Computer Based or Panel Mount Metering
randommscience117, Fri Jan 06 2012, 11:30PMSo with the coilgun project I am working on, I would like an accurate way to measure voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, inductance, frequency, etc. all from one screen on my control panel. I've looked elsewhere online, and every computer multimeter just plugs into the multimeter, and every panel mount multimeter only measures a couple things, the computer based software doesn't look like it's very reliable to measure all this from a sound card, and it's just annoying. What I want to know, is what would be the best solution to measure all I mentioned above from one screen without going out and buying an oscilloscope, multimeter, and computer all to mount on a panel. Cost isn't the issue right now, I just want to find something that works. Thanks!
Re: Computer Based or Panel Mount Metering
Sulaiman, Sat Jan 07 2012, 11:31AM
How about a 'bench multimeter' mounted in the front panel?
e.g.
Inductance ranges are rare but if price is really not an issue I'm sure you can find such a thing.
Sulaiman, Sat Jan 07 2012, 11:31AM
How about a 'bench multimeter' mounted in the front panel?
e.g.
Inductance ranges are rare but if price is really not an issue I'm sure you can find such a thing.
Re: Computer Based or Panel Mount Metering
Pinky's Brain, Sat Jan 07 2012, 12:26PM
Just curious, why would you want to measure capacitance/inductance in system? It's not like they are variables which will change very often ... and to measure them inside the system you need switches or relays to isolate the coil/capacitors from the rest of the system during the measurement, which is a pain.
Measuring the damped oscillation frequency isn't all that useful without knowing the shape (rate of decay) BTW.
Source code for the DSO Nano is available, so you could use that to do everything, if effort is as little an issue as cost.
Pinky's Brain, Sat Jan 07 2012, 12:26PM
Just curious, why would you want to measure capacitance/inductance in system? It's not like they are variables which will change very often ... and to measure them inside the system you need switches or relays to isolate the coil/capacitors from the rest of the system during the measurement, which is a pain.
Measuring the damped oscillation frequency isn't all that useful without knowing the shape (rate of decay) BTW.
Source code for the DSO Nano is available, so you could use that to do everything, if effort is as little an issue as cost.
Re: Computer Based or Panel Mount Metering
randommscience117, Sat Jan 07 2012, 07:24PM
I guess a benchtop multimeter would be fine. I want to measure capacitance/ inductance because for repeated discharge I would like know the decay of the capacitors. Everything on the system will have relays to isolate certain parts from others, such as the cap bank and charging transformer, coils and each bank, etc.
Fluke Multimeters look to be the best
randommscience117, Sat Jan 07 2012, 07:24PM
I guess a benchtop multimeter would be fine. I want to measure capacitance/ inductance because for repeated discharge I would like know the decay of the capacitors. Everything on the system will have relays to isolate certain parts from others, such as the cap bank and charging transformer, coils and each bank, etc.
Fluke Multimeters look to be the best
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