Fluke 8588A User manual

February 2019
© 2019 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved. Specifications are subject to change without notice.
All product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
8588A/8558A
Reference Multimeter and 8 1/2 Digit Multimeter
Operators Manual

LIMITED WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Each Fluke product is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and
service. The warranty period is one year and begins on the date of shipment. Parts, product repairs, and
services are warranted for 90 days. This warranty extends only to the original buyer or end-user customer of
a Fluke authorized reseller, and does not apply to fuses, disposable batteries, or to any product which, in
Fluke's opinion, has been misused, altered, neglected, contaminated, or damaged by accident or abnormal
conditions of operation or handling. Fluke warrants that software will operate substantially in accordance
with its functional specifications for 90 days and that it has been properly recorded on non-defective media.
Fluke does not warrant that software will be error free or operate without interruption.
Fluke authorized resellers shall extend this warranty on new and unused products to end-user customers
only but have no authority to extend a greater or different warranty on behalf of Fluke. Warranty support is
available only if product is purchased through a Fluke authorized sales outlet or Buyer has paid the
applicable international price. Fluke reserves the right to invoice Buyer for importation costs of
repair/replacement parts when product purchased in one country is submitted for repair in another country.
Fluke's warranty obligation is limited, at Fluke's option, to refund of the purchase price, free of charge repair,
or replacement of a defective product which is returned to a Fluke authorized service center within the
warranty period.
To obtain warranty service, contact your nearest Fluke authorized service center to obtain return
authorization information, then send the product to that service center, with a description of the difficulty,
postage and insurance prepaid (FOB Destination). Fluke assumes no risk for damage in transit. Following
warranty repair, the product will be returned to Buyer, transportation prepaid (FOB Destination). If Fluke
determines that failure was caused by neglect, misuse, contamination, alteration, accident, or abnormal
condition of operation or handling, including overvoltage failures caused by use outside the product’s
specified rating, or normal wear and tear of mechanical components, Fluke will provide an estimate of repair
costs and obtain authorization before commencing the work. Following repair, the product will be returned to
the Buyer transportation prepaid and the Buyer will be billed for the repair and return transportation charges
(FOB Shipping Point).
THIS WARRANTY IS BUYER'S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AND IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER
WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY
OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. FLUKE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE
FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES,
INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA, ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE OR THEORY.
Since some countries or states do not allow limitation of the term of an implied warranty, or exclusion or
limitation of incidental or consequential damages, the limitations and exclusions of this warranty may not
apply to every buyer. If any provision of this Warranty is held invalid or unenforceable by a court or other
decision-maker of competent jurisdiction, such holding will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other
provision.
Fluke Corporation
P.O. Box 9090
Everett, WA 98206-9090
U.S.A.
Fluke Europe B.V.
P.O. Box 1186
5602 BD Eindhoven
The Netherlands
11/99

i
Table of Contents
Title Page
Introduction ............................................................................................ 1
Safety Information ................................................................................. 1
Specifications ........................................................................................ 1
Instruction Manuals ............................................................................... 2
Contact Fluke Calibration ...................................................................... 2
Service Information ............................................................................... 2
Product Features ................................................................................... 3
Common Features ............................................................................. 3
8588A Reference Multimeter ............................................................. 4
8558A 8 1/2 Digit Multimeter ............................................................. 4
Installation ............................................................................................. 4
Unpack and Inspect the Product ....................................................... 4
Standard Equipment .......................................................................... 5
Placement and Rack Mounting.............................................................. 5
Cooling Considerations ..................................................................... 6
Environmental and Input Requirements ............................................ 6
Mains Voltage ........................................................................................ 7
Grounding the Product ...................................................................... 8
Line Power and Fuse ......................................................................... 9
Front and Rear Panel ............................................................................ 9
Front-Panel Features ......................................................................... 10
Rear-Panel Features ......................................................................... 14
Operation ............................................................................................... 16
Turn on the Product ........................................................................... 16
Power-Up State ................................................................................. 16
Warmup Requirements ...................................................................... 17
Functions ............................................................................................... 18
DC Voltage ........................................................................................ 18
Measure DC Voltage ......................................................................... 19
Simple Lead Connections .............................................................. 19
Common Mode Rejection - Use of External Guard Connection .... 20
AC Voltage ........................................................................................ 20
Measure AC Voltage ......................................................................... 24
Induced Interference
...................................................................... 24
Common Mode Rejection .............................................................. 24
Lead Considerations ...................................................................... 24

