EXPERIMENT NO 1

FAMILIARIZATION WITH DC INSTRUMENTS

1.1 EXERCISE TITLE: The DC Ammeter

OBJECTIVES
1. To measure current by using a basic meter movement.
2. To verify ammeter operation by using known values of current.

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
1 F.A.C.E.T Base Unit
1 DC FUNDAMENTALS Circuit Board
2 15Vdc Power Supply
1 DC Milliammeter Module
1 - Multimeter

THEORY

The ammeter is an instrument that measures current. Whether you measure current in
amperes or milliamperes, the meter must be placed in series with the circuit and must be
connected in the correct polarity.

The amount of pointer deflection depends on the amount of current flowing through the
meter. A meter with full-scale deflection of 1 mA requires a maximum current of 1 mA for full-
scale deflection. Any current over 1 mA will cause the meter to go off scale or peg against the
upper stop pin of the meter. Therefore, current that exceeds 1 mA must be shunted away from
the meter movement.

The meter movement used in this unit has a 1 m full-scale deflection and coil resistance
of 2,300 ohms. Based on Ohms law, this meter movement drops 2.3V at full-scale deflection.
This meter voltage drop (Vm) is determined by the following formula, where Im is full-scale
current and Rm is internal meter resistance.

Vm = Im x Rm
Vm = 0.001A x 2,300 ohms
Vm = 2.30V

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Figure1.1-1 shows the meter placed in a series circuit, the meter is used to measure the circuit
current. In the figure, the meter is represented by the circled 2,300 ohms (Rm).

Figure 1.1-1 Basic milliammeter circuit

As determined by Ohm's law, the applied circuit voltage must be 2.3 V when a full scale
meter indication of 1 mA is required. Based on the figure, the meter will directly read currents up
to 1 mA provided the applied voltage does not exceed 2.3 VDC. If the applied voltage does not
exceed 1 mA, and the meter movement will try to go beyond its full-scale position.

As configured, the setup in Figure 1.1-1 can be used only in applications where the
circuit current does not exceed 1 mA. To use the same meter movement in applications where
higher currents need to be measured, add an external shunt, or parallel path.

Very often, an ammeter with a sensitivity of 1 mA is used to measure current that is well
beyond this range. The ranged of this ammeter can be increased when a resistor is placed in
parallel with the meter to bypass any current in excess of 1 mA. This resistor is called a shunt
resistor (RSHUNT).

Figure 1.1-2 illustrates a simple circuit with a shunt resistor (RSHUNT) in parallel with RM. In this
circuit, we want to extend the range of the meter to 0-10 mA, meaning that we want to calibrate
full-scale deflection to 10 mA of circuit current.

The current divides through resistors RM and RSHUNT in inverse proportion to their values.
The current flowing through RSHUNT must be greater than that flowing through the meter
movement. In fact, this current must be the difference between 1 mA (full scale meter
movement current) and total circuit current. Out of a total circuit current of 10 mA, 1 mA must
flow through the meter and 9 mA must flow through RSHUNT. In this way, the 1 mA meter
movement can measure circuit currents that exceed 1 mA. The meter has been calibrated to
read 10 mA full scale a x10 scale factor.

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 Figure 1.1-2 Extending the range of an ammeter

In a parallel circuit, the voltage is the same across all resistors in the branch. The
voltage of the meter (VM) is 2.3V (Vm = Im x Rm = 2,300 x 0.001), so the voltage of the shunt
resistor (VSHUNT) is also 2.3V. The current flowing through the shunt resistor (ISHUNT) is 9 mA.
With these values, you can determine the value of RSHUNT by using the following formula.

RSHUNT = VSHUNT / ISHUNT

RSHUNT = 2.3V / 9 mA
RSHUNT = 255.50 ohms

By placing a shunt resitor of 255.5 ohms in parallel with the meter movement, we have
extended the range of the meter from 0-1 to 0-10 mA.

The circuits illustrated by Figures 1.1-1 show current distribution for a basic ammeter
application, but both circuits have a fundamental problem.

For each circuit, the applied voltage must be 2.3 Vdc. In practice, the circuit voltage can
be any value. To maintain the same operating conditions when circuit voltages vary, a series
dropping resistor must be added to the basic configuration. The fundamental ammeter circuit in
shown in Figure 1.1-3

Figure 1.1-3 Fundamental ammeter circuit configuration

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Figure 1.1-3 represents a series / parallel circuit. As such, Ohm's lawcan be applied for its
solution. In the figure, RSHUNT bypasses all currents that exceed 1 mA of the meter movement.
The meter drops 2.3V at 1 mA. The added resistor, RS drops the difference between the 2.3V
across the meter and the applied circuit voltage (VA). You can find the value for RS from the
following formula, where IT = IM + ISHUNT

RS = (VA-VM) / IT

Therefore, you can insert the ammeter into any circuit without regard to circuit voltage
(within the power dissipation limits of the components).

