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Thin Film – An Ever-Present Item With Handful of Uses and Practical Applications
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About Thin film Electronic Components and Its Product Range:

There is a widely used product for everything from computer memory and drug delivery to batteries, dye-sensitized solar cells, and micro and nano-devices. It is also used in a variety of applications such as protective coatings, control of light and heat, and modification of surface properties. What exactly is thin film and how is it defined? Essentially, thin film is a layer of material that ranges from fractions of a nanometer to several micrometers in thickness. They are the most common in electronic semiconductor devices and optical coatings, although they have many other applications, some of which were mentioned above. You are probably familiar with the application of thin film in a typical household mirror, in which a thin metal coating is applied to the back of a sheet of glass in order to form the reflective surface.

It is particularly ferromagnetic and ferroelectric thin films, are being increasingly used in computer memory. Ferromagnetism is a mechanism in which materials form permanent magnets, a very important concept that is fundamental in electrical and electromechanical devices such as electromagnets, electric motors, generators, transformers, and magnetic storage. Ferroelectric, on the other hand, signifies that there is a permanent electric polarization than can be reversed in an external electric field. These are used in transducers and electromechanical actuators. It is being used in pharmaceuticals as a method of drug delivery. Another type of thin film, ceramic, is also widely used to protect materials against corrosion, oxidation, and wear. They are also used to produce thin-film batteries and dye-sensitized solar cells. Photovoltaic solar cells have been known to have high manufacturing costs, which in turn causes solar energy to be up to 5 times more expensive than traditional energy methods. Photovoltaic is the conversion of light energy into electricity using solar cells, which can reduce costs dramatically and make solar energy a more economically feasible source of energy. Recently, these solar cells have been produced using this technology, which requires less processing and fewer materials than the thick wafers previously used in solar cells. This reduction in cost and materials is paramount in helping solar energy become more prevalent.

As discussed, this technology has a handful of useful and practical applications. How does the manufacturing process work? This term itself refers to the entire process of manufacturing as well as the heater elements on the thermal print heads themselves. In simple terms, the process works by depositing a very thin layer of resistor material onto a substrate, followed by a thin layer of metal, through the use of chemical vapor deposition. Both these deposited layers are referred to as this. In comparison, thick film technology is more complex and requires that conductors be fabricated at twice the resolution, thus limiting the resolution.

This technology, especially thin-film cells, are manufactured by the following companies: Abound Solar, Aleo Solar, Anwell Technologies, Ascent Solar, Bosch Solar Energy, Daystar Technologies, Energy Conversion Devices, First Solar, Global Solar Energy, HelioVolt, International Solar Electric Technology, Konarka Technologies, Miasole, Nanosolar, Odersun, Q-Cells, Sanyo, Signet Solar, Solo Power, Solyndra, Sulfur cell, SUNGEN International Limited, and TEL Solar.

You can browse on web for leading distributor of all types of thin film components from a comprehensive list of manufacturers. On this site is where you can get tier 1 pricing from manufacturers which pass selected savings to you:

Some Simple Facts About Ferrite Bead
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Ferrite beads are a kind of electronic component which are used to restrain unwanted noise in the conducting wires. It has a hole in the center and is made of ferromagnetic element. It is a kind of electronic choke that acts as an effective shield to suppress noise that has higher frequency. It provides protection from interference coming from dual directions- one from a particular device and the other, to a particular device. Noise generating from high frequency circuits are generally ground leads, inter stage connections and power supply leads. If there is any unshielded conductor and active lead nearby, then they might facilitate the transference of energy from one to another. To prevent it, all that needs to be done is to place some ferrite bead on this leads, so that they can totally block this exchange of energy. Its-best part is that it can be used on any existing circuit.

The cable on which the bead is used works like an antenna, through which electronic energy passes, ferrite bead here controls the flow of energy and helps to decrease EMI. On the other hand, if there is another source of EMI, it prevents action of the cable as a conductor of energy (antenna) and absorbs all the interferences into itself.

The amount of electrical resistance provided by the bead depends on the kind of material it is made of, the level of frequency and also the size of the bead. As the level of frequency gets higher, it also increases to show its resistance to electrical power in the form of low-level of reactance and as reactance is very low, so it has a very low chance of resonance that could disturb attenuation effect. The resistivity of the bead is directly connected to the length of it. They are available in different sizes- lengthy beads are applied to the external cables, whereas smaller ones are used inside electrical goods in circuits on conductors or around the pins of circuit board conductors.