8588A/8558A
Operators Manual
ii
DC Current ........................................................................................ 25
AC Current ......................................................................................... 27
ACI Measure Setup ....................................................................... 28
Measure AC Current ...................................................................... 30
Resistance ......................................................................................... 31
Measure Resistance .......................................................................... 36
2-Wire Measurements ................................................................... 36
4-Wire Measurements ................................................................... 36
4-Wire High-Resistance Measurements ........................................ 37
4-Wire Resistance Zero ................................................................. 37
Ω Guard ......................................................................................... 38
Digitize ............................................................................................... 39
More ...................................................................................................... 48
Capacitance (8588A only) ................................................................. 48
RF Power (8588A only) ..................................................................... 50
RF Power Softkeys ........................................................................ 52
Connect a Power Sensor to the Product ....................................... 53
Connect a Power Sensor to a Unit Under Test ............................. 54
Set the Measurement Frequency .................................................. 54
Frequency Counter ............................................................................ 55
Measure Frequency ........................................................................... 58
DCI Ext Shunt (8588A Only) .............................................................. 59
ACI Ext Shunt (8588A Only) .............................................................. 62
Measure AC Current with ACI Ext Shunt ........................................... 68
PRT ................................................................................................... 69
Measure PRTs ................................................................................... 69
Thermocouple ....................................................................................... 71
Measure Thermocouples ................................................................... 71
Features ................................................................................................ 74
Input Terminal Selection .................................................................... 74
Use the Scan Operations .............................................................. 75
Scan Sequences ........................................................................... 76
4W Tru Ohm Scan Mode (Tru Ohms Ratio) .................................. 76
External Guard .............................................................................. 78
Output Signal ................................................................................. 79
TRIG OUT ..................................................................................... 80
Zero ................................................................................................... 83
Math ................................................................................................... 85
Analyze .............................................................................................. 88
Memory Setup ....................................................................................... 95
Instrument Setup ................................................................................... 97
Display Settings Submenu ................................................................ 98
Instrument Settings ............................................................................ 99
Remote Settings ................................................................................ 100
Calibration Adjust .............................................................................. 101
Diagnostics ........................................................................................ 103
Triggering Measurements ..................................................................... 104
Details of the Triggering Subsystem .............................................. 105
Trigger Indicator ................................................................................ 115
Examples of Using the Trigger Subsystem ................................... 116
Special Event Qualifiers ................................................................ 123
Guidelines to Avoid Measurement Errors .............................................. 125
Maintenance .......................................................................................... 127
Fuse Replacement ............................................................................ 127
Clean the Exterior .............................................................................. 128
Accessories ........................................................................................... 129

1
Introduction
The Fluke Calibration 8558A 8 1/2 Digit Multimeter and 8588A Reference
Multimeter (the Product or Multimeter unless otherwise specified) are for
demanding and precise measurement applications. The Product functions in
both stand-alone and systems applications. 8 1/2 digit resolution provides high
performance and makes the Product well suited for application use in standards
labs, calibration labs, engineering labs, and systems use. The 8588A includes
more features and higher performance for the most demanding metrology
applications. The Products are accurate, stable, fast, and easy to use.
Safety Information
General Safety Information is located in the printed Safety Information document
that shipped with the Product. It can also be found online at www.Flukecal.com.
More specific safety information is listed where applicable.
A Warning identifies conditions and procedures that are dangerous to the user.
A Caution identifies conditions and procedures that can cause damage to the
Product or the equipment under test.
Specifications
Safety specifications are located in the printed Safety Information. Full
specifications are located online at www.flukecal.com in the 8558A/8588A
Specifications.

