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Hardware Tools: Multimeter Use

1. A multimeter is used to measure voltage, current, and resistance in electrical circuits to troubleshoot issues. It has probes that are placed on different points in a circuit to measure these parameters. 2. Before taking a measurement, the multimeter must be configured for the correct parameter and range. Measurements of live circuits can be dangerous and cause injury, so safety precautions are important. 3. A multimeter can be used to check voltages like a battery, power supply, or AC input for faults. It can also measure cable resistance to check connectivity or fuse integrity when disconnected from power. Current can be measured but requires special connection that can damage circuits.

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Colin Arndt
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156 views

Hardware Tools: Multimeter Use

1. A multimeter is used to measure voltage, current, and resistance in electrical circuits to troubleshoot issues. It has probes that are placed on different points in a circuit to measure these parameters. 2. Before taking a measurement, the multimeter must be configured for the correct parameter and range. Measurements of live circuits can be dangerous and cause injury, so safety precautions are important. 3. A multimeter can be used to check voltages like a battery, power supply, or AC input for faults. It can also measure cable resistance to check connectivity or fuse integrity when disconnected from power. Current can be measured but requires special connection that can damage circuits.

Uploaded by

Colin Arndt
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hardware Tools

Multimeter Use

Overview
You may need to verify a computer's power supply voltages when troubleshooting power issues, or check
the resistance of cables when troubleshooting intermittent connection issues. Taking multimeter
measurements as part of a troubleshooting procedure can quickly isolate the cause of an issue.
Before taking a measurement, the multimeter must be configured to read the desired parameter, such as DC
voltage, and set to the correct range. Refer to Apple troubleshooting documentation to determine what
parameters must be measured as part of the troubleshooting flow, and then configure the multimeter
appropriately.

IMPORTANT
High voltages in energized circuits can cause serious injury, including death. Use caution
when using a multimeter.

Multimeter Design
A typical modern digital multimeter (also known as a DMM) has an LCD or
LED digital numeric readout and various switches and/or dials to configure
the multimeter to measure one of the available parameters. Parameter
configurations include, but are not limited to: DC voltage, AC voltage, DC
current, AC current, and resistance.

A multimeter also has two or three electrical terminals built into its enclosure, with two short colored-wire
leads (usually one red and one black), which end in stiff, pointed ends called "probes."
The color of the probes identify the polarity (red for positive or black for negative) of DC voltage and DC
current parameters during measurement. AC voltage, AC current and resistance have no polarity. When the
tips of the probes are brought into electrical contact with the test circuit, the parameter is measured and the
results are displayed (e.g. +12.0 DC Volts).
When measuring AC or DC voltages or resistance the black probe is connected to the terminal labeled
common (COM) and the red probe is connected to the terminal that is usually labeled with the symbols for
voltage and resistance. Some multimeters may provide additional capabilities such as temperature and
diode measurements. When measuring current, the red probe must be moved to the terminal labeled with
an A, mA, or A (indicating amperage). Only use the current terminal for current measurements and nothing
else.

NOTE
The safe use of a multimeter requires an understanding of the voltages used in the
circuits being measured. Multimeters are always designed with an upper limit on the
parameters they can safely measure, usually somewhere in the range of a few hundred
Volts, DC or AC, and a few Amperes, DC or AC.
Specialized equipment is required to safely measure any voltages or currents above this
range, which is beyond a typical computer. It is unsafe to measure CRT voltages using a
multimeter without specialized equipment.

How to Use a Multimeter


Turn the multimeter on by its switch. Next, select the appropriate dial or switch positions to configure the
multimeter to read the desired electrical parameter.
Energize the circuit being measured, Holding the two probes, one in each hand, carefully touch the pointed
ends of the two probes to the part of the circuit being measured, to make electrical contact, being careful
not to touch the probes to anything else or to each other.
The multimeter will display the magnitude and polarity of the parameter on its display as long as the probes
are making contact with the circuit.
For example, to measure the voltage of the backup battery in a desktop Mac (typically located on the main
logic board):

1. Locate the battery on the logic board and identify its type, so you know what its expected voltage
capacity should be. Most recent desktop Mac backup batteries should be 3.6 DC Volt capacity.
2. Identify the battery's positive and negative terminals (usually marked + and - on the main logic board,
near the battery).
3. Turn on and configure the multimeter for DC voltage. Ensure the multimeter's display reads 0.0 DC
Volts when not measuring anything.
4. Carefully touch the black (- negative) multimeter probe to the - negative battery terminal, and the red
(+ positive) multimeter probe to the + positive battery terminal. Be careful not to touch the probes to
anything else or to each other.
5. Observe the multimeter's display. Most recent desktop Mac backup batteries should read somewhere
around +3.6 DC Volts. A dead Mac backup battery would typically read somewhere between 0.0 DC
Volts and +0.5 DC Volts. If you are connected to the battery backwards, the multimeter's display would
read -3.6 DC Volts instead of +3.6 DC Volts.