You can add more beads to the same cable to enhance their power of resistance. As the magnetic field is contained within the bead, it works all the same whether it is touching the cable or not I not. The bead used in the inductors acts as a filter, in that it provides prevention from high pitch RFI or EMI electronic noise. The blocked energy is sent up on the cable or it gets disintegrated at the lower level in the form of heat. But if this heat oversteps the threshold of Curie point, then it will lose its magnetic quality and will be stripped off its power to block noises.

Ferrite beads are generally small in size, so it enables only one turn through it. But the hole of the toroidal beads is bigger in size and it is used in cases where more turns are necessary to provide stronger impedance. The turn through the bead is counted by the time a cable passes through its center hole. Sometimes the level of impedance depends upon the turning pattern of the wire. The winding can be done clockwise, anticlockwise or in crisscrossed manner. This pattern is very important, as the pattern will show direct impact on the amount of impedance offered by the bead.

Electrical Power and Energy
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Power is an electrical quantity that is measured in watts, and is the rate at which energy is either being absorbed or produced by a circuit. We know that light bulbs and heaters absorb energy and that the higher their value in watts the more energy they will consume. Likewise, batteries and generators produce energy and the greater their electrical rating the more power they can deliver to the load. The unit of electrical power is the watt with its symbol being a large letter “P” indicating constant DC power or a small letter “p” indicating a time-varying AC power.

Electrical power is related to energy which is the capacity to do work. It can also be defined as the rate of by which energy is transferred. If one joule of work is either absorbed or delivered at a constant rate of one second, then the corresponding power will be equivalent to one watt so power, P can be defined as 1Joule/sec = 1Watt. Then we can say that one watt is equal to one joule per second and electrical power can be defined as the rate of doing work or the transferring of energy.

Equally we can define energy as being watts per second or joules. So if the power is measured in kilowatts (thousands of watts) and the time is measure in hours, then the unit of electrical energy is the kilowatt-hour, (kWh) and 1 kWh is the amount of electricity used by a device rated at 1000 watts in one hour.

Kilowatt-hours are the standard units of energy used by the electricity meter in our homes to calculate the amount of electrical energy we use and therefore how much we pay. So if you switch on an electric fire with an element rated at 1000 watts and left it on for 1 hour you will have used 1 kWh of electricity. If you switched on two electric fires each with 1000 watt elements for half an hour the total consumption would be exactly the same amount of electricity – 1kWh. So, consuming 1000 watts for one hour uses the same amount of power as 2000 watts (twice as much) for half an hour (half the time). Then for a 100 watt light bulb to use 1 kWh or one unit of electrical power it would need to be switched on for a total of 10 hours (10 x 100 = 1000 = 1kWh).

So we now know that the unit of power is the watt with the power absorbed by an electrical circuit being given as the product of the voltage, V and the current, I which gives:

P (watts) = V (volts) x I (amperes)

Also, by substituting Ohm’s Law into the equation above we can also define a constant DC power as being:

P (watts) = I^2 (amperes squared) x R (resistance)

or

P (watts) = V^2 (voltage squared) / R (resistance)

Then there are three possible formulas for calculating electrical power in a circuit. If the calculated power is positive, (+P) then the circuit or component absorbs the power. But if the calculated power is negative, (-P) the circuit or component delivers power in other words it is a source of energy.

Power Rating

Electrical components are given a “power rating” in watts that indicates the maximum rate at which the component coverts the electrical energy into another form of energy such as heat, light or motion. For example, a 1/4W resistor, a 100W light bulb etc. So energy is used by electrical devices to convert one form of power to another so for example, an electrical motor will covert electrical energy into a mechanical force.

Electrical motors and other electrical systems have an efficiency rating defined as the ratio of power converted into work to the total power consumed by the device. Efficiency is expressed as a decimal fraction but is generally defined as a percentage value such as 85% efficient. So we can define efficiency as being equal to power output divided by power input x 100%.

The efficiency of an electrical device or motor will always be less than one (100%) due to electrical and mechanical losses. If an electrical device has an efficiency rating of 85% then only 85% of the input power is transformed into mechanical work the other 15% is lost in heat or other losses.

Domestic electrical appliances such as washing machines, driers, fridges and freezers also have energy efficiency ratings that indicate their energy usage and cost. These ratings are given as “A” for efficient and “G” for less efficient.

So remember, the more energy efficient is the device, the less energy it will consume and the more money you will save as well as being helpful to the environment.