8588A/8558A
Operators Manual
2
Instruction Manuals
The Product user documentation is:
•8588A/8558A Safety Information (printed, localized in 9 languages)
•8588A/8558A Operators Manual (provided online or a printed copy is
available for purchase through the Fluke Calibration Service Department,
localized in 9 languages)
•8588A/8558A Service Manual (provided online)
•8588A/8558A Remote Programmer’s Manual (provided online or a printed
copy is available for purchase through the Fluke Calibration Service
Department)
To order, see the Fluke Calibration Catalog or contact a Fluke Calibration sales
representative. See Contact Fluke Calibration.
This manual provides complete information to install and operate the Product
from the front panel.
Contact Fluke Calibration
To contact Fluke Calibration, call one of the following telephone numbers:
•Technical Support USA: 1-877-355-3225
•Calibration/Repair USA: 1-877-355-3225
•Canada: 1-800-36-FLUKE (1-800-363-5853)
•Europe: [phone]
•Japan: [phone]
•Singapore: [phone]
•China: [phone]
•Brazil: [phone]
•Anywhere in the world: [phone]
To see product information and download the latest manual supplements, visit
Fluke Calibration’s website at www.flukecal.com.
To register your product, visit http://flukecal.com/register-product.
Service Information
Contact an authorized Fluke Calibration Service Center if the Product needs
calibration or repair during the warranty period. See Contact Fluke Calibration.
Please have Product information such as the purchase date and serial number
ready when scheduling a repair.
To reship the Product, use the original shipping container. If the original carton is
not available, then order a new container from Fluke Calibration. See Contact
Fluke Calibration.

Reference Multimeter and 8 ½ Digit Multimeter
Product Features
3
Product Features
Common Features
The Products share a common chassis and display/hardware platform. They are
differentiated by additional precision components and firmware.
The Product shares these capabilities:
•Inherent accuracy and stability without the need for periodic internal
automatic adjustments like the ACAL function
•Color display with user interface (UI) in English, Chinese, French, German,
Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish
•Visual Connection Management active terminal illumination
•Versatile resolution and reading rate settings:
o8 1/2 to 4 1/2 digit resolution
oaperture time settings from 0 ns to 10 seconds (200 ns min resolution)
o100 k readings/sec at 4 1/2 digits (18-bit) resolution in remote
operation
•Digitizing function for specific digitizing applications with timestamps and date
provided by an internal real-time clock
•Up to 5 Mega Samples/second sampling at 18 bits with up to 20 MHz
bandwidth
•Programmable front/rear inputs, automatic ratio ohms, voltage, and more
using the front/rear inputs.
•Math, with null, normalize, scale, and average
•Analyze, with graphing, trending and statistics
•Frequency measurements to 100 MHz
•Capacitance measurements to calibrate multi-product calibrators
•RF power meter readout for R&S NRP series power sensors
•GPIB SCPI, Ethernet, and USB remote interfaces
oStandard IEEE-488 (GPIB) interface, complying with ANSI/IEEE
Standards 488.1-1987 and 488.2-1987
oUniversal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 high-speed interface device port for
remote control with USB TMC
oIntegrated 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet port for network connection
remote control
•PRT and thermocouple readouts
•Front and rear USB memory ports for data transfer

8588A/8558A
Operators Manual
4
•Extensive Trigger modes
•Software emulation of the Fluke 8508A and HP/Agilent/Keysight 3458A
remote interfaces
•Digital rms ac technology
•Extensive internal software-controlled self-testing and diagnostics of analog
and digital functions.
•Analog Zero to remove residual offsets, for example, from thermal EMFs.
8588A Reference Multimeter
The 8588A has specifications suited for the most demanding calibration and
metrology applications.
8558A 8 1/2 Digit Multimeter
The 8558A specifications are relaxed from those of the 8588A but its
specifications are comparable to other 8 1/2 digit multimeters.
Installation
XWWarning
To prevent possible electrical shock, fire, or personal injury, do
not apply more than the rated voltage, between the terminals or
between each terminal and earth ground.
This section provides instructions to install the Product and connect it to line
power. Because this section explains fusing and operating environment
requirements, read this section before you operate the Product.
The Product should only be used to measure sources up to 1000 V dc or rms ac
that are protected from short circuit with current limiting to 200 mA or less.
Instructions to connect cables to other instruments and to a Device Under Test
(DUT) during operation are described in the Functions section.
Unpack and Inspect the Product
The Product ships in a container that prevents shipping damage. Inspect the
Product carefully for damage, and immediately report any damage to the shipper
Instructions for inspection and claims are included in the shipping container.
Unpack the Product and check for all the standard equipment listed in Standard
Equipment and check the shipping order for additional items ordered. Report any
shortage to the place of purchase or to the nearest Fluke Calibration Service
Center. See Contact Fluke Calibration if necessary. If performance tests are
required for your acceptance procedures, see the Product Service Manual for
instructions.

