DC and AC Current

You can measure currents ranging from a few nanoamperes to an ampere on your DMM.

DC Current mode and AC Current mode have three ranges each for the NI 4080/4082 and NI 4070/4072: 20 mA, 200 mA, and 1 A for DC current; 10 mA, 100 mA, and 1 A for ACrms current. The AC Current mode uses the same fast measurement technique as the AC Volts DC Coupled mode.

Shunt Resistor

For all ranges, the current you measure flows through a stable onboard 0.5 Ω precision shunt resistor with temperature coefficient and power ratings selected to reduce resistor self-heating errors. For the effect of temperature changes on the accuracy of the measurements, refer to the specifications document for your device.

Note   AC current measurements are always DC coupled and therefore always offer low settling time. Keep in mind that the range chosen needs to include both the signal range and its offset, otherwise the input can get overloaded. For a list of the available ranges, refer to the specifications document for your device.

Related Topics

Resistor Self-Heating