Obsolete Product.

This is a KIT. You must build it yourself.

Functionality exceptional high!

This is used by the Canor company themself, and for sale as a product also. Alladin1 is for power tubes. Alladin2 is for small signal tubes.

This is based on the Testers we bought in 2009 and 2010

You get supplied the working PCB, and the metal housing, from which you must build a tube tester yourself.

This is a KIT. You must build it yourself. Very compact circuitry, it works with an old Dell Notebook power supply that you can buy on Ebay for 10€. So no mains transformer is needed.

1. Price

2. Repair Service

They offer repairs still after 25 years. Provided they can buy replacement parts needed. Very positive: I was send the calibration software by Email, in 2018.

Repair service is possible

Believe it or not, but repairs are included in the service, only shipping costs are charged. Most repairs However, are done via email contact. This is with free shipment of spare parts if needed. Wow...what a service!

3. Schematics

Yes

not officially, but yes I was given this, and this is MUCH appreciated

Schematics are partially provided.

Yes

4. Resolution

16bit. Which is achieved by D/A converters originally intended for HiFi. Such have per Chip two inputs (stereo) and two outputs with 95dB channel separation. Moreover these have programmable sensitivity from 0..93dB. So you can measure low voltage without running into digital resolution loss problems like AT1000 has * . Perfect devices at it''s time, and still today. So no compromised analog Single Chip inputs. * See AT1000 box on the right.

24 bit. This is incredible high. Make note, this required expensive hardware.

10bit, and no offset problems. However, often it doesn''t work out, as there are no programmable amplifiers used. The the most sensitive range is 10mA.

Resolution is often much below 10bits.

For instance 6SN7 tests in steps like this: 2550, 2650, 2750. The last two digits are always ''50'', so the last two digits are of no use. You may as well say 2500, 2600, 2700. That is 5 bits. Even worce with plate current of 12AX7. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 etc. That are steps of 10%, and that is 3.5 bits.

14 bits/ 900k samples/sec. A 6dB PGA inside the controller is used to give an effective resolution of 15 bits

The AD converter is 10 bits, but is preceded by a programmable amplifier with scope ranges: 1x,2x,5x,….100x, allowing for accurate measurements from 10 uA to 200 mA. This makes the 10bits indeed totally sufficient.

5. Measurement range Anode

0...700V DC @ 250mA

Two ranges:
0-300V, 300V-600V,
maximal 300 mA

75...495V

Pro. 495V.

Contra: Below 75V not possible. This makes curves look strange.

0..750V @ 300mA

0..1000 V @ 1A

6. Measurement range G1

-17V….0.02V @ 20mA

This limits the tester to specific tubes only.

0-100V. 150V in Auto Bias.

0~ -180V with an update to firmware version 2.x. (0~-170V with order versions of firmware)

-100 ....+100V

Remark: This is not enough very large triodes at 600 or more Volts. But close.

7. Measurement of grid (G1) current

Yes. This is done via a series resistor in the grid, and measure the voltage across it.

Yes

Theoretically yes, but test results are TOTALLY faulty. I just put an analog uA meter in series with the grid, and I can see the errors in measurement are terrible

I had a Philco NOS 45 tube, which was tested with 32uA grid current by the AT1000. Then, on the AVO Mk4 (analog tester) it had only 4uA. I added a precision current meter in the grid circuit of the AT1000. Result: 3,7uA. Look how correct this 70 years old AVO works! And look at 865% error for the AT1000.

Yes

8. Work with positive grid (G1) voltage

Yes

9. Measurement range G2

0...700V DC @ 250mA

0..750V @ 300mA

The circuit is identical to the plate supply. It can also be used to supply the plate voltage for a twin-triode or a full-wave rectifier.

10. Measurement range G3

11. Measurement range Heater

Filament 0..24V 5A (Wow!) and Current measurement included.

Filament two ranges:
0-20V, 5,5A
0-125 V, 600 mA

14V @ 1,2A
Too low for me..

Maximum 12,6 Volt. Why?! This is too low.

0.15 V @ 1A It is possible to use an external heater supply, even a transformer for both directly as well as indirectly heated tubes.

12 . Empty line

13. PC and/or stand alone

Both Stand Alone, and PC mode. A truly excellent feature.

14. Shorts test between electrodes

This can be dangerous. The day comes when you have a shorted tube, or make a mistake yourself. Wil the tester blow up?

No

I had some bad tubes, and the tester switched off without damage. The previous owner told me, he had damage before from shorted KT88 tubes.