Reference Multimeter and 8 ½ Digit Multimeter
Placement and Rack Mounting
5
Standard Equipment
Check that all items listed in Table 1 are included:
Table 1. Standard Equipment
Item Fluke Calibration Part Number
8588A Reference Multimeter 4983182
8558A 8 ½ Digit Multimeter 4983194
Mains Power Cord See Mains Voltage
8558A/8588A Safety Information (printed) 4769456
8588A-LEAD KIT-OSP
General Purpose Probe Kit & Pouch 4951331
Calibration Certificate -
Placement and Rack Mounting
Put the Product on top of a workbench or mount the Product in a standard 48-cm
(19-inch) wide, 61-cm (24-inch) deep equipment rack. For bench-top use, the
Product has non-slipping, non-marring feet.
To mount the Product in an equipment rack, order the accessory Y8588 or
Y8588S for the sliding option.
XWWarning
To prevent possible electrical shock, fire, or personal injury, do
not restrict access to the Product mains power cord. The mains
power cord is the mains disconnecting device. If access to the
power cord is inhibited by rack mounting, a properly rated
accessible mains disconnecting switch must be provided within
reach as part of the installation.

8588A/8558A
Operators Manual
6
Cooling Considerations
WCaution
Damage caused by overheating can occur if the area around the
air intake or exhaust exit is restricted, the intake air is too
warm, or the air filter becomes clogged.
An important feature of the Product is its internal cooling system. Baffles direct
cool air from the fans throughout the chassis to dissipate heat during operation.
Maintain the coolest possible internal temperature to ensure the accuracy and
dependability of all internal parts of the Product.
The area around the air filter (power-switch side of the chassis) must be at least
7.5 cm (3 in) from nearby walls or rack enclosures. The exhaust perforations on
the rear of the Product must be clear of obstructions for 7.5 cm (3 in). Obstructed
airflow degrades Product performance.
To lengthen the life of the Product and ensure its performance:
•Keep the air filter at least 7.5 cm (3 in) from nearby walls or rack enclosures.
See Rear-Panel Features.
•Make sure that the exhaust perforations on the rear of the Product are
unobstructed.
•Do not direct exhaust from another instrument into the air inlet of the Product.
Air entering the Product must be room temperature.
•Vacuum the air inlet and outlet areas every 30 days or more frequently if the
Product is operated in a dusty environment.
Environmental and Input Requirements
For full accuracy, the Product must be used in an ambient temperature within
±5 °C of the temperature of the last calibration.
To operate the Product outside the specified temperature range, see the
temperature coefficients specifications. See Specifications.
XW Warning
To prevent possible electrical shock, fire, or personal injury,
limit voltage sources connected to the Product to ≤1050 V dc or
rms ac, and ≤200 mA. Do not connect voltages that have high-
energy transients.

Reference Multimeter and 8 ½ Digit Multimeter
Mains Voltage
7
Mains Voltage
XW Warning
To prevent possible electrical shock, fire, or personal injury:
•Do not put the Product where access to the mains power cord
is blocked.
•Use only the mains power cord and connector approved for
the voltage and plug configuration in your country and rated
for the Product.
•Make sure the ground conductor in the mains power cord is
connected to a protective earth ground. Disruption of the
protective earth could put voltage on the chassis that could
cause death.
•Replace the mains power cord if the insulation is damaged or
if the insulation shows signs of wear.
•The Product enclosure must be grounded through the
grounding conductor of the power cord, or through the rear
panel ground binding post.
The Product comes with the appropriate line power plug for the country of
purchase. If a different type is necessary, see Table 2. They list and show the
mains line power plug types available from Fluke Calibration.
The Product automatically detects the main line voltage when powered up and
configures itself to work at that voltage level. Nominal mains voltages ranging
from 100 V rms to 120 V rms and from 220 V rms to 240 V rms ( each ±10 %) are
acceptable, with frequencies from 47 Hz to 63 Hz.

