OWON (Lilipu) HDS160 4.5-Digit Oscilloscope Multimeter – Unboxing, Review, and Teardown
Introduction
Recently I purchased a 4.5-digit multimeter—the OWON HDS160. I chose it mainly for its oscilloscope functionality, which allows direct measurement using standard multimeter probes without switching to dedicated oscilloscope probes. It can directly measure voltage or current waveforms. Although it only has a 1MHz bandwidth, that’s sufficient for my needs; higher-frequency signals can be handled by a regular oscilloscope. The ability to easily measure current waveforms is particularly useful. Additionally, it automatically detects which input jack the probes are inserted into and switches between voltage and current modes accordingly—very convenient.
I bought it for 365 RMB.
Purchase Links for HDS160 / HDS120:
- Third-party Taobao store: https://s.click.taobao.com/7ZVqsen
- OWON Official Taobao Store: https://s.click.taobao.com/ovsosen
- JD.com: https://u.jd.com/lDdfYPj
Electronics / Microcontroller Technical Discussion QQ Group: 2169025065
eeClub - Electronic Engineers Community: https://bbs.eeclub.top/
Specifications
1. Multimeter Specifications
| Measurement Type | Range | Max Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| DC Voltage (V) | 60.000mV / 600.00mV / 6.0000V / 60.000V / 600.00V / 1000.0V | ±(0.05% + 5 digits) |
| AC Voltage (V) | 600.00mV / 6.0000V / 60.000V / 600.00V / 750.00V | ±(0.1% + 30 digits) |
| DC Current (A) | 600.00μA / 6000.0μA / 60.000mA / 600.00mA / 6.0000A / 10.000A | ±(0.15% + 10 digits) |
| AC Current (A) | 600.00μA / 6000.0μA / 60.000mA / 600.00mA / 6.0000A / 10.000A | ±(0.5% + 20 digits) |
| Resistance (Ω) | 600.00Ω / 6.0000kΩ / 60.000kΩ / 600.00kΩ / 6.0000MΩ / 60.000MΩ | ±(0.15% + 10 digits) |
| Capacitance (F) | 6.000nF / 60.00nF / 600.0nF / 6.000μF / 60.00μF / 600.0μF / 6.000mF / 60.00mF | ±(2.0% + 20 digits) |
| Frequency (Hz) | 60.00Hz / 600.00Hz / 6.0000kHz / 60.000kHz / 600.00kHz / 6.0000MHz / 60.000MHz | ±(0.2% + 10 digits) |
| Duty Cycle | 0.1%–99.9% (typical: Vrms=1V, f=1kHz) | ±(1.2% + 3 digits) |
| Duty Cycle | 0.1%–99.9% (≥1kHz) | ±(2.5% + 3 digits) |
| Diode Test | 3.0000V | ±(1.0% + 10 digits) |
| Continuity | 1000.0Ω | – |
| Max Reading | 60000 | – |
2. Oscilloscope Specifications
| Parameter | Specification | Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analog Bandwidth | 1MHz (ACV range only) | Max Sample Rate | 5.0MSa/s |
| Number of Channels | 1 | Input Impedance | ≈10MΩ |
| Time Base Range | 2.5μs–10s/div | Time Base Accuracy | ±(0.01% + 0.1div) |
| Voltage Vertical Sensitivity | 30mV–500V/div | Current Vertical Sensitivity | 100μA–5A/div |
| Vertical Amplitude Accuracy | ±(5% + 0.2div) | Measurement Functions | Vmax, Vmin, Vp-p, Vavg, Vrms, Hz |
| Max Voltage Limit | 1000V DC+AC peak | Max Current Limit | 15A DC+AC peak |
| Trigger Modes | Auto / Normal / Single | Trigger Edge | Rising / Falling |
| Auto Setup | Time base / Vertical scale / Trigger level | – | – |
3. Other Features & Characteristics
| Feature / Characteristic | Specification | Feature / Characteristic | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Battery Indicator | √ | Auto Power Off | √ |
| Relative Measurement | √ | Backlight | √ |
| Input Protection | √ | Input Impedance | ≥10MΩ |
| Safety Rating | CAT III 1000V | Display | 2.8-inch IPS LCD |
| Weight (without battery) | 0.35kg | Battery | Single 18650 Li-ion 3.7V |
| Dimensions (L × W × H) | 188mm × 93mm × 41.5mm | – | – |
Unboxing
Front view of the outer packaging, labeled with “OWON Handheld Oscilloscope Multimeter”.
