Keysight U1241C User manual

Keysight U1241C/
U1242C Handheld
Digital Multimeter
Quick Start
Guide

2 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
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 Information
The U1241C/U1242C is
safety-certified in compliance with
IEC/EN 61010-1, IEC/EN
61010-2-033, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No.
61010-1, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No.
61010-033, ANSI/UL 61010-1, and
ANSI/UL 61010-033. Use with
standard or compatible test probes.
EMC Information
The U1241C/U1242C is
EMC-certified in compliance with
with IEC 61326-1/EN 61326-1,
ICES/NMB-001, and AS/NZS
CISPR 11.
Safety symbols
Earth (ground) terminal
Equipment protected
throughout by double
insulation or reinforced
insulation
Caution, risk of danger
(refer to this manual for
specific Warning or
Caution information)
CAT III
1000 V
Category III 1000 V
overvoltage protection
CAT IV
600 V
Category IV 600 V
overvoltage protection
2 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
For further safety information details, refer to the
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Handheld Digital Multimeter
User’s Guide.

Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 3
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 3
Standard Accessories
The following accessories are shipped standard
with the U1241C/U1242C multimeters:
– Test leads (red and black)
– IR-to-USB cable
– Four 1.5 V AAA batteries
– Printed copy of the U1241C/U1242C Quick
Start Guide (this document)
– Printed copy of the Certificate 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 U1241C and U1242C Handheld
Digital Multimeters.
– The model U1242C appears in all illustrations.
– All related documents and software are
available for download at
www.keysight.com/find/hhTechLib.
NOTE
Your multimeter is capable of receiving remote
commands and performing remote data logging. To
use these features, you will need an IR-to-USB
cable (included in the shipment) or an
IR-to-Bluetooth®adapter (U1117A, purchased
separately), and the Keysight Handheld Meter
Logger Software (downloadable from
www.keysight.com/find/hhmeterlogger).

4 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
4 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
Install or Change the Batteries
The multimeter is powered by four 1.5 V AAA
batteries (included in the shipment).
Turn On the Multimeter
Turn the rotary switch from the position to
any other position to start making measurements.
12
3 4

Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 5
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 5
The Multimeter at a Glance
Vsense red LED indicator
Display screen
Keypad
Rotary switch
Input terminals
IR communication port
Test lead/probe holders
Battery access
(under the tilt stand)
Tilt stand
Fuse access
(under the tilt stand)
Flashlight

6 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
6 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
Using the Rotary Switch
Legend Measurement function
Model
U1241C U1242C
ZLOW (low input impedance) AC/DC V for
checking stray voltages —✔
AC V/Harmonic ratio[a] ✔✔
DC V ✔✔
Resistance/Continuity ✔✔
Diode/Capacitance ✔✔
AC or DC μA and mA ✔✔
AC or DC A ✔✔
T1 temperature/T2 and T1–T2 temperature[a]
or AC/DC mV (when enabled from the Setup
“CoUP” menu)
✔✔
[a] For U1242C only.
Z LOW
V
V
mA
A
21
WARNING
Remove the test leads from the measuring source or
target before changing the rotary switch position.
Refer to the U1241C/U1242C User’s Guide for a
complete list and description of all rotary switch labels.

Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 7
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 7
Using the Keypad
Legend
Key response when pressed for:
Less than 1 second More than 1 second
Enables the frequency test
mode.
Starts, stops, and exits the Max/
Min/Avg recording.
Sets the Null/Relative mode. Toggles on/off non-contact
voltage detection (Vsense).
— Sets a manual range.
— Switches between
environment temperature
compensation (ETC) and
non-ETC for temperature
measurements.
— Changes the Vsense detector
sensitivity.
Enables autoranging.
— Freezes the present reading in
the display (TrigHold mode).
— Automatically freezes the
present reading once the
reading is stable (AutoHold
mode; when enabled from the
multimeter’s Setup mode).
Press again to exit
this mode.
— Stores a record of the
measured signal and exports
it via the multimeter’s optical
communication port.
— Restarts the Max/Min/Avg
recording.
Starts and stops data logging.
Turns the backlight on/off. Turns the flashlight on/off.
Hz
MaxMin
Vsense
Range
Auto
Hold
Log
Hold
Log

8 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
8 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
— Switches between the regular
and shifted (icon printed in
orange) functions.
— Enables the Scan mode for
temperature measurements
(U1242C only).
— Enters and exits the data log
review mode (with the Hold
mode disabled).
— Exits the TrigHold or AutoHold
mode.
— Enters the Setup mode (while
turning the rotary switch from
OFF to on), and exits the Setup
mode.
Legend
Key response when pressed for:
Less than 1 second More than 1 second
Shift
Esc
View

Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 9
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 9
Using the Input Terminals
WARNING
To avoid damaging this device, do not exceed the input
limit.
Rotary
position Input terminals Overload protection
1000 Vrms
1000 Vrms for short circuit <0.3 A
440 mA/1000 V, fast-acting fuse
11 A/1000 V, fast-acting fuse
Z LOW
1
V
COM
V
V
1
2
2
mA
mA
COM
A
A
COM

