The world of electronics is made up of many elements, both tangible and intangible. That is why if you are going to get into the world of device construction, repair, and programming, it is important to know all the necessary tools.
There is one instrument in particular that is essential in the workbench of any electronic technician, student, or hobbyist. It’s about the multimeter. This artifact will be very useful in all your projects.
in this post we will know what it is aboutwhat should we keep in mind when using a multimeter and the applications that we can give it. Check out.
What is a multimeter and what is this tool for in electronics?
It is a totally indispensable measurement tool for those who dabble in electronics. This device is also known as a multimeter or tester and its function is measure different electrical quantities. With a common and cheap multimeter it is already possible to measure values such as voltage, resistance, continuity and other data. Nevertheless, there is a wide variety of designs with advanced and very specific functions. But if you already have one of them, it is not necessary to change it or acquire an expensive one.
When seeing a tester for the first time, it is likely that we do not know how it works, although it will be easier if you start by knowing its parts:
- The on and off switch it can be found either separate or incorporated into the selector. Its main function is to deactivate the device so as not to consume its battery.
- Here we will be prostrated the information of what is being measured. Before being digital, multimeters used to have a needle that marked the value of the measurement. Today, the most modern devices can even offer graphs and histories.
- Range selector. This is a knob or wheel that is usually located in the center of the device. Turning it allows us to choose the type of measurement we want to do. We will see in the next section what these types are.
- Cables and ports. The multimeter has two interchangeable red and black leads. In turn, it has three or more jacks. In this way, the negative Jack (DC connector or black clamp) must always be connected to the black cable.
- It is possible to change the position of the red wire to obtain the following measurements: To measure resistance, the red lead must be connected to the port with the symbol “Ω”. In the case of measuring voltages, it must be placed in the voltage connector “V”. For current measurement, it is placed in the milliampere port. “mA”.
Knowing this, We can now move on to the next segment.where we will know specifically what utility we can give to our measuring tool.
What kind of information can I know about a circuit using a tester?
As the name implies a multimeter or multimeter is able to take action different magnitudes.
Within an electronic circuit, connecting the probes correctly, it is possible to obtain the following measurements:
- Resistance measurement.
- Continuity test,
- Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) voltages.
- Measurement of alternating and direct current.
- Ampere check.
- Capacity calculation.
- Frequency measurement.
- Detection of the presence of AC voltage.
- Measure the charge of the batteries.
Learn step by step how to use a multimeter to test the circuits of your projects
Now is the time to put into practice what has been learned. The first thing you should do is define what type of value we are going to measure.
In case you don’t know yet, you can start with continuity, since it does not involve any risk in an off circuit:
Turn on the tester
Once we have identified what we want to measure, we must activate the device. This can vary by model, but typically the switch is either on the selector itself or on a separate button.
Connect the cables correctly
According to what was explained before, you must place the black cable in the negative Jack (COM) and the red according to what is going to be measured. In the case of continuity we will position it within volt/ ohms.
select range
What you will have to do now is Rotate the range selector until the pointer matches the appropriate symbol. According to the example, to know if a connection is cut, we will rotate until indicating the symbol similar to the sound (several increasing parentheses). In most models, in addition to displaying the value 1, a beep will sound if it is continuous.
Place the terminals in the circuit
Next, we are ready to test the circuit. In the case of continuity, it is only necessary to make contact between the terminals and the ends of the line to know if they are shorted or open.
If what you want is to measure the voltagefor example, of a battery we must place the selector on the letter V with tilde (~) for alternating current or the one with dotted lines above it and a continuous one for direct current. The red connector should be on the mAVΩ terminal. As for the black cable, it must have one end in COM and the other in the negative jack. This is a good way to tell if a battery still has a charge.
Take the display reading
The screen It will show us the value of the measurement madedepending on what we are measuring, it can be null, positive or negative. In the case of continuity, it may be accompanied by a sound.
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