UNIVERSIDAD DEL NORTE

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERINGS

Practical sessions at laboratories

Pre-Lab: Understanding instruments

Luis Torres, [email protected]
Luis Lopez, [email protected]
I. Objective
• Digital Clamp Meter (Fluke 302+ or
similar)
The purpose of this lab session is to make
practitioners aware of the capabilities of lab
instruments, their limitations and comparison to
low-cost devices. Engineers should learn how to
appropriately select instruments and understand
their readings, avoiding deception. This session is
focused more on measuring voltage than current,
but the intention applies to both types of
measurements.

II. Devices needed

Get from our labs:

• Low impedance (Low-Z / Utility Multi-
• Signal generator (BK Precision 4040A or meter) DMM (Fluke 113, or similar)
similar)

• Digital Multi Meter (DMM) (Fluke 115,

17B, 179, or similar, capable of measuring
“True RMS” for voltage and current AC
and DC)

• Oscilloscope (Tektronix TDS1000,

TDS2000 or similar)
 • Are the instruments giving the right
Get yourself: measurement? Are there any differences?
Why?
• One cheap DMM (any brand around
$30.000 pesos, AC/DC) • Use the oscilloscope to evaluate the RMS
value of the waveform you have. Try to
understand the relation among average (or
DC) value, AC RMS value and the total
(overall) RMS value of a waveform. How
do you get these from the oscilloscope?
And how from the DMMs?
• What can a DMM measure and what
cannot? What is the main difference if you
set it to AC with respect to DC? Take into
account that the voltage you have has
both, a non-zero average level and an
III. Using signal generator.
alternating part.
Get the signal generator produce a 500 Hz
sinusoidal voltage with a DC level. Choose both Change now the signal generator to produce a
to be similar and as high as possible without square-wave with a DC level.
causing distortion of the waveform. • Repeat the measurements with all
instruments.
Observe the signal with the oscilloscope. Set the • Compare and discuss.
DC vs. AC coupling and see the difference. Vary
the DC level and amplitude a little and see the IV. Instrument impedances and test voltages.
effect. Also, set different gains (x1, x10) at the
probe without changing the internal setting in the It is said that voltmeters have large impedance.
oscilloscope and see the effect. This is in general a desirable property. Find out
• How can you tell that there is a probe gain (measure) the impedance of the DMMs when
mismatch just by looking at the screen? measuring voltage AC/DC. All you have to do is
set the device under measurement in Volts DC
• What coupling (AC or DC) do you prefer, and use another DMM set as ohmmeter and
and why? Give examples when you measure resistance. Then do it for Volts AC.
specifically need AC coupling? And DC
coupling? Doing these tests you will have two observations:
the resistance of the instrument playing as
voltmeter (read at the ohmmeter) and the test
With the signal generator at 500Hz and with voltage of the instrument playing as ohmmeter
sinusoidal output and DC level (as high as (read at the voltmeter, if it is in DC). Also, notice
possible) do the following: how there are perhaps different resistances when
• Measure the output voltage in AC and DC selecting different volt scales (if this is possible).
with the DMM Fluke-115, then with the • Do it for the Fluke 115, Fluke 302 (the
clamp meter Fluke 302, the Fluke 113, and ones you commonly use), the Fluke 113
finally with the cheap DMM and see the (called utility meter) and your cheap
differences. (Note that Fluke 113 does not DMM. Try different combinations for who
have AC/DC selection. What do you think plays the role of the ohmmeter and who
about it? Discuss) that of the voltmeter. In both AC and DC.
(Notice that Fluke 113 has no option
 AC/DC). What do you think about the • Even good DMM don't know what you
results? Compare, discuss, understand. want to measure: you have to tell them
that you want to get the average voltage
• Pay attention to Fluke 113! How can this (DC setting) or the RMS of the alternating
DMM affect your measurements at a component (AC setting). Therefore, when
protoboard in one of your projects? What using DMMs you don't get the RMS value
is the intended use of this DMM? (Hint: of the full compound waveform (AC +
ghost voltages) DC). When you set the DMM into AC
V. Discussion of experiences measurement, they get capacitively
coupled! This means that DC components
After doing all tests, each group should discuss cannot get through! As a result, you get
about the instruments: DMMs, oscilloscope, only the RMS value of the alternating part.
signal generator. What can they do and what If you wish to get the total RMS value you
cannot. The group should acknowledge that good need the average value (measured with the
instruments, such as the Fluke DMM, are DC setting) and the RMS of the
expensive, and that we must take care of them. alternating part (measured with the AC
Cheap instruments cannot replace good ones, setting):
because, among other reasons, they do not TotalRMS = √ Average 2+ Alternating2RMS
measure the same thing and they do not usually
meet international safety standards for
instruments. • The most professional way to clarify the
handling of an instrument starts by reading
its manual and understanding it!
Be sure of having understood the following:
• Please watch the video from EEV blog
• DC coupling in oscilloscope is the made by Dave Jones: EEVblog #75 -
preferred way to start measuring. It will Digital Multimeter Buying Guide for
give you the realistic view. Beginners:
• DMM commonly have high resistances https://youtu.be/gh1n_ELmpFI
when used as voltmeters.
• Low-Z DMM have resistances of some VI. Contribution to the lab report and to oral
kΩ that have advantages, but could also defense
introduce wrong measurements in your
circuits. For example, when measuring the The experience gained in this session need not be
voltage at the output of a voltage divider directly mentioned in the written report of the first
made of two 1MΩ resistors in series from lab. Therefore, the reviewers will not expect a
a 5V source, you would expect 2.5V at the “section” devoted to this part. The purpose of this
output. However, the Fluke 113 will show lab session is to help students understand the
a much smaller value! instruments and to successfully carry out the labs.
If you think there was something interesting you
• Only good DMMs can measure RMS
learned in this session and want to mention it in a
values of the waveforms. They have the
future report, your are free to do it.
label “True RMS”. This feature makes
them expensive, but it is worth the money.
However, in the oral defenses of every lab,
Cheap DMM assume you have a sinusoid
reviewers can check whether you attained the
and give wrong values for non-sinusoidal
intended understanding of this lab session.
waveforms.