How To Check Whether Your DC Electric Motor Has Gone "Bad"
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These days, direct current (or DC) electric motors are used in a wide range of applications, such as the moving windows and seats in your car. Because of the concealed nature of these motors, it can be highly difficult to complete any repairs or maintenance on them without having to pull whatever it is powering apart. This is why, once you have managed to get to your DC electric motor, you should always give it a quick check to see whether it has gone “bad” and needs to be replaced.

Begin by removing the DC motor from its mount, ensuring that you have also removed any source of electric power that could accidentally cause it to begin turning. You may need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to do this, as some motors are very much wedged into position and could pose a risk of electrocution.

Next, you can test the electric motor’s continuity (or connection) by attaching it to a volt ohmmeter. Ensure that the meter is in the “ohms” position, then place the red and black leads into its connections (the red lead should be attached to the “ohms” and the black lead to the “common” point). Test that the meter is working properly by touching these two leads together – the screen should read zero ohms (or full continuity).

To test your DC motor, touch the leads of the ohmmeter to the leads of the motor. The meter’s screen should indicate a low resistance (somewhere between 10 and 30 ohms), but if it reads an infinite ohms or an open circuit you should rotate the end shaft of the motor. The ohmmeter should give different readings as this shaft is rotated (which is an indication that the electric motor itself is good, but that there is a problem with the electrical circuit. If the meter is still reading as an open circuit, the conducting brushes may have gone “bad”.

Use a screwdriver to remove the brushes from the end of the electric motor (you can find them under the plastic end caps at the opposite end of the motor to the drive shaft). Carefully inspect the brushes for any sign of cracks or breaks in the surface – the area of the brush that sits against the conductor or commutator should be smooth and curved. If there are any broken wires or springs, the motor will fail. If the brushes appear fine, then the problem may be with the commutator.

Take the screwdriver again and use it to remove the rear end cap of the DC electric motor (by removing the two screws that run the motor’s length). Inspect the plates that comprise the commutator assembly – there should be an opening between each. If you notice any broken wires or burnt varnish, the commutator has failed and its damaged parts will need to be replaced.

The Benefits Of Scented Reed Diffusers
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There are many benefits of reed diffusers over other means of adding a wonderful fragrance to your home and many people believe that there is no better way to fragrance your living space than a reed diffuser. As diffusers assume increasing popularity as a means of not only offering a home a wonderful fragrance but also oriental-looking home accents, an increasing number of candle businesses are offering electrical and reed diffusers as part of their range.

So why exactly are so many people considering reed diffusers rather than the more easy to use electrical oil diffusers, or even scented candles? In fact the scented candle business is not dropping but actually increasing, and with it so are sales of reed diffusers. The reason might be that people are turning to reeds rather than electrically heated equivalents that cost more money as power costs increase.

With a reed diffuser all you need are the reeds themselves, a jar or container and the fragrant oil – the reeds will last a long time before they become blocked – and then only if you permit them to dry out. Perhaps that needs a little explanation, so here is how the various types of home fragrances work.

Perfumed Sprays

Perfumed sprays are often used where bad odours are localized, such as in toilets and where you have pets. A quick spray generally masks the odour, though some can chemically react with the chemicals that create the bad smell and neutralize them. However, some of these sprays smell almost as bad the original odour! They are short lasting and generally do not offer the same delicate fragrances that those below do.

Scented Candles

Scented candles have essential oils mixed with the wax, so when the wax burns the essential oils are released. Candles offer the benefits of continuous emission of fragrant oil vapour so that the rooms in which they are used smell good for more than just the short period for which a perfumed spray is active.

Another benefit of scented candles is that they are available in a very wide range of shapes, colours and perfumes, and many of them are akin to mini works of art. People use perfumed candles in their homes as others would use figurines – to decorate the room visually as well as to provide it with a range of beautifully smelling fragrances that can be changed to suit your mood.

Electrical Diffusers

Diffusers work through heat evaporating essential oils and releasing them into your room. The term ‘essential’ in relation to oils indicates those which offer pleasant fragrances, such as rose, lavender, sandalwood, musk and many, many others. In essence, they work in much the same way as candles, only rather than a living flame heating up the essential oil bound in the wax, an electric current heats up a resistor, as in an electric fire, that reaches a temperature sufficient to evaporate the oil, thus releasing its fragrant vapour.

During operation, they are plugged into an electrical socket. Those with a cable can be set in your room anywhere you want, although you can also get diffusers that have a plug attached directly to it so that the diffuser is connected right at the socket.

