IDEC Instrumentation
IDEC ammeters and voltmeters are built to last. They take reliable electrical measurements of current and voltage in panels, power distribution systems, and industrial machinery. With a design that's compact yet rugged and straightforward, they're easy to install, hard to break, and, once installed, easy to read and interpret. These panel meters can be used for either DC or AC measurements in a wide variety of applications, not just in power systems. They're designed to give stable, reliable performance with few if any false readings even in electrically noisy environments, generalized vibration, or the kind of infrastructure shake-up that occurs when certain machines perform their jobs.
Use IDEC's ammeter, for example, and you could literally measure the performance of any power system, adequately or inadequately, in real time and at safe levels to prevent overload or give you a way to diagram issue zones until those problems are solved, all with a device that's a model of straightforward electrical engineering and panel display design.
FAQs
What are IDEC ammeters and voltmeters used for?
They measure electrical current and voltage in industrial panels, machinery, and power systems to ensure safe and efficient operation.
Can IDEC meters measure both AC and DC?
IDEC offers models designed specifically for AC circuits, DC circuits, or universal configurations depending on the application.
Are IDEC ammeters and voltmeters compatible with most industrial control systems?
Yes, they use standard electrical inputs, terminal labeling, and wiring formats to integrate smoothly with PLC panels and automation equipment.
Where are IDEC meters commonly used?
They’re used in manufacturing plants, OEM machinery, control cabinets, motor monitoring, power distribution, and general automation.
Do IDEC panel meters come in digital and analog versions?
Yes, IDEC offers both digital LED/LCD meters and traditional analog meters for flexible monitoring options.
Analog and Digital Control Signals: The Basics
Digital Signals
Digital signals are represented in either a true or false. There is no gray area with digital signals. An example of this might be a light switch. A light switch is either on or off. Another example of this might be a motor that is running or not running. Digital signals can be generated with both AC and DC circuits with varying voltages, currents and resistance. Some practical examples of using digital signals in an industrial environment might be if a pump is running or not running or a whether a valve is open or closed.
Analog Signals
Analog signals convey information in the form of a range. A light switch might be on or off as a digital signal, but a dimmer switch would be an analog signal. It can be on or off, but it can also be somewhere in between. A practical example of using analog signals in an industrial environment would be if there is a need to measure the level of a tank; whether it's full, empty or somewhere in between. Analog signals can take many different forms with some of the more common being a 4 to 20 milliamp signal or a 0 to 5 or 0 to 10 volt signal.
Communication
Communication in a device can either be sent or received. Whether that data is sent or received depends on the type of information. Is there a need to monitor the status of something? If so, an input needs to be received about that information. Is there a need to control something? If so, an output needs to be sent about what needs to occur. Receiving inputs and setting outputs are both things that can be accomplished by using both digital and analog signal types. Therefore, the signals are referred to as analog outputs (AO), analog inputs (AI), digital inputs (DI) or digital outputs (DO).