Design of Analog Multimeter for AC Signals
By
Rayan ashrf (4202290)
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Taibah
Fall 2024/ 2025
Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................3
2. Design Methodology……………………………………………………………,,,4
3. Working Principle…………………………………………………………………7
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………..8
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1. INTRODUCTION
A Multimeter is an instrument used for measuring electrical parameters between two points of an
electrical circuit. Multimeters are instruments that are used to measure electrical quantities such
as voltage, current, frequency, capacitance, and resistance. Basic functionality includes
measurement of potential in volts, resistance in ohms, and current in amps. Multimeters can also
be used to find electronic and electrical problems. Advance units come with more features such
as capacitors and diodes to increase their capabilities. Nowadays many measuring instruments
have been used in all laboratories throughout the world. Unfortunately, their accuracies are
mostly proportional to the time and period. As time passes, they may function incorrectly
and generate some errors. Unlike traditional analog multimeters, digital versions offer higher
precision, improved readability, and additional functionalities such as auto-ranging and data
logging.
2. Design Methodology
Analog Multimeter circuit consists of the following circuits:
1- AC voltameter
The ac voltmeter circuit consists of the following:
a- (PMMC Meter Movement) – Measures DC current; needs modification for AC.
b- Rectifier Circuit (Diode Bridge full wave rectifier) Converts AC to DC for
measurement
c- Series multiplier resistance(Rm= 9k ohm) to make the Galvano meter measuring
voltage
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Figure 1AC voltmeter
2- AC Ammeter
The Ac ammeter circuit consists of the following:
a- (PMMC Meter Movement) – Measures DC current; needs modification for AC.
b- Rectifier Circuit (Diode Bridge full wave rectifier) Converts AC to DC for
measurement
c- Shunt resistance(Rs= 50 ohm) to make the Galvano meter measuring large values of
current.
Figure 2AC Ammeter
3- Ohmmeter
This analog ohmmeter circuit measures resistance (Rₓ) by applying a fixed 12V battery
voltage and detecting the resulting current through the PMMC meter (1mA full-scale).
Figure 3Ohmmeter Circuit
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3. Working Principle
1. The user selects the desired measurement mode (voltage, current, or resistance) by placing a
switch to switch between the different mentioned circuits .
2. The probes are connected to the circuit under test.
Resistance Measurement: this is done by A small current is passed through the resistor, and the
resulting voltage drop is used to determine resistance using Ohm’s Law.
Conclusion
The analog multimeter designed in this project successfully demonstrates the fundamental
principles of measuring AC voltage, AC current, and resistance using a PMMC (Permanent
Magnet Moving Coil) meter movement combined with diode rectifiers and precision resistors.
The circuit leverages a full-wave bridge rectifier for AC measurements and a simple series
resistance network for ohmmeter functionality, AC Voltage Measurement – The multimeter
accurately scales input voltage using a 9kΩ multiplier resistor and rectifies the signal for the
analog meter, displaying RMS values for sinusoidal waveforms. And AC Current Measurement –
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A low-resistance shunt (50Ω) allows current measurement up to 100mA, with the rectified
output driving the meter movement.