1

Chapter 4 DC Ammeter
Galvanometer
is a PMMC instrument designed to
be sensitive to extremely low current
levels.
The simplest galvanometer is a very
sensitive instrument with the type of
center-zero scale.
The torque equation for a
galvanometer is exactly as discussed
in the previous section.
The most sensitive moving-coil
galvanometer use taut-band
suspension, and the controlling
torque is generated by the twist in
the suspension ribbon.
2
With the moving-coil weight
reduced to the lowest possible
minimum for greatest sensitivity, the
weight of t he pointer can create a
problem. The solution is by
mounting a small mirror on the
moving coil instead of a pointer.
3
The mirror reflects a beam of light
on to a scale. This makes light-
beam galvanometers sensitive to
much lower current levels than
pointer instruments
Current sensitivity galvanometer
Voltage sensitivity galvanometer
Galvanometers are often employed
to detect zero current or voltage in a
circuit rather than to measure the
actual level of current or voltage.
4
DC Ammeter
is always connected in series
low internal resistance
maximum pointer deflection is
produced by a very small current
For a large currents, the instrument
must be modified by connecting a
very low shunt resister
Extension of Ranges of Ammeter
Single Shunt Type of Ammeter
5
Example 4.1: An ammeter as shown in Figure 3-9
has a PMMC instrument with a coil resistance
of R
m
= 99O and FSD current of 0.1 mA.
Shunt resistance R
s
= 1O. Determine the total
current passing through the ammeter at (a)
FSD, (b) 0.5 FSD, and 0.25 FSD
m
m m
sh
m sh
sh
m m
sh
m m sh sh
m sh
I I
R I
R
I I I
I
R I
R
R I R I
V V

=
=
=
=
=
6
Solution
(a) At FSD
mA 10
mA 0.1 mA 9.9 I I I current total
mA 9.9
1
mV 9.9
R
V
I
V R I and
99 mA 0.1
R I V voltage meter
m s
s
m
s
m s s
m m m
=
+ = + =
= = =
=
=
=
(b) At 0.5 FSD
mA 5
mA 0.5 mA 4.95 I I I current total
mA 4.95
1
mV 4.95
R
V
I
mV 4.95 99 mA 0.05 R I V
mA 0.05 mA 0.1 0.5 I
m s
s
m
s
m m m
m
=
+ = + =
= = =
= = =
= =
(b) At 0.25 FSD
mA 2.5
mA 0.025 mA 2.475 I I I current total
mA 2.475
1
mV 2.475
R
V
I
mV 2.475 99 mA 0.025 R I V
mA 0.025 mA 0.1 0.25 I
m s
s
m
s
m m m
m
=
+ = + =
= = =
= = =
= =
7
Example 4.2: A PMMC instrument has FSD of
100 A and a coil resistance of 1 kO.
Calculate the required shunt resistance value
to convert the instrument into an ammeter
with (a) FSD = 100 mA and (b) FSD = 1 A.
Solution

(a) FSD = 100 mA
1.001
mA 99.9
mV 100
I
V
R
mA 99.9 A 100 mA 100 I I I
I I I
mV 100 k 1 A 100 R I V
s
m
s
m s
m s
m m m
= = =
= = =
+ =
= = =
(b) FSD = 1 A
0.1001
mA 999.9
mV 100
I
V
R
mA 999.9 A 100 A 1 I I I
mV 100 R I V
s
m
s
m s
m m m
= = =
= = =
= =
8
Swamping Resistance
The moving coil in a PMMC
instrument is wound with thin copper
wire, and its resistance can change
significantly when its temperature
changes.
The heating effect of the coil current
may be enough to produce a
resistance change, which will
introduce an error.
To minimize the error, a swamping
resistance made of manganin or
constantan is connected in series with
the coil (manganin and constantan
have resistance temperature
coefficients very close to zero.
9
The ammeter shunt must also be
made of manganin or constantan
to avoid shunt resistance
variations with temperature.
Multirange Ammeters
Make-before-break switch
The instrument is not left
without a shunt in parallel with
it.
During switching there are
actually two shunts in parallel
with the instrument.
10
Ayrton Shunt
At B
Total resistance R
1
+R
2
+R
3
Meter resistance R
m
At C
Total resistance R
1
+R
2
Meter resistance R
m
+R
3
At D?
11
Example 4.3: A PMMC instrument has a
three-resistor Ayrton shunt connected
across it to make an ammeter as shown
in Figure 3-13. The resistance values are
R1 = 0.05O, R2 = 0.45O and R3 = 4.5O.
The meter has Rm = 1kO and FSD =
50A. Calculate the three ranges of the
ammeter.
Solution
Switch at contact B:
mA 10.05
mA 10 A 50 I I I
mA 10
4.5 0.45 0.05
mV 50
R R R
V
I
mV 50 k 1 A 50 R I V
s m
3 2 1
s
s
m m s
=
+ = + =
=
+ +
=
+ +
=
= = =
Switch at contact C:
( ) ( )
mA 100.05
mA 100 A 50 I I I
mA 100
0.45 0.05
mV 50
R R
V
I
mV 50 4.5 k 1 A 50 R R I V
s m
2 1
s
s
3 m m s
=
+ = + =
=
+
=
+
=
~ + = + =
12
Switch at contact C:
( ) ( )
1.00005A
1A 500 I I I
1A
0.05
50mV
R
V
I
50mV 0.45 4.5 1k 500 R R R I V
s m
1
s
s
2 3 m m s
=
+ = + =
= = =
~ + + = + + =
Internal Ammeter Resistance: R
in
range
m
in
sh m
sh m
sh m in
I
V
R
R R
R R
//R R R
=
+
= =
Ammeter Loading Effects
Internal resistance of ideal ammeter
is zero Ohm, but in practice, the
internal resistance has some values
which affect the measurement results.
This error can be reduced by using
higher range of measurement.
13
To calculate the relationship between
the trued value and the measured
value
Rth
Vth
dc ci rcuit with source
and resistors
Iwom
Iwom
Rth
Vth
dc ci rcuit with source
and resistors
Iwm
Iwm A A
in Th
Th
wm
Th
Th
wom
R R
V
I
R
V
I
+
=
=
100%
R R
R
100%
I
I
Acc %
R R
R
I
I
Accuracy
in Th
Th
wom
wm
in Th
Th
wom
wm

+
=
=
+
= =
100%
I
I I
100%
X
X X
Acc % 1 Error %
wom
wm wom
t
m t

= =
14
Example 4.4 For a DC Circuit as shown in
Figure below, given R
1
=2kO, R
2
=1kO
with voltage of 2V. By measuring the
current flow through R
3
with a dc
ammeter with internal resistance of R
in

= 100, calculate percentage of
accuracy and percentage of error.
Solution
R1=2k
R2=2k
R3=15
2V
A
Rin
( )
V 1 k 2
k 2 k 2
V 2
R
R R
E
V
k 2 R //R R R
2
2 1
Th
3 2 1 Th
= |
.
|

\
|
+
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
= + =
A 476.19
100 k 2
V 1
R R
V
I
A 500
k 2
V 1
R
V
I
in Th
Th
wm
Th
Th
wom
=
+
=
+
=
= = =
95.24%
A 500
A 476.19
100%
I
I
Acc %
wom
wm
= =
=
4.76% 95.24% 1 Acc % 1 Error % = = =