One of the most essential pieces of test equipment for any electronics lab is the multimeter. Today, multimeters are typically all digital and are referred to as Digital Multimeters or DMMs. Choosing the right digital multimeter can be daunting since the DMM is one of the most used pieces of equipment in the lab.
Digital multi-meters can be portable or benchtop. For this article, we’ll focus on benchtop multimeters suitable for use in a typical electronics lab. As the name implies, benchtop multimeters are used to measure multiple fundamental electronics measurements. The most basic measurements include measuring voltage, current, and resistance. More advanced benchtop digital multimeters can also measure things like capacitance, inductance, conductance, frequency, duty cycle, diode drops, etc.
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How to choose a benchtop multimeter
When considering which benchtop multimeter is best for your lab there are a few key features on which you should focus.
Ranging: Automatic or Manual
There are auto-ranging multimeters, that automatically detect the measurement range, and manual ranging multimeters that must be manually tuned to the measurement range. Auto-ranging capability comes in handy when the types circuits being measured are diverse, such as those you may encounter in an engineering or test lab that is testing a wide variety of circuits. For more stable labs, such as production environments where the diversity of the measurements being made is small, manual ranging should be fine.
Calibration Status
Digital multimeters can be purchased pre-calibrated. Calibrated digital multimeters can be recalibrated to restore accuracy after some time has passed (and usually on a set calibration schedule. There are also the non-calibrated benchtop multimeters that you will have to replace once it loses accuracy. Calibrated models are relatively expensive and you’ll also have to consider the maintenance costs of keeping them “in-cal.”
Included measurement capability
All digital mulitmeters will typically be capable of measuring voltage, current, and resistance. More advanced benchtop multimeters will be able to make additional measurements. If you need to make additional measurements, then look for multimeters with these features. If you only need to take basic measurements, buying a digital multimeter with these additional capabilities will cost extra for no reason. These additional features could be especially important if you’re working on complex hardware like high speed analog circuits or software defined radios (SDRs).
Maximum Ratings
Lastly, it is important to make sure your digital multimeter is properly sized for the types of measurements you will be taking. For instance, if you’re planning on making high voltage power measurements, you’ll want to make sure the max voltage and max current ratings are high enough (with some safety margin). Conversely, if you know you’ll only be dealing with lower voltages and currents, don’t oversize the maximum ratings because you may loose some fidelity of your measurements.
5 Great Benchtop Multimeter Options to Upgrade Your Lab
1. Fluke 8808A 120V 5.5-Digit Digital Bench Multimeter
Fluke is arguably one of the most recognized brands in the test equipment market. Fluke has build a reputation of high quality and long lasting products. Most of Fluke’s multimeters are handheld, this Fluke digital multimeter is a benchtop model and could quickly become a pillar of any electronics lab. The Fluke 8808A multimeter offers many functions, measuring volts, ohms and amps with a basic V dc accuracy of 0.015 %.
The usability of the Fluke is very high. It is intuitive and easy to use even by an untrained operator. The Fluke 8808A digital benchtop multimeter includes six buttons that can be programmed for quickly making the measurements that are performed most often. This Fluke multimeter has a 5.5 digit resolution with dual display and a hi/lo limit compare for pass/fail testing. It uses a 2×4 ohms 4-wire measurement technique.
2. KEYSIGHT 34461A, 6 1/2 Digit, Truevolt DMM
Keysight is another reputable brand in test and measurement. Many large companies trust Keysight for their test equipement and due to their reputation, their devices typically command a premium over other brands.
The Keysight 34461A digital multimeter is a workhorse of a multimeter that has quickly become an industry-standard. The Keysight multimeter’s solid performance allows you to focus on testing and validating your circuits instead of worrying about making accurate measurements. Some of the the other key features include:
- Patented analog-to-digital converter enables metrology grade architecture
- Measure your real-world signals, not instrument error
- Designed by the same team of engineers as the 34401A
- BenchVue enabled. Control your DMM from your PC to view and capture your data easily.
3. Siglent Technologies SDM3055 5.5 Digit Digital Multi-meter
Siglent may not be as well known as Fluke and Keysight, but they have grown in popularity since launching their test and measurement business in 2002. The Siglent SDM3055 digital multimeter is a result of the foundational work by Siglent developing a low-cost high performance oscilloscopes. The SDMD3055 DMM is a great choice for those looking for full features without a big price tag. This multimeter features a large LCD display with 5 1/2 digital resolution. This large display comes in handy with some of the premium measurement modes like histograms, bar charts, and trend analysis.
Like the higher end multimeters listed above, the SDM3055 offers additional math and statistical operations and auto measurement ranging, which makes it great for prototyping and debugging. The SDM3055 digital multimeter consistently scores high marks for ease of use, affordability, and accuracy. If you’re looking for high end features, but are more budget conscience, give Siglent a try… you shouldn’t be disappointed.
4. B&K Precision 5491B True RMS Bench Digital Multimeter
B&K Precision is similar to Siglent in that they are also not as well known as some of the other brands on this list like Fluke and Keysight. But this really where the similarities end. Coming in slightly less expensive than the Siglent model above, the B&K 5491B bench top multimeter offers more basic functionality and a far less user friendly design.
The display contains 7-segment style LCD digits and this model only has a resolution of 4 3/4 digits. It does have the most basic functions one would expect from a multi-meter, but for the price, we’re steer clear of this one. If you’re happy with the price of B&K but are looking for more features, go with the Siglent SDM3055. And if you’re fine with only getting basic functionality, save yourself some money and pick up the Tenma 72-1055 (next on the list).
5. Tenma 72-1055 Benchtop DMM with Capacitance, Frequency & Temp
The Tenma 72-1055 benchtop multimeter can be summed up in a few words… basic, cheap, and multimeter. If you’re a budget-minded hobbyist who is looking for an upgrade over the $20 Radioshack multimeter you have, this could be a good choice. It’s basically an inexpensive handheld general purpose mutlimeter repackaged to feel at home on a benchtop shelf.
This unit measures AC/DC voltage and current, resistance, capacitance, frequency, transistor hFE and temperature. It also provides diode and audible continuity test functions. And as a bonus, it can run off of 6 “C Cell” batteries in a pinch (see comment above about this being a handheld DMM reskinned as a benchtop multimeter). People who have given the Tenma 72-1055 multimeter a shot have had good things to say about its easy to read backlit display, low cost, and small storage compartment in the body of the housing.
I am a proponent of analog VOM’s for most measurement applications. Analog because you almost never need 4- or 5-digit resolution, and sometimes the high impedance input of a DMM vs the 20,000 ohms/volt impedance of a VOM can work against you, especially when tracking down AC power line problems. A DMM may show a high voltage where only a tiny, inconsequential leakage current is present. A lower impedance VOM will clearly show it’s just a “ghost” indication. An analog meter is superior to a digital display for watching trends, such as finding a peak or a null in voltage or current readings. The disadvantage of a VOM is its lack of inductance and capacitance measurement capabilities, but a dedicated and inexpensive LCR meter or component identifier/tester will cover that requirement.
For most purposes a 5½ digit DMM is far more precision than needed. I won’t say more than ANYONE needs, but few applications need that kind of precision. Remember, we got along just fine for ages doing calculations on 2-3 significant digit slide rules.
For most purposes a 5½ digit DMM is far more precision than needed. I won’t say more than ANYONE needs, but few applications need that kind of precision. Remember, we got along just fine for ages doing calculations on 2-3 significant digit slide rules and analog meters which you could read to 2 digits (if you were lucky). I have a 4½ digit DMM and a 3½, and the 3½ is accurate enough for everything I need.