SIGNAL CONDITIONING

Introduction
Transducers sense physical phenomenon
such as rise in temperature and convert into an
electrical signal(voltage or current). However
these signals may not be in their appropriate
forms to employ them to control a mechatronics
system. The signals given by a transducer may
be nonlinear in nature or may contain noise.
Thus before sending these signals to the
mechatronics control unit it is essential to
remove the noise and nonlinearity associated
with the raw output from a sensor or a
transducer.
Source: http://nptel.ac.in/courses/112103174/8
 SIGNAL CONDITIONING OPERATIONS
• Linearization(Non linear to Linear)
• Attenuation(High amplitude to Low amplitude)
• Amplification(Low amplitude to High amplitude)
• Filtering(Noisy to Noise free)
• Isolation(Non isolated to Isolated)
• Analog to Digital Conversion(Analog to Digital)
• Digital to Analog Conversion(Digital to Analog)
ELEMENTS/CIRCUITS COMMONLY USED FOR
SIGNAL CONDITIONING:

• Operational Amplifiers
• Wheatstone Bridge
• Filters
• Analog to Digital Converter
• Digital to Analog Converter
OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER(OP-AMP)
Operational Amplifier is a basic and an important part of
a signal conditioning system. It is often abbreviated as
op-amp.

Many sensors develop extremely low-level output

signals. The signals are usually too small for applying
directly to low-gain, multiplexed data acquisition system
inputs, so some amplification is necessary. Two common
examples of low-level sensors are thermocouples and strain-
gage bridges that typically deliver full-scale outputs of less
than 50 mV.

Source: data acquisition handbook(mccdaq.com)

OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER(OP-AMP)
OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER(OP-AMP)
OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIERS

• Non-inverting Amplifier
• Inverting Amplifier
• Voltage Follower/Buffer
• Voltage Comparator
• Summing Amplifier/Summer
• Differential Amplifier
• Current-to-Voltage Converter
• Voltage-to-Current Converter
• Differentiator
• Integrator
NON-INVERTING AMPLIFIER

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A1FB5BB9AAF8/~yalcinme/files/courses/MMG/ch3_1%20SignalConditioning.pdf
INVERTING AMPLIFIER

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 VOLTAGE FOLLOWER/BUFFER

High input impedance, not Low output impedance,

disturbing the original circuit outputs the full voltage.

The importance of this circuit does not come

from any change in voltage, but from the input
and output impedances of the op-amp.
VOLTAGE COMPARATOR The output indicates which of
the two voltages is high (V1 or
V2) when used with no
feedback connection.

Example: If the voltage applied

to v1 is greater than V2 then
the output is constant voltage
equal to (-10V). If (V2>V1)
then the output is constant
voltage =(+10V).

Source: http://web.itu.edu.tr/629D763A-8273-461F-A2D0-
A1FB5BB9AAF8/FinalDownload/DownloadId-
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SUMMING AMPLIFIER

The circuit shows a three-input summing amplifier

circuit, which provides a means of algebraically
summing (adding) three voltages, each multiplied
by a constant-gain factor.

Source: http://web.itu.edu.tr/629D763A-8273-461F-A2D0-
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A1FB5BB9AAF8/~yalcinme/files/courses/MMG/ch3_1%20SignalConditioning.pdf
CURRENT-TO-VOLTAGE CONVERTER

Source: http://web.itu.edu.tr/629D763A-8273-461F-A2D0-
A1FB5BB9AAF8/FinalDownload/DownloadId-
4FBB7057F0AB6B600582D1E6CACE6BC0/629D763A-8273-461F-A2D0-
A1FB5BB9AAF8/~yalcinme/files/courses/MMG/ch3_1%20SignalConditioning.pdf
VOLTAGE –TO-CURRENT CONVERTER

Source: : Instrumentation and Control By: W. Bolton

DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER

The output is proportional to the difference

between the two input voltages. Such a circuit
might be used with a thermocouple to amplify the
difference in e.m.f s between the hot and cold
junctions.
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DIFFERENTIATOR
Differentiates the (inverted) signal over time. If there is
no change in input voltage, there will be no output
voltage. The faster the rate of voltage change at the
input (either positive or negative), the greater the
voltage at the output.

Source: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_8/11.html and

radioelectronics.com
INTEGRATOR
Integrates(and inverts) the input signal Vin(t) over a time interval t,
t0 < t < t1. A constant negative voltage at the input results in a
linear, rising (positive) voltage at the output. The output voltage
rate-of-change will be proportional to the value of the input voltage.

Source: https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/opamp/opamp_6.html
ATTENUATION
Most data acquisition system inputs can measure
voltages only within a range of 5 to 10 V. Voltages
higher than this must be attenuated. Straightforward
resistive dividers can easily attenuate any range of
voltages but two drawbacks complicate this simple
solution. First, voltage dividers present substantially
lower impedances to the source than direct analog
inputs. Second, their output impedance is much too
high for multiplexer inputs.

