What is Digital Multimeters?

It is also known from the general school course of physics that an electrical circuit is characterized by a number of parameters. Among them is the voltage value, also known as the potential, the value and the type of current flowing through the conductor, the power consumed by the load from the network, the resistance value (in Ohms) and some others. To measure each of them, specialized instruments were created. For current, it's ammeters, voltages for voltages, ohmmeters for resistance, etc. But what if you need to measure more than one parameter, but several? Wear all existing appliances with you? In this case, it is not necessary to talk about mobility and convenience. To solve this problem, universal solutions were created: devices that functionally combine several others at once. For example, switching to the first position of a special toggle switch, you can measure the voltage, in the second, the internal logic is used to determine the resistance. Conveniently! Such devices are known as multimeters. That is, "multi" - a lot, well, and "meters" - to measure. The second name, which is not entirely correct, is the testers. Modern digital multimeters allow measuring a lot of parameters: from the simple resistance of the circuit section to the ambient temperature.

Modifications

Despite the wide variety of these devices, they are all divided into two main classes: analog and digital multimeters. For the majority of users, the latter are more convenient, although the former have a number of advantages, although they are specific.

Graduated scale and arrow

Analog models have already been practically removed from production, since the demand for them was insignificant, in comparison with the alternative option (the digital DT multimeter is now incredibly popular). However, new solutions can still be found in the markets, so we will briefly consider them. Analog devices are very easy to distinguish from others: a ratchet switch is provided on the housing for selecting a measurement mode, and a fairly large panel with a scale marked with marks (similar to a ruler). When probes are connected to the circuit in the internal coils, a current appears, magnetic fields are created and their interaction causes the pointing arrow to deviate by a certain angle. It remains only to calculate the price of division and find out the value of the measured parameter. Digital multimeters are more preferable in this respect, since the error in recalculating the scale calibration under the ratcheted limit is eliminated.

Display with numbers

Digital multimeters look almost the same as analog ones, except that the switch block is replaced by a compact screen, to which the measurement results are output. Of course, internal changes are much more significant. On the printed circuit board there is a microcircuit, which performs the complete processing of the incoming signal from the probes. Often additional elements are applied - resistors, capacitors and coils. Among the distinguishing features of these solutions, it is worth noting the insignificant measurement error - a high class of accuracy inherent in even budget models, for example, such as the digital multimeter 838.

Summarizing

For a person who occasionally has to measure certain parameters of the electrical circuit at home or, for example, in the vehicle's on-board system, an inexpensive digital tester is the best choice. It is enough to understand the rules of using the ratchet and understand the principle of choosing the limits of measurement.