ME-170A STUDENT HANDOUT

EXPERIMENT 1 - INSTRUMENTATION
Equipment Checklist:
1. DC POWER SUPPLY
2. FREQUENCY / WAVEFORM GENERATOR
3. DIGITAL MULTIMETER (aka DMM)
4. OSCILLOSCOPE
5. BNC Tee adapter(1x)
6. BNC Female-To-Female adapter (3x)
7. BNC to Dual Banana adapter (2x)
8. Banana to Mini-Clip Cable sets(2x)
9. BNC to BNC Cable (3x)
10. Unknown (random) Resistors (3x)
Goals:
A. Learn the working of the oscilloscope, function generator and digital multimeter provided
in the lab. Write down the uses of each of these instruments in data acquisition.
B. To learn the correct procedures for measuring DC voltage, AC voltage, resistance, and
current.

If there are any questions or uncertainties about the functions of each instrument,
please use all available resources. This includes the users manuals, online tutorials,
group members, and the TAs.

Part I: DC Voltage Measurements

A typical method for measuring a DC voltage is as follows. The DC voltage of the power
supply is measured on the oscilloscope and the digital multimeter.

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Digital Multimeter
DC Power
Supply

Oscilloscope

BNC Tee

Figure 1. Equipment arrangement for DC voltage measurements

I.

Switch Positions
A. Oscilloscope
1. DC Coupled
2. 2 V/division
3. Triggering source channel 1
4. Triggering mode to auto
5. Sec/div to 0.2 msec/div
B. Digital Multimeter
1. select to read DC voltage (page 17 of the users manual)

1. Check the DC calibration of the oscilloscope by connecting the 6 V DC output from the
power supply box to the digital multimeter (DMM) and the oscilloscope utilizing a BNC
tee connector (Figure 1).
2. Make sure that the oscilloscope is DC coupled, and that the multimeter is reading DC
volts on an appropriate scale.
3. Put the oscilloscope sensitivity to 2 Volts/division and switch the input coupling to
ground. Adjust the vertical position of the trace so that it is the center of the screen.
4. Change the oscilloscope to DC coupling and record the deflection (the number of
divisions that the trace moves).
5. For DC voltage measurements, vary the DC power supply voltage from 0.5 to 5 Volts in
increments of 0.5 Volts. Record the voltages as measured by the DMM and the
oscilloscope in the data sheet. Now decrease the supply voltage from 5V to 0.5 V and
record the voltage from the DMM. Repeat the procedure three times.
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6. Plot the power supply voltage along the x-axis and the DMM and oscilloscope voltages
along the y-axis.
Questions: How do the oscilloscope and DMM measurements compare with each other?
Comment on the hysteresis, repeatability and linearity of the DMM.
Part II: AC Voltage Measurements
A typical method for measuring an AC voltage is as follows. The AC voltage from the
function generator is measured on the oscilloscope and the digital multimeter.
NOTE: When several instruments are connected to the same output, make sure that they do
not affect each others readings. Double check your measurements with the instruments
connected one at a time.

Frequency
Generator

Digital Multimeter

Vi

Oscilloscope

BNC Tee

Figure 2. Equipment arrangement for AC voltage measurements

I.

Switch Positions
A. Oscilloscope
1. AC Coupled
2. 2 V/division
3. Triggering source channel 1
4. Triggering mode to auto
5. Sec/div to 0.2 msec/div
B. Digital Multimeter
1. select to read AC volts

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C. Function Generator
1. Choose sine wave output
2. Amplitude set to 2 divisions on the oscilloscope
1. Connect the Vp-p output of the function generator to the scope and DMM, by using a BNC
tee connector.
2. For AC voltage measurements, set the function generator frequency to 1000 Hz and vary
the peak to peak voltage in increments of 0.5 Volts from 0.5 to 5 Volts. Record the Vp-p
and Vrms from the oscilloscope and compare with the voltages on the DMM.
3. Plot the peak-to-peak voltage of the frequency generator along x-axis and the
corresponding voltage from the oscilloscope on the y-axis. Plot the Vrms from the

4.

5.

6.
7.

frequency generator versus the corresponding voltage from the oscilloscope and the
DMM.
Measure the frequency from the period of 1 cycle of the sine wave of the oscilloscope
trace and compare with the reading on the oscilloscope (Press time button under
Measurement).
Increase the function generator frequency from 100 Hz until the amplitude of the sine
wave trace is 1/2 of the initial amplitude. You may need to increase this frequency into
the MHz. Note this frequency (3dB point). If this frequency cannot be achieved on your
function generator, note the frequency at which the signal begins to attenuate.
Vary the function generator frequency in increments of 100 Hz from 100 to 1000 Hz.
Record the frequencies from the oscilloscope and compare.
Plot the frequency from the frequency generator along x-axis and the corresponding
frequency from the oscilloscope on the y-axis.

Part III: Resistance Measurement

A typical method for measuring resistance is as follows.
II.

Switch Positions
A. Digital Multimeter
1. Choose or connect to Ohms mode (2-wire ). (page 18 of the users manual)

1. Use the digital multimeter in 2-wire to measure the resistance of a provided resistor.
2. Repeat the measurement using the DMM in 4-wire mode.

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Questions: What is the difference between the 2-wire and 4-wire measuremenst? How do
the values compare with the color code of the resistor?
Part IV: Current Measurement
NOTE: The DMM can easily be damaged in the current measuring mode if the current
exceeds the capacity of the instrument. NEVER connect an ammeter (DMM in current mode)
directly across a power supply.
A typical method for measuring current is as follows.

Digital Multimeter

DC Power
Supply

R
Flea Clip

Flea Clip

Figure 3. Equipment arrangement for current measurements

III.

Switch Positions
A. Digital Multimeter
1. Choose DC current mode (A). (page 18 of the users manual)

1. Connect the power supply across the resistor. Use the digital multimeter in DC current
mode (A) to measure the resulting current. The set-up for this is sketched in Figure 3.
2. Vary power supply and record the corresponding current values.
Questions: What is the maximum current rating of the DMM? Does the measurement
agree with Ohms Law?

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Tip: You must memorize the resistance color code for the five stripes found on most resistors.
A mnemonic which may help is beer bongs relax old and young guys, but violet gets wasted
for black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, gray, white, meaning 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 as digits for the first two stripes, or powers of ten in multipliers for the third
stripe. Thus a 20,000 ohm resistor has red (2), black (0) and orange (103) stripes for the two
digits and one multiplier, reading from left to right. These are followed by a tolerance stripe
of (gold, silver, nothing) for (5, 10, 20) % accuracy, and possibly another stripe of (Maroon,
Purple, Red, Silver) for reliability of (1, 0.1, 0.01, 0.001) %/ 1000 hours.

Results:
(1) Get all data and figures signed by the supervisor before you leave the lab.
(2) Write a technical memorandum of the experiment.
(3) Attach all raw data, figures and calculation sheets.

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DATA SHEET
DC Voltage measurements:
DC Power supply (Volts)

Oscilloscope (Vrms)

DMM Trial 1

DMM Trial 2

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
4.5
4.0
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5

AC Voltage measurements:
Function generator
Vamp (V)

Oscilloscope
Vptp

Multimeter
Vrms

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0

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DMM Trial 3

AC frequency measurements:
Function generator (Hz)

f3dB =

Oscilloscope (Hz)

Function generator (Hz)

100

600

200

700

300

800

400

900

500

1000

Resistance measurement:

Color code and resistance value

Measured resistance

Current measurements:
Resistance used =
DC Power supply

Expected current

Measured current

(Volts)

(A)

(A)

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0

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Oscilloscope (Hz)