About MultiMeters Back to testing the Board
If you are going to use the 'tester' shown on the previous page, or a digital multimeter to test the diodes, then you should ignore this page but, if you have an analogue meter read on.
A Digital Multimeter is one that has LED or LCD digits showing the reading or an LCD display of any sort. An analogue Multimeter is one that has a pointer reading on a scale.
When you use an Analogue multimeter as a continuity tester on diodes, it is worth remembering the leads on many, if not all such meters have the polarity connected 'backwards'. That is, the negative lead (black) is attached to the positive side of the battery and the positive (red) is attached to the negative side. (Confusing or what!)
When testing resistors or the continuity of most circuits, this makes no difference at all, but if you are testing a diode, the results will apparently be exactly opposite to the outcome you would normally expect.