STATIC & DYNAMIC

CHARACTERISTICS OF
MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
 To choose the instrument, most suited to a
particular measurement application, we have to
know the system characteristics.
The performance characteristics of an instrument are
mainly divided into two categories:

i) Static characteristics

ii) Dynamic characteristics

Static characteristics
The set of criteria defined for the instruments,
which are used to measure the quantities which
are slowly varying with time or mostly
constant, i.e., do not vary with time, is called
‘static characteristics’.
 The various static characteristics are:

1. Accuracy 7. Resolution
2. Precision 8. Threshold
3. Sensitivity 9. Drift
4. Linearity 10. Stability
5. Reproducibility 11. Tolerance
6. Repeatability 12. Range or span
1. Accuracy
✓ It is the degree of closeness with which the reading approaches the
true value of the quantity to be measured.
✓ This is the closeness with which the measuring instrument can
measure the ‘true value’ of the measurand under stated conditions of
use, i.e. its ability to ‘tell the truth’.
✓ The accuracy of an instrument is quantified by the difference of its
readings and the one given by the ultimate or primary standard.
Unit of accuracy:
2. Precision
✓ Precision is defined as the ability of instrument to
reproduce a certain set of readings within given
accuracy
✓ Precision describes an instrument’s degree of random
variations in its output when measuring a constant
quantity.
✓ Precision depends upon repeatability.
✓ Precise data have small dispersion, but may be far
from the true value
Difference between Accuracy & Precision
• Accuracy is ‘the state of being correct’
• Precision is ‘the state of being exact’

• Accuracy symbolizes the extent of conformity

• Precision indicates the extent of reproducibility.
3. Sensitivity
• The sensitivity denotes the smallest change in the
measured variable to which the instrument responds.
• It is defined as the ratio of the changes in the output of
an instrument to a change in the value of the quantity
to be measured.
• Mathematically it is expressed as,
4. Linearity
• It can be defined as a measure of the proportionality
between the actual values of a variable being measured
to the output of the instrument over its operating range.
• Linearity is actually a measure of nonlinearity of the
instrument
5. Reproducibility
➢It is the degree of closeness with which a given value
may be repeatedly measured.

➢It is specified in terms of scale readings over a given

period of time.

different individuals, at different locations, with

different instruments.
6. Repeatability
• Repeatability is defined as ability of instrument to
reproduce a group of measurements of same measured
quantity, made by same observer, using same
instrument, under same conditions.
The same location; the same
measurement procedure; the same observer; the
same measuring instrument, used under the same
conditions; and repetition over a short period of
time.
 Repeatability measures the
variation in measurements taken
by a single instrument or person
under the same conditions, while
Reproducibility measures whether
an entire study or experiment can
be reproduced in its entirety.
 7. Resolution
➢Resolution is defined as the minimum change or smallest
increment in the measured value that can be detected with
certainty by the instrument.
➢That means, when the input is slowly increased , the output
does not change at all until certain increment is exceeded. This
increment is called resolution or discrimination of the
instrument.
➢It can be least count of instrument.
8. Threshold
➢ Threshold is the minimum value of the input quantity
to which an instrument responds and indicates a
change in the output value.

➢ Below the threshold value no output is detected by the

instrument.
Threshold defines the smallest
measureable input, while the
Resolution defines the smallest
measureable input change.
 Both threshold and resolution
cannot be zero due to various
factors like inertia in the moving
parts and friction and play in the
joints and parts.
9. Instrument Drift
• It is defined as the variation of output for a given input
caused due to change in sensitivity of the instrument.

