DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF RLC METER

This project presents the design and construction of a microcontroller-based RLC meter for the measurement of resistance, capacitance, and inductance of passive electrical components. The system was developed to provide a low-cost and reliable alternative to conventional laboratory measuring instruments, particularly for educational and instructional applications. Fundamental electrical principles were employed in the measurement process, including Ohm’s law for resistance measurement, the RC charging time constant method for capacitance measurement, and electromagnetic induction principles for inductance measurement. The measuring circuits were interfaced with a microcontroller, which controlled the measurement process, acquired voltage and time data through its analog-to-digital converter, and computed the corresponding component values. Experimental tests were conducted using different resistors, capacitors, and inductors, and the measured values were compared with their nominal ratings. The results obtained showed reasonable agreement with expected values, with small deviations attributed to component tolerances, parasitic effects, and limitations of the measurement resolution. The developed RLC meter demonstrated satisfactory performance for laboratory use, offering ease of operation, portability, and cost effectiveness. The project confirms that simple microcontroller- based systems can be effectively applied for the measurement of passive components and can serve as practical teaching tools in physics and electronics laboratories.