How to choose a panel meter: analog vs digital, AC/DC, accuracy class, 96x96 vs 72x72 cutout, and reading voltage, current, frequency and power factor.
A panel meter is the analog or digital instrument mounted in the door or front of a control panel, switchboard or machine that shows the electrician or operator a live reading - voltage, current, frequency or power factor - at a glance. For panel builders, OEMs and procurement teams sourcing from Asia, specifying the right panel meter means the difference between a tidy, readable front plate and a meter that reads the wrong quantity, fits the wrong cutout, or drifts out of tolerance. This guide covers the parameters that actually change the part number.
Analog panel meters use a moving-coil movement and a needle; they are cheap, need no auxiliary supply, and are easy to read at a distance or with a glance. Digital meters use an ADC and an LCD or LED display; they give higher resolution, can hold peak and minimum, and often show two quantities on one footprint. For a simple local voltage or current indication, especially in a noisy or vibration-prone cabinet, an analog 96x96 meter is hard to beat. For a panel where you also want frequency or power factor on the same cutout, a digital meter is the better buy. Remember that digital meters need an auxiliary supply (commonly 220 V AC or a wide 85-265 V range), while most analog meters are passively powered from the measured signal.
Decide what the meter must show before comparing prices:
A single digital meter of the SD-96 style can usually be configured for several of these by link or menu, but always confirm the input range. Over-ranging a 500 V meter on a 690 V busbar destroys it; pick a meter rated above the system voltage with margin.
Accuracy class (for example class 1.5, 1.0 or 0.5) is the maximum reading error as a percentage of full scale. For general panel indication, class 1.5 analog or class 1.0 digital is adequate; for metering or billing-adjacent duty specify class 0.5. Also match the full-scale range to the expected operating point - a 0-100 A meter sitting at 10 A all day is hard to read and inaccurate at the low end. Choose a full-scale near the normal load, not the rare peak.
The cutout - the hole in the panel door - is standardized. Pick the size your enclosure was drilled for:
| Cutout | Typical use | Depth behind panel |
|---|---|---|
| 48x48 mm | Compact panels, signal indication | about 55 mm |
| 72x72 mm | Standard machinery, single quantity | about 60 mm |
| 96x96 mm | Main incomer, multi-function digital | about 70 mm |
| 96x48 mm (wide) | Sub-feed with limited height | about 70 mm |
Measure the door thickness and the clearance behind it; a deep digital meter will not fit a shallow enclosure, and a mismatched cutout means drilling a new hole.
You rarely wire a 100 A load straight through a meter. For DC current, use an external shunt (for example 75 mV / 100 A) and a meter scaled to that shunt; for AC current, use a current transformer (CT, for example 100/5 A or 100/1 A) and a meter scaled to the CT secondary. The meter then reads the scaled value. Always state the shunt or CT ratio on the RFQ and lock the meter to that ratio - a meter set for 100/5 A reading a 200/5 A CT will show half the true current.
Before you place the order, confirm on the RFQ:
ELEHPD supplies analog and digital panel meters in 48x48, 72x72 and 96x96 cutouts - AC and DC voltmeters, ammeters, frequency meters and power-factor meters - built to IEC 60051 and IEC 62052, ready to drop into your panel alongside our contactors, transformers and energy meters.
Send the ratings, dimensions and quantities you are working to and we will confirm the closest match from the ELEHPD catalogue, the compliance documents available for it and the lead time. OEM branding, private model numbering and buyer-specific cartons are available on qualified volumes.