Digital multimeters are a great tool for helping you diagnose and fix all sorts of electrical problems. With a digital multimeter, it’s easy to find out what the voltage is on any given circuit or trace, find out if there is a current running through a wire, and more!
In this blog post we’ll talk about how to use your digital multimeter in different situations. We hope you enjoy!
A digital multimeter is a device used for measuring the voltage, current, testing continuity and resistance of an object. In this guide we will teach you how to use one effectively by going through each function in turn.
1. Measuring Voltage:
A digital multimeter is primarily used for measuring voltage, so the first step is to find what you need to measure and turn the dial to the V (volts) section on your meter. Be sure that your probes are plugged into the correct sections of your meter; red probe in the positive (+) port and black probe in the negative (-) port. Test probes often come with alligator clips, but if they don’t you can simply twist them onto the metal ends of your meter probes.
2. Testing Current:
To measure current (amps), first be sure that your multimeter is set to measure either AC or DC amperes (be careful not to mix them up). If your meter does not have an auto-ranging feature, you will need to set the dial to the appropriate amperage range.
To measure current using a digital multimeter with an auto ranging capability, simply plug one lead into the port for measuring positive (+) currents and one lead into the port for measuring negative currents (-). The multimeter will then display the current passing through its leads.
3. Measuring Resistance
In order to measure resistance, turn your multimeter’s dial to the Ω (ohm) setting. Then plug in your black probe into the port marked COM and place your red probe on either side of your component or resistor.
4. Testing Continuity:
This function of a multimeter is extremely useful, as it lets you know whether two points are electrically connected or not. To test continuity, set your meter to the Ohms setting and then touch one probe to each point that you want to test for connectivity. Your multimeter should read zero ohms if the two points are not connected, and infinite ohms (OL) if they are. A multimeter set to measure current will read “1” in an open circuit (infinite resistance) and “-1” in a closed circuit (zero resistance). To Read more about Digital Multimeter click here.
