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Forum What are some Multimeter Tips / Tricks / Unique Measurements?

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What are some Multimeter Tips / Tricks / Unique Measurements?

baldengineer over 2 years ago

While looking at my humble handheld multimeter, I got to thinking about different tricks for using a DMM.

For example, the trick to check the ammeter's built-in fuse or measurements like verifying if a BJT is blown.

What are some fun measurements you can do with a DMM?

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dougw over 2 years ago

Some DMMs have enough voltage and current on their Ohms or diode modes to turn LEDs on - so you can tell what color they are, what their polarity is and if they work.
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baldengineer over 2 years ago in reply to dougw

You know what's funny? I do this ALL the time. Most of my meters won't tell you the forward voltage (since it is more than 0.9v), but its a great way to verify the cathode and the color!
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Jan Cumps over 2 years ago in reply to baldengineer

A single CR coin cell is also good for that. Put it in between the leads of an led. If it doesn't light up, flip the cell. No series resistor needed
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baldengineer over 2 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

Come on Jan! This thread isn't on "tips for NOT using your DMM..."

(Although that's a really good tip!)
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baldengineer over 2 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

Come on Jan! This thread isn't on "tips for NOT using your DMM..."

(Although that's a really good tip!)
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colporteur over 2 years ago in reply to baldengineer

B.E. the suggestion of using a DMM to determine light colour is just something I haven't thought about. It's like using cell phone cameras to collect data by taking a picture. It's just not something I think about.

BTW, you Arduino button bounce routine on your website was very useful in an issue I was having. I will now include that routine as part of my code. Thanks for the share.
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baldengineer over 2 years ago in reply to colporteur

This tip is why I like asking these kinds of questions. Something obvious to one person never occurred to another.

Glad the code helped. There are some libraries that do the same thing, but I liked using it as an example of using millis().
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