Keysight Technologies U1273A User manual

Keysight U1273A/
U1273AX Handheld
Digital Multimeter
Quick Start
Guide

Contacting Keysight
www.keysight.com/find/assist
(worldwide contact information for
repair and service)
Safety and EMC Information
This meter is safety-certified in
compliance with EN/IEC 61010-1,
ANSI/UL 61010-1/61010-2-033,
and CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 61010-1/
61010-2-033 for CAT III 1000 V/
CAT IV 600 V pollution degree 2
environment.
EMC is designed in compliance
with IEC 61326-1/EN 61326-1. Use
with standard or compatible test
probes.
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
Earth (ground) terminal
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)
Fuse
Alternating current
Direct current
Battery, general
Category III 1000 V
overvoltage protection
Category IV 600 V
overvoltage protection
CAT III
1000 V
CAT IV
600 V
2 Keysight U1273A/U1273AX Quick Start Guide
For further safety information details, refer to the
Keysight U1273A/U1273AX Handheld Digital Multimeter User’s Guide.
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Verify that you received the following items in the
shipment of your multimeter:
4Standard test leads
4Test probes with 4 mm tips
4K-type thermocouple and adapter
44 x 1.5 V AAA alkaline batteries (for U1273A)
or lithium batteries (for U1273AX)
4Certificate of Calibration
If any item is missing or damaged, keep the
shipping materials and contact the nearest
Keysight Sales Office.
NOTE The descriptions and instructions in this guide apply
to the U1273A/U1273AX handheld digital
multimeter.
All related documents and software are available for
download at www.keysight.com/find/hhTechLib.

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Install the Batteries
Your multimeter is powered by four 1.5 V AAA
batteries (included with the shipment).
1Turn the rotary switch to OFF
and remove the test leads
from the terminals.
2Lift the tilt stand and loosen
the screws with a suitable
Phillips screwdriver.
3Remove the battery cover and observe the
polarity markings.
4Insert the batteries and replace the battery
cover and screws.
Turn On the Multimeter
To power ON your multimeter, turn the rotary
switch from the OFF position to any other
position.
NOTE
Your multimeter is capable of remote data logging.
To use this feature, you will need an IR-USB cable
(U1173A, purchased separately) and the Keysight
GUI Data Logger Software (downloadable from
www.keysight.com/find/hhTechLib).

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Auto Dim
By default, the multimeter’s Auto Dim function is
enabled. The multimeter’s backlight will dim
automatically after 90 seconds of inactivity. Press
any button to cancel this effect and reset the Auto
Dim timer.
You may change how the multimeter’s backlight
behavior through the Setup menu. Refer to the
User’s Guide for further instructions.

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The Multimeter at a Glance
Display screen
Keypad
Rotary switch
Input terminals
Test lead/probe holders
IR communication port
Battery cover
Tilt stand
(Lift tilt stand for access)

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Understanding the Rotary Switch
NOTE
Press to switch between the primary and
shifted functions shown on the rotary switch.
Shift
View
Esc
Legend Description
ZLOW (low input impedance) AC/DC V for eliminating ghost
voltages
Off
AC V
AC V with Low Pass Filter
AC mV
AC mV with Low Pass Filter
DC V
AC V or AC+DC V
DC mV
AC mV or AC+DC mV
Resistance
Continuity or Smart Ω(offset compensation)
Diode
Auto-diode
Capacitance
Temperature
DC mA (or A)
AC mA (or A) or AC+DC mA (or A)
DC μA
AC μAor AC+DC μA
Z LOW
Smart
Auto

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Understanding the Keypad
Legend Key response when pressed for:
Less than 1 second More than 1 second
Sets the Null/Relative mode. Sets the Scale mode for the
specified ratio and unit display.
Starts the MaxMin recording. Starts and stops the Peak
recording.
Freezes the present reading in
the display.
Automatically freezes the
present reading once the
reading is stable.
Switches between available
dual-combination displays.
Exits the Hold, Null, MaxMin,
Peak, frequency test, and dual
display modes.
Increases the OLED brightness
incrementally when LOW,
MEDIUM, or HIGH setting is
selected.
Enters and exits the
multimeter’s Setup menu.
Switches between frequency,
pulse width, and duty cycle
measurements.
Starts and stops the Data
Logging.
Sets a manual range and
disables autoranging. Enables auto-ranging.
Switches between the primary
and shifted functions.
Enters and exits the Log
Review menu.
Scale
Null
Peak
MaxMin
Auto
TrigHold
Exit
Dual
Setup
Hz%ms
Log
Auto
Range
Shift
View
Esc

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Understanding the Input Terminals
WARNING
Ensure that the terminal connections are correct for
that particular measurement function before starting
any measurement. To avoid damage to the device, do
not exceed the input limit.
Rotary position Input terminals Overload protection
1000 Vrms
1000 Vrms for short
circuit <0.3 A
11 A/1000 V
fast-acting fuse
440 mA/1000 V
fast-acting fuse
Z LOW
Smart
Auto
or

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Performing Measurements and Tests
Voltage measurements
The figure below highlights the primary functions
allowing voltage measurements in your
multimeter.
Set up your multimeter as shown in the figure
below to perform voltage measurements. When
measuring DC voltage from a mixed signal in DC
measurement mode, ensure that the Filter ( ) is
enabled.

