Does anyone have a recommendation for a multimeter app for an ipad? I’m getting confused shopping on the app store.
Also, where can I get some lightning bolt probes?
Also, where can I get some lightning bolt probes?
Pretty decent for $44, huh? One year warranty, and it fits in your shirt pocket. Measures capacitance and frequency too.
With good probes. Sure it's grey market, but is the real thing. And free Amazon returns. Engineers like you need good toys.
https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-101-Mu...acitance/dp/B00HE6MIJY/ref=asc_df_B00HE6MIJY/
With good probes. Sure it's grey market, but is the real thing. And free Amazon returns. Engineers like you need good toys.
https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-101-Mu...acitance/dp/B00HE6MIJY/ref=asc_df_B00HE6MIJY/
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Yes it has thunder bolt/USB. I connect to all kinds of stuff, microphones guitars… so why shouldn’t there be USB interface for a multimeter? If there isn’t one, I’m sure there is a business opportunity for a clever youngster.
After some searches on the internets I found many but they use a standard looking multimeter and interface to the phone via bluetooth. That seems pointless to me.
I think AllenB makes a good point. The interface is the issue. Some of the interface boxes are just as much if not more than a decent multimeter, so connecting to a phone just gets data collection and sharing.
I’ll look around some more. I just thought someone may have tried it already.
I’ll look around some more. I just thought someone may have tried it already.
So what you're really after is an app plus a hardware dongle. I'm curious what you think that'll offer that isn't currently offered by any of Fluke's handheld meters. I could potentially see how data logging would be better on an iSlate vs a handheld meter. You could also expand it to be a USB oscilloscope or "out of ordinary" event analyzer (and charge separately for those apps).
But a multimeter? My handheld Fluke 73 is 30+ years old. Its UI consists of a rotary switch and a pushbutton. The button locks the range. That's pretty tough to beat both on longevity and usability.
I don't think there's a way to turn a phone/slate into a multimeter without some sort of dongle. I suppose you could use the mic input as a sampling head, but that's going to be AC coupled so you won't be able to measure DC with that. You also won't be able to measure resistance or current.
Tom
But a multimeter? My handheld Fluke 73 is 30+ years old. Its UI consists of a rotary switch and a pushbutton. The button locks the range. That's pretty tough to beat both on longevity and usability.
I don't think there's a way to turn a phone/slate into a multimeter without some sort of dongle. I suppose you could use the mic input as a sampling head, but that's going to be AC coupled so you won't be able to measure DC with that. You also won't be able to measure resistance or current.
Tom
One advantage of the portable DVM is they are designed to withstand voltage. Doesn't really matter if you hook up the negative to a "hot" 120V phase. Almost all of them do 250 with regular probes and the case is designed to insulate me from that.
Yes it would be for data collection, modeling, data sharing. Also the display could present data in a different way than just numbers. For testing caps you could have a needle to show charge/discharge. You could put all of your resistors in a database and show which ones match, same for transistors. Beats typing all that data into a spreadsheet.
I have two cheep multimeters and they are still working perfectly, so this isn’t about the tool as much as about the data and what I can do with it.
Ah, interesting idea, and no worries about getting zapped. Maybe you could adapt one of the arduino based DVM projects to do what you want. It could bin resistors into 1% slots and then have a button to add/subtract from inventory.
I don't see the point of resistor matching. Few circuits require it and you can get ±0.1% tolerance resistors for below a buck apiece. ±0.01% are around $10/each. You'll be hard pressed to build an ohmmeter that can measure with that level of precision. ±1% and ±0.5% tolerance resistors are available for around 10 cents each in low quantity. Buy more and they drop to a few cents/each.
Matching transistors could be more interesting.
Tom
Matching transistors could be more interesting.
Tom
What exactly do you consider "Cheap"? Your best bet is to buy a decent digital multimeter with bluetooth that can send the data to an android device or iphone/ipad. If it were me, i'd buy a Uni-T UT61E+. Last i checked they cost around $100.
Cheap? Anything from Harbor Freight. 😆 I thought it would be great to have a display, data collection, and analysis device all in one and a dongle for the sensors and probes. Depending on what software you have on your phone you could have a simple ohm meter, multimeter, or an oscilloscope.
Do you understand How a resistor is measured ?
Or voltage, or current, and lets not forget just how (not) simple an oscilloscope is.
Or voltage, or current, and lets not forget just how (not) simple an oscilloscope is.
