Digital Multimeter (DMM)

Hand-held DMM Portable Analog Multimeter

Bench-top DMM

Digital Voltmeter (DVM)

DVM is essentially an Analog to digital converter (A/D) with a digital display
Digital voltmeter
Digital display Attenuator Amplifier Analog to Digital Converter

Digital MultiMeter (DMM)

= electronic Volt Ohm Millimeter with digital display

Comparison of Digital and Analog Meter

Digital meter

Analog meter

Leaves no doubt about the measured quantity. Wrong scale might be used or might be read incorrectly. Superior resolution and accuracy. (0.5% or better) Indicates a negative quantity when the terminal polarity is reversed No usually damaged by rough treatment Inferior resolution and accuracy. (3% in common) Pointer attempts to deflect to the left when the polarity is reversed Can be damaged when dropped from bench level

Analog to Digital Conversion

A/D converts an analog signal into the digital code which is proportional to the magnitude of the coming signal.

Vin k Digital output

Where k is step size or resolution
Ex. Signal from 800-1500 mV may be converted to 8-bit binary codes starting from 010100002 (8010) to 100101102 (15010). In this case, the step size k is equal to 10 mV. Quantization error or Conversion error of a A/D
Quantization error = step size 1 100 = N 100% full scale 2 1

Where N is the number of bit

Analog to Digital Conversion

Conversion time, Tc time requires to convert an analog signal to the corresponding digital code.
111 110

Digital output

101

step size = 1 V
100 011 010 001 000 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Full scale)

Quantization error = 1/7 100 =14.3%

A/D will give 010 digital code. Ex. An analog inputs 1.5-2.5 V will be represented by digital output 010

1.5

2.5

Analog input (V)

An example of 3 bit ADC

Ramp-type Digital Voltmeter

(also called single slope)
Operation principle: The measurement of the time it takes for a linear ramp voltage to rise from O V to the level of the input voltage, or to decrease from the level of the input voltage to zero. This time interval is measured with an electronic time-interval counter.
Ramp signal Start measurement Coincindence

Vin
Time t Gating time interval

Vramp(t) = Vo m t Where m is the ramp rate Vramp(t1) = Vin = Vo m t1 Vramp(t2) = 0 = Vo m t2 t = t2- t1 = Vin/m If the period of the clock is T, then during the time interval t1, the number of pulses is

Clock pulses to counter

n pulse

t nT or Vin nmT Accuracy depends on both the ramp rate and clock period.

Voltage-to-time conversion using gated clock pulses.

Comparator
Vin Vref + Vo

V+>V-; Vo = V(1) Logic high V+<V-; Vo = V(0) Logic low Vo V(1)

V(0) Vo Vref Vin + V(1) Vo

Vref

Vin

V(0) Vref

Vin

Ramp-type Digital Voltmeter

Voltage-to-time conversion
input comparator start count Oscillator Ramp Generator

Time measurement unit

Digital display

DC input voltage

Ranging and Attenuator

vin

clk

Gate stop count

Counter

vramp 0V

ground comparator

start ramp
Sample Rate MV

reset

Block diagram of a ramp-type digital voltmeter.

Staircase Ramp Digital Voltmeter

(also called digital ramp)
Compare the input voltage to the internally generated stair case ramp.

V in V AX
D/A Digital output Counter

+ Comp. -

The most simple A/D Slow conversion and conversion time depends on the magnitude of input signal.
TC,max = (2N 1) Clock period

Clock

D/A output

Vin VAX

clock period

Control circuit

time Block diagram

Successive Approximation Digital Voltmeter

Ex. To determine a number between 0 511 (9 bit binary), given, the number to be determined is 301

No.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 256

Estimate
1 0000 0000 1 1000 0000 1 0100 0000 1 0010 0000 1 0011 0000 1 0010 1000 1 0010 1100 1 0010 1110 1 0010 1101 256+128 = 384 256+64 = 320 256+32 = 288 288+16 = 304 288+8 = 296 296+4 = 300 300+2 = 302 300+1 = 301

