MTS 336 Instrumentation and

Measurements

Dr. Basharat Ullah

Week 01

Department of Mechatronics
College of Electrical and Mechanical
Engineering
Textbooks
❑ Textbook
o Process Control Instrumentation Technology, 8th Edition by Curtis D. Johnson

❑ Reference Books
o Principles of Measurement Systems by John P. Benetly
o Sensors and Actuators Control System Instrumentation by Clarence W. de Silva
o Measurement and Instrumentation Principles, 3rd Edition by Butterworth
Grading (subject to change)
❑ Credit Hours: 3-1
o Theory (3h) + Lab ( 1h)

Activities Percentage Marks

End Semester Exam 50%
Mid Term Exam 30%
75%
Assignments 5%
Quizzes 15%
Lab Work/Exam -- 25%
Quizzes and Assignments
❑ Six graded quizzes
o Quizzes may be announced or un-announced
o There may be few practice quizzes, which are ungraded

❑ 2-4 assignments
o No “best of” policy

❑ NO makeup quiz will be given and late assignments will not be

accepted
Course Outline
Sr. No. Date Topic
1 Week 1-2 Introduction, Static Characteristics of Sensors

2 Week 3-4 Dynamic Characteristics of Sensors and Loading Effect

3 Week 5-6 Analog Signal Conditioning of Sensors
4 Week 7-8 Digital Signal Conditioning of Sensors
5 Week 9-10 Thermal and Mechanical Sensors
6 Week 11 Different Actuator Types and their Working
7 Week 12-15 Discrete-State and Continuous Process Control Systems

8 Week 16 Motor and Drive Systems

Questions?
Instrumentation and Measurements
❑ Measurement
o The process of associating numbers with physical quantities and phenomena.
Measurand/Stimulus
(Quantity to be measured)

Standard Process of Comparison

(Known Quantity) (Measurement)

Result
Instrumentation and Measurements
❑ The human senses cannot provide exact quantitative information about the
knowledge of events occurring in our environments.
❑ The firm requirements of precise and accurate measurements in the technological
fields have, led to the development of mechanical aids called instruments.
❑ Instrument
o The process of associating numbers with physical quantities and phenomena
o Device that detects or senses heat, light, sound, motion, etc., and then reacts to
it in a particular way
Basic Definitions
System

Transducer

Sensors Actuators

❑ A transducer is a device which converts one form of energy to another.

❑ Sensor has physical input and electrical output.
❑ Actuators have electrical input and physical output.
Basic Definitions

❑ Sound System
Basic Human Senses

Sight Taste

Touch

Smell Hearing
Basic Sensors
❑ Limit Switch as a sensor

❑ Reed Switch as a sensor

❑ Tilt Switch as a sensor

❑ LDR Sensor

❑ IR Sensor
Basic Sensors
❑ Limit Switch
o A limit switch is a mechanical device that requires the physical contact of an
object with the switch’s actuator to make the contact change state (open/closed).
o Limit switches are used to detect the presence or absence of an object.
Basic Sensors
❑ Reed Switch
o A reed switch is an electromechanical switching device.
o Two ferromagnetic blades that are sealed in a glass envelope.
o A simple magnet interaction opens and closes the reed contacts.
Basic Sensors
❑ Tilt Switch
o A device used for measuring the tilt of an object in multiple axes with
reference to an absolute level plane.
o Work by detecting changes in angle from a pre-set “zero” state.
Basic Sensors
❑ LDR (Light Dependent Resistor)
o LDR is a special type of resistor that works on the photoconductivity principle
means that resistance changes according to the intensity of light.
o Its resistance decreases with an increase in the intensity of light.
Basic Sensors
❑ IR (Infrared)
o It is an electronic device that measures and detects infrared radiation in its
surrounding environment.
o IR signals are not noticeable by the human eye.
o For example, TVs use an IR sensor to understand the signals which are
transmitted from a remote control.
What makes a machine a robot?

Sensing Planning Acting

information action
about the on the
environment environment

where
is the
truck?

where should I dig?

Why do robots need sensors?

Where am I? Will I hit something? Where is cropline?

Localization Obstacle Detection Autonomous Harvesting

Year 2024; Forecast for Sensors & Actuators Markets per Application

A $75B Market for Sensors and Actuators

Sensors for a Humanoid Robot
Sensors for a Autonomous Vehicle

There are 30
different
sensors in a
smart vehicle
Future of Machine Health Monitoring in Manufacturing Industry
Questions?
Lecture 02
A Typical Measurement System
Significance of Measurement
Input Output
Measurement
Process
System
True Value Measured value
of variable of variable
Observer

❑ Process: A system which generates information, e.g. a chemical reactor, a car, a

human heart, or a weather system
❑ Measurement System: A system that measures information carrying quantities,
processes them, and presents them to the observer
❑ Observer: A person (or another system) that needs the information, e.g. a plant
operator, a driver (or engine control system), or a nurse
Sensor + Processing + Transmission = Smart Sensors
Noise

Noise

True value of
the variable to SCE* Display/Recording/
Sensor SPE* Analysis
be measure (VCE)*
Output:
Transducer (Sensor + SCE)
v,i,f, ON/OFF
Measured
Transmitter (Sensor + SCE + SPE) value of the
variable
*SCE: Signal Conditioning Element
*VCE: Variable Conversion Element
*SPE: Signal Processing Element
Structure of a Measurement System

1 2 3 4

Signal Signal Data

Sensing Element Conditioning Processing Presentation
Element Element Element

True Value of Variable Measured Value of Variable

Input Output
Example: Weight Measurement
System/Sensor Characteristics
❑ The system characteristics are to be known, to choose an instrument that most
suited to a particular measurement application.
❑ 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.
System/Sensor Characteristics
❑ Static characteristics Example
❑ The measurand (weight) is unchanging in time and the measurement system
instantaneously shows an equilibrium response to the measurand.
System/Sensor Characteristics
❑ Dynamic characteristics Example
❑ The measurand (water temperature) is changing in time and the measurement
system response is dependent on the rate of change of temperature.
Static Characteristics
❑ Two types of static characteristics:

o Systematic characteristics – those that can be quantified by mathematical or

graphical means.

o Statistical characteristics – variations over time of the output of an element.

Systematic characteristics
❑ Range – Input and output ranges are specified by the minimum and
maximum values of input and output variables, denoted IMIN, IMAX, OMIN and
OMAX.
❑ Span – the maximum variation of inputs and outputs, i.e. IMAX − IMIN and
OMAX − OMIN

❑ Ideal straight line (Linearity) – The input-output relationship of the element

can be described by the straight-line equation, i.e. O(I) = K · I + a.
Systematic characteristics
Non-linearity – If the relationship between the input and output does not obey
the straight-line equation, the element is said to be non-linear.
❑ The maximum deviation from the linear characteristics as a percentage of the
full scale output.
❑ The non-linearity is defined as the deviation from
straight line, i.e. N(I) = O(I) − (K · I + a)
Questions?