Yes

No.

The manufacturer says, when you buy Canor burn in equipment, any failures will be found before.

Yes

From some cases of totally shorted and mistakenly wrong connected tubes, I can say the protection circuitry worked always.

Yes

Sophisticated protection circuits against various kind of shorts (HV to gnd, HV to grid, HV to filament, etc.)

No short circuit test, but protection against shorts to ground, grid and heater.

15. Cathode to heater Leakage

(this is a hum source in amplifiers)

Yes

16. Gas test

Yes

Yes

17. Hazard Lamp. An LED costs 10 cents only. With 400Volt unprotected at the sockets, this is invested at the right place.

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

18. Acoustical Noise Test, with the tube in a real circuit.

No

No

No

19. Tester can select tube connections itself.

No

No. Only such tubes the octal and noval base is wired for.

No

No

20. Dust proof cover

No

Yes

21. Measure Filament current

Yes

No

Yes

No

22. Hardware Quality

Very good

Very good

SOFTWARE

23. Windows compatible

24. Other Operating System

Works under Linux, using WINE

25. Updates

What updates?

Yes regularly, download for free

26. Software Improvement

One major bug, see below. For the rest, I found nothing that needed improvement. Such a result after 25 years is more than magnificent.

Yes. The maker of the software is actively working on things which can be added or improved.

Note: Very old hardware cannot run all newer software versions. Check this when buying older hardware.

No

To my opinion this softwhere is a painful collection of errors.

My conclusion was, Amplitrex is not interested in software improvements. Don't think I never tried.

Yes. The maker of the software is actively working on things which can be added or improved.

Yes, reported bugs have been regularly repaired in new GUI releases

27. Curve tracing

Yes Options and possibilities are a dream, best of the best. Things like that justify the price fully.

Yes, Very good.

By default it draws only one curve. It needs a lot of trial before you have the curves drawn the way they look as in nornal datasheets. Even so, many users will not be capable of this, and give up.

Yes

Yes

28. Curves have appearane same as in old datasheets

Yes

At least no ''Excel'' look, so that is very good.

However, what is missing painfuly, is the classical curves as you see in any datasheet. So you cannot construct a load line, for amplifier design.

No. They have ''Excel'' look.

Auto scaling is done strange, and cannot be changed by the user.

Yes

Great care was given, to make give curves have original shape and functionality as in old datasheets.

29. Tube parameters in operating point

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

30. Tube parameters at multiple operating point

Yes! Added in 2017 by Helmut, after we talked about it. Please contact him, to find out if your hardware can run the update for this.

No. This is a pity. It cannot be repeated often enough how severely transconductance, Gain, and Ri change at differrent working points. With the Roe-Test and SOFIA you can see that in one chart.

This feature is implemented in the software version 2.x under the Basic Params tab. The parameters (plate current, rp, gm and mu) will automatically displayed and updated following the mouse pointer.

Direct plotting of transconductance and Ri as a function of bias. art.

31. Speed

The device makes all the settings by itself, and sound test is already possible while it is heating up. It has a " quick test" option and other features. Speed can be very fast, depending on which measurement tasks are to be performed).

The AT1000 is definitley too slow for me. When I use it for series testing, it becomes a very time consuming item, not fun to operate, and I avoid having to do so.

32. Review saved results

Curves are not saved in graphic format, but internal results are saved. Like this, you can re-scale the curves later. Apart from that, you can also save it as bitmap.

Not really. Main thing for me, the ''test result'' page and ''tube curves'' cannot be saved electronically. A work around is use the pdf printer together and use the free ''file hamster'' from MOGWARE, to auto-save. Needless to say, SOFIA has this function integrated.

Yes

Yes. Also traced curves can be stored and examined later with a cursor

33. Software

Pentode curves

Yes
Also Ultra Linear, or triode mode is possible

Yes
Also Ultra Linear, or triode mode is possible

It tests pentodes in triode mode. This is BADLY WRONG. Problem Reported to Amplitrex, it seems technically possible, I have a working test version, but they never cared to follow up on it.

Yes

Yes. including Ultra Linear

34. Software

Diode Curves in PC.

Yes

Yes

No, it can test only specific tubes, and no diodes on the list.

Yes

Yes

35. Software

Can it test DHT tubes in ''AC Heated '' mode?