Reed Diffusers

Reed Diffusers use no energy, except perhaps the natural warmth of your room. The essential oil is poured into a bottle or a jar, often beautifully designed and crafted just for this purpose, and a number of reeds are placed into the bottle. Reed diffusers use proper reeds such as rattan canes, with a spongy inside that absorbs the oil. Many try the same thing with bamboo canes or twigs, but it doesn’t work because the reed must contain capillaries that suck up the oil, which itself is a light essential oil that can be drawn up the reeds by capillary action and then evaporated at room temperature into your home.

The Benefits of Reed Diffusers

The benefits of reed diffusers over the other type of diffusers are that they do not need electricity and they last longer than candles. There is no problem with living flames when you have young children and pets in your home, and they look a lot better than their electrical counterparts do. You can leave them all night and they will work continuously with no danger from a flame or electricity.

For those who use them, the benefits of reed diffusers far outweigh any disadvantages they may offer, although it is difficult to think of one. They are inexpensive, look fabulous and modern and the fragrance they provide to your home is simply magnificent. Not only that, but the range of perfumes that reed diffusers can provide to your home is limited only by the essential oils that nature can provide.

Different Types Of Digital Multimeters
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Digital multimeters are an electrician’s best friend. They are gadgets used to measure voltage, current and resistance of a circuit of an electronic device or an in-home circuit. A digital multimeter, or DMM, produces highly accurate numerical readings and displays them on a LED screen. An analogue multimeter, on the other hand, display readings using a pointer that deflects on the printed dial screen. This may produce inaccurate readings resulting from human error. There are different types of DMMs and they function differently.

Fluke Digital Multimeter

Fluke digital multimeters carry out various calibration functions. They measure electric current, voltage and resistance across different components. Depending on the element that needs to be measured, the correct task can be selected on the selector knob. A Fluke DMM comes with a large display screen, making it very easy to note the readings. More innovative DMMs also come with features that measure temperature, frequency, pressure, humidity and duty cycle. The voltage, current or resistance reading is taken when the two leads are connected to the device being measured.

The Clamp Digitial Multimeter

A digital clamp multimeter is a testing tool used to measure electrical flow. The clamp part of the device is used for measuring amperage that is surging through an insulated cable. Normally, most digital clamp multimeters don’t possess the ability to measure electrical resistance. They typically measure current flow through the clamp portion and the volts using the probes. The clamp DMM’s main purpose is to read amperage through the cable and the circuit’s voltage. The power consumption, or Watts, can be calibrated by multiplying the amps and the volts readings.

DMMs For Various Voltage Outputs

When measuring AC or DC current across a circuit or a component, make sure that the digital multimeter matches its voltage level. More than damaging your electric gauging tool, you will put your own life in danger. There have been reports of injuries and deaths relating to the use of a wrong type of multimeters: smaller ones have been used to read installation circuits with high voltage. It is imperative that only experts handle multimeters to test electrical current and voltage.

DMMs are given the following rates:-

A. Category I – for testing electronic devices

B. Category II – for testing appliance and domestic loads

C. Category III – for small-sized industrial circuits

D. Category IV – for testing power lines and feeds of residential and commercial electrical mains

Digital multimeters can be an intimidating tool to use. But if you are knowledgeable in the field of electricity and handle it with precaution, you will realise that DMMs are the most useful appliances around. They help keep electrical devices, circuits and entire houses in check. By choosing the right type of DMM, you can keep yourself, your family and your home safe from electrical hazards.

Importance of Electric Insulated Mats
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Insulation mat is a major industrial material that highly contributes to the safety and security of various small as well as large scale business sector. It is basically used for different electrical purposes and hence it has a broad application in several power plants, high voltage panels, substations, HT and LT labs and power transmission rooms. Apart from these, in all other related commercial establishments where workers are required to perform close to ear control panels and bus bar many types of insulation materials are used in order to ensure protection and safety for workmen.

Design and Applications

Electric insulated mats are manufactured with a perfect mix of synthetic polymers. An anti static ground mat or floor mat is made of various kinds of anti static devices especially designed to help in eliminating static electricity. Insulation mats are usually made effective by plugging into the earthed line in an electrical outlet. It is really crucial to discharge at slower rate, hence a resistor is to be used in grounding the mat. Hence, proper safety of the workers is rendered by these insulating mats.

