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lab 3 ∶ DMM and DC power supply

Pre - lab

You must answer the following questions prior to attending the laboratory
session. Your solution will be checked and marked accordingly.
1. calculate the value of current and voltage of each element of the circuit in
figure 3.11.
2. calculate the value of current and voltage of each element of the circuit in
figure 3.12.

Objectives

1. To get familiar with Digital MultiMeter ‘DMM’.

2. Use DMM to measure different electrical quantities such as voltage and
current.
3. Use DMM to define the electronic components and measure their values.
4. Study the DC power supply.
5. Use DC power supply to provide the required DC power ‘Voltage,
Current in different applications.
6. Be familiar with bread board.

Theoretical Background

 Digital MultMeter:
Digital MultiMeter is an electrical instrument that used to measure more than one
electrical quantity and electronic components values.
The values that can be measured with the DMM:
a) AC/DC voltage, current
b) Resistance.
c) Capacitance.

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In this lab we use DMM as shown in the figure below:

Figure 3.1 DMM

1. Input Terminals:
DMM has four input terminals, one is common “black one”, the second is
used whenever we need to measure voltage or resistance, and the other two input
terminals are used for measuring current. The first when
small current values are measured ‘up to 2A’, and the other one for large
values of current ‘up to 20A’. Every electrical circuit must be closed to operate
probably, so each time you have to use DMM to measure any quantity, two input
terminals must be used, one of them must be common ‘the black one’, and the
second is determined according the measured value.

2. Function Selector Switches:

DMM has many function switches which are Power switch, DC-AC
switch, Voltage switch, Current switch, Resistance switch and Capacitance
switch.
At the first power switch must be pressed for the DMM to be ON, then
according the value you need to measure, the corresponding function switch
must be pressed. In the case you need to measure resistance or capacitance one
switch is pressed only, but for the voltage and current cases two switches must
be pressed, the first is the one for current or voltage, and the second id DC-AC
switch, whenever this switch isn’t pressed DC setting is chosen, and id pressed
AC setting is chosen.

3. Range Selector Switches:

These switches are used to determine the maximum value that can be
measured when one of them is pressed, this increase the accuracy of the
measured value.
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4. Display:
This 3.5 digit LCD display, the three digits can register a count of 0 to 9,
together they can register from 000 to 999. The half digit to the left can register
minus sign. In addition decimal point is available on this display.
Figure 3.2 explain the DMM functions.

Figure 3.2 the parts of DMM

o Current measure with DMM:

Ammeter measure current by forcing all of the current passing through
a branch of a circuit through the meter. This is done by placing the meter in series
with measured branch. The internal resistance of the Ammeter must be very small in
order not to affect the measured current value. The figure below show how this is
done.

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The rest of
Vsource the circuit

Figure 3.3

o Voltage measure with DMM:

A Voltmeter measures a difference in potential or voltage, and it is connected in parallel
to component that wanted to measure it’s voltage.
The internal resistance of the Voltmeter must be very large. The
figure below show how this is done.

The rest of
Vsource the circuit

Figure 3.4

o Resistance measure with DMM:

An Ohmmeter measures the resistance of a component. The key to
measuring resistance is that there must be no movement of electrons within the
component or circuit section while the measurement is being performed.
Therefore, the power must be disconnected. In addition, it must be removed from
the circuit, as the measurement will not be affected by other circuit components.

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Figure 3.5

o Capacitance measure with DMM:

The capacitor is connected to the DMM on suitable holes in the DMM, the input
terminals are not used to measure the capacitance.

DC Power Supply:
Power supply is an electrical instrument that provides a desired DC power.
DC means direct current, in other words the sign of the signal isn’t changed with
constant value, may be positive or negative, another main point for any constant
amplitude DC signal that it’s frequency is zero. Power means that this supply can
provide electrical voltage and
current.
Power supply can be single or dual. Dual power supply means that two
single power supplies are in the same box, but each has it’s controlling knobs,
these two power supplies can be used in parallel or series to each other in
addition to the free mode.
Here in the figure below we can see general picture for a dual DC power
supply.

Figure 3.6

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The power supply has three single power supplies, two are variable, and the
third is fixed, the variable ones have many control knobs which can be divided
into the following categories: Voltage control, Current
control, Mode control, I addition to the output terminal and power
supply ON knob.
The maximum voltage which can be provided with each variable channel of
the power supply is 30 volt and the maximum current is 3A, while for the fixed
channel the allowed voltage is 5 volt and the maximum current is 3A, the figure
below explain that.

Figure 3.7 power supply (a) representation circuit (b) safety connection

The two output terminals (+,-) are connected to the application that
supplied with power, where the GND is connected internally to the
earth where it’s voltage is zero, so it’s used in some applications t o give
mere safety.
Generally, we determine the required voltage exactly, but for the current we
determine the maximum allowed output current, so if the light between the
voltage and current knobs is green, this mean that power supply is ready to be
used, but if it’s red, this means that either short circuit is in the circuit or the
output current is’nt enough and it must be increased. The determination of the
required voltage and maximum current must be done after power turned on, and
before the output switch is pressed, so the voltage and the current are seen on the
display.
The two variable power supplies can be used in three modes:
a) Free mode, where each one is independent from each other.
b) Series mode as shown in the figure, the where same current is in the two
supplies depends on the master power supply, and the voltage is sum of the two
voltages provided from the two supplies.

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c) Parallel mode as shown in the figure, where the same output voltage
depends on the master power supply output and the output current is the sum of
the two power supplies current available. The mode is selected according the
buttons cases as appeared on the power supply.

One of the most important knobs on the power supply front panel is the output
available switch, when this switch is pressed the Led beside it is ON, so the
output power is connected to the
application circuit, another important indication is the Led between the voltage
and the current knobs for each channel, whenever the light is green this means
that the output power is enough for the application circuit connected to the power
supply, but whenever this light is red, this means that the output power especially
the current isn’t enough and must be increased or there is a short circuit in the
application.

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Bread Board:
The general shape of the bread board is the one in the following figure:

Figure 3.9

The bread board is used to build on different circuits, and fix on it the
electronic components; there is a pattern of metal connections between some of
holes on this bread board allowing us to connect electronic components to each
other and to power and ground. The figure below shows that pattern is set up.

All holes in each

row are connected
together ' same
node'

Each 5 holes in each

column are
connected together
‘same node’

Figure 3.10

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Figure 3.11
: = 8 , 1= 3 , 2= 3= 1 , 4= 5
1. Build the circuit shown in the figure 3.11 on the breadboard.
2. Using the DMM, measure the voltage and current for each element of the circuit
and then fill it in the table below:

V1 V2 V3 V4
Voltage Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas.
(V)
i1 i2 i3 i4
Current Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas.
(mA)

3. Calculate the percentage error in V2

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Figure 3.12

: = 5 , 1= 2= 1 , 3= 4= 2

1. Build the circuit shown in the figure 3.12 on the breadboard.

2. Using the , measure the voltage and current for each element of
the circuit and then fill it in the table below:

V1 V2 V3 V4
Voltage Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas.
(V)

i1 i2 i3 i4
Current Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas. Calc. Simu. Meas.
(mA)

3. Calculate the percentage error in i1.

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Lab.No.3 Page 11