(When DC heated, if the tester draws a -1Volt line for a 300B, it equals in reality the -3,5 Volt line for AC heated, as in the tube datasheet. This is really a MAJOR problem)

No

Yes. DHT tubes are measured same as in the historical datasheets, when you use the function: ''Simulate AC heating''

No. I only report it here, for everbodies interest, but reporting it to Amplitrex has only resulted in another work-around advise, which works partially wrong, and confusing.

Yes. Can be stored in the tube configuration files

36. Software

Transconductance is tested by default at datasheet DC current?

Not by default, but It can be set as an option, for this you can shift the marker in the tube curves, to ANY DC current, and in the ''Result'' window, Gm will be shown.

Yes The basic parameters (plate current, rp, gm and mu) are measured and derived under the quick-test tab.

Yes, Indirectly. A transconductance curves is provided, and you can look at the specified DC current yourself then.

37. Software

Emission Test

You can simulate it with set ups.

You can simulate it with set ups.

You can derive it, and simulate it, but the tester itself will not do this for you and give the answer like for instance Funke W19 is doing.

38. Matching

Helmut Weigel writes me, this is on his list, but a date is not known yet.

No. You have to decide for yourself if what you see is a good match or not. Specially since this tester has all data and options on board, and for what you pay, this is simply MISSING.

No. You have to decide for yourself if what you see is a good match or not. Though matching by laying curves on each other is the best method I know, and it''s only a matter of software.

39. Distortion Measurement

No

The more expensive ''Pro'' Version gives second and third harmonic

of course not

Yes, up to the 7 th harmonic for resistive loads

Yes, up to the 5 th harmonic for resistive loads

40. Quality Control

Yes. So the tester tells you if a tube is good or bad.

Yes. So the tester tells you if a tube is good or bad. Indication is like red/yellow/green meter.

.

41. Batch testing (Can the software run self written test procedures)

Yes

No

I found a way to hack it, but it's not very comfortable.

42. Export of Test report

Yes. by hand or auto mode. Saves a bitmap

Yes, with many options, Excel, bitmaps,

No. All you can do is print them, but once you do the next test, they're gone.

It is only printable. Graphs can be stored as bmp files. Quick test data which includes all relevant tube parameters is collected in a printable report that can be shipped with tubes.

43. The future of this software

Pro: As it also runs under Linux, we have an excellent reserve option here.

The software is developed with Python and is future-proof.

Regular free updates and improvements. On top of that there is an alternative free GUI available from an independent source (uTgui from Nick Barton) which runs under LINUX, as well as the uTracerJS GUI that can be run from your browser written by Iho Smal’s https://boffin.nl/wp/

44. FINALLY

Pro: No-compromise test range with excellent resolution. Can do full power testing, monitoring tube data. Or charts in impulse mode. Very professional software, with normal looking tube curves, same as old datasheets. (Example here, scroll down)

Contra: You can only install it when you understand MSDOS.

Pro: Look at the many green boxes! Each newer version fills this matrix with more of them. Incredible complete tube data base. Excellent email support. Also Helmut contacts me to inform me about new features.

When you are very technical and when you can build something, you should have this machine on top of your list.

The ''contra'' list which follows now, gets shorter with each newer version.

Contra: Though it does have tube curves, they are not displayed the normal way. Theoretically this may be no issue, but when you want to show the tube curves to somebody else, or compare them to datasheet curves, this is a problem.

Pro: Hardware made by a company who uses it in their own production too. It has many great features.

Alladin2, basic version costs less than AT1000.

Contra: Very few tube sockets. Take good note, for power tubes and small signal tubes, you need to buy another tester. Alladin1 is for power tubes and Alladin2 for small signal tubes.

Pro: The good hardware, the stand alone function, and rugged case. You can take this tester along with you for service.

Contra: Software full of bugs and errors, and no updates.

Pro: This is a ready build main board.

This is a new product. Final information follows

Contra: This is an impulse tester only, it can and will show a lot of information from the tube. Yet, most severe errors appear only at full dissipation. The contra I see here, the maker speaks as if this only a matter opionion. So the contra is not the product itself, but the presentation.

Pro: Price-Performance Ratio is fantastic. Very good hardware, mature product. Easy to build, and needs not much time.

Contra: A very small one. RS232 ports, your PC may not have that. So this adds to the costs, and also installing uncertified, mostly Chinese RS232 cards, is getting harder with each newer version of Windows.

Note: The uTracer works perfectly with a RS232 to USB converter cable. Users have replaced the MAX232 RS232 driver with a simple Bluetooth module and operate the uTracer wireless.

45. Helpfulness of the manufacturer