[volt-nuts] ...a guide to buying the HP/Agilent 3458A

Mark Sims holrum at hotmail.com
Mon Aug 3 04:12:40 UTC 2009


Although the life of these chips is spec'd at 10 years,  their probable life at normal storage/operating temperature is probably 30+ years.  I talked to a designer of these devices and he said the limiting factor in most cases is the self-discharge rate of the internal batteries.  The actual lifetime is determined by statistical luck of the draw.

If the batteries go,  you will need to replace the chips and do a full cal.  If your chips are old and you are having a full cal done,  it would be best to replace them.  A full cal will set you back around $500.  The chips should be around $50...  cheap insurance.


I have some Tek 1503B/C TDR's that are over 20 years old.  The Dallas Semi batteries have never been changed and still measure 3.6V.

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