A MULTIMETER or a multitester, also known as a VOM (volt-ohm-milliammeter), is an electronic

measuring instrument that combines several measurement functions in one unit. A typical multimeter
can measure voltage, current, resistance and sometimes even current, capacitance, temperature, etc.
Analog multimeters use a microammeter with a moving pointer to display readings. Digital multimeters
(DMM, DVOM) have a numeric display, and may also show a graphical bar representing the measured
value. Digital multimeters are now far more common due to their cost and precision, but analog
multimeters are still preferable in some cases, for example when monitoring a rapidly varying value.

A multimeter can be a hand-held device useful for basic fault finding and field service work, or a
bench instrument which can measure to a very high degree of accuracy. They can be used to
troubleshoot electrical problems in a wide array of industrial and household devices such as electronic
equipment, motor controls, domestic appliances, power supplies, and wiring systems. Multimeters are
very useful test instruments. They are needed in every kind of robotic activity.

Multimeters can be used as an ammeter, a voltmeter, an ohmmeter; by operating a multi-

THEY ARE AVAILABLE IN TWO TYPES IN MARKET:

1.) Analog Multimeter - Analogue meters take a little power from the circuit under test to operate
their pointer (a hand like in a clock to indicate the reading). § They must have a high sensitivity of at
least 20k /V or they may upset the circuit under test and give an incorrect reading.
2.) Digital Multimeter - All digital meters contain a battery to power the display so they use
virtuallyno power from the circuit under test. They have a digital display as shown.

There DC voltage ranges have a very high resistance (usually called input impedance) of 1M or more,
usually 10 M , and they are very unlikely to affect the circuit under test.

Here we will have discussion on digital multimeter (as they are commonly used).

There are three sockets of wire, the black lead is always connected into the socket marked COM,
short form for COMMON. The red lead is connected into the socket labeled V mA. The 10A socket is very
rarely used. Measuring resistance with a multimeter

 To measure the resistance of a component it must not be connected in a circuit. If you try to
measure resistance of components in a circuit you will obtain false readings (even if the supply is
disconnected) and you may damage the multimeter. The techniques used for each type of meter
are very different so they are treated separately: Measuring resistance with a DIGITAL
multimeter
 Set the meter to a resistance range greater than you expect the resistance to be. Notice that
the meter display shows "off the scale" (usually blank except for a 1 on the left). Don't worry,
this is not a fault, it is correct - the resistance of air is very high!
 Touch the meter probes together and check that the meter reads zero. If it doesn't read zero,
turn the switch to 'Set Zero' if your meter has this and try again.
 Put the probes across the component. Avoid touching more than one contact at a time or your
resistance will upset the reading! If the meter reads 1, this means that the resistance is more
than the maximum which can be measured on this range and you may need to switch to a new
position, 2000 k or so, to take a reading.

Note: It is recommended purchasing a multimeter with a 'continuity' feature built in. This mode
allows us to 'tone' out circuits. In this mode, if you touch the two probes together (or there is a
short circuit), you should hear a tone indicating that there is a direct connection between one
probe and the other (obviously - you have them touching!). This feature is used countless times
during trouble shooting.
TESTING A DIODE WITH A DIGITAL MULTIMETER

 Digital multimeters have a special setting for testing a diode, usually labeled with the diode
symbol.
 Connect the red (+) lead to the anode and the black (-) to the cathode. The diode should
conduct and the meter will display a value (usually the voltage across the diode in mV, 1000mV
= 1V).

 Reverse the connections. The diode should NOT conduct this way so the meter will display "off
the scale" (usually blank except for a 1 on the left).

TESTING A TRANSISTOR WITH A MULTIMETER

 Set a digital multimeter to diode test and an analogue multimeter to a low resistance range such
as × 10 ohm as described above for testing a diode. Test each pair of leads both ways (six tests in
total): § The base-emitter (BE) junction should behave like a diode and conduct one way only. §
The base-collector (BC) junction should behave like a diode and conduct one way only. § The
collector-emitter (CE) should not conduct either way. NOTE: Conducting in one way simply
means it will behave as a short circuit and The diagram shows how the junctions behave in an
NPN transistor. The diodes are reversed in a PNP transistor but the same test procedure can be
used. Some multimeters have a 'transistor test' function; please refer to the instructions
supplied with the meter for details.
To measure various quantities with the DMM, you have to have the dial set correctly and the
two leads connected to the correct input ports.

a. Connect the leads and set the dial to measure resistance. Get five 5k (5%) resistors form the stock
drawers. Measure the resistance of each resistor. Do all the resistors meet the 5% specification?

b. Connect the leads and set the dial to measure voltage. Measure the voltage of both sides of the DC
power supply again. Does it agree with the LED display?

c. Connect the leads and set the dial to measure current. Measure the current produced by the power
supply. Make sure the current is limited to a value below the fuse of the DMM. How do you
experimentally set the current limit? If you blow the fuse, just replace it. Does the measured current
agree with the LED display? Using the current and voltage readings, what is the impedance of the
ammeter?

HINT: The DMM leads must be in different places to measure current vs. voltage. Also, it is
recommended to use the high current input until you are certain that the current is low enough to be
read by the low current input. This avoids blowing the fuse.

d. The DMM also has an AC voltage setting. Over what frequency range is the reading accurate to 2%?
You will need to use thefunction generator to produce an AC waveform.

Note: the DMM displays the RMS amplitude of the waveform.

**EXAMPLE ON HOW TO MEASURE VOLTAGE USING MULTITESTER

To start with something simple, let's measure voltage on a AA battery: Pull out your multimeter
and plug the black probe into COM ('common') jack and the red probe into mAVΩ. Set the multimeter to
"2V" in the DC range (DC is a straight line, AC is the wavy line). Squeeze the probes with a little pressure
against the positive and negative terminals of the AA battery. The black probe is customarily connected
to ground or '-' and red goes to power or '+'. If you've got a fresh battery, you should see around 1.5V on
the display!

What happens if you switch the red and black probes? Nothing bad happens! The reading on the
multimeter is simply negative - so don't worry too much about getting the red or black probe in the right
place. I've gotten used to just sticking the probes where I have a problem circuit - I don't really notice
whether the reading is negative or positive.

Now let's measure voltage on a breadboard or on a device: Set the knob to "20V" in the DC
range (the DC Voltage range has a V with a straight line next to it). With some force (imagine poking a
fork into a piece of cooked meat), push the probes onto two exposed pieces of metal. One probe should
contact a GND connection. One probe to the VCC or 5V connection.
 Now why did we set the multimeter to the 20V DC setting? Multimeters are generally not
autoranging. You have to set the multimeter to a range that it can measure. For example, 2V measures
voltages up to 2 volts. 20V measures voltages up to 20 volts. So if you've measuring a 12V battery, use
the 20V setting. 5V system? Use the 20V setting. What if you set it to the wrong range? Don't worry,
nothing bad will happen. If you try to use the 2V setting to measure a 3.7V LiPo battery, you will
probably see the meter screen change and then read '1'.

This is the meter trying to tell you that it is overloaded or out-of-range. Whatever you're trying
to read is too much for that particular setting. Try changing the multimeter knob to a different range

REFFERENCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimeter

http://www.botskool.com/tutorial/electronics/general-electronics/multimeter

https://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys3330/phys3330.../PHYS3330_lab1_sp16.pdf

www.robotshop.com/media/files/pdf/how-to-use-a-multimeter-kit-10338.pdf