Digital caliper is a precision instrument used to make very accurate measurements. The caliper is easy to use and has a digital display. Most of them allow measurement to an accuracy of 0.01 mm (0.0005 inch).

Digital vernier calipers take linear measurements just like analog vernier calipers. The only difference is the addition of an LCD screen that displays the measurement results automatically - no user interpretation is required. With digital calipers, the user no longer has to manually interpret the vernier scale. So should digital calipers still be called vernier calipers? The answer is - not really. In practice, the term "vernier caliper" is so familiar that the name remains in common use and is applied primarily to "analog" calipers. Digital calipers read with the same resolution as their analog vernier counterparts. However, since users do not interpret the vernier scale manually, referring to them as vernier calipers is not appropriate.

Given the huge range of applications for digital calipers, there is an equally impressive variety of products available. The selection of available devices ranges from basic, inexpensive calipers to high-precision professional devices.

Typical applications include:

• domestic and general use,
• mechanics and machine shops,
• education,
• Engineering, and research, laboratories and medical applications.

Which caliper is better - a dial caliper or a digital caliper?

The main advantage of digital calipers over dial calipers or vernier calipers is the instant digital readout on the built-in LCD display. The large text is easier to read, especially for users with poorer eyesight, and the operation is very fast and shows results immediately.