ALTERNATING CURRENT METERS

Objectives
Ability to know the operation & Analyzed
DArsonval meter movement used with
half wave rectification
Abilty to know the operation & analyzed
DArsonval meter movement used withfull
wave rectification
Types of meter movement and application
for each meter movement.
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Alternating Current Waveform

Sinusoidal wave

Square wave

Triangle wave
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Alternating Current Waveform

Erms= E(root mean square), Ep-p= E peak-peak, Ep= E peak

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Vavg = 0
Vrms = 0.707Vp

Vavg = 0.318Vp
Vrms = 0.5Vp

Vavg = 0.636Vp
Vrms = 0.707Vp

Average and RMS Value

Vavg = 0
Vrms = 0.707Vp
Sine Wave

Vavg = 0.636Vp
Vrms = 0.707Vp
Full Wave

Cont..
Vavg = 0.318Vp
Vrms = 0.5Vp

Half Wave

PMMC Instrument on AC
The PMMC instrument is polarized (terminals +ve & -ve)
- it must be connected correctly for positive (on scale)
deflection to occur.
When an AC with a very low frequency is passed through
a PMMC, the pointer tends to follow the instantaneous
level of the AC
As the current grows positively, the pointer deflection
increases to a maximum at the peak of the AC
As the instantaneous current level falls, the pointer
deflection decreases toward zero. When the AC goes
negative, the pointer deflected (off scale) to the left of
zero
This kind of pointer movement can occur only with
AC having a frequency of perhaps 0.1Hz or lower
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PMMC Instrument on AC
At 50Hz or higher supply frequencies - the damping
mechanism of the instrument and the inertia of the meter
movement prevent the pointer from following the changing
instantaneous levels.
The average value of purely sinusoidal AC is zero.
Therefore, a PMMC instrument connected directly to
measure 50Hz AC indicates zero average value.
It is important to note that although a PMMC instrument
connected to an ac supply may indicating zero, there can
actually be very large rms current flowing in its coils
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Two types of PMMC meter used in

AC measurement :
1. Half wave rectification
2. Full wave rectification

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DArsonval meter movement used

with half wave rectification
To convert alternating current (AC) to unidirectional
current flow, which produces positive deflection when
passed through a PMMC, the diode rectifier is used.
Several types of rectifiers are selected such as a copper
oxide rectifier, a vacuum diode, or semiconductor or
crystal diode.
VP
Vrms

0.5Vp

Vave V dc 0.318Vp
Vp
2 Vrms
Vave
0.45Vrms

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Cont
For example, if the output voltage from a half wave
rectifier is 10Vrms so the dc voltmeter will provide an
indication of approximately 4.5V dc Therefore, the
pointer deflected full scale when 10V dc signal is
applied.
When we apply a 10Vrms sinusoidal AC waveform, the
pointer will deflect to 4.5V This means that the AC
voltmeter is not as sensitive as DC voltmeter.
In fact, an AC voltmeter using half wave rectification
is only approximately 45% as sensitive as a dc
voltmeter.
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Cont
Actually, the circuit would probably be designed for fullscale deflection with a 10V rms AC applied, which means
the multiplier resistor would be only 45% of the value of
the multiplier resistor for 10V dc voltmeter. Since we have
seen that the equivalent dc voltage is equal to 45% of the
rms value of the ac voltage.

E dc
0.45E rms
Rs
Rm
Rm
I dc
I dc
Sac = 0.45Sdc

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Example 1-1
Compute the value of the multiplier resistor
for a 15Vrms ac range on the voltmeter
shown in Fig. 1.
R
S

Ifs = 1mA
Ein = 15Vrms

Rm = 300

Fig. 1: AC voltmeter using half wave rectification

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Cont.
Method 1
The AC sensitivity for half wave rectifier,

Sac = 0.45Sdc = 0.45(1k) = 450/V

Rs

= Sac Rangeac Rm
= 450 10 300
= 4.2k

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Cont.
Method 2

Rs

0.45E rms
Rm
I fs
0.45 10
300
1m

= 4.2k

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DArsonval meter movement used

with full wave rectification

Fig.
2:
Full
bridge
rectifier used in an ac
voltmeter circuit

During the positive half cycle, currents flows through diode D2, through
the meter movement from positive to negative, and through diode D3.
The polarities in circles on the transformer secondary are for the positive
half cycle. Since current flows through the meter movement on both half
cycles, we can expect the deflection of the pointer to be greater than
with the half wave cycle, which allows current to flow only on every
other half cycle; if the deflection remains the same, the instrument
using full wave rectification will have a greater sensitivity.
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Consider the circuit shown in Fig. 1-2

Fig. 1-2: AC voltmeter using full wave rectification

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Cont.

When the 10Vrms of AC signal is applied to the circuit

above, where the peak value of the AC input signal is

E p 2 xE rms 1.414x (10) 14.14V

And the average full wave output signal is

E ave E dc 0.636 xE p 0.636 x14.14 9V

Therefore, we can see that a 10Vrms voltage is equivalent
to 9Vdc for full-scale deflection.
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Cont.
Or
E avg 0.636E p 0.636( 2 xE rms ) 0.9E rms
This means an ac voltmeter using full wave
rectification has a sensitivity equal to 90% of
the dc sensitivity

Sac = 0.9 Sdc

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Example 1-2
Compute the value of the multiplier resistor for a
10Vrms ac range on the voltmeter in Figure 1-2.

Fig. 1-2: AC voltmeter circuit using full wave rectification

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Solution 1-2
The dc sensitivity is

1
1
Sdc

1k / V
I fs 1mA
The ac sensitivity is
Sac = 0.9Sdc = 0.9 (1k) = 900 /V

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Cont.
Therefore the multiplier resistor is
Rs

= Sac x Range Rm
= 900 x 10Vrms 500
= 8.5k

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Cont.
Note:
Voltmeters using half wave and full
wave rectification are suitable for
measuring only sinusoidal ac voltages.

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