Fluke enters 6½-digit DMM market

Staff -- Test & Measurement World, 11/1/2006

Fluke 8845A and 8846A 6½-digit bench DMMs measure AC and DC voltage and current, two-wire and four-wire resistance, frequency, and period. The 8846A also measures temperature (with an RTD) and capacitance. Basic DC accuracy is 0.024% for the 8846A and 0.035% for the 8845A.

These instruments replace the 5½-digit Fluke Model 45, and they compete with the Agilent 34410A/34411A and the Keithley 2000. The 8846A has a front-panel USB port for flash memory devices. Both models feature a four-wire resistance, but with special probes that come with the instrument, you can make four-wire measurements with what seems like two leads. Each probe lead contains a second, embedded wire that connects both wires to the meter. Both meters feature front-panel and rear-panel test jacks.

You can use soft keys to invoke measurement functions such as statistics, histograms, and trend plots. Thus, you can perform some analysis without transferring data to a PC.

You can connect either meter to a PC through IEEE 488, Ethernet, and RS-232 ports. You can purchase a USB-to-RS-232 adapter cable and software for $200.

Base prices: 8845A—$995; 8846A—$1395. Fluke, www.fluke.com.