ELE2213: Instrumentation

Cosmas Mwikirize, Ph.D

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Makerere
University

© Cosmas Mwikirize, 2021

 About the Instructor

• BSc. Electrical Engineering, Makerere University

• MSc. Electrical Engineering, Makerere University + MIT
• M. Eng. Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University
• Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University
• Research Resident at Philips Research North America (Ultrasound
Imaging and Interventions)
• Project manager at Innovex Uganda Limited.
 My research: Computer Aided Diagnosis and Interventions
(CADI) Lab
• Surgical tool (needles, guidewires, catheters, atherectomy devices) enhancement and automatic tip localization in image-
guided interventions (biopsies, cardiovascular interventions, regional anesthesia, fetal interventions)
• Computer Aided Diagnosis (Prostate cancer, breast cancer, TB)
Conventional ultrasound

Needle tip

Guidewire tip

Portable ultrasound 3D ultrasound Fluoroscopy Transesophageal

ultrasound
 Course Info

• Lectures: Zoom
• Office: 3001
• Email me for appointments in case you want at-length
discussion
[email protected]/[email protected]
• Course Assessment:
– Continuous Assessment (Test, assignments, labs): 40%
– Final Exam: 60%
 The Roadmap

Digital
Analog
Instruments
Instruments
Measurement -Multimeters
-Moving coil Data
Basics - Data Computerized
-Moving iron Analog Data Acquisition
-Static analysers Transducers measurement
-Electrostatic Processing and
performance -Signal and control
meters Conversion
-Standards Synthesisers
-Induction
- Counters and
meters etc
timers

References
1. Gupta JB. A course in Electrical and electronic measurements and
Instrumentation.
2. Gregory BA. An introduction to electrical instrumentation and measurement
systems.
Measurement Basics
 Enabling Objectives

• Define the term “measurement”

• List two common engineering measurement systems
• List common SI units and perform conversion.
• Define the following terms as they relate to process
measurement and control:
a. Range
b. Span
c. Linearity
d. Hysteresis
e. Sensitivity
f. Conformity
g. Accuracy
h. Resolution
• Differentiate between "Zero Error" and "Angular Error“
 Measurement is

• the determination of the size or magnitude of

something.
• An observation that reduces the amount of
uncertainty about the value of a quantity.
• A comparison of a quantity to some
standard, called a unit

Who decides which units we will

use?
 Imperial or English Customary
Weights & Measurements
o 1 inch = the length of 3 barleycorns (the word ‘inch’ comes
from the word ‘thumb’ in some languages)
o 1 yard = the distance from the nose to the fingertip of Henry I
o 1 mile = the length of 1000 paces of a Roman legion
o 1 acre = a field of a size that a farmer can plow in a single
day
o 1 grain = the weight of 1 barleycorn
o 1 pound = 7000 grains
(The Latin word for pound is Libra, hence the abbreviation LB)
o 1 gallon = the volume of 8 pounds of wheat.
 U.S. Customary Units
• Similar to the old Imperial system
• Based on many old local units derived over centuries,
often based on old Anglo-Saxon and Roman units
• Length: The inch, foot, yard, and mile are declared units
based on historical customs
• Volume: The ounce, quart, cup, pint, gallon, and barrel
are declared units based on custom
• Weight: The ounce, pound, and ton are Avoirdupois
weights based on custom
• Temperature: Degrees Fahrenheit based on historical
custom.
Bureau International des Poids et Mesures

The BIPM at Le Pavillon de Breteuil in Sevres, France

 The SI System
1 meter = the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum
during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second

1 second = the duration of 9 192 631 770 periods of the

radiation corresponding to the transition between the two
hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 133 atom

1 Kelvin = The Kelvin is the fraction 1/273.16 of the

thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water."

