Why not recommend comparing a multimeter with a power analyzer?
If you want to choose the most commonly used instrument for electrical engineers, I believe the chosen one will definitely be a multimeter. As the most commonly used instrument, a multimeter holds an irreplaceable position in the minds of users and has also generated great trust in it. However, is it true that a multimeter will not make mistakes in various testing environments?
Sometimes I receive feedback from users: "The display of this power analyzer is different from that of a multimeter (handheld). Our multimeter is imported, but domestically produced ones still don't work
However, how much room is there for comparison between a multimeter and a power analyzer?
bandwidth
Bandwidth is a key reference value for whether the measured signal can be accurately measured. The testing bandwidth of most common multimeters is mainly around 40-70Hz. Some desktop and a small number of handheld multimeters can measure intermediate frequency signals of 400Hz, while five and a half bit, six and a half bit and above desktop multimeters can also test signals of several hundred kHz. Power analyzers have advantages in bandwidth, such as the bandwidth parameter of PA5000H being 5M, and the bandwidth parameters of power analyzers are mostly set at 1M and 2M levels both domestically and internationally.
sampling rate
The sampling rate during testing is also a crucial parameter. The sampling rate of the multimeter is not very high, with desktop models being better around a few hundred k, while the sampling rate of the power analyzer is set at around 2M.
accuracy
The difference in accuracy is mainly shown on handheld multimeters. Our most commonly used multimeter uses relatively low ADC digits, and there may be some limitations to the accuracy of testing; Of course, for a desktop multimeter, a six and a half digit multimeter is already using a 24-bit ADC, and even a power analyzer model with 0.01% accuracy is only an 18-bit ADC.
Synchronicity
Users often use a multimeter to measure one indicator, voltage, current, or resistance. If testing power requires separate testing of voltage, then testing current for calculation; The channel of the power analyzer can simultaneously test voltage and current, and then calculate parameters such as power.
When the measured signal is a relatively stable DC signal or low-frequency signal, there is no problem with a regular multimeter for qualitative measurement, and a high-precision multimeter for quantitative measurement is very suitable. At this time, the comparison between the power analyzer and the multimeter is not significant, and the difference between the two will be very small. However, when the signal is unstable or high-frequency signals appear, it is difficult for a multimeter to make qualitative analysis.