Industrial employees and professionals who need to work in such environment that involves constant threat of electric shock and life risk should utilize the facilities electric insulated mats. You can use insulating materials in terms of floor covering under control panels and it assures safety of workmen with better and more secured infrastructure. Thus the possibility of hazards caused by any form of leakage of current is decreased.

Electrical safety is of primary concern for the professionals and employees associated with the entire electrical industry irrespective of large, medium or small. The necessity that is related to electrical installation systems with regard to operational safety and reliability are perpetually increasing. Since the applications are becoming rather complex day by day, the electrical protection of the machine and personnel must be secured in all situations.

Features

Electric insulated mats have become one of the most vital industrial resources owing to some of their very special and unique mechanical as well as physical attributes. High voltage insulating mat is much recommended for its excellent aging properties, high insulation and low to very low temperature resistance. Moreover, such mats are alkali, transformer oil and acid proof as well as flame redundant in nature. Cost inefficiencies, high tensile strength and the very elongation properties of this type of insulators increase their uses in specific industrial sectors.

Market Availability

The entire manufacturing process is accomplished by the inclusion of a conductive material integrated within the mat which collects the static energy. The insulation mat needs to be grounded properly. Electric insulated mats are offered by various reputed brands. These mats are of premium quality and users can find their all inclusive applications in power plants, substations etc. Present day market availability includes extensive range of insulating materials in various specifications and designs. These environment friendly mats are mostly preferred or much appreciated for some of the special properties including cost effectiveness, flexibility, vibrant colors, durability and easy washable feature.

Buyers can visit http://www.electromat.in to have all the information regarding their immense expertise in offering electric insulated mats.

The Electrical Methods of Geophysical Exploration
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The resistivity method is useful for the study of horizontal and vertical variations in the electrical properties of the subsurface. This method does utilise either the direct current or a low frequency alternate current. This method is being primarily utilised in ground water exploration, mineral exploration, oil exploration, and waste site exploration.

In the resistivity method, current is driven through a pair of electrodes and the potential established in the subsurface by this current can be measured by the second pair of electrodes connected to a voltmeter. Based on the responses, effective or apparent resistivity of can be evaluated. In-homogenous layers within the subsurface can be interpreted by the fact that they deflect the current and distort the normal values of potentials. The electrical potentials can also be developed within the subsurface by electrochemical reactions, from any external source, telluric currents, etc. The resistivity methods can be useful to find the depth as well as the shape of several types of ore bodies.

The resistance offered by any object to the current flow can be expressed in terms of resistivity. The electrode configurations can be of several types such as Wenner’s, Schlumberger’s, dipole-dipole, etc.

The igneous rocks are the most resistant. The sedimentary rocks are the most conductive. The young volcanic rocks do possess lesser resistivity when compared to the old volcanic rocks. The resistivity of the rocks depends upon several factors such as porosity, saturation, content of clay, etc.

The metallic sulfide deposits are often be termed as the zones of anomalously low resistance.

Potentials, currents, and electromagnetic fields can be measured by using several electrical methods of geophysical prospecting. These methods do yield the best results in the upper few hundred meters of the surface and in the zones containing fresh un-weathered rock bodies.

The induced polarisation method is the only geophysical method which is capable of detecting concealed and disseminated sulphide deposits. This method is based on the fact that the earth materials discharge after the applied current is switched off. When the applied primary current is switched off, the decay of the secondary voltage can be detected and thus provides the measurement of the size and the position of the chargeable rock body. This method does utilise the electrochemical effects produced by currents, which pass through the disseminated sulphide metal deposits. The flow of electric current in any rock body may make parts of it to be electrically polarised. This effect is mostly seen in metallic sulphides and graphite deposits.

This method does measure the magnitude of polarisation and thus can be an excellent indicator of the clay content in the formations.

Important Facts About Electric Heater Efficiency
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If you, as a homeowner, use an electric heater, maybe it would be to your best interests to learn some basic information with respect to its efficiency. Knowing them will guide you to make the right conclusion. There are many types of electric heaters with different functions and efficiency ratings out there in the market. To go back to the basics, what is an electric heater? Well, it is an appliance using an electrical resistor to convert electric current into heat.

It is advisable for you to do some personal research to avoid deception. Some people may tell you that electric portable heaters are very efficient. Others will say that heat pump electric heaters are the best. There are also some sources who say that for you to determine their efficiency, simply reduce it to basic economics. How much is your annual electric bill going to be as compared with other kinds of heaters using natural gas or oil? The efficiency of a heater can be calculated. You just simply multiply the cost per kilowatt hour by the number of kilowatts the heater uses and the efficiency rating of the heater.

