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Remote Control of MP730027 Digital Multimeter

peter

I recently bought the Multicomp Pro MP730027 benchtop Digital Multimeter and am having difficulty controlling the instrument using the USB or LAN interface and the DMMEasyControl software which came with the instrument. After launching the app and clicking Control > Connect, the program hangs for about ten seconds and then closes. I have tried it with both USB and LAN interfaces and the same thing happens. It has never, as far as I recall, worked with the USB interface, but occasionally, in the early days with the LAN interface.
I have not (for various reasons) tried to use remote control for a month or more. Two things since then which may/may not be significant are 1. I recently upgraded to Windows 11. 2. I bought a RS Pro programmable power supply which uses a similar app (EasyPower) and both instruments are seen by Device Manager as 'USB Test and Measurement Device (IVI). I can control the RS Pro power supply via USB, but not via LAN. Any ideas?

  • 0

    It is a problem with low cost programmable instruments that the suplliers often do not provide easily accesible and adequate information to use them. It can also be a problem with high cost instruments but that is unusual.

    If you want to use the supplied software I'm not able to help you. If you bought the meter from Farnell Or Newark then contact customer support or the tech help who will at least be able to get you any documentation that exists. They may know if there is a WIndows 11 problem.

    If you want to programme the meter by SCPI commands over LAN you will almost certainly be able to do so but it will involve a lot of internet trawling and some hard work. The meter will probably communicate using TCP/IP and you will need its port number. With some instruments I have had to write code to probe every possible port to find which one it uses.

    If you are using this for work then I would recomend cutting your losses and getting a big name meter (possibly second hand) where all this stuff is documented and the wide user base means you can get help. I have had no problems getting HP/Agilent/Keysight, Keithley or even Rigol DMMs to talk. (I haven't tried any other makes)

    Obviously it's a bit late for this, but I would suggest that if you can't access adequate information before you buy the instrument , then its best to look elsewhere. (this doesn't apply to the software that came with it - you are reasonbly entilted to expect that to work !).

    MK

  • 0

    Pretty certain that model is compatible with the Owon desktop multimeter, they have some software downloads at: www.owon.com.hk/.../index.asp

  • 0

    I have the MP730028, which has the same backend. On mine, LAN never connects. The UI shows the cable is connected, but the lights never flash. I have tried with different cables and have verified the cables work with other devices.

    USB, does work, but I have only been using it with VISA. I haven't tried to use it with either the IVI driver or the DMMEasyControl software.

    On other Multicomp stuff, I have had to use Zadig to change the USB driver to libusb-win32 for their software to work. But I'm hesitant to suggest that because sometimes that is difficult to undo if it doesn't work.

  • 0 in reply to baldengineer

    Oooh I can't help myself here....

    [RANT MODE ON]

    You see, USB, it's a well defined standard. On almost any other operating system in the world there is little need for USB 'drivers' because every USB device identifies itself as a class of device, and describes all it's in- and out- points in great detail. It describes the direction and content of the data, whether it's polled or interrupt, what the data means, how it's interpreted, it's length etc etc etc. Almost every conceivable class of device is covered by the USB specification.

    The operating system should just go "Yeah, you're a <Whatever> CLASS device" and just work, by properly implementing that class. 

    However Windows - for some unknown reason - mainly uses the VID and PID to decide what driver to load... even for well supported USB classes. It's madness and should be banned.

    Even if you invent a new device which doesn't fit into any existing class, it still fits into well known classes of how the data is actually transferred, and the USB Device block, transferred on connection, describes all of this. So you STILL shouldn't need a driver. You could even do it all in user-space. 

    [RANT MODE OFF]

  • 0 in reply to KennyMillar

    Thank Kenny. My multimeter is identical to one of the OWON models, and the Software they provide is the same as that supplied with the Multicomp meter - so sadly no progress there, but thanks anyway!

  • 0 in reply to KennyMillar

    Well. Even in this case, you aren’t adding a driver.

     Zadig is, effectively, creating an INF that points to the already existing libusb driver.

    Which, you can make Windows do, but it’s more steps. Zadig automates it.