multimeter tool essential for top rated electricians

How to Use a Multimeter - Beginner's Guide

In this article, we will show you how to use a multimeter. This post is mainly for beginners who are new to electronics and have no idea about the use of a multimeter and what it is useful for. We will explore the most common characteristics of a multimeter and how to measure current, voltage, resistance and how to check their continuity.

Recommended Reading: The Best Multimeters Under $50.

What is a multimeter and why do you need one?

A multimeter is an absolutely necessary measuring instrument in electronics. It combines three essential functions: voltmeter, ohmmeter and ammeter and, in some cases, continuity.

A multimeter allows you to understand what is going on in your circuits. Whenever something is wrong with your circuit, the multimeter will help you fix the problem. Here are some electronic design situations where you will find the multimeter useful:

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Is the switch on?

Is this wire electrically conductive or is it broken?

How much current goes through this LED?

How much power do you have left in the batteries?

You can answer these and other questions using a multimeter.

Selecting a multimeter

You can find a wide variety of multimeters with different characteristics and accuracy.

A basic multimeter costs around $5 and measures the three simplest but most important values in your circuit: voltage, current, and resistance.

However, you can imagine that this multimeter won't last longer and it's not very accurate. The best multimeter for you will depend on what you plan to do, whether you are a beginner or a professional electrician, and your budget.

If you need help choosing a multimeter, check out our Maker Advisor article at Best Multimeters Under $50.

Getting to know a multimeter

A multimeter consists of four essential sections:

Display: This is where measurements are displayed

Selection dial: select what you want to measure

Ports: this is where the probes connect

Probes: A multimeter comes with two probes.

Usually one is red and the other black.

Note: There is no difference between the red and black probes, only the color.

So, assuming the convention:

the black probe is always connected to the COM port.

the red probe is connected to each other ports depending on what you want to measure.

Ports

The "COM" or "-" port is where the black probe should be connected.

The COM probe is typically black.

10A is used when measuring high currents, greater than 200mA

µAmA is used when measuring current

VΩ allows you to measure voltage and resistance and test continuity

These ports may vary depending on the multimeter you are using.

Voltage measurement

DC voltage or AC voltage can be measured. The V with the straight line indicates DC voltage.

The V with the wavy line indicates AC voltage.

To measure voltage:

Set the mode to V with a wavy line if measuring AC voltage or to V with a straight line if you are measuring DC voltage.

Make sure the red probe is connected to the port with a V next to it.

Connect the red probe to the positive side of your component, where the current is coming from.

Connect the COM probe to the other side of your component.

Read the value on the display.

Tip: To measure voltage, you need to connect your multimeter in parallel to the component whose voltage you want to measure. Putting the multimeter in parallel amounts to placing each probe along the conductors of the component whose voltage you want to measure.

Example: measuring the voltage of a battery

In this example we will measure the voltage of a 1.5 V battery. You know that you will have about 1 .

5V. So you have to select a range with the select button that can read 1.5V. So you have to select 2V in case of this multimeter. If you have an autoranging multimeter, you don't have to worry about which range you should select.

What if you don't know what the voltage is? If you need to measure the voltage of something and you don't know the range the value will fall in, you should try different ranges.