Introduction to the Multimeter

Analogue meters take a little power from the circuit under test to operate their pointer. They
must have a high sensitivity of at least 20k /V or they may upset the circuit under test and give
an incorrect reading. See the section below on sensitivity for more details.

Batteries inside the meter provide power for the resistance ranges, they will last several years but
you should avoid leaving the meter set to a resistance range in case the leads touch accidentally
and run the battery flat.

Typical ranges for analogue multimeters like the one illustrated:

(the voltage and current values given are the maximum reading on each range)

• DC Voltage: 0.5V, 2.5V, 10V, 50V, 250V, 1000V.

• AC Voltage: 10V, 50V, 250V, 1000V.
• DC Current: 50µA, 2.5mA, 25mA, 250mA.
A high current range is often missing from this type of meter.
• AC Current: None. (You are unlikely to need to measure this).
• Resistance: 20 , 200 , 2k , 20k , 200k .
These resistance values are in the middle of the scale for each range.

It is a good idea to leave an analogue multimeter set to a DC voltage range such as 10V when not
in use. It is less likely to be damaged by careless use on this range, and there is a good chance
that it will be the range you need to use next anyway!

Sensitivity of an analogue multimeter

Multimeters must have a high sensitivity of at least 20k /V otherwise their resistance on DC
voltage ranges may be too low to avoid upsetting the circuit under test and giving an incorrect
reading. To obtain valid readings the meter resistance should be at least 10 times the circuit
resistance (take this to be the highest resistor value near where the meter is connected). You can
increase the meter resistance by selecting a higher voltage range, but this may give a reading
which is too small to read accurately!

On any DC voltage range:

Analogue Meter Resistance = Sensitivity × Max. reading of range
e.g. a meter with 20k /V sensitivity on its 10V range has a resistance of 20k /V × 10V = 200k
.

By contrast, digital multimeters have a constant resistance of at least 1M (often 10M ) on all
their DC voltage ranges. This is more than enough for almost all circuits.
Multimeter picture
Current measurement procedure

Perform a visual inspection of your meter and test lead

Determine the amount of current you expect to measure and verify that current rating of your
meter and test leads will not be exceeded.

Set up the multimeter to measure current as follows:

Insert the black test lead into the(-- COM) test lead jack

Make the certain the test lead is fully and surely inserted into COM jack.

Insert the red test lead into the (±COM) test lead jack.

Determine the approximate amount of current to be measured and set the range switch to the
proper current range. If you are unsure of the amount of current that you will measuring, set the
range switch to the highest current range. If you have an autoranging meter. You will not need
to set the current range.

Double check your meter setup.

Connect the red and black test probes to a working circuit with known amount of current present.

When measuring current, your test leads will be connected in series with the portion of the
circuit that you are testing.

This mean that you will need to remove power from circuit.