8588A/8558A
Operators Manual
8
Table 2. Available Mains Power Cord Types
Universal EuroNorth American/Japan United Kingdom
Australia/China
Swiss
South Africa Brazil
LC-1 LC-3 LC-4 LC-5
LC-6 LC-7 LC-42
hwr039.emf
Type Fluke Calibration Option Number
North America 284174
Universal Euro 769422
United Kingdom 769455
Switzerland 769448
Australia 658641
South Africa 722771
Brazil 3841347
Grounding the Product
The Product enclosure must be grounded through the grounding conductor of the
power cord, or through the rear-panel ground binding post.

Reference Multimeter and 8 ½ Digit Multimeter
Front and Rear Panel
9
Line Power and Fuse
The line power receptacle and the fuse are located on the rear of the Product.
See Figure 1. Use only the fuse recommended by Fluke Calibration.
iei003.emf
Figure 1. Line Power and Mains Fuse Location
Front and Rear Panel
This section provides descriptions of each panel feature. Read this information
before Product use. Front-panel operation instructions for the Product are in
Front-Panel Operation. Remote operations instructions are in Remote
Programmer’s Manual.
Features that are unique to either the 8588A or 8558A are noted as such.

8588A/8558A
Operators Manual
10
Front-Panel Features
Front-panel features (all controls, display, indicators, and terminals) are shown
and described in Table 3.
Table 3. Front-Panel Features
17
2
1
3
4
567
9
10
8 11 12
13
14
15
16
18
19
21
20
23
24
3
22
Iei001.emf
Number Name Function
INPUT Terminals
A, HI, and LO
A pair of five-way binding posts for current measurements. Signals
up to 30 A rms can be applied to these terminals on the 8588A and
up to 2 A on the 8558A.These terminals illuminate to show
connections.
INPUT Terminals
VΩ, HI, and LO
A pair of five-way binding posts for voltage, ohms, capacitance, 2-
wire PRT, and thermocouple measurements. On the 8588A, these
binding posts also connect to the output of external current shunts.
Frequency can be measured via these terminals. Signals up to
1050 V rms can be applied to these terminals. These terminals
illuminate to show connections.
SENSE Terminals
V, HI, and LO
A pair of five-way binding posts for 4-wire resistance measurements.
They are the sense terminals in 4-W Ω and 3- and 4-wire PRT.
These terminals illuminate to show connections.
DEXT PORT A connector to use the Rodhe & Schwarz (R&S) NRP RF power
sensors. Note this terminal illuminates to show connections.
EColor Display
Color display shows the output and active conditions and messages.
The display provides controls not available with the keys alone by
use of softkeys F1 to F5. The localized Product interface is made up
of multiple menus, described throughout the manual. The display
outputs in numerical or graphing format.
F
(Navigation Keys)
Four-way navigation keys used to move from various menu choices
on the display when available. The active menu choice is highlighted.

Reference Multimeter and 8 ½ Digit Multimeter
Front and Rear Panel
11
Table 3. Front-Panel Features (cont.)
Number Name Function
G
Function Keys: These keys select one of the major functions for the Product. Push
any one of the function keys to take you immediately out of any
other display screen and into the top level of that function.
Access the DCV (DC Voltage) function. See DC Voltage.
Access the ACV (AC Voltage) function. See AC Voltage.
Access the DCI (DC Current) function. See DC Current.
Access the ACI (AC Current) function. See AC Current.
Access the Ohms function. See Resistance.
Access the Digitize function. See Digitize.

When pushed, makes other functions visible that can be selected in
the Product: Capacitance (8588A only), RF Power (8588A only),
Frequency Counter, DCI Ext Shunt (8588A only), ACI Ext Shunt
(8588A only), PRT readout, and Thermocouple readout. This key is
used in conjunction with  (More) and cycles through the
available functions. When one of the functions is selected under
More,  illuminates. See More.
H
Provides mathematical operations on measurements, for example,
averaging, multiplication by M, subtraction of C, and division by Z.
The Math annunciator on the display indicates that a Mathematical
operation is active. The Last Reading softkey () is useful to
quickly set C, Z, or m. See Math.
I
When selected, allows configuration of the front and rear terminals,
including front/rear ratio measurement, and shows their status.
Provides control of the External GUARD terminal and the rear TRIG
OUT BNC connector. Shows the softkeys that configure the front
and rear terminals, External Guard, and rear TRIG OUT BNC
connector.  (Terminals) gives selections for Front, Rear, and
shows three scan modes with different mathematical combinations
of the front and rear readings, and also an Isolated configuration.
 (Front Delay) sets the delay before the front terminals are
activated.  (Rear Delay) selects the delay before the rear
terminals are activated.  (External Guard) activates the
GUARD terminal (On or OFF). and  (Output Signal) is used
to set the behavior of the rear TRIG OUT BNC connector. See Input
Terminal Selection and TRIG OUT.

