Voltage measurement across Inductor

Thread Starter

Electronic_Maniac

Joined Oct 26, 2017
253
Hi All,

I have read the previous threads regarding the voltage across the inductor but unable to get clarity.

Can I measure the voltage across the inductor with a Multimeter?
What if its an series inductor (Pi filter) at the input of an IC and what if it is at the output of the buck converter?
Please explain

Thanks.
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
The average budget multimeter won't be able to measure accurately very small AC signal voltages (such as might be found in a pi filter) or non-sinusoidal voltages (such as those at the output of a buck converter).
 

Thread Starter

Electronic_Maniac

Joined Oct 26, 2017
253
The average budget multimeter won't be able to measure accurately very small AC signal voltages (such as might be found in a pi filter) or non-sinusoidal voltages (such as those at the output of a buck converter).
But is it possible to measure the voltage drop across the inductor with an efficient multimeter?
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,159
But is it possible to measure the voltage drop across the inductor with an efficient multimeter?
Yes, but you will have trouble interpreting the result. Efficiency is irrelevant in this context. On a DC setting the meter will give the average voltage across the inductor. This is like integrating the waveform over a period. So the reading will keep changing. On the AC setting you may or may not get the true RMS value of the waveform, but again the reading will change depending on the periodic nature of the waveform and the period over which the integration (averaging) is being performed. In short it is a pretty useless thing to do. If you are convinced it has some utility; knock yourself out and measure away. Let us know what you discover.
 

Thread Starter

Electronic_Maniac

Joined Oct 26, 2017
253
Yes, but you will have trouble interpreting the result. Efficiency is irrelevant in this context. On a DC setting the meter will give the average voltage across the inductor. This is like integrating the waveform over a period. So the reading will keep changing. On the AC setting you may or may not get the true RMS value of the waveform, but again the reading will change depending on the periodic nature of the waveform and the period over which the integration (averaging) is being performed. In short it is a pretty useless thing to do. If you are convinced it has some utility; knock yourself out and measure away. Let us know what you discover.
Sure thanks
 
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