1 kilogram = the mass of the international prototype of the

kilogram
SI base units

Base quantity Name Symbol

length meter m

mass kilogram kg

time second s

electric current ampere A

thermodynamic temperature kelvin K

amount of substance mole mol

luminous intensity candela cd

 Basic Steps in Development of Instruments

• Development of Mathematical Model for Identification of

Parameters to be measured.
• Identification of characteristics to be possessed by a
general Instruments.
• Qualitative and Quantitative models for determination of
Instrument design details.
• Selection of geometrical and physical parameters.
 Characteristics of measurement systems

• To choose the instrument, most suited to a particular

measurement application, we have to know the system
characteristics.
• The performance characteristics may be broadly
divided into two groups, namely ‘static’ and ‘dynamic’
characteristics.
• Static characteristics
• the performance criteria for the measurement of
quantities that remain constant, or vary only quite
slowly.
• Dynamic characteristics
• the relationship between the system input and output
when the measured quantity (measurand) is varying
rapidly.
 Generalized Instrument System

Thermal
Variable
Generalized Instrument System
 Static Performance of Instruments
• Range
• Span
• Accuracy vs precision
• Linearity
• Sensitivity
• Repeatability and Reproducibility
• Threshold
• Tolerance
• Resolution
• Environmental effects
• Drift
• Hysteresis
 Range

• The input range defines the minimum and maximum

value of the variable to measure.
• The output rage defines the minimum and maximum
value of the signal given by the transducer.
• Assume a temperature transducer whose
temperature range is from 100°C to 250°C and the
output range is given from 4 to 10 mV.
 Span

• The input span is the maximum change of the input

and the output span is the maximum change of the
outpu
• Input span: I MAX − I MIN

• Output span:
OMAX − OMIN

i.e., The algebraic difference between the upper and lower limits of a range
expressed in the same units as the range.
 Range Vs. Span

What is the range of the output of this pressure gauge? What is the span?
 Accuracy vs. Precision
Accuracy – a description of how close a measurement is to the true value
of the quantity measured

Precision – the exactness of a measurement

 Is it Accurate, Precise, Both or
Neither?
• Known Voltage = 3.11 V
– Test Results 3.77, 3.81, 3.76, 3.80
– Precise, not accurate
– Test Results 3.01, 3.89, 3.50, 5.99
– Neither
– Test Results 3.04, 3.20, 3.13, 3.07
– Accurate, not precise
– Test Results 3.11, 3.12, 3.12, 3.10
– Both
 Environmental effects
• All calibrations and specifications of an instrument
are only valid under controlled conditions of
temperature, pressure etc.
• These standard ambient conditions are usually
defined in the instrument specification.
• As variations occur in the ambient temperature, etc.,
certain static instrument characteristics change, and
the sensitivity to disturbance is a measure of the
magnitude of this change.
• Such environmental changes affect instruments in
two main ways, known as zero drift and sensitivity
drift.
• Zero drift is sometimes known by the alternative term,
bias.
 Classification of Drift

Span drift=
sensitivity drift
 Ideal Calibration
Input Ideal Output
(psig) (ma) (ma)
0 4 4 25
25 8 8 20

Current
50 12 12 15
75 16 16 10
100 20 20 5
0
0 25 50 75 100
Pressure
Zero Adjustment Span Adjustment
 Angular Error
Input Ideal Output
(psig) (ma) (ma)
0 4 4 25
25 8 7.75 20

Current
50 12 11.5 15
75 16 15.25 10
100 20 19 5
0
0 25 50 75 100
Pressure

Would you adjust zero or span?

 Zero Shift
Input Ideal Output
(psig) (ma) (ma)
0 4 3 25
25 8 7 20

Current
50 12 11 15
75 16 15 10
100 20 19 5
0
0 25 50 75 100
Pressure

Would you adjust zero or span?

 Zero Shift
Input Ideal Output
(psig) (ma) (ma)
0 4 5 25
25 8 9 20

Current
50 12 13 15
75 16 17 10
100 20 21 5
0
0 25 50 75 100
Pressure

Would you adjust zero or span?

 Conformity

• (used when output is not linear from input)

the closeness to which the output curve
approximates a specified curve, such as a
parabolic or logarithmic. Conformity is
specified as independent, terminal-based, or
zero based
 Hysteresis
• Hysteresis - The lagging of an effect behind it’s cause: nonconformity of
loading and unloading curves.
• Mechanical systems will often show a small difference in length as the
direction of the applied force is reversed.
• The same effect arises as a magnetic field is reversed in a magnetic material.