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The Various Meters Used by Electronics Hobbyists

As you begin to design your own custom printed circuit boards, you’ll need to be able to measure various aspects of the current in your circuit. Handheld meters can measure everything from voltage to amps to ohms. The all important tools have been designed to assist you in everything from identifying general problem areas to taking very precise measurements within the PCB or circuit.

Find Out How To design Custom Printed Circuit Boards.

Measurement Display: Digital or Analog
Meters come in two different resolutions or displays: analog or digital.

Analog displays have pointers that move over a graduated scale marked in increments for the value that you are measuring. Highly accurate readings may be difficult to achieve depending on the increments of the scale. You must align your eye straight over the pointer to ensure the most exact measurement.

Digital displays provide more accurate measurements because of their ability to display the exact measurement taken. If you have to choose between digital or analog meters, choose digital if you want accuracy and simplicity. Their readouts are easily understandable, they can be connected in reverse, and they usually will not affect the circuit being tested.

Types of Meters

When constructing a PCB you will need to take measurements to ensure accuracy. Let’s take a look at some of the meters available to you:

Voltmeter
If you need to know the difference between 2 points in a circuit, you should use a voltmeter. Drawing less current than an analog meter, a digital voltmeter will give a more precise measurement.

Ammeter
Ammeters will show how much current is in a circuit by displaying the measurement in amperes. Depending upon your needs, ammeters can also measure smaller amounts in the milliampere and microampere ranges.

Galvanometer
Galvanometers are specific ammeters that are used to measure current in small circuits, usually one milliampere or less.

Ohmmeter
Displayed in ohms, an ohmmeter will take a measurement of the electrical resistance in a given circuit.

Use These Meters When Designing a PCB

Multimeter
The majority of electronics enthusiasts simply use a single meter to test their circuits. The multimeter. This invaluable tool can replace 3 meters in your tool box because it is able to measure volts, ohms and amperes. There are even multimeters out there that will display measurements for capacitance and frequency.
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