Results
Vin > VAX < < > < > > < Finished

Successive Approximation Digital Voltmeter

Compare the input voltage to the internally generated voltage

V in V AX
D/A

+ Comp. -

The most common A/D for general applications Conversion time is fixed (not depend on the signal magnitude) and relatively fast
TC = N Clock period

where N is the number of bits

Full scale

Digital output Succesive Approximation Register

3 4

D/A output

Clock

Full scale Full scale Full scale

Vin VAX

1 2

Control circuit

1 4

Block diagram

Clock period

Digital Ramp VS Successive approximation

Digital Ramp method

Successive approximation method

Dual-slope Digital Voltmeter

C V in V ref R C V in V out V ref R

V out

Phase 1: charging C with the unknown input for a given time.

Assume Vc(0) = 0

Phase 2: discharging C with the reference voltage until the output voltage goes to zero.
Vout = Vref Tx + Vout1 RC

Vout1 =
Charge

Vin T RC
Discharge

where T is the charging time

find Tx at which Vout becomes zero

time
Tx = Vin T Vref

Vout

Phase 1

Phase 2

Dual-slope Digital Voltmeter

Conversion time

Charge
0
Sm all inp ut v

Discharge

time
olt ag e

e rg La

Accuracy does not depend on R C and Clock (high accuracy) Relatively slow Capable to reject noise

Vout

TC = Tconst + T variable
Vin Vref R

ge ta ol tv pu in

Vout

Zero crossing detector

Display

+
Clock generator

count Counter reset

Control logic

Ex A dual slope A/D has R= 100 k and C = 0.01 F . The reference voltage is 10 volts and the fixed integration time is 10 ms. Find the conversion time for a 6.8 volt input.
Tx = Vin T (6.8 V)(10 ms) = = 6.8 ms Vref (10 V)

The total conversion time is then 10 ms + 6.8 ms = 16.8 ms

Ans

Ex Find the successive approximation A/D output for a 4-bit converter to a 3.217 volt input if the reference is 5 volts. (1) Set D3 = 1 VAX = 5/2 = 2.5 Volts Vin > VAX leave D3 = 1 (2) Set D2 = 1 VAX = 5/2 + 5/4 = 3.75 Volts Vin < VAX reset D2 = 0 (3) Set D1 = 1 VAX = 5/2 +5/8= 3.125 Volts Vin > VAX leave D1 = 1 (4) Set D0 = 1 VAX = 5/2+5/8+5/16 = 3.4375 Volts Vin < VAX reset D0 = 0 By this procedure, we find the output is a binary word of 10102

Ans

Typical specification of DMM

General
Maximum voltage between terminals Fuse protection Power Display Input impedance Frequency range Measuring method Over range indication Polarity indication :600 V :200mA/250V :9V battery :LCD 31/2 digits, updates 2-3/ sec. :10 M :40-400 Hz Dual-slope integration Only figure 1 on the display - displayed for negative polarity

Accuracy of DMM
Indicate as (% of reading + No. of digits)
Ex. (0.5% of rdg + 1 digits) sometimes simplify as (0.5 + 1) Ex. For an accuracy of (0.5 + 1) , calculate the maximum error of in the 1.800 V reading error = (0.5% of 1.800 + 0.001 V) = (0.009 + 0.001 V) = 0.01 V or 0.56% of reading

Ex A 20 V dc voltage is measured by analog and digital multimeters. The analog instrument is on its 25 V range , and its specified accuracy is 2%. The digital meter has 3 digit display and an accuracy of (0.6+1). Determine the measurement accuracy in each case. Analog instrument: Voltage error = 2% of 25 V digit = 0.5 V error = 0.5 V 100% 20 V = 2.5% Digital instrument: For 20 V displayed on a 3 digit display 3 digit display 1 Digit = 0.1 V Voltage error = (0.6% of reading + 1 Digit) = (1.2 V + 0.1 V) = 0.22 V error = 0.22 V 100% 20 V = 1.1%