Fluke 8010A LCD Replacement

The Fluke 8010A is a bench / portable digital multimeter dating from the late 1970s to early 1980s.

Unfortunately many of these fine instruments are being consigned to the skip due to failure of the LCD.

I was presented with the meter featured by the chairman of my local amateur radio club as a challenge- ‘see if you can fix that’.

Here is the solution.

The original LCD is connected via an elastomeric strip along the top of the display and replacements appear to be unavailable.  However, I was easily able to find a replacement display of exactly the same dimensions, though with a 40 pin DIL connection. This display is available for around £4! (See below)

1. Remove the single screw on the rear of the instrument just below the IEC mains socket and slide the outer case off rearwards.
2. Remove the two screws holding the front panel to the PCB.
3. Remove the two self tapping screws holding the display module to the PCB.
4. Gently ease the side projections of the front panel apart and pull the front away from the PCB.
5. Gently prise off the display front bezel. I found it easiest to start by releasing the projections through which the screws passed.
6. Now you can remove the old LCD and the elastomeric connection strip.
7. Take the replacement LCD and place it face down, then carefully fold the pins back over the rear of the display.
8. Identify pin 1. It might be worth marking the rear of the display so as to avoid confusion.
9. Using fine multistrand insulated wire in various colours, and some thin heatshrink sleeve, solder wires to pins 1,2,3,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,29,30,31,32, and 40. I used heatshrink on alternate pins. Wire stripped from multicoloured ribbon cable would be suitable. Make the wires plenty long enough, say 20cm.
10. Next you need to drill holes through the back of the display casing in order for the wires to pass through. I drilled four 6mm holes as seen in the photographs. It isn’t critical as long as the wires can pass through easily.
11. At this point it is a good idea to label each wire as to which LCD pin it is connected to.
12. With a sharp modelling knife or Stanley knife you need to trim the plastic display housing slightly so that the LCD will sit in the housing flush with the front bezel.
13. Cover the old connections along the front edge of the PCB with good quality insulation tape to ensure that the new display cannot make contact with them.
14. The new display can now be fitted in its housing and steps 2 to 5 reversed. Ensure the display is mounted the right way up. Remember the display hangs below the PCB. The bulge at the end of the LCD denoting pins 1 and 40 should be towards the outer edge of the instrument.
15. The connection wires now need to be directed to the other side of the PCB. I drilled a slot through the PCB as seen in the photos. Make absolutely certain that the hole is made in a part of the board which is clear of any tracks on either side of the board. Feed all the wires through to the other side of the PCB.
16. The wires now need to be trimmed to length and soldered to the relevant points on the PCB as shown in photo 5.
17. Refit the outer case and test the instrument. Hopefully you will be rewarded by a display as shown which will give many more years of service.

Suitable displays:-   (Updated August 2020)

I used a display marketed as a T08203R-11 from an eBay seller in China, which appears not to be available now.

Other displays which appear to be identical are:-

Varitronix VI-302-DP-FC-S

SC12093 from CPC.co.uk

–LCD-S3X1C50TR B-22303 from Digi-Key  Part no 67-1790-ND or Mouser Part no 696-LCD-S3X1C50TRB

 

1. Replacement display. Note the blip marking pins 1 and 40

2. Component side after replacement

3. Track side after replacement

4. New LCD installed

5. Connection details. The numbers refer to the LCD pins

6. Completed installation

7. Back in business