NI PXI-4071 Error During Adjustment

[TroyIs]

While using Calibration Executive 5.0 (or 3.6) we get an error while adjusting a NI PXI-4071 DMM.  If goes through the adjustments and then when it looks like it is finalizing the update of the Card we get a error -1074118132 … niDMM Cal Adjust AC Filter.vi.  At this point the crash will close the system and it does not update the card. I find it hard to believe that we have had that many "bad" cards  as NI has suggested  as we have had 4 units all do the same thing. I am suspecting it is a possible Firmware problem of the card itself versus our Calibration Executive.

Anyone run into this problem before?

[kirsch]

-1074118132 is NIDMM_ERROR_EXTCAL_BAD_FILTER "The generated AC flatness filter is invalid."

* What version of NI-DMM are you using?

* What are the serial numbers of the 4 NI PXI-4071 that fail calibration?

* Do you have any NI PXI-4071 that do calibrate successfully on this system? What are their serial numbers, if available?

* Do you have a NI PXIe-4081 by any chance and can it be calibrated on this system?

* Are you running this in a 1-degree room, per calibration procedure?

* Could the calibrator be to blame?

NI PXI-4071 flatness calibration is a bit delicate, unfortunately.

[TroyIs]

* What version of NI-DMM are you using? 18.2

* What are the serial numbers of the 4 NI PXI-4071 that fail calibration? Three of them that I have are: E17DDB,191EAEB, EDB544

* Do you have any NI PXI-4071 that do calibrate successfully on this system? What are their serial numbers, if available? We have run about 20 others on this same system withy no issues

* Do you have a NI PXIe-4081 by any chance and can it be calibrated on this system? No

* Are you running this in a 1-degree room, per calibration procedure? Yes

* Could the calibrator be to blame?  No, Tried multiple standards

[kirsch · Accepted solution]

I consulted with one of the original designers of the 4070 and he agrees with the assessment that the boards need to be RMAd. I apologize for the issues this is causing you.

[TroyIs · Accepted solution]

Thanks Marcos!

[CoastalLabVIEWER]

We have 2 cards with this issue that previously were fine on the same rack (PXIe-1065) with the same Cal Exec (3.5) going back almost 10 years in the past.  One other card that was also due calibration passed everything successfully.  Is there any sort of an update to this or is RMA our only option?

[Sparks!]

Calibration Clarification needed:

"Expected Value = the display on the calibrator . . ."

Being a retired engineer supporting a non-profit which refurbishes 'retired' meters and instruments for donation to other organizations that help young folks with electronics, robots, etc., we have no Fluke 5720a calibrator. Working on a low volume of repairs and adjustments, we use a Fluke 732a reference, an HP3458a DMM and an HP3245a universal source for DCV and a series of Vishay precision resistors for Ohms.

Based on experience with other manufacturers calibration instructions, the "expected value" would be the actual value measured by the calibrating instrument, not the nominal value for the calibration. Is my assumption correct? 

I have written a Python script that interacts with a LabVIEW VI to automate the external CAL process for PXI-4071 and PXI-4070. I'm using nominal values for testing.