| BRAND SUMMARY | |
| Parent Company | Originally Hewlett Packard |
| Headquartered | Santa Clara, California |
| Product Focus | Electronic Measuring Devices |
| Target Markets | Premium ($500+) |
| Production Facilities | USA, Malaysia, Singapore |
| Employees | ~12,000 |
Agilent is a high end producer of measurement devices for the life sciences, diagnostics and energy markets. They primarily provide laboratories around the world with quality instruments and services. Their products are typically of very high standard, with their precision DMMs seeing to it that they have become one of the world’s most respected brands in the field.
Hailing from HP and now split from Agilent multimeters, Keysight Technologies is today the electronic measurement part of the group, with their previous series of devices having been rebranded. Innovation is especially high with both firms and Keysight even vies with top of the line Fluke products.
Some examples of their high quality test meters:
U1253B
Perfect for the consummate professional, this data-logging multimeter boasts the world’s first organic LED dual display. With a 50000-count display and a very high resolution on most ranges, its accuracy is up there with the very best and it works beautifully as a handheld DMM-cum-standalone bench meter. Bluetooth connectivity even lets it communicate with your smartphone. Read full review…
Company Background
Agilent multimeters and Keysight are a product of the massive Hewlett Packard Company, who wished to create an independent outfit concerning electronic measuring systems. This happened in 1999, when Agilent Technologies launched in San Jose with a record IPO.
It quickly became an industry leader and a fully independent entity from HP, focusing on electronics, life sciences and communications. A very productive decade would lead to the creation of another company, Keysight Technologies, in 2013, to take on the roll of the electronic measurement division.
Their History Center on Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara, documents the history of the firms’ development and the many achievements.
Today
Agilent focuses on providing instruments and solutions for a number of important sectors: monitoring environmental contaminants and contaminants in food, providing faster laboratory-based diagnoses, helping energy companies with efficiency, offering a broad range of pharmaceutical instruments, as well as being heavily involved with research. Keysight is today also listed on the NYSE as a separate entity.
Products
A vast range of sought after instruments is produced by Agilent, in fields ranging from atomic absorption and spectroscopy to bio-analysis, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and next gen sequencing. Keysight itself also has a range of precise measuring equipment, including high end multimeters – bench and handheld – oscilloscopes, calibrators, analyzers, data generators, power supplies and more.
Agilent Multimeters
Dozens of meters are on the market as Keysight products. There are several very popular handheld series’, each with a number of DMMs with a given set of functionality. These include:
U1230 series: with Vsense, non-contact voltage detection
U1240: for installation and maintenance, with differential temperature measurements
U1250: the world’s first handheld DMMs with OLED display and can detect very minor glitches in electrical / electronic circuitry
U1270: rugged, water- and dust-resistant devices for harsh working conditions
U1280: IP67-rated data loggers with extended, 800-hour battery life
U1190: 600A clamp meters, with wire separator and contactless voltage detection
U1210: clamps meters with multimeter capabilities
Other Test Equipment
Truevolt Technology
The Truevolt series of digital bench multimeters are super-fast, injected-current devices that can deal with noise better. Features include high-resolution, color displays and USB connectivity.
Also available is a 6½ digit class of meters, like the 34461A, which is noted for its digital direct sampling function for lightening fast AC RMS readings.