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1Press for more than 1 second to enter the
multimeter’s setup menu.
2Browse to Menu 6 > Filter, and press to
edit the value.
3Press or to enable the Filter.
Refer to the table below for the respective
firmware versions.
4Press to save your changes.
5Press and hold until the multimeter
restarts and returns to normal operation. Turn
the multimeter to DC Voltage mode to verify
that the LPF symbol is turned on.
Setup
Hz%ms
Log
Exit
Dual
Setup
Version 1.64 or older Version 1.95 or newer
on DC
Hz%ms
Log
Setup

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LPF during AC measurements:
– Passing the measured signal through a LPF
help blocks unwanted voltages such as
electronic noise.
– Use the LPF function to improve measurement
on composite sine waves that are typically
generated by inverters and variable frequency
motor drives.
ZLOW measurements:
–UsetheZ
LOW (low input impedance) function
to remove ghost or induced voltages from
your measurement.
–Z
LOW can remove ghost voltages from your
measurements by dissipating the coupling
voltage. Use ZLOW to reduce the possibility of
false readings in areas where the presence of
ghost voltages are suspected.
CAUTION
To avoid possible electric shock or personal injury,
enable the Filter ()to verify the presence of
hazardous DC voltages. Displayed DC voltages can
be influenced by high frequency AC components
and must be filtered to assure an accurate reading.
Press while performing
AC voltage measurements to
pass the measured signal
through a low pass filter.
Rotate the rotary switch’s
position to to enable low
impedance measurements.
Shift
View
Esc
Z LOW

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Resistance measurements
Set up your multimeter as shown in the figure
below to perform resistance measurements.
Smart Ωmeasurements:
– Use the Smart Ω(offset compensation)
function to measure resistors affected by DC
offset or leakage current.
– Smart Ωremoves unexpected DC voltages
within the instrument, at the input, or at the
circuit being measured, which will add error to
While performing resistance
measurements, press
until BiAS is shown on the
secondary display to enable
the Smart Ωfunction.
Shift
View
Esc

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resistance measurements. Press to switch
between the bias voltage (BiAS) display or
leakage current (LEAk) display, calculated
based on the bias voltage and corrected
resistance value, on the secondary display.
Continuity tests
Set up your multimeter as shown in the figure
below to perform continuity tests. Press to
switch to the continuity test function ( is
shown on the display).
The beeper will sound as a continuity indication.
Press to switch between normal open ( )
and normal close ( ) contacts.
–Normal open: Circuit is normally open, the
beeper will sound when a short is detected.
–Normal close: Circuit is normally closed, the
beeper will sound when an open is detected.
Exit
Dual
Shift
View
Esc
Exit
Dual

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NOTE
The continuity function detects intermittent shorts
and opens lasting as short as 1 ms. A brief short or
open causes the multimeter to emit a short beep.

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Diode tests
Set up your multimeter as shown in the figure
below to perform diode tests.
Auto-diode tests:
– The Auto-diode function tests both the
forward bias and reverse bias directions of
your diode simultaneously. The forward bias
voltage is shown on the primary display and
the reverse bias voltage is shown on the
secondary display.
Press to use the auto
diode function.
Shift
View
Esc

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–GOOD is shown briefly on the secondary
display along with a brief beep if the diode is
found to be in good condition. If the diode is
out of the thresholds, NGOOD is shown
instead.
Capacitance measurements
Set up your multimeter as shown in the figure
below to perform capacitance measurements.
NOTE
is shown on the bottom left of the display when
the capacitor is charging, and is shown when the
capacitor is discharging.

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Temperature measurements
Set up your multimeter as shown in the figure
below to perform temperature measurements.
Press to switch to the temperature
measurement function.
Shift
View
Esc
WARNING
Do not connect the thermocouple to electrically live
circuits. Doing so will potentially cause fire or electric
shock.
K-type thermocouple
Heat source
NOTE
The multimeter uses a type-K (default setting)
temperature probe for measuring temperature.

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Current measurements
Set up your multimeter as shown in the figure
below to perform current measurements. Press
to switch between AC, DC, AC+DC, or %
scale current measurements. When measuring
DC current from a mixed signal in DC
measurement mode, ensure that the Filter ( ) is
enabled.
Shift
View
Esc
WARNING
Always use the proper function, range, and terminals for
current measurements. Set the positive input terminal to
the terminal for currents below 440 mA, and
the terminal for currents above 440 mA.
NOTE
For better accuracy when measuring low currents
(up to μA), turn the rotary switch to the position.

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Check the Fuse
Follow the instructions below for a quick check on
the fuses (Fuse 1 and Fuse 2) of your multimeter.
Fuse Part
number Fuse rating Displayed readings
Fuse healthy Replace fuse
1 2110-1400 440 mA/1000 V ≈102 ΩOL
2 2110-1402 11 A/1000 V ≈0.05 ΩOL
To check Fuse 1 To check Fuse 2