Bench Testing a 4-20ma sensors with a Multimeter and No Power

You can test a 4-20mA sensor with a $10 multimeter and a portable power supply. Many times we swap out sensors while troubleshooting and need to test them later without connecting them to the control system. Most 4-20mA sensors are powered by 10 to 24 VDC so we can take the PLC Tools SIM-ALP2 in voltage mode and power them up. For this sensor, pin 1 is +power, pin 2 is the analog signal, and pin 3 is -power.
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[@TimWilborne]

At 2:00 I misspoke. You touch the terminal #2, which is the only sensor wire left not connected, to the red lead of the multimeter. Thanks to Igor for the catch.

[@jackpast]

Wish I was the manufacturer of that blue wire! Making a killing in today’s 24 vdc control world. Nice video, Tim. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[@TimWilborne]

Merry Christmas to you too!

[@jamesladd]

Thanks Tim keep on doing your videos. IM trying to influence my son to learn PLC programming.

[@TimWilborne]

That is great James 👌

[@vin3121]

Simple explanation awesome work

[@TimWilborne]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@vin3121]

@@TimWilborne should have 1M subs your a legend! trying to get my head around industrial automation/basic plc etc very complex IMO, the bloke doing the programming for the factory I work at, doesn't know how much respect I have for him 🤣

[@TimWilborne]

@@vin3121 Maybe one day I will 😁

[@therobloxgirl4221]

Hello Tim, I hope you can answer this question, how do you track an output or input that is shorting to ground?

[@TimWilborne]

There are devices that will tell you how far away the break is, pretty fascinating. But I'm usually just going to pull a new wire.

[@tetoeco]

You make mistake in the end, saying that you connect red wire of instrument to wire 3. Correct is that red wire of multimeter is connected to wire 2, since wire 3 is minus.

[@TimWilborne]

You are correct. I misspoke.

[@godfreytshidiso2914]

Where can I buy this Multimeter in South Africa

[@TimWilborne]

Any meter that measures milliamps will do. Here is a video on meter selection.
czcams.com/video/1IGN3fPKyDo/video.html