Why choose a 7-and-a-half-digit multimeter?
This option is included in the 3706 and 3706-NFP models of the host. The high-performance digital multimeter is a hybrid design that integrates the 2010 DMM low-noise front-end and the 2701 high-speed design. The digital multimeter supports 13 built-in measurement functions, including DCV, ACV, DCI, ACI, frequency, cycle, 2-wire ohm, 3-wire RTD, 4-wire RTD, thermocouple, thermistor, and continuity testing.
This also includes numerous additional improvements and features to provide technologically advanced and feature rich digital multimeters, making them stand out from other integrated switch/digital multimeter solutions. Table 2 presents important improvements and features.
Why choose a 7-and-a-half-digit multimeter?
The 7-and-a-half-digit multimeter makes the 3706 host significantly superior to low-end data acquisition systems and expands system capabilities to meet the needs of higher end applications such as system or rack level signal benchmarks. The design of a digital multimeter provides high stability and precision, supporting lower ohmic and current ranges than a typical 6-and-a-half-digit digital multimeter. In addition, this also gives us a competitive measurement advantage over our main competitor, the Agilent 34980A. Please refer to Table 1 for the main features and advantages of a digital multimeter.
An important application of the 3706 host is to use it in conjunction with the 2600 series digital source meters (in many cases, multiple digital source meters are used), which requires a simple and low-cost benchmark standard to check and verify each source measurement unit. The digital multimeter in the 3706 host can provide this capability.
The system advantages of having a benchmark level 7-and-a-half-digit multimeter include:
High stability and precision, used for calibrating and monitoring other support system equipment and instruments,
High sensitivity Ohm test for preventive monitoring of relays and interconnect devices,
All of this is priced lower than a typical 6-and-a-half-digit multimeter!