Source: data acquisition handbook(mccdaq.com)

ATTENUATION

Source: data acquisition handbook(mccdaq.com)

LINEARIZATION
• The transfer function for many electronic devices,
which relates the input to output, contains a
nonlinear factor.
• In most cases this factor is small enough to be
ignored. However, in some applications it must be
compensated either in hardware(electronic
circuits) or software(program). Thermocouples, for
example, have a nonlinear relationship

Source: data acquisition handbook(mccdaq.com)

LINEARIZATION

Source: data acquisition handbook(mccdaq.com)

LINEARIZATION

Figure 5.29 shows the output voltage for several types of

thermocouples plotted against temperature.
Source: data acquisition handbook(mccdaq.com)
FILTERS

Filter
• a circuit that is designed to pass signals with desired
frequencies and reject or attenuate others
• Used to eliminate/reduce noise
•4 types of filters:
1.Low-pass filter: passes low frequencies and stops
high frequencies
2.High-pass filter: passes high frequencies and rejects
low frequencies
3.Band-pass filter: passes frequencies within a
frequency band and blocks or attenuates frequencies
outside the band
4.Band-reject filter: passes frequencies outside a
frequency band and blocks or attenuates frequencies
within the band Source: http://www.powershow.com/view4/41e9d8-
OTIzZ/Chapter_4__Signal_conditioning_powerpoint_ppt_presentation
Characteristics of ideal filters:
(a) low-pass filter, (b) high-pass filter,
(c) band-pass filter, (d) band-reject filter
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LOW-PASS FILTER

Source: http://www.powershow.com/view4/41e9d8-
OTIzZ/Chapter_4__Signal_conditioning_powerpoint_ppt_presentation

EXAMPLE:
Calculate the cut-off frequency of a low-pass filter if the resistance is 1
kiloohm and the capacitance is 4 microfarad.

Solution:
1
𝑓𝑐 = = 39.79 𝐻𝑧
2𝜋(1𝑥103 )(4𝑥10−6 )
HIGH-PASS FILTER

Source: http://www.powershow.com/view4/41e9d8-
OTIzZ/Chapter_4__Signal_conditioning_powerpoint_ppt_presentation
BAND-PASS FILTER

Source: http://www.powershow.com/view4/41e9d8-
OTIzZ/Chapter_4__Signal_conditioning_powerpoint_ppt_presentation
BAND-REJECT FILTER(BAND-STOP)

Sourcehttps://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/filter/band-stop-filter.html
ISOLATION
Frequently, data acquisition system inputs must
measure low-level signals where relatively high
voltages are common, such as in motor controllers,
transformers, and motor windings. In these cases,
isolation amplifiers can measure low-level signals
among high common-mode voltages, break ground
loops, and eliminate source ground connections
without subjecting operators and equipment to the high
voltage.

Source: data acquisition handbook(mccdaq.com)

OPTOISOLATOR

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CIRCUIT PROTECTION

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CIRCUIT PROTECTION

Source: http://web.itu.edu.tr/629D763A-8273-461F-A2D0-
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ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER

The A/D converts the information from

analog to digital form. Often, the time variations
of the analog signal must be arrested with a
sample-and-hold circuit while A/D conversion is
taking place.

The analog wave is “sampled,” or read,

hundreds or thousands of times per second
to map out the wave digitally
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A1FB5BB9AAF8/~rhabash/ELG4112L305.pdf
ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER

Source: http://www.site.uottawa.ca/629D763A-8273-461F-A2D0-
A1FB5BB9AAF8/FinalDownload/DownloadId-
1FFD6E5414ED4A86D28A2F9FA303566C/629D763A-8273-461F-A2D0-
A1FB5BB9AAF8/~rhabash/ELG4112L305.pdf
ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTION

Source: Mechatronics System Design by:Shetty and Kolk

ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTION

The priority encoders output corresponds to the currently

active input which has the highest priority. So when an
input with a higher priority is present, all other inputs with a
lower priority will be ignored.
Source: https://www.electrical4u.com
ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTION

Source: https://www.electrical4u.com
DIGITAL TO ANALOG CONVERTION
DAC circuit, otherwise known as the binary-weighted-input DAC, is a
variation on the inverting summer op-amp circuit. Suppose we were to set
the input resistor values at multiple powers of two: R, 2R, and 4R, instead of
all the same value R. Starting from V1 and going through V3, this would give
each input voltage exactly half the effect on the output as the voltage before
it.

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/digital/chpt-13/r-2nr-dac/
 DIGITAL TO ANALOG CONVERTION
For example, by making the feedback
resistor 800 Ω, the DAC will output -1 volt
for the binary input 001, -4 volts for the
binary input 100, -7 volts for the binary
input 111, and so

For binary 100:

800 800 800
𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡 = − 5 +0 +0
1000 2000 4000
= −4.00 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑠 http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/digital/chpt-13/r-2nr-dac/