ELECTRICAL MEASURING

INSTRUMENTS

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What is electrical
instrument
Electrical measuring instruments, from the name itself,
refer to devices used for measuring various electrical
aspects such as the presence and amount of current,
voltage, resistance and power through installation.
Measuring these aspects is important to determine if the
electrical system is installed appropriately. Some electrical
measuring instruments that measure one of the electrical
aspects mentioned are ammeters, voltmeter and
ohmmeters.

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CLASSIFICATION OF
MEASURING
INSTRUMENT

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TYPES OF MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
Ammeters are electrical instruments utilized to measure current in a
circuit. The evaluation it does in the flow of current is read in “amps” as
the unit. Ammeters are available in various designs which allow them to
test the presence and amount of current in electrical devices of
different sizes. They are used in various applications both residential
and commercial use.

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VOLTMETER
Voltmeters are electrical devices that measure the voltage or potential
difference between two points in a circuit. The units of measure of
voltmeters are expressed in “volts”. Voltage works by connecting it
parallel to the circuit. There are analog and digital voltmeters which
difference can be distinctly recognized by how the readings are
presented.

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OHMMETERS
Ohmmeters, which uses ohm as unit of measurement, are devices that
measure the electrical resistance through a circuit. These equipment are
important on installations that require correct resistance in order to
function properly such as speakers. Ohmmeters also check the flow of
current to make sure that it is running continuously.

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MULTIMETERS
Multimeters are a popular type of electrical measuring instrument
because of its versatility. It works like an ammeter, ohmmeter and
voltmeter for it can measure current, voltage as well as resistance.
Similar to other electrical measuring instruments, multimeters are
available in analog and digital types

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What do meters measure

A meter is a measuring instrument.

An ammeter measures current,
A voltmeter measures the potential difference (voltage) between two points,
and
An ohmmeter measures resistance.
A multimeter combines these functions, and possibly some additional ones as
well, into a single instrument.
Before going in to detail about multimeter, it is important to have a clear idea
of how meters are connected into circuits.
Diagrams in Next Slides show a circuit before and after connecting an
ammeter.

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What do meters measure

To measure current, the circuit must be broken to

allow the ammeter to be connected in series.

Ammeters must have a LOW resistance .

All the current flowing in the circuit must pass

through the ammeter.

Meters are not supposed to alter the behavior of

the circuit, or at least not significantly, and it
follows that an ammeter must have a very LOW
resistance.

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What do meters measure
To measure potential difference (voltage),
the circuit is not changed: the voltmeter is
connected in parallel .

voltmeters must have a HIGH resistance .

The voltmeter is connected in parallel

between the two points where the
measurement is to be made.

Since the voltmeter provides a parallel

pathway, it should take as little current as
possible.

In other words, a voltmeter should have a

very HIGH resistance.

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What do meters measure
To measure resistance, the component must
be removed from the circuit altogether

Ohmmeters work by passing a current through

the component being tested

Ohmmeters work by passing a small current

through the component and measuring the
voltage produced.

If we try this with the component connected

into a circuit with a power supply, the most
likely result is that the meter will be damaged.

Most multimeters have a fuse to help protect

against misuse.

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Multimeters
A multimeter or a multitester is an electronic measuring
instrument that combines several functions in one unit.
The most basic instruments include an ammeter, voltmeter and
ohmmeter.
Analog multimeters are sometimes referred to as "volt-ohm-
meters", abbreviated VOM.
Digital multimeters are usually referred to as "digital-multi-
meters", abbreviated DMM.
A multimeter can be a handheld device useful for basic fault
finding and field service work or a bench instrument
Such an instrument will commonly be found in a calibration lab
and can be used to characterize resistance and voltage standards
or adjust and verify the performance of multi-function calibrators.

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Analogue Multimeter
An analogue meter moves a needle along a scale. Switched
range analogue multimeters are very cheap. The meter
movement is delicate and dropping the meter is likely to
damage it.
Each type of meter has its advantages. Used as a voltmeter,
a digital meter is usually better because its resistance is
much higher, 1 M ohm or 10 M ohm , compared to 200
ohm for a analogue multimeter on a similar range.
On the other hand, it is easier to follow a slowly changing
voltage by watching the needle on an analogue display.
Used as an ammeter, an analogue multimeter has a very
low resistance and is very sensitive, with scales down to
50 µA. More expensive digital multimeters can equal or
better than this performance.
Most modern multimeters are digital and traditional
analogue types are destined to become obsolete.

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Digital Multimeter
Multimeters are designed and mass produced for
electronics engineers.
Digital meters give an output in numbers, usually on a
liquid crystal display.
The central knob has lots of positions.
We must choose which one is appropriate for the
measurement you want to make.
If the meter is switched to 20 V DC, for example, then
20 V is the maximum voltage which can be measured.
This is sometimes called 20 V fsd, where fsd is short for
full scale deflection.
For circuits with power supplies of up to 20 V, which
includes all the circuits you are likely to build, the
20 V DC voltage range is the most useful. DC ranges are
indicated by on the meter.
Sometimes, we will want to measure smaller voltages,
and in this case, the 2 V or 200 mV ranges are used.

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MEGOHM TESTER
A megohm measurement is used to measure the winding’s Insulation
Resistance (IR) to ground. The megohm result indicates how dirty,
contaminated or wet the windings are (all referred to as “dirty”). If the
megohms are below certain levels, the motor should be scheduled for
reconditioning.

Important: The megohm test results also tell the test operator if the
windings can be over-voltage tested with a Hipot and Surge test.

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MEGAOHM TESTER
Megohm: A voltage potential is applied to the windings. The voltage
and resulting current to ground is measured, and the resistance in
megohms is calculated using Ohm’s Law. 1,000,000Ω = 1megohm.

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WHAT IS CLAMP METER
A clamp meter is an electrical test tool that combines a basic digital
multimeter with a current sensor.
Clamps measure current. Probes measure voltage. Having a hinged jaw
integrated into an electrical meter allows technicians to clamp the jaws
around a wire, cable or other conductor at any point in an electrical
system, then measure current in that circuit without
disconnecting/deenergizing it.

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CLAMP METER
Clamp meters have become popular tools primarily for two reasons:
Safety. Clamp meters allow electricians to bypass the old-school
method of cutting into a wire and inserting a meter’s test leads into the
circuit to take an in-line current measurement. The jaws of a clamp
meter do not need to touch a conductor during a measurement.
Convenience. During a measurement, it is not necessary to shut off the
circuit carrying current—a big boost in efficiency.
Clamp meters are preferred for measuring high levels of current. DMMs
cannot measure 10 A of current for more than 30 seconds without
risking damage to the meter.

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