Fluke 8588A Reference Multimeter

Stability, simplicity and performance by design

The 8588A incorporates exceptional linearity, low noise and stability in the design. This best-in-class long-scale digital reference multimeter guarantees superior 3.5 ppm one-year DC voltage relative accuracy and long-term stability over a wide measurement range and functions.

The 8588A contains the world’s most stable voltage references and attenuators custom-crafted at Fluke Calibration.  These precision components eliminate the need for daily internal self-calibration to compensate for drift when less-precise components are used.  Autozeroing also becomes unnecessary because the amplifier offsets are ultra-stable.  The 8588A achieves an exceptional 8.5-digit resolution reading in one second, two times shorter than the next best in class, which amounts to considerable productivity improvements.

The 8588A is easy and intuitive to use. It is the ideal lab multimeter for metrologists and calibration laboratory managers who expect and appreciate a straightforward setup that quickly achieves the maximum performance of the instrument.

• 2.7 µV/V (95%), 3.5 µV/V (99%), 1 year relative accuracy, dc voltage without internal self-calibration or auto-adjustments
• 0.5 µV/V (95%), 0.65 µV/V (99%), 24-hour stability, dc voltage
• 7 µΩ/Ω (95%), 9 µΩ/Ω (99%), 1 year, resistance
• 2.02x full scale stretches the lower noise floor to higher signal levels to maximise higher accuracies from the instrument
• 200 ns to 100 s aperture setting allows the industry’s widest flexibility to control the data capture window

Optional 8588A Null Detector Option

The 8588A/Null Meter option can be used to replace analogue null meters in electrical metrology to measure small voltage differences between two points or to detect a zero current condition where the voltages at two points are the same. These might include comparing and measuring the voltage difference between a standard and a device under test, such as in the comparison of two primary level standards or between a primary standard and a secondary calibration standard, by interfacing with the instruments directly or with the aid of a voltage divider. The small differences in voltage that are measured by a null detector allow voltages to be adjusted on standards so that there is effectively no voltage difference between two points or two instruments. The ability to zero voltage, or a null condition, is essential for electrical metrology. The 8588A/Null Meter has an intuitive user interface that allows quick or automated collection of measurements. Unlike analogue null meters or other DMMs, the 8588A/Null Meter offers greater configurability, providing flexibility in speed and settling.

Accuracy, offset and stability provide excellent ac performance

The 8588A provides the most accurate true AC RMS measurement available in a Fluke Calibration multimeter.

With a 5 mega-samples-per-second sampling analogue-to-digital converter and an extraordinarily stable dc analogue path, the 8588A achieves remarkable ac rms measurement performance that is ten times faster, two times less noisy, and more sensitive for low-level signals than other instruments in this class. It utilises digital rms calculations to maintain full resolution of a wide dynamic range of digitised signals, so you can see a wide range of measurements clearly.

Rapid digital filters are more effective than their analogue equivalents for faster settling. The digital filters eliminate the dielectric absorption on analogue filters, commonly associated with residual slow-tail characteristics. The digital filters effectively shorten settling time to within 6 cycles of the filter frequency and less than 1 ppm of the fully settled value. This is up to 10 times faster than other long-scale precision digital multimeters at low frequencies.

Low noise is achieved from averaging the collected high-resolution digitised data and the inherently stable signal path. Decoupling low-level signal sensitivity from temperature drift enables the 8588A to make higher-accuracy low-level AC measurements. Therefore, temperature drift, offsets, and long-term instability typically associated with an analogue rms converter are eliminated.

• 60 µV/V (95%), 77 µV/V (99%), 1 year relative accuracy, for the most accurate ac voltage measurement
• 250 µA/A (95%), 323 µA/A (99%), 1 year relative accuracy, AC
• 15 ms settling time at 1kHz ac filter for 10x faster ac voltage measurement
• 2.02x full scale Vpp, 1.2x full scale rms
• Up to 30 A for peak AC current greatly extends AC measurement range

Usability designed for metrologists by metrologists

The 8588A is the ideal lab multimeter. It streamlines the measurement process while eliminating misunderstandings, with an easy-to-access user interface in English, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish. An intuitive graphical display lets you easily visualise trends, histograms, complex waveforms, and statistics and perform routine metrology tasks quickly. You can perform both real-time and post-capture analysis for short-term and long-term stability, identifying and quantifying drifts, run-around noise and uncertainty analysis without the need for an external computer or software. You can also quickly visualise post-processed frequency domain signals of fundamental and harmonic amplitude and phase content.

Some popular system multimeters have complex menu structures and unintuitive commands, while others lack any user interface, presenting barriers to training and operation. By contrast, the 8588A/8558A features an easy-to-access configuration menu that makes it easy to train new users.

The front panel features many new usability improvements. Visual Connection Management™ output terminals light up to show which terminals are active, guiding the user to make the correct connections. The handles are over-moulded for comfort and easy transport.

USB host ports are placed both on the front and rear of the instrument. Use the ports to export data to external memory devices or simplify firmware updates. For remote communication with a PC, choose from Ethernet, GPIB or USBTMC connectors on the rear panel.

The 8558A/8558A provides full emulation of the Fluke 8508A Reference Multimeter and command compatibility of the Keysight 3458A Digital Multimeter via SCPI commands, making it an ideal replacement for these older instruments.

• Graphical display that enables instantaneous visualisation of trend plot, statistical analysis, histogram and FFT.
• GPIB, USBTMC, and Ethernet allow industry-standard selection of remote interface. • USB thumb drive enables quick and easy data transfer to PC in .csv format.
• SCPI-compliant commands with 8508A and 3458A emulation mode simplify and accelerates the system upgrade process to 8588A/8558A
• Programmable front/rear input switching with scan measurement allows ratio, difference and deviation measurements between front and rear terminals in dc voltage, resistance, functions with state-of-the-art linearity, noise performance, superb transfer uncertainties.
• Capacitance and RF power meter readout from Rohde & Schwarz NRP Series expands the utility of 8588A in calibrating multi-product calibrators for improved productivity in calibration labs.

The MET/CAL™ Calibration Management Software advantage

The 8588A and 8558A work with Fluke Calibration MET/CAL™ Calibration Software with native MET/CAL support or using 8508A emulation mode to increase throughput up to four times that of traditional manual and multi-product methods while ensuring calibrations are performed consistently every time. This powerful software documents calibration procedures, processes and results for ease in complying with ISO/IEC 17025 and similar quality standards.

Support and services when you need them

Fluke Calibration offers testing, repair and calibration services to meet your needs quickly and at a fair cost while maintaining the high level of quality that you expect. Our electrical calibration laboratories are accredited for conformance to ISO Guide 17025 and we maintain global calibration and repair facilities.