Chapter 02

DC and AC Meters

1
 Objectives
Atthe end of this chapter, the students
should be able to:

◦ Describe about the types of suspension used

in the d’Arsonval meter movement.

◦ Explain in detail the principles of operation

of the pmmc or d’Arsonval meter movement.

2
 Objectives
◦Explain the purpose of shunts
across a meter and multipliers in
series with a meter.

◦Analyze a circuit in terms of

Voltmeter Loading Effect and
Ammeter Insertion Errors.

3
 Objectives
◦Describe the construction and operation
of a basic Ohmmeter.

◦Perform calculations to obtain specific

meter range.

◦Apply the concepts related to error to

the circuits calculation.

4
 Outlines
2.1: d’Arsonval meter movement (PMMC)

2.2: DC Ammeter

2.3: DC Voltmeter

2.4: DC Ohmmeter

2.5: d’Arsonval Meter Movement (half-wave

rectification)
2.6: d’Arsonval Meter Movement (full-wave
rectification)

2.7: Loading Effects of AC Meter

5
 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.
"readable form" is visual:
1. motion of a pointer on a scale,
2. a series of lights arranged to
form a "bargraph," or
3. some sort of display composed
of numerical figures.
6
 What is a meter?
Most modern
meters ->
"digital"

Oldmeters ->
“mechanical”

7
 What is a meter?
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.

Mechanical meter
movement designs are
very understandable.
8
 What is a meter?
Movements ->
principle of
electromagnetism

The greater the

electric current, the
stronger the
magnetic field
produced.

9
 What is a meter?
 Magnetic field formed
interact with another
magnetic field, a physical
force will be generated
between the two sources of
fields.

 Ifone 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.

10
 What is a meter?

Such an instrument design is generally known

as a permanent-magnet, moving coil, or
PMMC movement .
11
 pmmc=d’Arsonval
◦ In the picture above, the meter movement
"needle" is shown pointing somewhere around
35 percent of full-scale, zero being full to the
left of the arc and full-scale being completely
to the right of the arc.

◦ An increase in measured current will drive the

needle to point further to the right and a
decrease will cause the needle to drop back
down toward its resting point on the left.

12
 pmmc=d’Arsonval
The arc on the meter
display is labeled with
numbers to indicate the
value of the quantity
being measured.

500 mA drive the needle

fully to the right, the
scale would have 0 mA
written at the very left
end and 500 mA at the
very right.

the scale would be

divided into much smaller
graduating marks, 13
 pmmc=d’Arsonval
◦ The basic principle of this device is the
interaction of magnetic fields from a
permanent magnet and the field around a
conductor (a simple electromagnet).

◦ A permanent-magnet moving-coil (PMMC)

movement is based upon a fixed permanent
magnet and a coil of wire which is able to
move,
as in next figures.

14
pmmc=d’Arsonval
• When the switch is
closed, the coil will
have a magnetic field
which will react to
the magnetic field of
the permanent
magnet. The bottom
portion of the coil in
Figure 2(a) will be
the north pole of this
electromagnet.
• Since opposite poles
attract, the coil will
move to the position
shown in Figure 2(b).
• We can use
Fleming’s Right
Hand Rule to
determine the
direction of motion 15
pmmc=d’Arsonval
To use pmmc as a
meter,
2 problems must be
solved.
• First, a way must be
found to return the
coil to its original
position when there is
no current through
the coil.
• Second, a method is
PRO
needed to indicate
BL amount of coil
EMthe
movement.
16
pmmc=d’Arsonval
The first problem is solved by
the:
• use of hairsprings attached to
each end of the coil.
• These hairsprings can also be
used to make the electrical
connections to the coil.
• With the hairsprings, the coil
will return to its initial position
when there is no current.
• The springs will also tend to
resist the movement of the coil
when there is current through
the coil.
17
pmmc=d’Arsonval
• As the current through the coil
increases, the magnetic field
generated around the coil increases.
• The stronger the magnetic field
around the coil, the farther the coil will
move. This is a good basis for a meter.
• But, how will you know how far the
coil moves?
• If a pointer is attached to the coil and
extended out to a scale, the pointer
will move as the coil moves, and the
scale can be marked to indicate the
amount of current through the coil.

18
pmmc=d’Arsonval
• 2 other features are used
to increase the
accuracy& efficiency of
this meter.
• First, an iron core is
placed inside the coil to
concentrate the magnetic
fields.
• Second, curved pole
pieces are attached to
the magnet to ensure
that the turning force on
the coil increases steadily
as the current increases.
• The meter movement as
it appears when fully
assembled is shown in
19
 pmmc=d’Arsonval
◦ The d’Arsonval meter movement is very
widely used.
◦ Current from a measured circuit passes
through the windings of the moving coils
causes it to behave as an electromagnetic.
◦ The poles of EMT interact with the poles of
PM, causing the coils to rotate.
◦ The pointer deflects up scale whenever
current flows in proper direction in the coil.

20
 pmmc=d’Arsonval
◦ For this reason, all DC
meter movements show
polarity markings.
◦ d’Arsonval meter
movement is a current
responding device.
◦ Regardless of the units
(volt,ohm,etc) for which
the scale is calibrated,
the moving coil responds
to the amount of current
through its windings.
21
 summary
◦ The basic principle and operation of pmmc or d’Arsonval
meter movement.
◦ The two (2) features used to increase the accuracy&
efficiency of this PMMC meters are:
 First, an iron core is placed inside the coil to concentrate
the magnetic fields.
 Second, curved pole pieces are attached to the magnet
to ensure that the turning force on the coil increases
steadily as the current increases.
◦ Regardless of the units (volt,ohm,etc) for which the scale is
calibrated, the moving coil responds to the amount of
current thru its windings.

22
 conclusion

◦The students should be able to describe

in detail about the basic principles of
operation of the pmmc or d’Arsonval
meter movement.

23
 evaluation
2. Label the
3. figure
1.
4. appropriately

5.

7.
6.

24