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OWON XDM1241 SCPI Reference

Overview

The OWON XDM1241 is a 4 1/2 digit bench-type digital multimeter with USB serial connectivity. It is a variant of the XDM1041 (battery-powered, USB-C powered instead of AC mains). Internally it uses a CH340 USB-to-serial chip.

sigrok's scpi-dmm driver does not recognize this device. Use the serial_query MCP tool for direct SCPI communication.

Connection Parameters

Parameter Value
Port /dev/ttyUSB0 (typical)
Baud rate 115200
Data bits 8
Parity None
Stop bits 1
Timeout 3000 ms (recommended)

Command Conventions

The XDM1241 uses a non-standard, flat SCPI command set. Key differences from standard SCPI:

  • No subsystem hierarchy: Commands like MEAS:VOLT:DC?, VOLT:RANG?, or SYST:ERR? are not supported and will time out with no response.
  • Display suffix: Many commands use a numeric suffix (1 = main display, 2 = sub display). Commands without a suffix default to the main display.
  • Write responses: Non-query commands (those not ending in ?) return OK\n or nOK\n (firmware v25052021+).
  • Line terminator: Responses are terminated with \n. Commands should be sent with \n.

Verified Commands

Tested on firmware V4.3.0 via serial_query MCP tool.

Device Identification

Command Example Response Description
*IDN? OWON,XDM1241,24412417,V4.3.0,3 Device identification (manufacturer, model, serial, firmware, unknown)

Measurement

Command Example Response Description
MEAS? -2.758856E-05 Read main display value (shorthand for MEAS1?)
MEAS1? -2.758856E-05 Read main display value
MEAS2? NONe Read sub display value (NONe if sub display is off)

Function / Mode

Command Example Response Description
FUNC? "VOLT" Current function on main display
FUNC1? "VOLT" Current function on main display (explicit)
FUNC2? NONe Current function on sub display

Range

Command Example Response Description
RANGE1? 50 mV Current range on main display
AUTO1? 1 Auto-range status on main display (1=on, 0=off)

Sampling Rate

Command Example Response Description
RATE? S Sampling rate (S=Slow, M=Medium, F=Fast)

Commands That Do NOT Work

These standard SCPI commands time out with no response:

  • MEAS:VOLT:DC? (standard SCPI measurement)
  • VOLT:RANG?, VOLT:RANG:AUTO?
  • SYST:ERR?
  • CONF?
  • RANG?
  • *RST (no response; may or may not execute)
  • VAL1?, VAL2?
  • RANGE2? (when sub display is off)

Usage Examples

Read voltage with serial_query

Tool: serial_query
Parameters:
  port: /dev/ttyUSB0
  command: MEAS1?
  baudrate: 115200
  timeout_ms: 3000

Response: {"response": "-2.758856E-05"}

Identify the device

Tool: serial_query
Parameters:
  port: /dev/ttyUSB0
  command: *IDN?
  baudrate: 115200
  timeout_ms: 2000

Response: {"response": "OWON,XDM1241,24412417,V4.3.0,3"}

References