By: Mdm Chanuri A/P Charin

At the end of the lesson, students should be

able to:
• define basic concept of Permanent Magnet
Moving Coil (PMMC)
• apply the concept of PMMC used in DC
ammeter, voltmeter, ohmmeter, half wave
and full wave rectification.
• apply in-depth knowledge in the loading
effects and ammeter insertion effects
• BASIC METER MOVEMENT
• PRINCIPLE OPERATION OF A PMMC METER
• ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF PMMC
METER
• DC AMMETER
• AYRTON SHUNT
• AMMETER INSERTION EFFECT
• DC VOLTMETER
• MULTIRANGE DC VOLTMETER
• LOADING EFFECT
• AC VOLTMETER
• The action of the most commonly analog meter is based on the fundamental
principle of motor.

• Motor action : produced by the flow of a small current through a moving coil
which is positioned in the field of a permanent magnet.

• Basic moving coil system is called

d’Arsonval meter or Permanent Magnet
Moving Coil (PMMC) meter.

• Coil (rotor) moves in a rotary fashion.

Amount of rotation is proportional to the
amount of current flowing through the coil.

• Pointer attached to the coil indicates

the position of the coil on a scale
calibrated in terms of current or voltage. Basic Meter Movement
A coil is suspended in the magnetic field of a
permanent magnetic
in the shape of a horse-shoe.
Function of a spring:
•To make electrical connections to the coil
•To return the coil to its original
position when there is no current
. through the coil
•To resist the movement of when
there is current through the coil
When a current flows through the coil, the
resulting magnetic field reacts with the
magnetic field of the permanent magnet
generating an electromagnetic(EM) torque,

causing the coil to rotate.

PMMC Meter
 Advantages Disadvantages

 Can be modified using

shunt to cover a wide  Can measure only dc
range of current/voltage
currents/voltages  Friction due to jewel-
 No hysteresis loss pivot suspension
 Cheap and robust  Some errors due to

 Low power consumption

ageing of control springs
and the permanent
 Scales are uniform
 Low resistance resistor is placed in parallel
with moving coil (D’Arsonval meter @ PMMC)
whose resistance is Rm.
 This low resistance is called shunt resistor
(Rsh).
 Rsh functions to provide an alternative path
for the total metered current I around the
meter movement
Where:
Rsh = resistance of the shunt
Rm = internal resistance of the
moving coil
Ish = current through shunt
Im = full scale deflection
current of the moving coil
I = full scale deflection current
of the ammeter
Vm = voltage drop across Rm
Vsh = voltage drop across Rsh
From circuit in Figure 3:
Vm = ImRm
Vm = Vsh
Ish = I – Im
Therefore,

_______ Equation (1)

 Purpose of Ish is to allow us to measure a
current I that is n times larger than Im.

I = n Im _____ Equation (2)

where n is multiplying factor
 Substitute equ (2) into (1)

 ________ Equation (3)

A 100 μA meter with an internal resistance of
800> is used in a 0-100 mA ammeter. Find the
value of the required shunt resistance.
A 100 μA meter with an internal resistance of
800Ω is used in a 0-100 mA ammeter. Find
the value of the required shunt resistance.
 Im

Rm

I - Im

Rc Rb Ra

I2
5A
I3 I1
I 10A 1A

+ -
Fig. 3: An Ammeter using Ayrton shunt.
 Im

Rm
From figure;
I - Im
(Rb+Rc)(I2-Im) = Im (Ra+Rm)

Rc Rb Ra I2(Rb+Rc) - Im(Rb+Rc) =
Im [Rsh-(Rb+Rc) + Rm)
I2
I2(Rb+Rc) - Im(Rb+Rc) =
5A
ImRsh- Im(Rb+Rc) + ImRm.
I3 I1
I 10A Thus;
1A
Rb+Rc= Im(Rsh+Rm) / I2 (1)
Ra = Rsh – (Rb+Rc) (2)
+ - Rc = Im(Rsh+Rm) / I3 (3)
Fig. 3: An Ammeter using Ayrton shunt.
 Example 2.3:
Compute the value of the shunt
resistors for the circuit. Given
that Rm = 1.2kΩ,
Im =150 mA,
0-5mA, 0-50mA, 0-200mA.

Fig. 3: An Ammeter using Ayrton shunt.

• All ammeter contain internal resistance
• Inserting an ammeter: a) increase the resistance
b) reduce the current

Ammeter
  Circuit without ammeter:
(Iactual= current without inserting an ammeter)

Iactual= V
R
 Circuit with an ammeter:

Im= V
R+Rm
 The insertion error of an ammeter is defined as:

Insertion error (%) = Iactual-Im x 100

Iactual
An ammeter with internal resistance of 50Ω and full scale deflection
current of 0.1A is used to measure current in the circuit as shown.
Determine the insertion error.
Solution:

1. Iactual = V 2. Im = V 3. insertion error (in %) = Iactual–Im x 100

R R+Rm Iactual
= 20 = 20 = 0.02-0.01905 x 100
1k 1k+50 0.02
= 0.02A = 0.01905A = + 4.75%
 A PMMC meter can be converted to a voltmeter by
connecting a multiplier Rs in series with the meter.
 The purpose of the multiplier Rs is to extend the range of
meter and to limit the current through the meter to the
maximum full-scale deflection current.
 Where:
 Rs = multiplier resistors
 Rm = internal resistance of the
moving coil
 V = full-scale deflection voltage
of voltmeter
 Im = full-scale deflection
current of the moving coil
 Ifs = Im
 Rs is determine by the
sensitivity of the d’Arsonval
meter.
 Calculate the value of multiplier resistance
for a 50 V range DC Voltmeter that used 5mA
D’Arsonval meter with an internal resistance
of 1K
 A basic PMMC meter movement with a fullscale
deflection of 50 μA and internal resistance of 500 Ohm
is used as a voltmeter. Determine the value of the
multiplier resistance to measure a voltage range of 0-
10V .


