Information About Electronics Measurements and Meters
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. They are invaluable tools that help you with everything from basic fault finding to very accurate measurements within a circuit or PCB.
Find Out How To Design Custom Printed Circuit Boards.
Measurement Display: Digital or Analog
Meters will either display their measurements via analog display or through a digital readout.
Analog displays have pointers that move over a graduated scale marked in increments for the value that you are measuring. Taking a very exact measurement is no simple task. It really is dependent on the scale’s increments. To be as accurate as possible, the eye must be aligned directly over the pointer.
Being able to show a precise number on the digital display makes digital meters the most accurate way to measure the aspects of a circuit. If you have to choose between digital or analog meters, choose digital if you want accuracy and simplicity. They are easy to read, may be connected in reverse, and rarely affect the circuit under test.
Know Your Meters
You will need to measure PCB performance when designing a printed circuit board. Keep reading to learn more about some of the meters and measurements.
Voltmeter
A voltmeter is used to measure the difference between two points in an electrical circuit or voltage. Drawing less current than an analog meter, a digital voltmeter will give a more precise measurement.
Ammeter
An ammeter is used to measure the amount of current within a circuit and displays in amperes. Ammeters are also able to measure milli and microampres if the design needs those measurements.
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. Doing the job of 3 different meters, the multimeter can precisely measure ohms, volts, and amperes. A handful of multimeters will even measure frequency and capacitance.