Side of the package showing barcode and serial number label.
Upon opening, a storage pouch is seen first—everything is stored inside.
Underneath the pouch lies the user manual.
Includes specification sheet and quick guide in both Chinese and English.
Opening the pouch reveals the multimeter, standard test leads (not needle-tipped), and a USB-C cable.
Front view of the multimeter.
Back view of the multimeter, featuring a built-in stand that allows it to be propped upright.
The multimeter standing upright using the integrated stand.
Side view showing a USB-C port used for charging. When connected to a computer, it appears as a virtual USB drive, allowing direct export of oscilloscope screenshots. However, the USB-C port appears slightly misaligned (as we’ll see later, likely due to a misplaced SMD component). There’s also a sliding cover near the port—when closed during charging, it physically blocks access to the probe jacks, preventing use while charging.
Quick Review
Press and hold the power button to turn on. Default mode is DC voltage measurement with a dark theme. Press F1 to switch to millivolt range. Note: the probe jacks are blocked because the charging port cover is closed.
Measuring voltage from a computer USB port: 5.147V. Since I’m currently in Shenzhen without calibration equipment, I can’t verify accuracy.
Press the DMM button to enter oscilloscope mode. Probes plugged directly into an AC outlet show mains waveform: frequency 50Hz, peak voltage 328V, RMS voltage 232V.
Inserting probes into the current input jacks automatically switches to current mode. In oscilloscope mode, switching to single-shot trigger captures the inrush current when powering up an STM32F103 microcontroller with an OLED display—peak current measured at 106mA.
Measuring operating current of an INMP441 digital microphone (powered but not communicating). Below are readings in multimeter mode and oscilloscope mode—RMS current around 500μA.
Settings menu allows switching between light and dark themes. Light mode uses white background. Other settings include system time, buzzer on/off and volume, auto power-off time (up to 30 minutes), and resistance threshold for continuity beep. Note: there’s no RTC backup battery, so time resets whenever the main battery is removed—making the clock function largely useless.
Judging by the UI style, it likely uses the LVGL graphics library.
LVGL project template based on STM32F407 (with MSP3526 screen), includes FreeRTOS and bare-metal versions: https://blog.zeruns.com/archives/788.html
Measuring speaker impedance: result is 7.22Ω.
Capacitance measurement.
Oscilloscope mode measuring audio output waveform from MAX98357A amplifier—likely PDM modulated.
Charging power is approximately 4.5W.
It supports screenshot functionality—connect via USB-C to copy images to PC, quite convenient. One drawback: oscilloscope waveform screenshots lack grid lines, making it hard to interpret values accurately.
Teardown
Remove the screws under the back-mounted stand to detach it. This reveals the 18650 battery and two fuses: a 10A fuse located beneath the battery, and a 600mA fuse placed alongside it—likely protecting the milliampere range.
The 18650 battery is labeled: 3.7V, 2600mAh, 9.62Wh.
Brand: ROOFER (Luhua), Model: 1NR18650-2600A.
Remove the screws around the perimeter to open the bottom case.
Main MCU model: HC32F460PETB—a 32-bit industrial-grade microcontroller from Huatian Semiconductor (Small Hu / HC32 series), based on Cortex-M4 core with FPU/DSP, running at 200MHz, equipped with 512KB Flash and 192KB SRAM in LQFP100 package. An 8MHz crystal oscillator is located next to it.
I suspect the oscilloscope functionality is implemented using the MCU’s internal ADC. This chip features two independent 12-bit 2MSPS ADCs and one programmable gain amplifier (PGA).
