First is the DC high voltage generator, which is used to generate a DC high voltage.
Second is the measurement circuit.
Third is the display.
(1) DC High Voltage Generator
Measuring insulation resistance requires applying a high voltage at the measurement terminals. The high voltage values specified in the national standard for insulation resistance meters are 50V, 100V, 250V, 500V, 1000V, 2500V, 5000V...
There are generally three methods for generating DC high voltage. The first is the hand-cranked generator type. Approximately 80% of those produced in China use this method (the origin of the name "megger"). The second method is through mains transformer step-up and rectification to obtain DC high voltage. This is generally the method used by mains-powered megohmmeters. The third method uses transistor oscillators or dedicated PWM circuits to generate DC high voltage, which is generally used by battery-powered and mains-powered insulation resistance meters.
(2) Measurement Circuit
In the megger (megohmmeter) described above, the measurement circuit and display section are combined into one. It is accomplished through a ratio meter movement, which consists of two coils with an angle of approximately 60° between them. One coil is connected in parallel across the voltage terminals, and the other coil is connected in series within the measurement circuit. The deflection angle of the meter pointer is determined by the current ratio between the two coils, with different deflection angles representing different resistance values. The smaller the measured resistance, the greater the current flowing through the coil in the measurement circuit, and thus the greater the pointer deflection angle. Another method uses a linear ammeter for measurement and display. In the ratio meter movement described above, since the magnetic field within the coils is non-uniform, when the pointer is at the infinity position, the current coil is exactly at the location of maximum magnetic flux density. Therefore, even when the measured resistance is very large and the current flowing through the current coil is very small, the coil deflection angle will still be relatively large. When the measured resistance is small or zero, the current flowing through the current coil is larger, and the coil has already deflected to an area of lower magnetic flux density, resulting in a deflection angle that is not very large. This achieves nonlinear correction. Generally, the resistance display of a megohmmeter movement needs to span several orders of magnitude. However, when a linear ammeter movement is directly connected in series in the measurement circuit, this does not work — the scale marks at high resistance values would all be crowded together and indistinguishable. To achieve nonlinear correction, nonlinear elements must be added to the measurement circuit, thereby producing a shunting effect at low resistance values and no shunting at high resistance values, enabling the resistance display to span several orders of magnitude. With the development of electronic and computer technology, digital display meters have gradually replaced pointer-type instruments.
Digital measurement technology for insulation resistance has also been developed, among which the voltage ratio meter circuit is one of the better measurement circuits. The voltage ratio meter circuit consists of a voltage bridge and a measurement bridge. The signals output from these two bridge circuits are respectively converted through A/D conversion and then processed by a microcontroller for digital display.