[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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