Electric heaters are classified as radiative, conductive or convective. Based on the different types in the market, you should be aware that understanding how they technically operate can play an important role to determine the efficiency of this kind of heater.

You may have a central electrical heating system or a movable space heater which can either be a portable radiative or convective. You may also have baseboard heater which operates from a mix of convection and conduction. There is also the underground heat pump technology which many people think is the most efficient.

Electric heaters are either passive or active depending on its effectiveness and performance. They are 100% effective if they send and spread the heat to where it is needed. Your passive heater is subject to the positioning and features of the rooms in the house. It operates based on the natural airflows in the room. An active heater is any electrical heater which can keep you warm at the right temperature. It delivers the right quantity of heat to a place where spot heating is needed to give your family warmth and comfort.

When it comes to space heating, using an electric heater can be practical and energy efficient if utility rates in your areas are low. Let us say, your sources are hydroelectric, solar, nuclear, or wind. But if your utility company is charging you high power rates, even if your heater is efficient in its performance, your electric bills are expensive if you compare it with a propane gas heater. Your option to save or cut down your high electricity cost can be to enhance your sealing and insulation of your walls, doors, windows, ceilings and attics, etc.

Of course, if you have somebody in your family which has an allergen or oversensitivity to certain chemicals, using an electric heater is more efficient since it is free from indoor pollution. Doctors will recommend electric space heaters.

So, there you have it. Get excited and learn more! Talk to some reputable HVAC contractors and get their advice and opinions. Exhaustive info is out there. An appropriate knowledge about electric heater efficiency will give you the necessary wisdom to make an excellent conclusion!

Using a Digital Multimeter
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A digital multimeter is one the most versatile and useful instruments in your auto shop. It is important to own a good model and understand how to use it properly. A digital multimeter is actually three devices in one. It is a voltmeter that measure electrical potential across a device in volts. It is an ammeter that measures the amount of electric current through a device. This is measured in amps. Finally, a digital multimeter is an ohmmeter that measures electrical resistance of a device. Electrical resistance is measured in ohms.

Today, modern digital multimeters are designed to be rugged and easy to operate. A good multimeter will have a rugged plastic case and large, easy to use selector knobs. The top part contains the digital read out screen. This is something you should thoroughly check out before you purchase one. Make sure the screen is large enough to read it and make sure you see the readout in sunlight. Chances are you will be using this instrument outside in direct sunlight.

Below the digital readout is a large knob called the function switch. The function switch allows you to change the modes the digital multimeter operates in. For example, you can easily change from voltmeter to ammeter to ohmmeter with the turn of the dial. Again make sure the function switch is large and easy to operate. Most function switches have approximately eight positions. Most have three V markings that measure voltage. They measure AC, DC and low voltage currents in the millivolt range. Next there will be two positions marked with A~ and A=. The A~ measures AC current in amps and the A= measures DC current in amps. The upside down horseshoe Ω measures resistance in ohms.

In order to measure voltage, first turn on the digital multimeter and let it go through its startup procedure. Generally the digital readout lights up and the unit goes through its self diagnostic checkout. Once that is completed you are ready to measure volts. Now turn the function switch to V= to measure DC volts. Now you will need to connect the red and black leads to the digital multimeter. Connect the red lead to the red input terminal labeled VΩ and connect the black lead to the terminal labeled COM for common terminal. Now you can measure volts by putting the red lead on the terminal with the higher potential and the black lead on the lower one.

To measure amps, the leads must be connected in a different fashion. First set the function switch to A= position. Connect the black lead to the COM terminal. Now you must connect the red lead to the terminal labeled 300mA. Now you are ready to connect the meter in series the device being measured by opening up the circuit and inserting the meter between the open points. The results will be in milliamps because you are using the 300mA terminal.

The third feature of a digital multimeter is its ability to measure to Ohms. Ohms is a measurement of resistance in an electrical circuit. First disconnect all wiring and power sources from the device being measured. Now turn the function switch to the Ω position and connect your leads. The red lead is connected to the terminal labeled VΩ and the black terminal connects to the COM terminal. The display will indicate OL. This is normal and means there is an overload. Now connect the leads across the device to measure the Ohms.

These are the basic functions of a digital multimeter. Remember to shut off your multimeter before storing it back in the your toolbox. You do not want a drained battery the next time you will need it. There are several good brands on the market today. Fluke digital multimeters are probably the most popular and you won’t go wrong with one.