104
Measurement category definition 104
Electrical Specifications 105
DC specifications 105
AC specifications 108
Capacitance specifications 109
Temperature specifications 110
Frequency specifications 111
Frequency sensitivity specifications 111
Scale transfer (mV) 112
Display update rate (approximate) 113

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U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide XV
List of Figures
Figure 1-1 Installing the batteries 4
Figure 1-2 Powering on the multimeter 6
Figure 1-3 Tilt-stand adjustment and IR-USB cable connection 11
Figure 1-4 Agilent GUI Data Logger Software 12
Figure 1-5 Width dimension 15
Figure 1-6 Height and depth dimensions 16
Figure 1-7 Front panel 17
Figure 1-8 Rear panel 18
Figure 2-1 AC voltage display 32
Figure 2-2 Measuring AC voltage 33
Figure 2-3 DC voltage display 34
Figure 2-4 Measuring DC voltage 35
Figure 2-5 VZLOW voltage display 36
Figure 2-6 Measuring VZLOW voltage 37
Figure 2-7 VZLOW auto identification flow 38
Figure 2-8 Resistance display 39
Figure 2-9 Measuring resistance 40
Figure 2-10 Continuity test flow 42
Figure 2-11 Testing for continuity 44
Figure 2-12 Diode display 45
Figure 2-13 Open diode display 46
Figure 2-14 Testing forward bias diode 47
Figure 2-15 Testing reverse bias diode 48
Figure 2-16 Capacitance display 49
Figure 2-17 Measuring capacitance 50
Figure 2-18 Temperature display 51
Figure 2-19 Measuring the surface temperature 52
Figure 2-20 Using the Auxillary Temperature measurement
function 53
Figure 2-21 Temperature measurement without ambient
compensation 55
Figure 2-22 DC current display 57
Figure 2-23 AC current display 57
Figure 2-24 Measuring DC/AC current (up to A) 58
Figure 2-25 Measuring AC/DC current (up to μA) 59

XVI U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide
Figure 2-26 Frequency definition 62
Figure 2-27 Frequency display 62
Figure 2-28 Measuring frequency 63
Figure 3-1 Detecting voltage presence 67
Figure 3-2 Null display 68
Figure 3-3 Null operation 69
Figure 3-4 MaxMin display 71
Figure 3-5 Trig Hold-Log display 72
Figure 3-6 Auto Hold-Log display 73
Figure 3-7 View display 74
Figure 3-8 Empty view display 75
Figure 4-1 Changing the variation count 84
Figure 4-2 Enabling and changing the Smooth refresh rate 85
Figure 4-3 Enabling and changing the voltage alert level 86
Figure 4-4 Changing the beep frequency 87
Figure 4-5 Changing the auto power-off timeout 88
Figure 4-6 Changing the LCD backlight timeout 89
Figure 4-7 Changing the LCD backlight intensity 90
Figure 4-8 Changing the LED flashlight timeout 91
Figure 4-9 Changing the LED flashlight intensity 92
Figure 4-10 Changing the minimum measurable frequency 93
Figure 4-11 Changing the continuity test alerts 94
Figure 4-12 Changing the power-on greeting tone 95
Figure 4-13 Resetting the Setup items 96
Figure 4-14 Changing the scale conversion value 97
Figure 4-15 Enable the AC/DC mV measurement 98
Figure 4-16 Enable open continuity test by default 99
Figure 4-17 Changing the temperature unit 100

U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide XVII
List of Tables
Ta b l e 1 - 1 Battery level indicator 5
Ta b l e 1 - 2 Power-on options 13
Ta b l e 1 - 3 Front panel parts 17
Ta b l e 1 - 4 Rear panel parts 18
Ta b l e 1 - 5 U1231A/U1232A/U1233A rotary switch functions 20
Ta b l e 1 - 6 Keypad functions 22
Ta b l e 1 - 7 General annunciators 24
Ta b l e 1 - 8 Measurement units display 26
Ta b l e 1 - 9 Analog bar graph display 27
Ta b l e 1 - 1 0 U1231A terminal connections for different measuring
functions 28
Ta b l e 1 - 1 1 U1232A and U1233A terminal connections for different
measuring functions 29
Ta b l e 2 - 1 Threshold resistance values 41
Ta b l e 2 - 2 Functions allowing frequency measurement 61
Ta b l e 3 - 1 Available scale conversions 76
Ta b l e 4 - 1 Setup menu key functions 80
Ta b l e 4 - 2 Setup menu item descriptions 82
Ta b l e 5 - 1 DC specifications 105
Ta b l e 5 - 2 AC specifications 108
Ta b l e 5 - 3 Capacitance specifications 109
Ta b l e 5 - 4 Temperature specifications 110
Ta b l e 5 - 5 Frequency specifications 111
Ta b l e 5 - 6 Frequency sensitivity and trigger level specifications for
voltage measurements 111
Ta b l e 5 - 7 Frequency sensitivity and trigger level specifications for
current measurements 112
Ta b l e 5 - 8 Scale transfer (mV) specifications 112
Ta b l e 5 - 9 Display update rate (approximate) 113

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1
U1231A/U1232A/U1233A Handheld Digital Multimeter
User’s Guide
Agilent Technologies
1
Introduction
About This Manual 2
Documentation map 2
Safety notes 2
Preparing Your Multimeter 3
Checking the shipment 3
Installing the batteries 3
Turning on your multimeter 6
Automatic Power-Off (APO) 6
Enabling the backlight 7
Enabling the flashlight 7
Selecting the range 9
Alerts and warnings during measurement 10
Adjusting the tilt stand 11
Connecting the IR-USB cable 11
Power-on options 13
Your Multimeter in Brief 15
Dimensions 15
Overview 17
Rotary switch 19
Keypad 22
Display screen 24
Input terminals 28
Cleaning Your Multimeter 30
This chapter teaches you how to set up your multimeter for
the first time. An introduction to all the features of the
multimeter is also given.

1 Introduction
About This Manual
2 U1231A/U1232A/U1233A User’s Guide
About This Manual
The descriptions and instructions in this manual apply to
the Agilent U1231A, U1232A, and U1233A handheld digital
multimeters (hereafter referred to as the multimeter).
The model U1233A appears in all illustrations.
Documentation map
The following manuals and software are available for your
multimeter. For the very latest version, please visit our
website at: http://www.agilent.com/find/hhTechLib.
Check the manual revision on the first page of each manual.
• User’s Guide. This manual.
•QuickStartGuide.Printed copy for outdoor use,
included with shipment.
• Service Guide. Free download at the Agilent website.
• Agilent GUI Data Logger Software, Help, and Quick
Start Guide. Free download at the Agilent website.
Safety notes
Safety notes are used throughout this manual (see the
“Safety Notices” section for format examples). Familiarize
yourself with each of the notes and its meaning before
operating your multimeter.
More pertinent safety notes for using this product are
located under the “Safety Considerations” section.
Do not proceed beyond a safety notice until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and met.