Keysight U1253B User manual

Keysight U1253B True
RMS OLED Multimeter
Quick Start
Guide

Contacting Keysight
www.keysight.com/find/assist
(worldwide contact information for
repair and service)
Safety Information
This meter is safety-certified in
compliance with EN/IEC
61010-1:2001, UL 61010-1 Second
Edition and CAN/CSA 22.2
61010-1 Second Edition, CAT III
1000 V/Category IV 600 V,
Pollution Degree II. 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 the instrument
manual for specific Warning
or Caution information)
Category III 1000 V
overvoltage protection
Category IV 600 V
overvoltage protection
CAT III
1000 V
CAT IV
600 V
2 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
For further safety information details, refer to the
Keysight U1253B True RMS OLED Multimeter User’s and Service Guide.

Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide 3
Table of Contents
Charging the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Functions and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Input Terminals and Overload Protection . . . . . 9
Performing Voltage Measurements . . . . . . . . 10
Performing Current Measurements . . . . . . . . 13
Performing Resistance, Conductance,
and Continuity Measurements . . . . . . . . . . 15
Performing Capacitance and Temperature
Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Frequency and Frequency Counter
Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Square Wave Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

4 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.

Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide 5
The following items are included with your
multimeter:
4Silicone test leads
44 mm probes
4Alligator clips
4Printed Quick Start Guide
4Rechargeable 8.4 V battery
4Power cord and AC adapter
4Certificate of Calibration
If anything is missing or damaged, please contact
the nearest Keysight Sales Office.
For more detailed information, please refer to the
Keysight U1253B True RMS OLED Multimeter
User’s and Service Guide on Keysight website
(www.keysight.com/find/handheld-tools).
WARNING
Ensure the terminal connections are correct for that
particular measurement selection before starting any
measurement. To avoid damage to the device, do not
exceed the input limit.

6 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
Charging the Battery
It is strongly recommended that you use the
specified 24-volt DC adapter included as an
accessory to charge the rechargeable battery.
1Remove the test leads from the multimeter
and turn the rotary switch to .
2Plug the DC adapter into a power outlet.
3Insert the red (+) and black (–) banana plugs
(4 mm plugs) of the DC adapter to the
and terminals respectively. Ensure that
the polarity of the connection is correct.
4The display will show a countdown timer of
10 seconds for the self-test to start. The
multimeter will output short single-tone
sounds to remind you to charge the battery.
Press to start charging the battery, or
the multimeter will automatically start

Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide 7
charging after 10 seconds. It is recommended
not to charge the battery if the battery
capacity is over 90%.
NOTE
For the battery charger, the main supply voltage
fluctuations must not exceed ±10%.
CAUTION
– Do not rotate the rotary switch from
position when charging the battery.
– Perform battery charging only with 7.2 V or
8.4 V NiMH rechargeable battery, 9 V size.
– Disconnect test leads from all the terminals
when charging the battery.
– Ensure proper insertion of battery in the
multimeter, and follow the correct polarity.
– A new rechargeable battery comes in a
discharged condition and must be charged
before use (refer to the U1253B User's and
Service Guide for charging instructions).
– Upon initial use (or after a prolonged storage
period), the rechargeable battery may require
three to four charge/discharge cycles before
achieving maximum capacity. To discharge,
simply run the multimeter under the
rechargeable battery's power until it shuts
down or the low battery warning appears.
– The multimeter may indicate that charging is
complete after ten minutes when charging a
new rechargeable battery. This is a normal
phenomenon with rechargeable batteries.
Remove the rechargeable battery from the
device, reinsert it, and repeat the charging
procedure.

8 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
Functions and Features
Action Steps
Changes the OLED brightness Press .
Freezes the measured value Press .
Starts MIN|MAX|AVG|NOW recording Press and hold for > 1 s.
Offsets the measured value Press .
Changes the measurement range Press .
Turns on auto range Press and hold for > 1 s.
Turns on dual display Press .
Starts manual data logging Press and hold for > 1 s.
Views the logged data Press for > 1 s, press or
to scroll through the logged data.
Clears the logged data Press for > 1 s, press
for > 1 s.
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).

Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide 9
Input Terminals and Overload Protection
Measurement Functions Input Terminal Overload Protection
Voltage COM 1000 Vrms
Diode 1000 Vrms
< 0.3 A short circuit
current
Resistance
Capacitance
Temperature
Current (μA and mA) µA.mA COM 440 mA/1000 V
30 kA/fast-acting fuse
Current (A) A COM 11 A/1000 V
30 kA/fast-acting fuse

10 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
Performing Voltage Measurements
Measuring AC voltage
1Set the rotary switch to . For and
mode, press to ensure is
shown on the display.
2Connect the red and black test leads to input
terminals V. mV (red) and COM (black)
respectively.
3Probe the test points and read the display.
4Press to display dual measurements.
Parameter can be switched consecutively.

Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide 11
Measuring DC voltage
1Set the rotary switch to or . Ensure
that is shown on the display.
2Connect the red and black test leads to input
terminals V. mV (red) and COM (black)
respectively.
3Probe the test points and read the display.
4Press to display dual measurements.
Parameter can be switched consecutively.
NOTE
For measuring DC voltage from a mixed signal in DC
measurement mode, ensure that the Filter is
enabled.

12 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
Using the Filter
1Press and hold for more than 1 second
to enter the multimeter’s Setup menu.
2Press or to scroll to menu 6.
3Press or to browse to the DC Filter
option.
4Press to enter the Edit mode.
5Press or to enable the DC Filter.
6Press for more than 1 second to save
your changes and exit the Edit mode.
7Press and hold until the meter restarts
and returns to its normal operating mode.
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.

Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide 13
Performing Current Measurements
To perform current measurements, set up your
multimeter as shown in the figure below. For
measuring DC current from a mixed signal in DC
measurement mode, ensure that the Filter is
enabled.
Measuring AC current
1Set the rotary switch to or .
Press to ensure is shown on the
display.
2Connect the red and black test leads to input
terminals µA.mA (red) and COM (black) or A
(red) and COM (black) respectively.
3Probe the test points in series with the circuit
and read the display.

14 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
Measuring DC current
1Set the rotary switch to or .
Ensure that is shown on the display.
2Connect the red and black test leads to input
terminals µA.mA (red) and COM (black) or A
(red) and COM (black) respectively.
3Probe the test points in series with the circuit
and read the display.
CAUTION
– If the current is ≤440 mA, connect the red and
black test leads to input terminals µA.mA (red)
and COM (black).
– If the current is > 440 mA, connect the red and
black test leads to input terminals A (red) and
COM (black).

Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide 15
Performing Resistance, Conductance, and
Continuity Measurements
1Set the rotary switch to .
2Connect the red and black test leads to input
terminals Ω(red) and COM (black)
respectively.
3Probe the test points (by shunting the resistor)
and read the display.
4Press to scroll through audible
continuity ( / ), conductance ( ), and
resistance tests ( , , or ) as shown.
PRESS SHIFT
PRESS SHIFT
Audible
continuity

16 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
Performing Capacitance and Temperature
Measurements
Capacitance
1Set the rotary switch to .
2Connect the red and black test leads to input
terminals (red) and COM (black)
respectively.
3Connect the red test lead to the positive
terminal of the capacitor, and the black test
lead to the negative terminal.
4Read the display.

Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide 17
Temperature
1Set the rotary switch to . Press to
select temperature measurement.
2Connect the red and black test leads to input
terminals (red) and COM (black)
respectively.
3Plug the thermocouple adapter (with the
thermocouple probe connected to it) into
input terminals (red) and COM (black).
4Touch the measurement surface with the
thermocouple probe.
5Read the display.

18 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
Frequency and Frequency Counter
Measurements
Frequency Measurement
During AC/DC voltage or AC/DC current
measurements, you can measure the signal
frequency by pressing at any time.
Frequency Counter Measurement
1Set the rotary switch to .
2Press to select the frequency counter
( ) function. The default input signal
frequency is divided by 1. This allows signals
up to a maximum frequency of 985 kHz to be
measured.

Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide 19
3Connect the red and black test leads to input
terminals V (red) and COM (black)
respectively.
4Probe the test points and read the display.
5If the reading is unstable or zero, press
to select division of input signal frequency by
100 ( will be shown on the display). This
accommodates a higher frequency range of
up to 20 MHz.
6The signal is out of the U1253B frequency
measurement range of 20 MHz if the reading
is still unstable after step 5.
WARNING
– Use the frequency counter for low voltage
applications. Never use the frequency counter on
AC power line systems.
– For input more than 30 Vpp, you are required to
use frequency measurement mode available under
the current or voltage measurement instead of
frequency counter.

20 Keysight U1253B Quick Start Guide
Square Wave Output
1Turn the rotary switch to .
2Press to select duty cycle (%) on the
primary display.
3The default square wave frequency is 600 Hz
as shown by the secondary display, with a
50% duty cycle as shown by the primary
display.
4Press or to scroll through the available
frequencies (there are 28 frequencies to
choose from).
5Press or to adjust the duty cycle. The
duty cycle can be set from 0.390625% to
99.609375%, in steps of 0.390625%. The
displayed duty cycle has a resolution of
0.001%.