Digital meters are electronic devices used to measure electrical quantities such as voltage, current, and resistance. They display readings in a numerical form on an LCD or LED screen.
congrats on reading the definition of digital meters. now let's actually learn it.
Digital meters provide more accurate readings compared to analog meters due to their higher resolution and less susceptibility to parallax errors.
They can measure both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) but are often used in DC circuits for precise measurements.
Digital voltmeters have high input impedance, which minimizes the loading effect on the circuit under test.
The accuracy of digital meters is specified by their manufacturer and is usually expressed as a percentage of the reading plus a number of least significant digits (LSD).
Many digital meters come with additional features such as auto-ranging, data hold, and connectivity options for logging measurements.
Review Questions
What advantage does a digital meter have over an analog meter when measuring voltage in a DC circuit?
Why is high input impedance important for a digital voltmeter?
How is the accuracy of a digital meter typically specified?
Related terms
Analog Meter: A device that measures electrical quantities using moving needle indicators on a scale.
Input Impedance: The impedance presented by the measuring instrument to the circuit under test, affecting how much it disturbs the circuit.
Auto-ranging: A feature in digital meters that automatically selects the appropriate measurement range for the signal being measured.