 Example:
 Using a 1mA, 100W PMMC movement, design a multi- range
voltmeter with the
following ranges: 0-10V, 0-50V, 0-250V and 0-500V.
What is the maximum voltage measurable by the given PMMC?
Im= 1mA ´ 100W = 0.1V
Therefore we need a multiplier for all ranges.
•A voltmeter when connected across two points in a
highly resistive circuits, acts as a shunt for that
portion , reducing the total equivalent resistance of
that portion.

•The voltmeter then indicates a lower reading than

the actual value. This is called the loading effect.
Figure 2.9 shows a series circuit consists of resistor R₁ and R₂, connected to a 100V dc
source. The voltage across R₂ is to be measured by two voltmeters as follows:
• Voltmeter A: S = 1000 Ω/V, range = 30V
• Voltmeter B: S = 10 000 Ω/V, range = 30V

Determine :
i) The actual voltage (before the meter is connected).
ii) Measured voltage using Voltmeter A.
iii) Measured voltage using Voltmeter B.
iv) Errors in both Voltmeter A and B.
v) Which voltmeter gives more accurate reading? Justify your answer.
FIGURE 2.9
SOLUTION
i) The actual voltage (before the meter is connected)

ii) Measured voltage using Voltmeter A,

Internal resistance of Voltmeter A:

RTA= Rs+Rm
=S X Range= 1000X30=30k Ω
Equivalent resistance:
ReqA= RTA//R₂= 30k//10k=7.5k Ω

Measured voltage using Voltmeter A:

iii) Measured voltage using Voltmeter B,
Internal resistance of Voltmeter B:
RTA=Rs+Rm
=S X Range=10 000X30=300k Ω
Equivalent resistance:
ReqB=RTB//R₂=300k//10k=9.7k Ω
Measured voltage using Voltmeter B:

VTB= =49.24 V
iv) Errors in Voltmeter A:

Errors in Voltmeter B:

v) Voltmeter B gives more accurate reading. Since error in Voltmeter B is less than error
in Voltmeter A. High sensitivity voltmeter should be used to get accurate readings.
 In order to measure ac current/voltage,we may
rectify the alternating current by using diode
rectifier to produce unidirectional current flow.

 The voltage across the MM is just the positive

½ cycle of the sine wave because the rectifying
action of the diode.
 Instrument Rectifier

Rsh :
 increase current flow through D1 during the +ve ½ cycle
 diode will be operating in linear region
 improve linearity of AC meter during measurement of low voltage,
but further reduces the ac sensitivity
D2 :
 +ve ½ cycle = no effect (Reverse-bias)

 -ve ½ cycle = provides an alternate path for reverse biased

leakage current that would normally flow through meter movement
and D1.
 Sensitivity of dc voltmeter is defined as:

Sdc = 1/ Itotal = 1/ (Ish + Ifsd)

 Since the meter will respond to the average value/ dc value of

the ac sine;

Vdc = 0.45 Vrms

 This means that ac voltmeter is less sensitive than dc voltmeter

which is;

Sac = 0.45 Sdc

 In the ½ wave rectifier
shown below, D1 and D2
have an average forward
resistance of 50Ω and are
assumed to have an infinite Rs D1
resistance in reverse biased. IT Im
Calculate the following:
Ish
Ein D2 Rsh
(a) Rs value
(b) Sac Rm

(c) Sdc

Given that Ein = 10-Vrms,

Rsh = 200Ω, Ifs = 100µA,
Rm = 200Ω
 2.10.2 AC Voltmeter Using Full-Wave Rectifier

 Diode D2 and diode D3 conduct during the positive half of the input cycle
cause the meter to deflect according to the average value of this half cycle.

 In the negative half cycle, diode D1 and diode D4 conduct. The

current flows in an opposite direction cause the meter to deflect
according to the average value of this second half cycle.

 A full wave rectification is used to improve the sensitivity of an ac

voltmeter.

 The average value/dc value of a full wave ac voltmeter is given by;

Vdc = 0.9Vrms

 The sensitivity of a full wave ac voltmeter is given by;

Sac = 0.9Sdc
EXAMPLE :

A PMMC meter with Ifsd of 1mA and internal resistance of 1kΩ is to be

employed as an ac voltmeter as shown in figure 2.15. All diodes used in
the bridge rectifier circuit have an average forward resistance of 100Ω
and infinite resistance in the reverse direction. Determine:
i. the voltmeter sensitivity on dc and ac range,
ii. The value of multiplier resistor Rs,
iii. Full scale deflection current of the meter when the input source is
reduced to 10V ac range.
SOLUTION :

i. The voltmeter sensitivity on dc and ac range

Since Rsh is parallel with Rm
IshRsh = IfsdRm
Ish = IfsdRm⁄Rsh = [(1m)(1k)] / 500 = 2mA
Itotal = Ish +Ifsd = 2m +1m = 3mA
Sensitivity on dc, Sdc = 1 / Itotal = 1 / 3m = 333.3Ω/V
Sensitivity on ac, Sac = 0.9Sdc = 0.9(333.3) = 300Ω/V