If your laptop computer and other comparable devices like desktop or even tablets doesn’t seem to be charging, your immediate action is to bring to an electric technician. Perhaps it’s totally a waste of time and you’re basically wondering if the notebook has run out of battery or your power supply is just not functioning Sometimes, you are not sure if your computer has lapsed the battery life and your device warranty will not cover any check up. In these cases, a multimeter is the required gadget that has a lot of features but, of all those features, determining voltage is one of the simplest and for the most part often used functions related with electric measurement of computers.

Even if you’re not an electrician, a high-quality multimeter is an invaluable measurement device. It can be used to check circuits, analyse how other electronics are designed, and test batteries. The three primary functions for a multimeter are measuring voltage, current and resistance. If you’re ever pulling your hair out over why a circuit isn’t working, simply connect a multimeter to it and diagnose the problem. In this guide we will touch on how these devices work and what to look for before you buy one.

Online retailers, like Rapid, sell a wide variety of multimeters; however, it can be difficult to determine which device is best suited to your cause. The majority of multimeters require you to set the ohms or voltage range before you start measuring a circuit. There are more advanced models available that can automatically adjust their range to find the correct voltage, current or resistance; a handy little feature and can save a lot of time.

The autoranging multimeters also tend to have more features and are more durable. If you do opt for one of these, make sure that it has a manual mode and that you know how to use it. Autoranging is great, but sometimes the wild fluctuations of a circuit require a manual setting to allow the device to keep up.

Standard multimeters are still excellent at doing their job. For the best user experience, try to pick one that has a back-lit LCD display and an auto-off feature. If you’ll be using the device in low-light conditions, like the garage for instance, a bright display is an incredibly helpful addition. An auto-off feature is also great if you’re the type of person who’ll accidently leave the device on all night.

The simple testing of your laptop battery using a multimeter may prevent you from spending much money to hire an electronics technician. Owning one may save you from hassles of not knowing if your laptop AC charger is working or not can be a relief from worries if your laptop is defective or not.

If you wish to learn more about how to use a multimeter, this For Dummies article is an excellent place to get started.