In
electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
, a continuity test is the checking of an
electric circuit
An electrical network is an interconnection of electrical components (e.g., batteries, resistors, inductors, capacitors, switches, transistors) or a model of such an interconnection, consisting of electrical elements (e.g., voltage sources, ...
to see if
current
Currents, Current or The Current may refer to:
Science and technology
* Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas
** Air current, a flow of air
** Ocean current, a current in the ocean
*** Rip current, a kind of water current
** Current (stre ...
flows (that it is in fact a complete circuit).
A continuity test is performed by placing a small voltage (wired in series with an
LED or noise-producing component such as a
piezoelectric speaker
A piezoelectric speaker (also known as a piezo bender due to its mode of operation, and sometimes colloquially called a "piezo", buzzer, crystal loudspeaker or beep speaker) is a loudspeaker that uses the piezoelectric effect for generating sou ...
) across the chosen path. If electron flow is inhibited by broken conductors, damaged components, or excessive
resistance, the circuit is "open".
Devices that can be used to perform continuity tests include
multimeter
A multimeter is a measuring instrument that can measure multiple electrical properties. A typical multimeter can measure voltage, resistance, and current, in which case it is also known as a volt-ohm-milliammeter (VOM), as the unit is equipped w ...
s which measure current and specialized
continuity testers which are cheaper, more basic devices, generally with a simple
light bulb that lights up when current flows.
Usage
A continuity test can be used to test switches, fuses, electrical connections, conductors and other components. A good fuse, for example, should have continuity.
An important application is the continuity test of a bundle of wires so as to find the two ends belonging to a particular one of these wires; there will be a negligible resistance between the "right" ends, and only between the "right" ends.
References
{{Reflist
External links
acmehowto.com- continuity test
Hardware testing