DC Voltmeters

Still in Chapter 02

Warm-ups
Stand-up. Take a deep breath 3x. Sit down and relax. Enjoy a short movie.

Warm-ups

Objectives
At the end of this lecture, students should be able to:
explain the purpose of multipliers put in series with a meter movements. calculate the multiplier resistance of a Voltmeter. explain and calculate the voltmeter loading effects.

DC Voltmeter
Most D'Arsonval meter movements are sensitive devices- have full-scale deflection current ratings as low as 50 A, with an (internal) wire resistance of less than 1000 . This makes for a voltmeter with a fullscale rating of only 50 mV= (50 A X 1000 )!.

DC Voltmeter
In order to build voltmeters with practical scales from such sensitive movements, we need to reduce the voltage down to a level the movement can handle The basic dArsonval meter movement can be converted to a DC Voltmeter by connecting a Multiplier (Rs) with the meter movement.

DC Voltmeter
Im

Rs

Rm

Figure 1: The dArsonval meter movement used in a DC voltmeter

DC Voltmeter
The purposes of the Multiplier (Rs):
to extend the voltage range of the meter movements. to limit the current trough the dArsonval meter movement to a maximum full-scale deflection current.

DC Voltmeter
To find Rs value, we may first determine the Sensitivity, S of the meter movements. Sensitivity, S is the reciprocal? of the full-scale deflection current, as below:

1 S ( / V ) I fs

DC Voltmeter
The units of sensitivity is Ohms per Volts.

1 S ( / V ) I fs

DC Voltmeter
Voltage measurements are made by placing the Voltmeter across the resistance of interest.

DC Voltmeter
This in effect places the total voltmeter resistances in parallel with the measured circuit resistance. Therefore, it is desirable to make the voltmeter resistance muchmuch more higher than the circuit resistance.

DC Voltmeter
Since the value of the multiplier is different for each range, total resistance is difficult to express. More meaningful info can be conveyed via Sensitivity rating of the instrument- telling the resistance of the instrument for aone-volt range.

DC Voltmeter
To determine the total resistance (Rs+Rm)? that a voltmeter present to a circuit, just multiply the Sensitivity by the Range. Thus; Rs +Rm = S X Range Rs = S X Range Rm

DC Voltmeter
Example 1. Calculate the sensitivity of a 100-mA meter movement which is to be used as a DC Voltmeter. Example 2. Calculate the value of the multiplier Rs on the 50-V range of a DC Voltmeter that used 200-mA meter movements with an internal resistance of 1.2k.

DC Voltmeter
Example 3.
Calculate the values of Rs for the multiplerange DC Voltmeter circuits as shown below:
Rm = 2 k

Ifs = 100mA
Rs1 Rs2 Rs3

5V

10V

30V

+ -

DC Voltmeter
Example 4.
Calculate the values of Rs for the multiplerange DC Voltmeter circuits as shown below:
Rc Rb Ra Rm = 2 k

Ifs = 50mA
5V 10V

50V

+ -

Voltmeter Loading Effects

When a voltmeter is used to measure the voltage across a circuit component, the voltmeter circuit itself is in parallel with the circuit component. Since the parallel combination of two resistors is less than either resistor alone, the resistor seen by the source is less with the voltmeter connector than without.

Voltmeter Loading Effects

Therefore, the voltage across the component is less whenever the voltmeter is connected. The decrease in voltage maybe negligible or appreciable, depending on the Sensitivity of the voltmeter being used. This effect is called voltmeter loading and the resulting error is called loading error.

Voltmeter Loading Effects

Example 5:

Two different voltmeters are used to measure the voltage across RB in the circuit below. The meters are:
Meter A : S= 1k/V;Rm=0.2k; Range =10V Meter B : S=20k/V;Rm=2.2k; Range = 10V
RA E = 20V

10k

Calculate: Voltage across meter. Voltage across used. Voltage across used. Loading Errors readings.

RB without any RB when meter A is

RB

1.8k

RB when meter B is
in both voltmeter

Voltmeter Loading Effects

Example 6: Find the voltage reading and the percentage of loading error of each reading obtained with a voltmeter on: Its 5-V range. Its 10-V range E = 20V Its 50-V range. The meter has a 20-k/V sensitivity and connected across RA.

RA

2.2k

RB

8.2k

Summary
In this sub-topic, we have learned about:
the purpose of multipliers put in series with a meter movements. calculation of the multiplier resistance of a Voltmeter. voltmeter loading effects.

Conclusion
The basic dArsonval meter movement can be converted to a DC Voltmeter by connecting a Multiplier (Rs) with the meter movement. Sensitivity, S is the reciprocal of the fullscale deflection current. Therefore, it is desirable to make the voltmeter resistance much-much more higher than the circuit resistance.

Evaluation
Quiz 04