Figure 1.1-4 Ammeter connections

A schematic for the AMPS circuit on the VOLTMETER/AMMETER/OHMMETER circuit

block of the DC FUNDAMENTALS circuit board is shown in Figure 1.1-4. The circuit consists of
a variable power source that is adjusted to +10 Vdc, two fixed resistors (R3 and R4), a variable
resistor connected to a rheostat (R8), and connections for a milliammeter. Resistors R3 and R4
provide X1 and X10 range selection for the meter. With a source voltage of 10 Vdc, R3 limits the
branch current to 10 mA when the meter is connected to that branch. Resistor R4 limits the
branch current to 1 mA when the meter is connected to that branch. Resistor R8 is the shunt
resistor, which extends the meter range to 10 mA.

PROCEDURES:
1. Turn off the sources. Insert the DC FUNDAMENTALS circuit board into the base unit.
Turn on the power sources. Do not apply power to the AMPS circuit at this time.

2. Adjust the positive supply to +10 Vdc at the VOLTMETER/AMMETER/OHMMETER

circuit block.

3. Based on the discussion, what are the values of Rm and Im, which are to be used in this
procedure?

Rm = 2.3 kilo ohms

Im = 0.001 amp

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4. With a full scale indication of 1 mA, calculate the meter voltage drop (Vm = Im x Rm )
Vm = 2.3 Volts

5. In Figure 1.1-4, R4 is in the 1 mA circuit. With VA equal to 10 Vdc, Rm equal to 2,300

ohms, and Im equal to 1 mA, calculate the required value of R4
[ R4 = (VA Vm) / Im ]

NOTE: The total resistance must be determined first (RT = VA / AT)

R4 = 7.7 kilo ohms (10 2.3) / 0.001

6. Measure and record the value of R4

NOTE: Be sure to de-energized circuit prior to measuring resistance.

R4 = 7.66 Kilo ohms

7. Based on your results in step 5 and 6, what is the current through R4 when the meter
indicates half-scale deflection?

IR4 = 1.3 mA 10 V / 7.66 = 1.305 mA

8. Connect the meter in the R4 branch. Observe the meter polarity. Use a two-post
connector to energize the AMPS circuit. Use the fine adjust control of the positive supply
to obtain an exact full scale meter indication.

9. What current value is displayed on the meter? In terms of the circuit, what quantity does
the meter indicate?

1.47 mA

10. Adjust rheostat R8 to maximum CW position. Move the positive connection of the meter
movement module to the 10 mA circuit position. Refer to Figure 1.1-5

Figure 1.1-5 Ammeter connections

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11. What is the current indicated on the meter?

1.47 mA

12. Does the meter give the above indication because the range of the meter cannot be
extended or because R8 serves as a meter shunt?

Yes

13. Slowly adjust R8 until the meter gives a full-scale indication. What current reading is
now indicated by the meter (remember the circuit configuration)?

1.32 mA

14. Based on the circuit schematic represented in Figure 1.1-6, calculate and record the
value of R8 that is required to give a full-scale indication on the meter. Remember that
Im is 1 mA.

HINT: Circuit current is 10 mA. Because meter current is 1 mA, 9 mA must pass
through R8. Use the voltage drop and the required current of R8 to find its ohmic value.

2,500 ohms

Figure 1.1-6 Circuit for 10 mA meter calibration

15. Remove power from the circuit and measure the value of R8. Does your measured
value equal your calculated value?

Yes

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 16. Based on your observations, what is the purpose of R8 to stop current or to serve as
a shunt resistor?

The purpose of R8 is to stop current.

17. Turn off the power sources and remove all circuit board connections.

CONCLUSIONS:

Write at least three (3) conclusions for this exercise:

1. To measure the current, the ammeter must be connected in one terminal of the
resistor and one end to the rest of the point.

2. Ammeter should be used with care to avoid incidents such as ammeter being short
while used.

3. Current must be measured in parallel branches while current flow the same in
series.

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

Encircle the letter of the best answer.

1. The dc resistance of a meter's moving coil

a. has no effect on circuit

b. protects the coil from overload
c. develops a voltage drop
d. is about 0 ohm

2. The addition of a shunt resistor

a. extends the full-scale indication of the meter

b. allows the meter coil to pass more current
c. has no effect on full-0scale indication of the meter
d. reduces the full-scale indication of the meter

3. If a dc milliammeter is rated at 10 mA full scale, then

a. the meter can indicate only 10 mA current

b. the meter pointer will be at full-scale at 10 mA
c. shunt is needed to divert 9 mA of current
d. any current below 10 mA will indicate full-scale

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4. To extend the range of the meter used in this exercise to 0-100 mA, make the value of the
shunt resistor required for full-scale deflection (100 mA).

a. 0.232
b. 23.20
c. 232
d. 2,320

5. The meter used in this exercise has a moving magnet and coil, and it i used as a dc
milliammeter. Based on this description,

a. the meter can be directly used for dc and ac current measurements

b. polarity is not a consideration for connection
c. the meter can be used only to measure current
d. the meter must be connected for proper meter movement deflection