8588A/8558A
Operators Manual
12
Table 3. Front-Panel Features (cont.)
Number Name Function
JStarts a process that corrects for analog offset errors in an entire
function, or for a specific range. See Zero.
KNumeric keypad
Numbered keys to enter various Product parameters and other data
such as the time and date.  allows you to enter an exponent.
 clears the last entry and  clears the entire entry. Use
 to confirm all numerical entries.
LUSB Type A
Connectors
These two USB ports function identically, allowing transfer of the
Product’s readings to a USB memory stick. Each port is capable of
providing 5 V at 0.5 A maximum, and supports an external keyboard
(but not a mouse). The Product does not uniquely identify the USB
ports. When you copy data, insert only one USB memory device.
MMains Power
Switch
In the 0 position, this switch isolates all mains power internally. Push
to the 1 position to turn on the Product.
N
The Analyze function provides different tools to analyze
measurements: Statistics, Trend, Histogram, and Limits. See
Analyze.
O
Push to change where readings are stored, change the result
format, and transfer readings between memory locations. See
Memory Setup.
PAccess the Instrument Setup menu. See Instrument Setup.
QAccess the menus to set the various triggering modes. See
Triggering Measurements.
R
Select the highlighted menu choice in conjunction with the
navigation keys. A right pointing triangle > on the screen indicates
additional choices are available.
SMoves the menu to the previous selection.
T
When the Trigger subsystem is continuously triggering (free run),
push  once to put the Product into the non-continuous
(idle) trigger state. Readings are not updated until a trigger event, for
example, when you push . Pushing  again puts
the Product back into the continuous trigger (free-run) state. See
Triggering Measurements.

Reference Multimeter and 8 ½ Digit Multimeter
Front and Rear Panel
13
Table 3. Front-Panel Features (cont.)
Number Name Function
U
Triggers a measurement when the Product is in the non-continuous
trigger (idle) state. The idle state occurs when the Run/Stop key is
pushed once.  is one of the few keys that is not disabled
when in Remote operation. See Triggering Measurements for details
about the Product Trigger subsystem.  starts data capture
when in digitize.
V 
 

Five softkeys that select the menu item noted directly above each
respective key.
WGROUND
Five-way binding post connected to earth ground through the earth
ground connector on the mains plug. This terminal does not
illuminate.
XGUARD
This five-way binding post in the External Guard OFF state is
isolated from any internal connections, and the internal guard
shields are connected to the internal 0 V. In the External Guard ON
state, the internal guard shields are disconnected from the internal
0 V and connected to the GUARD terminal of the selected front or
rear input. In the Ohms or PRT functions, the External Guard ON
selection is modified to provide an ohms guard. To set the condition
of the External Guard (ON or OFF) push  to access 
(Ext. Guard). Guarding is explained throughout this manual. When
set to Ext. Guard ON, this terminal illuminates.