When Do You Use a Multimeter?

Verifying Backup Battery Voltage Volts DC


You can measure a computer's backup or main battery DC voltage to
determine if the battery requires replacement. Further examples of this
procedure can be found in Apple service manuals.

Verifying Power Supply Output Voltage Volts DC


You can also measure the DC voltage outputs from a computer's power
supply to determine if the power supply requires replacement.

Verifying AC Input Voltage Volts AC


You can measure AC input voltage into a computer's power supply to
determine if the computer's power supply or AC line filter/AC power input is
faulty.

CAUTION: Measuring AC input voltage (sometimes called mains or line


voltage) can be very dangerous. It is advised only for skilled technicians with
multimeter measurement experience to test AC input voltage. This voltage is
typically in the 120-240 AC Volt range, which can cause lethal electrocution.
Use extreme care whenever measuring any voltages of this magnitude.

Verifying Cable Connectivity Ohms


You can measure electrical resistance in a cable to determine if the cable is
faulty. Electrical resistance in a cable can also be used to determine if a fuse
is intact. In these cases, the multimeter is set to measure resistance in Ohms
and the cable or fuse being tested is completely removed from its circuit.
The two multimeter probes are simultaneously touched one to each end of
the cable or fuse. The expected reading is somewhere close to 0 Ohms
(which represents no resistance or a closed circuit). A bad connection caused
by a faulty cable or blown fuse would read infinite Ohms (which represents
infinite resistance or an open circuit).

Caution!
When measuring resistance, the multimeter must be connected only to circuits or
cables which have been de-energized. De-energized cables have been disconnected
from all sources of electrical power.
Attempting to measure resistance in an energized circuit will not only cause inaccurate
readings, it can also be dangerous and may damage either the circuit under test, the
multimeter, or both. Resistance measurements are usually only made on things like
disconnected cables and connectors, to verify a good or bad electrical connection.

Verifying Circuit Current Flow Amps DC


You can also use a multimeter on DC current settings to measure the amount
of electrical current flowing through a circuit, such as when verifying the
charging circuitry in an Apple portable product. This is rarely done during
troubleshooting scenarios, because it involves connecting the multimeter "in
series" with the circuit being tested, which is an invasive procedure.
"In series" means that the multimeter is actively connected into the circuit so
that the circuit's current flows directly through the meter. This usually
requires 'breaking into' the test circuit using special patch cables and
connectors, rather than the multimeter probe tips. There is also a special
third probe jack on most multimeters that is used only for current
measurements. Readings are in units of Amps (Amperes) or milliamps
(thousandths of an Amp).

Caution!
Extreme care should be taken when making current measurements as it is very easy
to short the circuit out and damage it by incorrectly connecting the probes.

Safety Tips when Using a Multimeter


There are several important safety tips to follow when using a multimeter to measure
electrical circuits. This list is not exhaustive. Please consult the operator's guide for the
multimeter being used for specific instructions and tips:
Be sure the test leads and multimeter switch(es) are in the correct position for the
desired measurement.
Never use the multimeter if the meter or the test leads appear damaged.
Never measure resistance in a circuit when power is applied.
Never touch the probes to a voltage source when a test lead is plugged into the 10 A or
300 mA current input jack.
To avoid damage or injury, never use the multimeter on circuits that exceed the
maximum ratings specified for that meter.
Never apply more than the rated voltage between any input jack and earth ground.
Be careful when working with voltages above 60 V DC or 30 V AC. Such voltages pose an
electrical shock hazard.
Keep fingers behind the finger guards on the test probes when making measurements.
To avoid false readings, replace the battery inside the multimeter as soon as the battery
indicator appears. False readings can increase risk to electric shock or personal injury.

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