Measurement Techniques

DC Circuits
Feb. 2009

Measurement Techniques
DC Circuits
Resistance (R)
Ohms, , K, M

Voltage (V)
Volt, AC, DC, mV, KV

Current (I)
Amp, mA (milliamps), uA (microamps)

Bread Board Techniques - Series Circuits

Resistance Measurement

Measurement must be made without power applied or wired to

the circuit.
Individual components must be removed from the circuit to
measure the value accurately.

RT

Series Circuit
RT = R1 + R2 + R3

RT

Given R1= 100, R2= 4.7K, R3=100K Find RT

R1
R2
R3

Breadboard Techniques - Series Circuit

Voltage Measurement

The voltage supplied by the (12V) voltage source is proportionally distributed across
each resistor.
The higher the resistor value, the greater the voltage drop
Kirchoffs Law The sum of the voltage drop across each resistor in the circuit will
add up to the source voltage

Vs

VR1

12V
Vs

R1
R2
R3

VR3
Vs = VR1 + VR2 + VR3

VR2

Calculating Voltage Drops

1. Determine total resistance RT

RT = R1 + R2 + R3

2. Using Ohms Law calculate total current IT

IT = Vs / RT

3. Using Ohms Law again, calculate the voltage drop across R1, R2, R3

VR1

IT
Vs
12V

Vs

R1
R2
R3

VR3
VR1 = IT x R1
VR2 = IT x R2
VR3 = IT x R3

VR2

Bread Board Techniques - Series Circuit

Current Measurement

The meter must be configured for current measurement.

The circuit must be opened and the meter placed (anywhere) in series.

The same current flows from the voltage source, through the meter,
each resistor, and then back to the source.

IR1

IT
IT

Vs

IT
Vs

IT

12V

IT

R1
R2
R3

IR3

IT = IR1 = IR2 = IR3

IR2

Bread Board Techniques Parallel Circuits

Resistance

Circuit must be removed from the voltage source

The total resistance is less than the smallest resistor value

Avoid finger contact when measuring

1

RT

RT

R1

R2

R3

Parallel Circuits
Calculating Total Resistance
Parallel Circuit

RT
1
RT

RT

R1

R1 + R2 + R3

R2

R3

R1//R2//R3 Where R1 is in parallel with R2 which is in parallel with R3

R1

R2

RT
Let Rp = R1 // R2
Rp =

R1 x R 2
R1 + R 2

Now RT = Rp // R3
RT =

Rp x R3
Rp + R3

R3

Product-Over-Sum
Method
Calculate the parallel
resistance of any 2
resistors at a time.
First do R1//R2 using
the Product-Over-Sum
method
Then use the R1/2
resistance in parallel
with R3

Parallel Circuits
Voltage Measurement
The source voltage (Vs) is common to all
components in the circuit
Vs = VR1 = VR2 = VR3
Vs

R1

R2

R3

Parallel Circuits
Current Measurement
IT
I1
Vs

R1

I1 + I2 + I3

I2
R2

I2 + I3

IT = I1 + I2+ I3

I3
R3

Parallel Circuits
Current Calculations
To measure current the circuit must be broken and the
current meter must be placed in series with the component.

IT

Vs

I1

I2

R1

I3

R2

R3

Calculating Total Current (IT)

1.
Vs
50V

R1
150

R2
300

R3
100

2.

First find total

resistance RT
Then use Ohms Law
to find total current

Using Product-Over-Sum Method

R1//R2 = (150 x 300) / (150 + 300) = 100 ohms
Rp//R3 = (100 x 100) / (100 + 100) = 50 ohms
Using Reciprocal Method
1/RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 = 1/150 + 1/300 +
1/100
= 0.00666 + 0.00333 + 0.01 = 0.020
RT = 1/ 0.020 = 50 ohms

Note: when the

parallel resistors
are equal in value,
just divide by the
number of Rs
3K//3K = 1.5K
6K//6K//6K = 2K

Calculating Total Current (IT)

1.
Vs
50V

R1
150

R2
300

R3
100

2.

First find total

resistance RT
Then use Ohms Law
to find total current

Total Current IT
IT =

Vs
RT

50 v
= -------- = 1 amp
50

The power supply must be capable of supplying at least 1 amp

of current

Calculating Branch Currents

RT = 50 ohms IT = 1 amp

IT
I1

I2

I3

Vs
50 V
R1=150

I1 = Vs / R1 = 50/150 = 0.333333 amps

I2 = Vs / R2 = 50/300 = 0.166666 amps
I3 = Vs / R3 = 50/100 = 0.200000 amps
1.00 amp

R2=300

R3=100

Series/Parallel Circuits
There are multiple current paths.
Resistors may be in series or parallel with
other resistors.
A node is where three or more paths come
together.
The total power is the sum of the resistors
power.

Simple Combo circuit

Reduce the parallel connection to
its series equivalent
R2 // R3 = Rs

Then reduce the series equivalent

to the total resistance as seen by
the source
--/\/\/\/\-Rs

RT = R1 + Rs
I
E

Kirchoffs says
what goes out come back

Reduce & Simplify

R1

R2

R3

R4

RT = R1,2 // R3,4

R1

R3

R2

R4

Analysis of a combo circuit

100

200

200

400

12 V

Board Solution

Calculate
1. Total current
2. Branch currents
3. IR drops

Reduce & Simplify find RT

100

200

12 V
200

400

300
600

RT = R1,2 // R3,4
= 300 // 600 = 200

12 V

200

IT = 12 / 200 = 0.06 amps (60 mA)

Determining Total Resistance

IT
R1

R2

R3

RT

RT = V
IT

R1

RT

R2

R3

1
1
1
1
RT = R1 + R2 + R3

Branch Currents
IT
100

Ia

200

12 V
200

400

300
600

Branch Currents
Ia = 12 / 300 = 40 mA
Ib = 12 / 600 = 20 mA
IT = Ia + Ib = 40mA + 20 mA = 60 mA

Ib

IR Drops (voltage across each resistor)

60 mA

40 mA

20 mA
VR1 = 40 mA x 100 = 4000 mV = 4V

12 V

R1

R3

100

200

R2

R4

200

400

VR2 = 40 mA x 200 = 8000 mV = 8V

VR3 = 20 mA x 200 = 4000 mV = 4V
VR4 = 20 mA x 400 = 8000 mV = 8V

Bridge Circuit
In a bridge circuit the voltage
difference between the two
parallel branches is used to
indicate the potential difference
between the two points.

VAB

VAB = VA - VB

R1

Vs
VA

Using the Voltage

Divider Formula

R3

B
R2

R4

VA =
VB

R2
x Vs
R2 + R1

VB =

R4
x Vs
R4 + R3

Wheatstone Bridge null balance detector

VOUT = 0 volts

A balanced bridge can be used to measure an unknown resistance.

The Wheatstone bridge can be used as an ohmmeter by
comparing the unknown resistance value to a known one.

Conditioning circuit for resistive sensors and

transducers

R1

Vs

R1

R1

VOUT

Rs

VOUT can be used to represent

some type of process variable
Temperature
Thermistor
Resistance Temperature
Detectors (RTDs)
Pressure
Strain Gauge
Flow
Anemometer

The bridge is often used as a conditioning circuit to convert the

output of a resistive type sensing element into a voltage (mV)