8588A/8558A
Operators Manual
14
Rear-Panel Features
Rear-panel features (including all terminals, sockets, and connectors) are shown
and described in Table 4.
Note
The rear-panel terminals do not have Visual Connection
Management active terminal illumination.
Table 4. Rear-Panel Features
12345 7
69
8
10
11
12
13
14151617
18
3
iei002.emf
Number Name Function
AC power input
connector
A grounded male three-prong connector for the mains power cord
that also houses the mains fuse.
Serial number The Product Serial Number.
TRIG IN
This co-axial BNC socket can be used to trigger a measurement
when external triggers are enabled. The trigger in signal can be
either a TTL or Bipolar, with either a negative or positive slope. See
Triggering Measurements.
DTRIG OUT
This co-axial BNC socket outputs a signal when a specified
measurement event occurs. The signal may be a TTL edge or a
square wave which is active during a particular process. This signal
is used to synchronize external equipment to the Product and is
comparable to the HP/Agilent/Keysight 3458A EXT OUT output. See
Input Terminals Selection.
EFan access holes Access holes for the internal fan. Air is expelled from the Product for
internal cooling through these holes. See Cooling Considerations.
FINPUT, A HI and
LO
A pair of five-way binding posts for current measurements. Signals
up to 2 A rms can be applied to these terminals.
GINPUT, V HI and
LO
A pair of five-way binding posts for voltage, ohms, capacitance, 2-
wire PRT, and thermocouple measurements. On the 8588A, these
binding posts also connect to the output of external current shunts.
Frequency can be measured via these terminals. Signals up to
1050 V rms can be applied to these terminals.
HSENSE, V HI and
LO
A pair of five-way binding posts for 4-wire resistance measurements.
They are the sense terminals in 4-wire Ω and 3- and 4-wire PRT.

Reference Multimeter and 8 ½ Digit Multimeter
Front and Rear Panel
15
Table 4. Rear-Panel Features (cont.)
Number Name Function
IFuse holder
Holds the fuse that is in series with the rear Input A Hi input. F1.6AH
250 V fuse protects the current-measuring circuity when using the
rear terminals for signal input.
JGROUND Five-way binding post connected to earth ground through the earth
ground connector on the mains plug.
KGUARD
This five-way binding post in the External Guard OFF state is isolated
from any internal connections, and the internal guard shields are
connected to the internal 0 V. In the External Guard ON state, the
internal guard shields are disconnected from the internal 0 V and
connected to the GUARD terminal of the selected front or rear input.
In the Ohms or PRT functions, the Ext. Guard ON selection is
modified to provide an Ohms Guard. Guarding is explained
throughout this manual.
LFREQ COUNTER
IN
This is a 50 Ω impedance input to the frequency counter function.
See Frequency Counter. Measure a frequency input from the Volt
INPUT HI-LO terminals, or through this BNC connector.
MFREQ REF IN
A reference 10 MHz signal can be applied to this BNC connector to
provide the Product with an external frequency reference. Intended
to be used in a system where several devices are phase locked to a
common reference and can reduce trigger latency.
NUSB Type A
connector
USB port to allow transfer of the Product’s readings to a USB
memory stick. This port is capable of providing 5 V at 0.5 A
maximum, and supports an external keyboard (but not a mouse).
See Memory Setup.
OUSB Type B
connector
USB port for port for remote control of the Product. See USB
Interface. See the Remote Programmer’s Manual.
PLAN connector
10/100/1000 Base/T Ethernet connector for remote control of the
Product. Remote Interface Setup in the Remote Programmer’s
Manual describes proper cabling, how to set up the interface, and
how to transmit data from the Product. Remote Interface Setup also
describes how to use the Ethernet interface for remote control. See
the Remote Programmer’s Manual.
QIEEE-488
connector
A standard GPIB interface connector to operate the Product in
remote control as a Talker or Listener on the IEEE-488 Bus. See
Remote Interface Setup for bus connection. See the Remote
Programmer’s Manual for remote programming instructions.
RAC mains fuse The T1.25AH 250V mains fuses are accessible after removing the
mains power cord. See Maintenance.

8588A/8558A
Operators Manual
16
Operation
This section explains Product operation. See Front and Rear Panel for key and
feature locations. Remote interface setups are explained in the Remote
Programmer’s Manual. The first part of this section is general and applies to all
modes of operation.
Operating instructions are presented separately for each function.
Turn on the Product
XWWarning
To avoid electric shock, make sure that the Product is
grounded before use.
Before you turn on the Product, see Grounding the Product.
To turn on the Product, push in the power switch on the front panel. When the
Product is turned on, it takes approximately 20 seconds to complete its power-up
process. During the power-up process, the Product goes through a series of self-
tests. If a self-test fails, a prompt on the display identifies the failed test and
prevents further operation. If the test fails, contact Fluke Calibration.
Power-Up State
After passing the power-up self-tests, the Product goes into the power-up state.
When you turn on the power (with no input attached), the Product starts in DCV,
1000 V (1 kV) range.