Instrumentation VI: What's new in test gear: The shopping list of versatile, compact, and cost-efficient instruments is an engineer's delight

Test and measurement instruments today are more sophisticated, are simpler to operate, and provide more measurement capability per dollar than ever before. Progress in integrated-circuit technology and changing market requirements are the major reasons. Today's digital multimeter, for example, can make microvolt measurements at accuracy levels within a few one-hun-dredths of a percent, at a price of about $200 to $300. Frequency counters that can measure up to 100 MHz and have a variety of other measurement functions (period, totalize, etc.) are now available for just a few hundred dollars. Such instruments were, not too long ago, “big ticket” items with large price tags and could only be found in advanced laboratories.