How to Select Between a Handheld Multimeter and a Benchtop Multimeter?
A digital multimeter is a versatile electronic measuring instrument with various shapes and specifications, which may surpass any other instrument category. The most common ones are handheld and desktop multimeters. So, when selecting, should you choose a handheld or desktop multimeter? Today, Antai Testing will share with you:
Handheld digital multimeters are mainly used in on-site environments that value portability and battery power. In such environments, users can quickly and easily measure basic voltage, current, and resistance when moving from one location to another. For these applications, resolution, accuracy, measurement speed, or computer connectivity are not as important as battery life, durability, and size.
Desktop multimeters are larger than handheld multimeters because they are mainly used in designer workstations or automation system testing racks. Engineering educators, researchers, product designers, and all types of testing engineers are users of desktop multimeters. For these users, sensitivity, accuracy, wide range, maximum functionality, measurement speed, and connection to personal computers are even more important.
Desktop digital multimeters have all these features, providing a resolution of 5 and a half bits to 8 and a half bits, far higher than the typical 3 and a half bits to 4 and a half bits resolution of handheld multimeters. The sensitivity of desktop multimeters can reach a minimum of 100nV, 0.1 µ Ω, and 1pA, while high-end handheld multimeters have sensitivity of 10 µ V, 0.1 Ω, and 0.01 µ A. The DCV accuracy of excellent handheld multimeters is 0.05%, while desktop multimeters can achieve 0.0025% DCV and better accuracy.
Desktop multimeters are typically used for automatic testing and require interfaces to control the multimeter and send/receive data using a computer. Automatic testing typically requires fast measurement rates and the ability to sample complex waveforms, as shown in the following figure. If the job of a maintenance technician is to keep the electrical system running, then he does not need these functions. And these desktop features are crucial for researchers, designers, and testing engineers.