10 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
10 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
Hazardous Signal Warnings
Hazardous voltage indication
The multimeter will display the hazardous voltage
( ) symbol as an early precaution when the
measured voltage is:
This symbol will also be displayed when the input
signal exceeds the limitation of measuring circuit
as frequency dependence.
Hazardous current indication
The multimeter will display the symbol as an
early precaution when the measured current has
reached the maximum fuse rating as follows:
Measurement DC AC
V (mV) ≥+30 V or +OL (voltage
overload) ≤–30 V or –OL ≥ 30 V or OL
Measurement DC AC
A≥+11 A or +OL (current
overload) ≤–11 A or –OL ≥ 11 A or OL
μA/mA ≥440 mA or +OL ≤–440 mA or –OL ≥ 440 mA or
OL
CAUTION
If your measuring current is > 10 A ~ 19.999 A, you
will need to lower the current within a 30 seconds
time limitation to avoid blowing the multimeter’s
fuse.

Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 11
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 11
Input warning
The multimeter emits a continuous beep and the
red LED indicator lights up when:
– the test lead is inserted into the or
input terminal but the rotary switch is not set
to the correct current position. The secondary
display will show or until the
test lead is removed. The beeping will stop
automatically after 5 seconds even if the test
lead is not removed.
– the rotary switch is set to the current
measurement position but no lead is inserted
into its respective input terminal. The
secondary display will show , and the
warning alert will stop after 3 seconds
approximately.

12 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
12 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
Voltage Measurements
Measuring AC voltage
21
Vsense
1
U1242C True RMS Multimeter
mA
ACOM V
A
V
V
mA
Z LOW
Hz Range
Shift
Hold Esc
AC
1
3
2
V
Vsense
MaxMin Auto
Log View
2
600V
CAT III 1000V
CAT IV
MAX
FUSED
10A MAX FUSED
440mA

Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 13
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 13
Measuring harmonic ratio (U1242C only)
The harmonic ratio function indicates the
deviation of non-sinusoidal to sinusoidal
waveform from the range of 0% to 100%, which
indicates the presence of harmonics. A higher
harmonic ratio means more harmonics are
present on the signal.
[1] Averaging sense AC measurements apply to sine wave inputs
when measuring linear loads.
Shift
Esc
View
AC V (true rms) AC V (averaging sense)[1]
Harmonic ratio with
AC V (averaging sense)
Harmonic ratio with
AC V (true rms)

14 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
14 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
Measuring DC voltage
21
Vsense
1
U1242C True RMS Multimeter
mA
ACOM V
A
V
V
mA
Z LOW
Hz Range
Shift
Hold Esc
DC
1
3
2
V
Vsense
MaxMin Auto
Log View
2
600V
CAT III 1000V
CAT IV
MAX
FUSED
10A MAX FUSED
440mA

Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 15
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 15
Using ZLOW for voltage measurements (U1242C only)
Use the low input impedance (ZLOW) function to
remove stray/induced voltages from your
measurements.
CAUTION
Do not use the ZLOW function to measure voltages
in circuits that could be damaged by this function’s
low impedance (≈2 kΩ).
2
1
A
V
V
mA
Z LOW
DC voltage reading
AC voltage reading
12
3

16 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
16 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
Current Measurements
Measuring DC current
WARNING
Never attempt an in-circuit current measurement
where the open-circuit potential to earth is >1000 V.

Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 17
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 17
Measuring AC current
Cycling through different current measurements
[1] For U1242C only.
Shift
Esc
View
mA %
(For
mA
)
True RMS
Averaging sense
[1]

18 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
18 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
Measuring voltage frequency
Measuring current frequency
Using a low pass frequency filter ( ) for
frequency measurements
The filter blocks unwanted frequency (~ 1 kHz)
while the multimeter continues measuring
voltage/current via the selected averaging sense
or true rms function.
Hz
MaxMin
Hz
MaxMin
Hz
MaxMin

Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 19
Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide 19
Resistance Measurement
Removing test lead resistance
21
Vsense
1
U1242C True RMS Multimeter
mA
ACOM V
A
V
V
mA
ZLOW
Hz Range
Shift
Hold Esc
1
3
2
Vsense
MaxMin Auto
Log View
2
600V
CAT III 1000V
CAT IV
MAX
FUSED
10A MAX FUSED
440mA
Vsense
1
2

20 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
20 Keysight U1241C/U1242C Quick Start Guide
Continuity Test
CAUTION
To avoid possible damage to the multimeter or to
the equipment under test, disconnect circuit power
and discharge all high-voltage capacitors before
measuring continuity. Use the DC voltage function
to confirm that the capacitor is fully discharged.
21
Vsense
1
U1242C True RMS Multimeter
mA
ACOM V
A
V
V
mA
Z LOW
Hz Range
Shift
Hold Esc
ON
(closed)
OFF
(open)
1
4
3
Shift
Esc
View
2
Vsense
MaxMin Auto
Log View
2
600V
CAT III 1000V
CAT IV
MAX
FUSED
10A MAX FUSED
440mA
If resistance < threshold, beeper sounds
and red LED indicator lights up