ABSTRACT
The multimeter represents the commonest and most widely useful of all electronics test and measurement equipment. Multimeters come in a variety of types, ranging from cheap and basic to extremely expensive and highly functional. Oscilloscopes are one of the most variable pieces of standard lab equipment, both in terms of the functionality they provide, and in terms of the interface used to access and control that functionality. On a hand-held device the main control is almost always a large rotary switch used to select between the often large number of measurement options available. The labelling usually makes it quite clear what can be measured in each position, although some ranges require a little more information to fully understand. A multimeter will either have a large moving needle display or a numerical readout. Digital meters offer many advantages over their analog forebears, in terms of resolution, accuracy, repeatability, ease of use, flexibility, and robustness.