The multimeter’s chip model is the HY3131, a high-precision analog front-end IC for multimeters developed by Hiconics. It supports 50,000 counts, integrates a 24-bit Σ-Δ ADC, and features true RMS, frequency measurement, peak hold functions, SPI interface, and comes in an LQFP48 package.
AI suggests that multimeter manufacturers may use software algorithms, range calibration, and peripheral circuit optimization to make the output of this chip approach a display effect close to 60,000 counts, allowing them to advertise the product as having 60,000 counts.
To the right of the multimeter chip is an 8-pin IC labeled MAX6006AESA—an ultra-low-power precision shunt voltage reference from ADI (formerly Maxim), Grade A. It provides a fixed 1.25V output with ±0.2% initial accuracy, ±30ppm/°C temperature drift, operates at less than 1μA supply current, uses an 8-pin NSOIC package, requires no external capacitors, and is suitable for low-power precision measurement, portable instruments, and ADC/DAC reference applications.
Next to the 600mA fuse is a rectifier bridge marked TB10S. Its function is unclear—does anyone know? Please share your insights in the comments.
Adjacent to it is a relay labeled B3GB4.5Z—a bistable latching-type ultra-thin signal relay from Fujitsu. It has a 4.5VDC coil (100mW), DPDT (2C) contacts rated for 1A/30VDC or 0.3A/125VAC, comes in an SMD package measuring 7.2×10.6×5.25mm, weighs 0.85g, offers excellent high-frequency characteristics, 1500VAC insulation strength, complies with RoHS standards, and is ideal for high-density signal switching applications.
Near the Type-C port is a chip labeled SGM41511—a SinoWealth Micro I²C-programmable 3A single-cell lithium battery charger with NVDC power path management. It integrates four power switches and converters, supports USB/OTG, wide-input adaptation, DPM (Dynamic Power Management), JEITA temperature control, overvoltage, overcurrent, and thermal protection. It comes in a TQFN-4×4-24L package.
According to the datasheet, this chip supports up to 5V/2A input, but actual testing shows only 5V/0.8A charging current. This likely indicates current limiting has been set—possibly due to using a lower-quality battery that cannot handle higher charging currents.
Several small chips and a group of electrolytic capacitors, along with two inductors—this section appears to be a DC-DC power supply providing various voltages to different parts of the circuit. Chip markings include: S21P-A427A, 3FT1, GLF-S34, 5P02, CB4SW.
Removed the mainboard of the multimeter. On the back side is the LCD screen and a small keypad board, both connected via FPC flex cables.
Each probe jack on the multimeter contains a pair of components believed to be infrared emitter-receiver pairs (IR transceivers). These are likely used to detect which jack a probe is inserted into, enabling automatic range switching—an excellent design.
On the back of the main MCU is a chip labeled GD25Q128ESIG—a 128M-bit (16MB) SPI flash memory IC from GigaDevice. It comes in an SOP8 package, supports standard/dual/quad SPI interfaces, and operates at 2.7–3.6V. I suspect it’s used to store graphical resources such as font or icon libraries.
There are also several other chips likely used for signal processing or analog switching. Markings include: 3157, 621P-A427A, 52N.
Keypad sub-board with membrane switches.
Some adjustable capacitors are present, most likely used for calibration purposes.
The Type-C connector was soldered crookedly.
Recommended Reading
- Affordable & High-Performance VPS / Cloud Servers: https://blog.vpszj.cn/archives/41.html
- Discourse Forum Setup Guide – Deploy an Open-Source Community Forum from Scratch: https://blog.zeruns.com/archives/919.html
- [Open Source] 24V 3A Flyback Switching Power Supply (Based on UC3842, Includes Circuit & Transformer Calculations): https://blog.zeruns.com/archives/910.html
- Open-Source STM32-Based Synchronous Rectification Buck-Boost Digital Power Supply: https://blog.zeruns.com/archives/791.html
- Avoid This ESP32-S3 Development Board on Taobao—Extremely Poor Wi-Fi Signal, Likely Due to Improper Impedance Matching: https://blog.zeruns.com/archives/924.html
English Version of the Article: https://blog.zeruns.top/archives/83.html