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3.1. Introduction To Electrical Metering and Measurements

A meter is a device that detects and displays an electrical quantity visually, with the most basic meters measuring voltage, current, and resistance. Most meters work using electromagnetic principles where a magnetic field produced by electric current interacts with another magnetic field to move a pointer proportional to the strength of current. Common meter movements include permanent-magnet, moving coil designs that are polarity-sensitive and rely on torque produced by current direction to deflect a needle along a scale.

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45 views2 pages

3.1. Introduction To Electrical Metering and Measurements

A meter is a device that detects and displays an electrical quantity visually, with the most basic meters measuring voltage, current, and resistance. Most meters work using electromagnetic principles where a magnetic field produced by electric current interacts with another magnetic field to move a pointer proportional to the strength of current. Common meter movements include permanent-magnet, moving coil designs that are polarity-sensitive and rely on torque produced by current direction to deflect a needle along a scale.

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Eve
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3.1.

Introduction to Electrical Metering and


Measurements

What is a meter?

A meter is any device built to accurately detect and display an electrical quantity in a form readable by a human being. Usually this ”readable
form” is visual: motion of a pointer on a scale, a series of lights arranged to form a ”bargraph,” or some sort of display composed of numerical
figures. In the analysis and testing of circuits, there are meters designed to accurately measure the basic quantities of voltage, current, and
resistance. There are many other types of meters as well, but this chapter primarily covers the design and operation of the basic three. Most
modern meters are ”digital” in design, meaning that their readable display is in the form of numerical digits. Older designs of meters are
mechanical in nature, using some kind of pointer device to show quantity of measurement. In either case, the principles applied in adapting a
display unit to the measurement of (relatively) large quantities of voltage, current, or resistance are the same. The display mechanism of a meter
is often referred to as a movement, borrowing from its mechanical nature to move a pointer along a scale so that a measured value may be
read. 

Most mechanical movements are based on the principle of electromagnetism: that electric current through a conductor produces a magnetic
field perpendicular to the axis of electron flow. The greater the electric current, the stronger the magnetic field produced. If the magnetic field
formed by the conductor is allowed to interact with another magnetic field, a physical force will be generated between the two sources of fields. If
one of these sources is free to move with respect to the other, it will do so as current is conducted through the wire, the motion (usually against
the resistance of a spring) being proportional to strength of current.

The first meter movements built were known as galvanometers, and were usually designed with maximum sensitivity in mind. A very simple
galvanometer may be made from a magnetized needle (such as the needle from a magnetic compass) suspended from a string, and positioned
within a coil of wire. Current through the wire coil will produce a magnetic field which will deflect the needle from pointing in the direction of
earth’s magnetic field. An antique string galvanometer is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Antique string galvanometer

Image: All About circuits

The term "galvanometer" usually refers to any design of electromagnetic meter movement built for exceptional sensitivity, and not necessarily a
crude device such as that shown in the photograph. Practical electromagnetic meter movements can be made now where a pivoting wire coil is
suspended in a strong magnetic field, shielded from the majority of outside influences. Such an instrument design is generally known as a
permanent-magnet, moving coil, or PMMC movement.
Figure 2. A permanent-magnet, moving coil, or PMMC movement.

Image: All About circuits

The meter movement will have a pair of metal connection terminals on the back for current to enter and exit. Most meter movements are
polarity-sensitive, one direction of current driving the needle to the right and the other driving it to the left. Some meter movements have a
needle that is spring-centered in the middle of the scale sweep instead of to the left, thus enabling measurements of either polarity.

Common polarity-sensitive movements include the D’Arsonval and Weston designs, both PMMC-type instruments. Current in one direction
through the wire will produce a clockwise torque on the needle mechanism, while current in the other direction will produce a counter-clockwise
torque.

Some meter movements are polarity-insensitive, relying on the attraction of an unmagnetized, movable iron vane toward a stationary, current-
carrying wire to deflect the needle. Such meters are ideally suited for the measurement of alternating current (AC). A polarity-sensitive
movement would just vibrate back and forth uselessly if connected to a source of AC.

Full-Scale Indication

Whatever the type of meter or size of meter movement, there will be a rated value of voltage or current necessary to give full-scale indication. In
electromagnetic movements, this will be the “full-scale deflection current” necessary to rotate the needle so that it points to the exact end of the
indicating scale. In electrostatic movements, the full-scale rating will be expressed as the value of voltage resulting in the maximum deflection of
the needle actuated by the plates, or the value of voltage in a cathode-ray tube which deflects the electron beam to the edge of the indicating
screen. In digital “movements,” it is the amount of voltage resulting in a “full-count” indication on the numerical display: when the digits cannot
display a larger quantity.

References:

Manuel Duarte (August 2006): Chapter 8: DC Metering Circuits.

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