• It may be due to certain interfering inputs like

temperature changes, mechanical vibrations, magnetic
fields, thermal emf’s, wear and tear and high
mechanical stresses developed in some parts of
instruments and systems.
The following are the various types of drifts
1. Zero drift

2. Span drift or sensitivity drift

3. Zonal drift
1. Zero Drift:-

• The whole calibration is shifted by the

same amount due to slippage or due to
undue warming up of tube of
electronic tube circuits, zero drift sets
in.
• zero setting can prevent this.
• The input output characteristics with
zero drift is shown in figure above
2. Span Drift or Sensitivity Drift
• If there is proportional change in
the indication all along upward
scale, the drift is called span drift
or sensitivity drift.
• Hence higher calibrations get
shifted more than lower
calibrations.
• The characteristics with span drift
is shown in figure above
3. Zonal Drift

• The drift occur over a portion

of span of instrument, while
remaining portion of the scale
remains unaffected, it is
called zonal drift
10. Stability
• The ability of an instrument to retain its performance
throughout its specified storage life and operating life is
called as Stability
11. Range / Span
• It defines the maximum and minimum values of the inputs or
the outputs for which the instrument is recommended to use.
12. Tolerance
• The maximum allowable error in the measurement is
specified in terms of some value which is called tolerance.

• It specifies the maximum allowable deviation of a

manufactured device from a mentioned value.
 13. Hysteresis
➢ Hysteresis is a phenomenon which depicts different output effects while
loading and unloading.

➢ When an instrument is subjected to repeated measurements of an input

quantity under similar conditions, it is observed that the input – output
curves do not coincide for continuously ascending and then descending
values of the input quantity. This non-coincidence of the curve for
increasing and decreasing inputs is a phenomenon called hysteresis.

➢ Causes are backlash, elastic deformations, magnetic characteristics,

frictional effects (mainly).
14. Bais

➢ The constant error which exists over the full range of

measurement of an instrument is called bias.

➢ Such a bais can be completely eliminated by calibration.

➢ The zero error is an example of bais which can be removed by

calibration.
 15. Calibration
➢ Every measuring system must be provable i,e it must prove its
ability to measure reliably. The procedure for this is called
Calibration.

➢ At some point during the preparation of the system for

measurement, known magnitudes of the basic input quantity
must be fed into the detector-transducer, and the system’s
behavior must be observed.
Dynamic characteristics
 The set of criteria defined for the
instruments, which changes rapidly with
time, is called ‘dynamic characteristics’.
 The various static characteristics are

i) Speed of response

ii) Measuring lag

iii) Fidelity

iv) Dynamic error

1. Speed of response.
➢ It is defined as the rapidity with which a measurement
system responds to changes in the measured quantity.

➢ The ability of a system to transmit and present all the

relevant information contained in the input signal and to
exclude all others.

➢ It shows how active and fast the system is.

2. Measurement lag.
➢It is the retardation or delay in the response of a
measurement system to changes in the measured quantity.
➢The change in measured quantity is not immediately shown
at the output but is almost inevitably subject to some lag or
delay in response.
➢This is a delay between cause and effect due to the natural
inertia of the system and is known as measurement lag.
The measuring lags are of two types:

a) Retardation type
In this case the response of the
measurement system begins
immediately after the change in
measured quantity has occurred.
b) Time delay lag:
In this case the response of the
measurement system begins
after a dead time after the
application of the input.
3. Fidelity

• It is defined as the degree to which a

measurement system is capable of faithfully
reproducing the changes in input, without any
dynamic error.
4. Dynamic Error
➢It is the difference between the true value of
the quantity changing with time and the
value indicated by the measurement system
if no static error is assumed.

➢It is also called as measurement error.

5. Time delay

When the system is subjected to

stepped or instantaneous type of
input, sudden change of the input
cannot be sensed instantaneously by
the system, it requires some time
before which it can indicate the change
in the input signal.
Time Delay

System
input

System
output

Δt

Time, t
6. Loading effect

In sensing the input, the sensors absorbs a

portion of the energy from the signal source,
and thus the information from the source is
changed by the act of measurement.
This effect is known as loading effect
Error
 Error:
➢ True value: it is the actual magnitude of the input signal.

➢ Indicated value: the magnitude of the input signal

indicated by a measuring instrument.

➢ Result: Obtained by making all known corrections to the

indicated value.

Error: The difference between the true

value and the result.