About
A leader in the panel and test instrument
Simpson Electric was founded in 1934 by Ray Simpson. Simpson broke into the electrical industry with impressive success: in 1927, before even founding his company, he manufactured the compass Charles Lindbergh used during his first solo flight across the Atlantic. Considering the amount of trust placed in the equipment, this was an incredible honor. From this point on, Simpson has maintained a successful drive for innovation up until today. The company is responsible for many firsts in the electrical industry that we take for granted today. Chief among these innovations is the Simpson 260 volt-ohm-milliammeter. This early version of the modern multimeter was actively used throughout World War II, and effectively made Simpson a household name in the industry. Simpson was also instrumental in the “space race” of the 1960s. The company was contracted by NASA to manufacture 14 variations of a specialized "NASA meter" for multiple aspects of the Apollo Program. These meters were actively used inside spacecraft, on the ground for support, and by aerospace contractors throughout the industry.
![Simpson_260_PCE]()
Above: The Simpson 260, the original multimeter
Today, Simpson is a full-fledged panel meter and contract manufacturing company with business worldwide. Specifically, the company specializes in producing analog & digital meters and test equipment, circuit boards, cables, leads, and shunts. Simpson also currently maintains facilities capable of performing sand blasting, screen printing, punch pressing, tapping, injection molding, compression molding, and wave soldering. Current major clients include NASA, Schlumberger Oil, all branches of the US military, Grainger, and McMaster Carr. Simpson is owned today by the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. The company is based in northern Wisconsin. It is still known today for the high-quality reputation that has always accompanied all its panel and test instruments.
To view Simpson's entire current catalog, please click the image below or
this link.
Digital Panel Meters
Simpson Electric provides a wide range of world class products offering quality and dependable digital panel meters to fit the needed application requirements. Simpson's digital panel meters vary from a compact 3/64 DIN to a 1/8 DIN size. They offer accuracy ranges from 1% to 0.02% and are easily read from 20 feet, under poor lighting. Simpson Electric's digital panel meters have many options to choose from including RS 485 serial interface and 12DCV and 24DCV excitation outputs.
Analog Panel Meters
Simpson Electric offers a wide range of reliable and durable analog panel meters to fulfill your application requirements. Simpson Electric’s products continue to set the standard for quality with each of our analog panel meter families. Simpson Electric’s analog panel meters are preferable to digital panel meters when readings tend to fluctuate or oscillate and where extended monitoring is required to indicate trends or rates of change. Analog panel meters are easier to read in bright sun-light or well-lit rooms and require no external power source. Simpson's analog meters come in a variety of designs made possible through customized dials, mounting options and a large selection of case styles and sizes.